Local businessman Michael Harding indicted on seven counts

Nearly a year after his company was charged with forgery, local real estate developer Michael Harding was indicted last week on seven counts, including mortgage fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud. This is not the local real estate developer’s first run-in with the law involving money, and Harding could face up to 55 years in […]

Downtown Library screens classic campaign documentary

The 1993 documentary The War Room captures a transitional moment, not only in American politics, but also in popular media. Shot during Bill Clinton’s 1992 Presidential campaign, by Chris Hedegus and legendary documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (of Bob Dylan’s Dont Look Back fame), the film is a snapshot of the US political sphere, taking place […]

Charlottesville’s free clinic celebrates 20 years

With the presidential election on the horizon and the Affordable Care Act still up for debate, health care is on the minds of voters across the country. But regardless of who takes office and what reforms stick, the Charlottesville Free Clinic, which turned 20 this year, plans to be around for a while. Nobody expected […]

ARTS Pick: Jack White

Jack White may be one of the last real rock stars on the planet. While the swaggering old guard have all but been replaced by skinny jean-clad hipsters playing banjos and Macbooks, Mr. White’s a study in musical progress. His stripped-down garage days with the White Stripes led into new bands, movie roles, and collaborations with the likes […]

Problems lead to more scrutiny in the Albemarle court clerk’s office

For years, state auditors have been giving the Albemarle County Circuit Court Clerk’s office bad reviews, pointing out major record-keeping errors and costly failures in financial oversight. More than halfway through her eight-year term as Clerk, Debra M. Shipp says the problems that have plagued her office stem from a lack of staff support. But […]

Matt Pamer design gets approved for West Main Street mural

The Charlottesville Mural Project, launched by Ross McDermott in 2011, has taken on the task of beautifying the city through a series of public murals, with the goal of producing two a year. They’ve already brightened Monticello Avenue with Avery Lawrence’s colorful mural of interlocking hands on the north face of the Ix Building, as […]

Charlottesville’s childcare crunch

Childcare costs are higher than ever and rising nationwide. Families of all backgrounds and income levels are grappling with the conundrum of how to balance care and costs, from couples with college degrees forced to choose between careers and stay-at-home parenthood to low-income families who want more options than public care. Child Care Aware, a national organization that helps families and […]

At Madwoman, lunatics are running the asylum with love

If you’ve been on the Mall much recently, you’ve likely come across The Madwoman Project. It’s hard to miss. Fifteen minutes or so before the show gets started, a pink-haired girl (Opal Lechmanski) can be found methodically sweeping the square created by the Third Street intersection. The subtlety of her peculiarity, her cobbled-together skirt, her Sisyphean […]

Reclusive Erik the Red signs on for a residency

When The Whiskey Jar opened in February at the west end of the Downtown Mall, it came as something of a surprise. After all, Escafé had held down that spot for 17 years and several owners, before a recent relocation. Seven months later, The Whiskey Jar has become a reliable regular destination for many Mall-goers. […]

Obama’s Deferred Action plan attracts Latinos’ attention

Undocumented residents across the country are flocking to legal offices to discuss and apply for Deferred Action status, a recently approved administrative program that temporarily protects young immigrants from deportation. Congress has repeatedly rejected the DREAM Act, which would have provided a path to citizenship for immigrants who came to the United States illegally before […]