In brief: City sued, tree named Oatmeal

Richardson sues city Former Charlottesville city manager Tarron Richardson is suing a handful of top Charlottesville officials, alleging misbehavior around his departure in September 2020. The entire City Council, as well as individuals Mayor Nikuyah Walker, Councilor Heather Hill, City Attorney Lisa Robertson and former city attorney and Interim City Manager John Blair are listed […]

Not over: Activists reflect on Black Lives Matter protests, next steps in 2021

While the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color this year, Black people have been dealing with “a pandemic of racism” in the United States for centuries, as Black mental health advocate Myra Anderson told C-VILLE over the summer. When Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes […]

In brief: Turkey time, planner peace out, and more

Turkey time Community is hard to come by these days, especially as we’re all hunkering down for a long winter indoors. But at the Jefferson School on Saturday, the community put on an impressive show. During the annual We Code, Too turkey drive, 200 birds were handed out to those in need ahead of the […]

In brief: Remembering John Conover, flicking off UVA, and more

A fond farewell Charlottesville superstar John Conover, 74, passed away over the weekend. Conover arrived in town in 1970 and started a printing press, before serving as a city councilor from 1980 to 1984. He later worked as an attorney with the Legal Aid Justice Center, served on the board of Live Arts, and helped […]

In brief: Richardson steps down, Johnny Reb goes down, and more

One down Johnny Reb, the bronze Confederate soldier who has stood, musket in hand, outside the Albemarle County Courthouse since 1909, has been replaced by a patch of hay. After the Unite the Right rally accelerated the national debate over Confederate monuments, Charlottesville finally took down one of our own. The Albemarle Board of Supervisors […]

In brief: Activist fined, white supremacist jailed, and more

Cracking down Just days after a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back, sparking national outrage and protests, City Manager Tarron Richardson decided to crack down on gatherings in Charlottesville—targeting those organized by Black residents. While Richardson supports the right to “peaceably assemble” amidst the pandemic, he explained in a press […]

In brief: No pipeline, name game, and more

Pipeline defeated The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is history. In a surprise announcement on Sunday afternoon, Dominion Power called off the 600-mile natural gas pipeline that would have run from West Virginia to North Carolina. “VICTORY!” declared the website of the Southern Environmental Law Center. The news is a major win for a wide variety of […]

In brief: Masked up, KKK attacks, and more

Masked up On May 26, Governor Ralph Northam declared that all Virginians 10 years and older must wear masks while in public indoor spaces, including retail stores, buses, and restaurants (when you’re not eating, of course). Some have wondered how business owners would enforce such a rule with recalcitrant customers, and Tobey’s Pawn Shop owner […]