Hundreds gather to remember Trayvon Martin

The cry rang up and down Charlottesville’s rainy Downtown Mall last Wednesday evening, a call-and-answer chant heard at rallies across the country in the weeks since George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the February 2012 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. “I am!” “Trayvon Martin!” But Eden Zekarias, the UVA third-year who […]

UVA to host conference on benefits of hiring veterans

The unemployment rate for veterans has been decreasing since this time last year, and as of last month, was at 7.2 percent. Here in Virginia, 9.4 percent of young vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can’t find jobs, and the number of people in the Commonwealth who have filed for unemployment benefits has more than […]

It can’t happen here: a cautionary tale from North Carolina

You know, despite our constant kvetching, we still think of Virginia as a fundamentally good and decent place, politically speaking. Sure, we’ve got more than a few knuckleheads sitting in the General Assembly, and our current governor long ago traded in his moral compass for a shiny new Rolex, but we have to believe that […]

Fluvanna prison lawsuit celebrates small victories, faces uphill battle

A year after Charlottesville’s Legal Aid Justice Center filed a class action suit on behalf of prisoners at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, alleging the prison’s health care contractor, Armor Correctional Health Services, Inc., consistently neglected serious health issues like blood clots and cancer, the plaintiffs are pointing to a few small victories as the […]

What’s coming up in Charlottesville the week of July 22?

Each week, the news team takes a look at upcoming meetings and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle we think you should know about. Consider it a look into our datebook, and be sure to share newsworthy happenings in the comments section. Albemarle County Supervisor Rodney Thomas will hold a town hall meeting for residents in […]

Craddock named interim Scottsville supervisor

William “Petie” Craddock is the pick to serve as interim Scottsville representative on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, filling the seat left vacant when Chris Dumler abruptly resigned after months of controversy following his arrest on a felony sodomy charge and eventual guilty plea to a misdemeanor sex crime. Board members officially voted on […]

Royal privilege: The McDonnells’ surprising life of leisure

When Bob McDonnell was elected governor in 2009, he took office with a reputation for moral rectitude. He was, after all, an openly devout ex-military man who had earned his law degree at Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network University (now known as Regent University) and had proven himself a bit of a scold during his […]