In brief: Not a noose, mayor on ‘The View’ and more

Nikuyah goes national The first black female mayor of Charlottesville sat at the table with co-hosts of “The View” on Martin Luther King Day to discuss the current state of the city, which has pushed a narrative that Unite the Right participants brought their hate from out of town, she said. Richard Spencer and Jason […]

McAuliffe anoints Berkmar Drive, talks Morva

Virginia traffic officials began discussing ways to make U.S. 29—a highway that carries 50,000 vehicles a day—flow more successfully about three decades ago, Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne says. When Governor Terry McAuliffe took office three-and-a-half years ago, he made it a top priority. Today, the governor and his colleague visited Albemarle County for a […]

In brief: McAuliffe’s report card, adieu Yancey Elementary and more

Making the grade Earlier this month Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive action that will significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from state fossil fuel power plants. Executive Directive 11 instructs the Department of Environmental Quality to establish regulations to cap carbon emissions. Only a handful of states have attempted this—it’s kind of a big deal. […]

In brief: Patricia Kluge’s new gig, municipal scofflaws and more

McAuliffe’s pen In his last year in office, Governor Terry McAuliffe was unable to deliver on a campaign promise to expand Medicaid to 400,000 uninsured citizens, which is supported by 69 percent of Virginians, according to a recent University of Maryland poll. The General Assembly’s Republican majority prevented that, but it was not able to […]

In brief: 5-star dreams, bathroom fears and more

Unlike NC… Governor Terry McAuliffe signs an executive order at UVA January 5 that prohibits state contractors from discriminating against gay and transgender people, and notes that the Tar Heel State has lost hundreds of millions of dollars because of its bathroom bill. Delegate Bob Marshall immediately filed a bill prohibiting such nondiscrimination. Lieutenant guv […]

Innocent man: Governor grants full pardon for Robert Davis

  Robert Davis faced the camera on Facebook live at 7pm December 16. Two hours earlier, at 4:48pm, Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an absolute pardon that proclaimed Davis’ innocence for the two murders that kept him in prison for 13 years. “I’m a free man,” said Davis on camera. “I’m trying not to cry, y’all […]

House calls: Finding shelter for local homeless vets

It’s been almost one year since Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that Virginia was the first state in the U.S. to functionally end homelessness among veterans—and while it may not seem that way when residents drive through Charlottesville and see people begging, evolving housing programs are having positive effects on the city and surrounding counties. Partnerships […]

Governor goes shopping at Mincer’s

Governor Terry McAuliffe popped into Mincer’s on the Corner this afternoon because he likes to visit small businesses—and he needed a new polo shirt. “Extra large,” says McAuliffe. “I’m pumped.” He was in Charlottesville to speak to UVA scholars at the Center for Politics and he’d had lunch “with Larry and Terry—” Professor Larry Sabato […]

Startups compete for $25,000 prize

This month, 30 startup companies across the state will pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges in an attempt to snag one of five grants. Though it might sound like an episode of “Shark Tank,” the competition is part of the Virginia Velocity Tour, and five companies pitching their food-and-agriculture-themed products September 23, […]

Absolute pardon: Soering petitions another governor

During the 30 years he’s spent in prison, Jens Soering has maintained he had nothing to do with the brutal 1985 murders of Derek and Nancy Haysom, and that he only confessed to protect his girlfriend, Elizabeth Haysom, from the death penalty. Now Tim Kaine, the governor who agreed to send Soering back to Germany […]