Judgeships become more political

The Virginia General Assembly will have an open judge’s seat to fill next year, given the recently announced retirement of Albemarle Circuit Court Judge Paul M. Peatross. Though lawmakers have called for an open and fair appointment, local lawyers expect the process to reflect increasing partisanship in judicial appointments in the state. Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney […]

How to arrest a hooker on Cherry Avenue

When officer Joe Brown returned to work at the Charlottesville Police Department after several weeks off, Sergeant Marc Brake noticed a change in the man’s appearance. Brown “had grown a beard, looked kinda scraggly,” according to Brake. Officer Brown’s appearance was a contrast to his clean, efficient skills: “A lot of tactical experience, experience as […]

Local Planned Parenthood to join NC branch

Contraceptive devices might be getting smaller—patches that are paper thin, hormone pills that are low dose—but Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge (PPBR) is in final negotiations to supersize itself. It wants to merge with a North Carolina affiliate—a move organization officials say aims to help women retain their reproductive rights in Virginia. It’s an […]

Patience, says son of Iraq president

“We should encourage the participation of the communists in Iraq,” said Qubad Talabani. Eyebrows were raised among the roughly 150 people listening. Talabani, with his British accent, pinstripe suit and polished wingtips, is decidedly not a communist. The son of Iraq’s president, he is also the Kurdistan Regional Government’s representative in the U.S. The communists, […]

Free Union VDOT station to close?

As Dick Hayden was driving to his home in Free Union, he thought the flashing roadside sign might caution him of a closing lane ahead. But as he drew closer, he noticed it gave notice of different closure: that of the Free Union area facility for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). It handles day-to-day […]

City CVS design shot down

“It’s a mess up there, I’ll admit that,” said Russell Mooney, a 75-year-old man who once ran an Oldsmobile dealership with his father on the corner of W. Main Street and McIntire Road. An equipment rental company stands there now. “That’s why for 10 years I’ve been trying to find a decent tenant that would […]

Hardware River unsafe for humans

On the last night of November, a smattering of locals gathered in the Scottsville Town Council Chambers to discuss a messy topic: water quality problems in the Hardware and North Fork Hardware Rivers. Set in between Charlottesville and Scottsville, the rivers flow into the James and are on the State’s impaired waters list for fecal […]

Developing the final Fontaine frontier

At 69.5 acres, the Granger Property is the last major undeveloped tract of land in the southern Albemarle growth area surrounding UVA, officially known as Area B. On Tuesday night, the Albemarle County Planning Commission wanted to know why.

Red Dirt Alert!

The inexorable march to fill all empty city lots continues at the southern edge of Belmont. Dozers are grading in preparation for 29 residential units in the Carter’s View development—single-family detached housing with three-four bedrooms. Southern Development Homes, which bought the completed subdivision plan from Legend Development, expects it to be complete by the end […]

Officials go to school on mass transit

What happens when you put government officials in the position of students? The scene begins to resemble a high school classroom, with the skeptical kids asking deflating questions and the teacher's pets answering them.