Primed and ready
Voting season kicks off soon, with early in-person voting for the March 5 Democratic and Republican presidential primaries starting on January 19.
Early voting in the city will be held at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections in Room 142 at City Hall Annex, 120 Seventh St. NE, on weekdays from January 19 to March 1 between 8:30am and 4:30pm.
Albemarle County residents can vote early in-person at the Voter Registration and Elections Office in Room A at 1600 Fifth St. Extended on weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm.
Saturday voting will be available in both the city and county on February 28 and March 2 between 8:30am and 5pm.
Ryan L. Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Donald Trump are the candidates on the Republican ballot.
Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee, with a double-digit lead in most polling, despite the myriad of active criminal and civil cases against him. A lawsuit challenging Trump’s inclusion in the Virginia Republican primary was dismissed by a federal judge on December 29, ensuring the former president will be on the ballot.
The Democratic primary pool is smaller, with Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson challenging incumbent President Joe Biden.
Third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Chase Oliver, Jill Stein, and Cornel West will not appear on the primary ballot.
For more information on early voting, visit charlottesville.org/396/Voter-Registration-Elections and albemarle.org/government/elections/election-day.
Suspect located safely
On January 5, Charlottesville Police received reports of an adult white man walking in the area of Carlton Road with multiple firearms, including an “AR-15-style rifle” at approximately 6:39am. Preliminary investigation determined the individual posed an “immediate threat to the public at large,” resulting in a shelter in place alert from the CPD.
“Expect heavy police presence in [the Carlton Road] area. Avoid travel to this area,” CPD said in a social media post. “For those living in this area, shelter in place and await further information.”
Through the use of drones and other technology, the department’s Emergency Response Unit was able to quickly locate the individual. Officers confiscated the man’s weapons, and provided mental health services at the scene. CPD lifted its shelter in place order by 8:30am.
“We would like to thank our community for helping to maintain public safety by quickly notifying us of this matter,” said CPD’s post-incident news release. “We greatly value your partnership.”
According to the CPD, no charges will be filed in connection with the incident.
In brief
Walk on
Charlottesville’s Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee kicks off its monthly guided walks through the city’s neighborhoods on January 14 at noon. This month, the committee has partnered with the University of Virginia and Albemarle County to tour sites important to the history of the Civil Rights movement. The route runs about three miles and begins at the Albemarle County Office on 401 McIntire Rd. Walks occur every second Sunday of the month, and no registration is required. For information on the location of each month’s walk, check the committee’s Facebook page at facebook.com/cvilleBPAC.
Breakthrough
Lung transplants could soon have a better chance at success thanks to a team of researchers at the UVA School of Medicine. The team, led by Swapnil K. Sonkusare of UVA’s Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, identified cellular changes that can cause significant complications with organ transplants, leading to organ rejection and even death. This research, first conducted on lab mice, may help doctors better ensure the success of lung transplants.
By the numbers
The city recently posted its Popular Annual Financial Report for the past fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2023. The report, prepared by the city’s finance department, is a “more easily digestible” version of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, and includes data points such as the unemployment rate (2.4 percent), estimated median household income ($63,470), and miles of street (160.14). Read the full report at charlottesville.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/245.
