Second Street closure irks restaurant owners

About 20 years ago, the plan to open Second Street and have traffic cross the Downtown Mall brought dire predictions the pedestrian mall would be ruined. Two weeks ago, the street closed with virtually no notice, and restaurant owners are making dire predictions that they’ll be ruined. Martin Horn Construction got a permit to close […]

Reeves’ Senate district swap prompts claims of political maneuvering

Thanks to a bill that passed in the State Senate Monday in a party-line vote, nearly 11,000 Albemarle residents are a step closer to getting reassigned to a new Senate district. SB1237 was introduced by Republican State Senator Bryce Reeves, whose 17th District includes part of Albemarle County and borders Democratic State Senator Creigh Deeds’ […]

National sororities ban UVA chapters from major party weekend

Citing safety concerns, 16 national sorority organizations have banned their UVA chapters from participating in what is historically one of the biggest party nights for University Greeks. Sorority women at UVA are banned from attending parties scheduled for this coming Saturday, January 31. The evening known as “Boys’ Bid Night” celebrates the day University men accept fraternities’ invitations to […]

Ogilvie pleads guilty, sentenced to 4 years

The woman who entered the residence of Delegate David Toscano and attacked his wife nearly a year ago entered a plea agreement January 23 in Charlottesville Circuit Court and was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with all but four years suspended. Ogilvie, 36, a Yale grad and former patent attorney, stood before Judge John Cullen […]

Prosecutor: No link between Jesse Matthew and Alexis Murphy

Nelson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony Martin has for months maintained that there’s no credible link between accused Hannah Graham abductor Jesse Matthew and Alexis Murphy, another local teen who disappeared in August 2013 and whose convicted killer, Randy Taylor, is now serving two life sentences. Now Martin is pointing to DNA tests conducted by the FBI […]

Buying new versus old homes

According to trulia.com’s recent survey, twice as many buyers prefer new homes over existing ones. In fact, the survey reveals that two in five Americans strongly or somewhat prefer a newly built home over one that was previously occupied. That’s a sizeable 41 percent of the population that prefers shiny and new. Interestingly, the results also […]

Facing fire risks in the home

“We recently responded to a fire started by a pizza box left in an oven,” says Donna Walker, a Master Firefighter with Albemarle County Fire Marshall’s Division,” Actually, she continues, that’s not surprising since kitchen fires comprise the largest category of residential fires. “Clutter around the kitchen stove and things hanging over stoves can start […]

Bell budget amendment aims to put Route 29 projects on hold

Albemarle Delegate Rob Bell has proposed a state budget amendment that would put plans for a major overhaul of Route 29’s Rio Road intersection on hold and subject them to further scrutiny. The $80 million stoplight-eliminating, grade-separated interchange is part of a package of improvements planned for the highway’s congested Albemarle stretch. The updates, which […]

Hit-and-run victim ID’d as Stanardsville father of four

A family member has said that the man killed early January 20 in a hit and run on U.S. 29 in Ruckersville is Damien Shifflett, 30, a father of four. State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller has since confirmed the ID, and said that Shifflett was from Stanardsville. Barely a month earlier, his family suffered another tragedy. According to […]