Expanding growth areas?

For decades Albemarle has put a premium on protecting rural land by concentrating development in about 5 percent of the county’s 726 square miles. But as the review of the Comprehensive Plan continues, community members are being asked to weigh in on where future development might go.  “There will be places that we recognize it’s […]

In the smoking section

Canada is burning, and we’re all inhaling the smoke. The worst wildfire season in our northern neighbor’s history began in the spring and has raged into summer, with winds carrying smoke down the northeastern United States, along the East Coast, and into the Midwest. New York City took on a horrid red Martian hue as […]

Building secure connections

On July 19 and 20, the University of Virginia hosted the Virginia Cybersecurity Education Conference, which brought cybersecurity educators together from across the state.   “It’s just good to connect these educators together to share resources and lots of interesting talks,” says David Raymond, director of U.S. Cyber Range, the event’s creator and organizer. “They […]

In brief

Diving in Local swimming star Thomas Heilman has qualified for the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The 16-year-old qualified for the competition earlier this summer at the Phillips 66 National Championships in Indianapolis, where he also broke two national age group records, including one set by Olympian Michael Phelps. Since stepping (er, swimming) […]

Stepping up

New Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders was sworn in at the July 17 City Council meeting. Sanders, whose first day on the job is August 1, has served as the deputy city manager of operations since July 2021, and succeeds interim city manager Michael Rogers.  “When we launched the search for our next city manager, […]

Smooth landing

The Department of Parks and Recreation will meet with Charlottesville City Council in August for the final approval of the purchase of the Moore’s Creek Farm property, the current location of International Rescue Committee’s New Roots Farm. The New Roots program’s mission is to support refugee food security, and aid refugees’ transition to the community […]

More Dairy Market?

There has been a lot of building activity on Preston Avenue in the last 10 years, with the redevelopment of older structures into spaces for the 21st century.    The biggest of these has been the transformation of the Monticello Dairy into a mixed-use project with a 30,000 square-foot food hall, 50,000 square feet of […]

Justice delayed

On July 12, the 125th anniversary of a white lynch mob murdering John Henry James, a packed courtroom in Albemarle Circuit Court applauded when a judge dismissed an indictment for rape that was handed down in 1898, even after the prosecutor and grand jury knew that James was dead. “A mockery of the justice system,” […]

In brief

Reach for the Starrs On July 10, Starr Hill Pathways kicked off its third annual summer session with a pep rally at John Paul Jones Arena. Run by the Virginia Equity Center, Starr Hill Pathways is a supplementary education program designed to “provide the social, technical, and research infrastructure to redress educational inequities that persist […]

Paving the way

After being closed for several years, the lane near the Brooks Family YMCA is scheduled to reopen late this fall.  While many Charlottesville residents link the lane closure with the YMCA, the project is actually associated with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Charlottesville Department of Parks & Recreation, due to its ties to […]