Growing together

By Matt Dhillon In the staggering summer heat, Kendall King digs her fingers into the dark topsoil of a new garden bed. She’s kneeling on the back lawn of Visible Records, a gallery and studio space in Charlottesville’s Belmont neighborhood. In the garden, three tall tomato plants climb out of their cages between shoots of […]

‘Pandemic of the unvaccinated’

After two months of steady, relatively low numbers of new COVID cases, Virginia is starting to once again see an increase in new cases each day. On July 23, the seven-day average of new cases in the state was 523, the highest since May 15, according to data from The New York Times.  While the […]

In brief: Repping UVA in NBA & Olympics

Everything’s coming up Mamadi Last week, former UVA basketball star Mamadi Diakite finished his first season in the NBA with a championship win. The Milwaukee Bucks’ 105-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in game six made Diakite the first player to ever win an NCAA championship, a G-League championship, and an NBA championship. (He also […]

Firearm fracas

A collection of 100 or so area gun lovers gathered on the lawn of the Albemarle County Office Building last Wednesday afternoon to register their opposition to a proposed ordinance that would ban firearms on county-owned property, like parks and City Hall.  At a meeting after the rally, the county ultimately decided to hold off on […]

Driving it home

For decades, Virginia has had controversial right-to-work laws, which ban employers from requiring union membership. Though supporters of the laws claim they protect the rights of workers and attract businesses, others say they weaken unions, keep wages low, and benefit corporations—Virginia has one of the lowest unionization rates in the country. But under the Democratic […]

Digging down

“How do you lose a president’s house?” That was Highland Executive Director Sara Bon-Harper’s reaction when a 2016 archaeological dig conducted at James Monroe’s plantation turned up a discovery that completely reinterpreted the site. The research uncovered part of the foundation of Monroe’s original 1799 home, under the front yard of the existing Victorian-era Massey […]

In a haze

By Danny O’Dea All along Route 151, breweries and wineries dot the sides of the road. This beautiful, hilly stretch of Nelson County highway is known around the state for its picturesque watering holes.  Take a turn down the more residential Dick Woods Road, however, and you’ll see signs with bold letters that read “NO […]

In brief: CBD dispensary opens, Fashion Square Mall auctioned

High roller: Boutique dispensary opens downtown  The future of pot has arrived in Charlottesville. And it looks like an Apple store.  Skooma, the town’s newest CBD dispensary, opened on the Downtown Mall earlier this month. For the moment, the slick operation is offering the weed-adjacent products that are currently widely available in Virginia—edibles and plants […]

Tooth be told

Smile! On July 1, over 750,000 adult Virginians became eligible for dental coverage under the state’s expanded Medicaid dental plan. Previously, only children and pregnant Medicaid recipients were eligible for coverage. “Oral health is an integral part of overall health, well-being, and quality of life,” said Governor Ralph Northam in a press release. “This historic […]

In brief: Sabato’s tweets, Longo’s exposé

Larry Sabato will keep on tweeting  The Republican Party of Virginia has a big campaign underway. The organization is trying to help its candidate, Glenn Youngkin, win a governor’s race in a once-purple state that’s gone blue in every statewide election since 2009. But Rich Anderson, chair of the VA GOP, apparently has other matters […]