Police investigate forcible rape

Julian Elmo Bailey, 52, was arrested July 7 for the forcible rape of a 49-year-old woman around 10:30pm, in the area of Fifth Street SW. “The suspect and the victim in this case were acquaintances,” says Charlottesville Police Captain Bryan Bibb. “They knew each other and they had hung out together in the past.” This […]

The other Commonwealth’s Attorney

The office of Charlottesville’s head prosecutor, Warner D. “Dave” Chapman, is tucked off a mundane hallway in City Hall, far removed from the bustle of lawyers, clerks, cops and cons a few blocks north in historic Court Square. Chapman, too, is usually removed from the pomp and politics of the local legal scene. While his […]

Fighting the mental health stigmas

Residents in Nelson County seeking mental health care have a lot of obstacles to overcome. “In Nelson County, the mental health facility is located right next to the public health facility,

NCAA limits prep year

Dedicated UVA football fans experienced a moment of deja vu this January when they looked down the list of incoming recruits on national signing day and saw the name Ras-I Dowling. Dowling was also on the list in 2006, but he didn’t make the grade for UVA. So he opted to “prep,” spend a post-grad […]

Congrats: You’ve been reassigned!

The details of local guy Will Shaw’s Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA) dispute with UVA read like a classic David and Goliath tale: Shaw, a UVA employee and Louisa county resident vs. UVA, a public entity, major local employer and big cheese. “It’s a little spooky,” says local attorney Debbie Wyatt, who represents Dena Bowers, […]

Council asks for draft lease for YMCA

Plans for a new YMCA at McIntire Park gained momentum at the July 9 City Council work session thanks in part to a figure that rolled onto Parks and Recreations Director Mike Svetz’s deck that day: $565,000 to renovate just the locker rooms at the Smith and Crow city pools. Even councilors that weren’t wild […]

Cindy Sheehan: Impeach or else

On June 20, anti-war activist and perennial pain-in-POTUS’-ass, Cindy Sheehan, will lead a rally on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. Sheehan—who in May quit her anti-war activism in disgust only to return recently—is traveling to Washington, D.C., to call for the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. She’s also announced that she’ll run against House […]

City fire chief enters bandwidth battle

Correction appended Recently, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to govern the auction of the 700mHZ band of wireless spectrum, the largest band left up for grabs in the U.S. that can be used for digital wireless communication. The sale—which should net the federal government billions—has had businesses, open-access proponents and others in a stir […]

Outbursts and gavels at NGIC hearing

Ryan Adams’ delay at LaGuardia Airport assured that the county Planning Commission was the best show in town on Tuesday, July 10, complete with shouting and gavel pounding, accusations and innuendos. Developer Wendell Wood got a narrow vote of approval from the county Planning Commission in a cantankerous discussion of 15 acres he wants rezoned […]