Courting reform

Here’s one number to cut right to the heart of Tuesday’s Democratic primary for Charlottesville commonwealth’s attorney: 19. That’s how many times Joe Platania’s office says it has prosecuted felony simple possession of hard drugs as a standalone charge in the last two years.      Platania says that the statistic proves his office isn’t […]

Hot seats

By Geremia di Maro Charlottesville’s government faces a wide array of big issues: A housing crisis. Ongoing criminal justice system inequities. A bureaucracy that’s had difficulty getting on the same page.  This summer, three candidates are competing in the Democratic primary in hopes of securing the party’s nominations to run for two contested seats on […]

In a state

By Eva Surovell and Ben Hitchcock On June 8, Democrats will decide who will represent their party in three key November statewide elections. Get to know the candidates below. Governor Terry McAuliffe Previous experience: Governor of Virginia, 2014-2018 Key endorsement: Hillary Clinton McAuliffe has thrown his hat in the ring for a second non-consecutive term […]

Squad drama

Last December, 32-year-old Jamarcus “Buck” Washington was found dead in the South First Street public housing complex, a victim of rising gun violence in Charlottesville’s predominantly Black neighborhoods over the past year. Pained by his friend’s murder, Pertelle Gilmore contacted his mentor Herb Dickerson, and recruited a handful of people in the city’s Black community […]

Finding the answers

While serving as a magistrate judge in Virginia’s 23rd judicial circuit, Ashley Reynolds Marshall heard a case that made her rethink her entire career. An undocumented woman, who had fled violence in Honduras, needed protection from her abusive husband. Marshall offered to have the husband kicked out of the house and issue a restraining order, […]

Our backyards

Lots of people want to live in Charlottesville. To help meet the demand for housing throughout the city, leaders have hired Arlington-based consulting firm Rhodeside & Harwell to rewrite Charlottesville’s Comprehensive Plan, a document that guides land-use policy in the city. As part of that process, the consultants are now taking public comment through June […]

Lessons learned?

By Amelia Delphos Last week, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones was denied the position of the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at the University of North Carolina’s Hussman School of Journalism. The tenured position seemed like a natural fit for Hannah-Jones, a UNC alum and one of the developers of the 1619 Project […]

In brief: Walker running, Students must get vax

Walker running again  Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker officially announced on Friday that she’s seeking re-election to City Council in the fall. The announcement does not come as a surprise: Walker has hinted multiple times in recent months that she planned to run for a second four-year term on the council.  During a 28-minute Facebook Live […]

UVA’s pandemic year, by the numbers

Around the country, universities scrambled to conduct classes and host students while keeping COVID under control. The graphs and illustrations below provide a snapshot of UVA’s efforts to limit viral transmission among its students over the last year. All statistics are as of May 13.  Student spread The school reports 2,824 COVID cases among students […]

At last

My redo graduation got off to a less-than-graceful start. The day before walking, I found my black gown not in my closet, but crumpled in the trunk of my car, where I dumped it a year ago after declaring my 2020 graduation a total loss. My cap was nowhere to be found, and I ran […]