Restaurateur Wilson “Will” Richey died in a single-car accident in the early morning of Tuesday, December 12, according to a statement from the Albemarle County Police Department. First responders were dispatched to the 1300 block of Owensville Road at approximately 1:21am, and Richey, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene.
For decades, Richey was an influential member of the Charlottesville culinary scene. He started his career in the wine business before venturing into food. After buying local staple Revolutionary Soup in 2005, Richey went on to form his own restaurant group, Ten Course Hospitality, which was instrumental in the launch of The Whiskey Jar, The Alley Light, The Bebedero, The Pie Chest, and Brasserie Saison, among others.
Richey was known for his industry partnerships. His most recent ventures included Café Frank with renowned chef José DeBrito, and Högwaller Brewing, with a group of friends that includes his Ten Course Hospitality partner Jonathan Corey.
Thanks to his various collaborations and founding of the Charlottesville Wine Guild and Red Row Farm, Richey had a deep impact on the local culinary scene.
Draft season
More than 100 community members showed up to speak during a December 5 public hearing on Charlottesville’s proposed draft zoning ordinance. When space ran out in crowded City Council chambers, attendees were directed to overflow seating at CitySpace.
Residents remain divided on the draft, though the number of speakers in favor of the proposed ordinance outnumbered opponents. Those who supported the ordinance largely did so with some reservations, but noted the potential for the new zoning code to increase the amount of affordable housing. Concerns brought up by attendees included the city’s failure to conduct a traffic study, potential parking problems, density, the tree canopy, displacement, upzoning, and if the plan will effectively increase affordable housing. Many of these worries were brought up at previous City Council and Planning Commission meetings, as well as at other public hearings about the draft zoning ordinance.
The city has long indicated that a vote on the draft zoning ordinance would occur before the end of the year, but some attendees called on council to delay its vote. Deliberations on the ordinance will continue on December 13, when council will either vote on the ordinance or further extend the consideration process.
Penned out
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has resigned following national backlash for statements made while testifying at a congressional hearing about antisemitism on college campuses. Prior to being named Penn’s president, Magill served as the executive vice president and provost at the University of Virginia from 2019 to 2022. She graduated from UVA Law in 1995.
Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, antisemitism has reportedly been on the rise at universities in the United States. Magill was called to testify before Congress on December 5, alongside the presidents of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
When asked by New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik if “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate Penn’s student code of conduct, Magill responded it would be “context-dependent” and “if the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment.”
Magill’s statements prompted massive public backlash, including condemnation by the White House and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Magill apologized for her remarks in a video posted to the @Penn Twitter/X account on December 6, before resigning on December 9.
Magill will continue to serve as Penn’s president until an interim leader is selected, and will retain her position as a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law.
