Charging forward

At the tail end of March, Donald J. Trump became the first U.S. president to be indicted for an alleged criminal offense.   The historic news dropped late on a Thursday afternoon. But over at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, J. Miles Coleman was thinking, “Okay, they couldn’t have waited until Monday?” Trump’s […]

Keep it low

The cost of housing continues to rise, but there is a large desire in the community for steps to be taken to preserve housing for those with lower incomes. That is translating into several large capital expenses throughout the area.    This week, Charlottesville City Council held the first reading of a plan to award […]

Seeds of change

A late-February 82-degree day followed by a stretch of mornings in the frosty 30s? Yep, we’re talking about winter 2023 in central Virginia. After a mild several months (except for that low of 6 degrees in December), it seems like any weather event or temperature is possible. Does this mean we’ll have a scorching summer? […]

In brief

City schools hires safety coordinator Regine Wright, Charlottesville City Schools new coordinator of school safety and security, will oversee the major components of the division safety model that were adopted in 2021. They include: safety and crisis-planning and training, monitoring of security systems, and the Care and Safety Assistant program. Wright, who was hired on […]

Building the soil

Why isn’t more public green space used to grow food? Highway medians, the small lawns between sidewalks and apartments, public parks, all have the potential, and Richard Morris thinks about this more than most. The co-executive director of the food justice organization Cultivate Charlottesville knows the challenges and rewards of choosing a good garden location. […]

Kicked out

Since hiring law firm McGuireWoods to investigate allegations of severe internal dysfunction and animal mistreatment made by more than 100 current and former staff and volunteers in January, the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA has fired two volunteers who voiced concerns about the shelter’s practices and leadership.   When experienced dog walker Louise Finger showed up at the […]

Zoning can wait

There has been a slight delay in the release of further details about how Charlottesville’s new zoning code will work, but at least two major projects are making their way through the system.    Earlier this month, City Council signaled it will likely allow a technical change to the existing zoning to consider a nine-story […]

In brief

Judge approves seizing Fields’ funds Six years after Charlottesville made national headlines during the deadly Unite the Right rally, a Virginia federal judge has authorized law enforcement officials to seize funds in the commissary account of James Alex Fields Jr., who was given two life sentences without the possibility of parole for killing one woman […]

Pet-sitting problem

In 2019, Albemarle County rolled out restrictions on homestays, limiting which properties are eligible to be listed on sites like Airbnb. Home child care centers also merit their own county code section. Now, the owner of a dog who disappeared after being left with an Albemarle-based pet-sitter says the county should regulate in-home animal care […]

Living legacy

On March 14, the University of Virginia women’s swimming & diving team made its way to Knoxville to compete in the 2023 NCAA championship meet. Energy levels were high, and, as UVA fourth-year Ella Nelson put it, the teammates were just trying to contain their excitement. UVA’s swim team wasn’t the only one housing Olympians […]