Tuesday, April 3
The great frat heist
A gaggle of UVA fraternity pledges ripped a “Farmer Hokie” bird from in front of the Blacksburg Municipal Building, essentially destroying it, Blacksburg officials said. The Hokie bird statues were part of a city project that is, apparently, a hot target for college students of all stripes, including several Virginia Tech students who were brought up on charges in another incident. The UVA kids returned the bird and offered to pay $10,000 for the damages.
Wednesday, April 4
SNL beefs up
 Jessica Nagle co-founded local company SNL Financial, which recently acquired Kagan Research, a media-analysis firm, and began its own Media & Communications division. |
Local firm SNL Financial, which provides investment banks, money managers and corporations with business info and employs hundreds at its Downtown facility, has acquired Kagan Research, a media research and analysis firm for an undisclosed amount, according to Digital Media Wire. The acquisition coincides with SNL’s launch of its Media & Communications group, which will cover more than 260 companies.
Thursday, April 5
Military lawyers closer to combat
Army lawyers like those at Charlottesville’s JAG (Judge Advocate General) school are getting a bigger piece of the military action in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a “Morning Edition” report on National Public Radio. Not only are the military lawyers responsible for investigating situations that go wrong—Abu Ghraib, anyone?—they’re also expected to make split-second, culturally appropriate decisions in combat and give legal advice in the field. Butch Tate, who runs the Army JAG school, says their motto is “soldiers first, lawyers always.” Last year applications were up—the JAG school accepts 150 lawyers per year, but received applications from five times that many.
Friday, April 6
BOV gets new members
UVA has more independence from the state, thanks to restructuring, but Governor Tim Kaine still gets to appoint the Board of Visitors. The Daily Progress reports that three of the four appointees have served on the BOV before: L.F. Payne, Susan Y. Dorsey and John O. Wynne. The newbie is Austin Ligon, retired CEO of Carmax, Inc., a company worth over $7 billion.
Goode work
 Jeff Winder, Iraq War protester, is arrested outside 5th district Representative Virgil Goode’s office on First Street SW. Winder and 10 others were charged with trespassing and received legal slaps on the wrist. |
Eleven Iraq War protesters were found guilty in Charlottesville General District Court for occupying 5th District Congressman Virgil Goode’s office off the Downtown Mall. Before their court appearance, the protesters delivered their own indictment to Goode for his endorsement of the war, which they say violates international laws. Each received a 30-day suspended jail sentence and was ordered to pay court costs of $76, payable through community service.
Saturday, April 7
Chilly opening for City Market
 Summer, squashed? An uncommonly cold opening for the Charlottesville City Market didn’t keep customers or sellers away. |
A summer tradition in Charlottesville opened with snow flurries and a nip in the air, as eager City Market shoppers were forced to shiver among the squash. Temperatures dropped suddenly, leaving a dusting of snow over the lot on Water Street. Commerce marched on, however, as most vendors still turned up to sell their locally grown veggies.
The Lawn, eschewed
UVA lost out to the University of Maryland-College Park as the ideal campus filming spot for National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Washington Post reports in Style. Though not seeing Nicholas Cage or Jon Voight around town is no great loss, we will sorely miss Helen Mirren—the British actress also stars in the sequel. Filming begins today at Maryland’s McKeldin Mall, which is slightly larger than UVA’s Lawn.
Sunday, April 8
Hatfields, McCoys, explained
The legendary Hatfield-McCoy feud, which dates back to the Civil War, may be explained through genetics, according to the Associated Press. One Charlottesville researcher is credited with studying a condition that makes people more aggressive and combative. Dr. Nuzhet Atuk at the University of Virginia and geneticists at the University of Pennsylvania studied the McCoy family for over 30 years. The condition is characterized by irregularities of the adrenal gland, which floods adrenaline into the bloodstream, causing tumors and aggressive behavior. The Hatfield-McCoy feud raged in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia and left at least a dozen people dead. The families signed a truce in 2003.
Monday, April 9
Cheers from Coors
Sure, Charlottesville’s got fancy micro-brews all over town, but why not celebrate good old-fashioned corporate brews once in a while, especially where a major advertiser is involved? Congratulations to Blue Ridge Beverage Company for its Presidents’ Award from Coors Brewing Company, announced today. The award recognizes “quality assurance” and “commitment to growth.”
They were the champions
It’s back to school for the Charlottesville High School Orchestra, which returned from their London trip over the weekend with gold medals and high praise for their early-morning performance at the Royal Academy of Music.
