Legal Aid reaches proposed settlement with Housing Authority over utility charges
Attorneys with the Legal Aid Justice Center have reached a proposed settlement with the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority that may could be worth upwards of $500,000 in cash and relief to public housing tenants. A federal class action suit filed last year claimed that the CRHA failed to provide adequate utility allowances to its […]
Dredging plan called into question after contractor pulls out of project
It’s been three years since the Charlottesville City Council and Albemarle County Service Authority agreed on a plan to build the Ragged Mountain Dam and dredge the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. Construction of the dam is well underway, but a scrapped contract has stalled the dredging project, and officials now say it may be time […]
GOP and Democratic candidates vie for two City Council seats
For the first time since 2006, the Democratic candidates for City Council face two Republicans in a race for two empty seats. This year’s Democratic candidates are Vice Mayor Kristin Szakos—who’s running for a second term and is the only candidate with prior experience as an elected official —and local construction contractor Bob Fenwick, who […]
City weighs options for Belmont Bridge replacement, calls for more public input
It’s been seven months since city officials unveiled designs of two different replacement concepts for the Belmont Bridge, and the project’s start date is still nowhere in sight. A report presented by city staff last week revealed that building an underpass would cost nearly twice as much as the $15 million quoted by local design […]
What’s coming up in Charlottesville-Albemarle the week of September 23?
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. The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club is hosting sponsoring a forum for the […]
Woolen Mills residents say stench persists at sewage treatment plant
The unmistakable stench of sewage is impossible to miss on the way up Moore’s Creek Lane toward the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority’s administrative building. It’s bad enough with the windows up, and the smell hits like a ton of bricks as soon as the door opens. The Moore’s Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, located next […]
UVA eyes privatization as public funds diminish
In a preliminary report released earlier this week, a University of Virginia panel proposed that the Commonwealth’s flagship university take significant steps toward operating more like a private school. Jenna Johnson at the Washington Post broke the story of the 11-page report earlier this week. It was drafted in April by the UVA Strategic Planning […]
As HUD funds dry up, housing organizations compete for money
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program, two grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), are drops in the bucket when it comes to the city’s housing budget. But like other federal funds, they’re drying up at a time when the city’s affordable housing crisis is a […]
Fake ID ring suspects plead guilty
The three suspects arrested in May for manufacturing at least 20,000 fake IDs in a Rugby Road mansion pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts: conspiracy to commit identification document fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The combined charges hold a maximum of 17 years in prison, according to U.S. District Court Judge Norman K. Moon. […]
Can social entrepreneurs close the local income gap? Toan Nguyen thinks so.
What does a middle-class mother of three who produces freshly-made tomato sauce have in common with a man who paints houses and has tiptoed the poverty line for years? Elizabeth James and Terry Lee Jones both love what they do and have the drive to run their own business, but they needed a leg up […]
North Downtown residents discuss misbehavior in parks, traffic safety
During a public forum at City Space last Thursday, about 70 residents gathered with City Councilors and staff to voice their concerns about neighborhoods north of the Downtown Mall. With topics ranging from traffic and pedestrian accessibility to park cleanliness and Downtown police surveillance, officials and staff came away with one common thread: Residents are […]
Family friendly: Eight eateries for kids (and their parents)
Students, hipsters, and couples may always be raving about Charlottesville’s restaurant scene. But where are parents taking their kids to eat these days? Kids’ menus may be hard to come by, but here are several local favorites that are more than happy to accommodate little appetites. Eppie’s: The macaroni and cheese is a go-to at […]
What financial model will sustain Barrett Early Learning Center?
Since forming last month, Barrett Early Learning Center’s new board of directors has raised $30,000 in a fundraising effort that began after the former board announced that the 80-year-old preschool on Ridge Road would close due to cash flow issues and delayed reimbursements from the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). More than a dozen […]
Kate Zirkle: To the next level
It’s 3pm on a Thursday, and Kate Zirkle holds the door open for a dozen 10-year-olds, each clutching a juice box and string cheese. The kids all smile and say “thank you” as they pass through the doorway and rush up the steps into the Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia for snack and […]
Kenny Ball: Pounding pavement
“Nothing has ever been planned in my life,” said Kenny Ball. When Ball arrived in Charlottesville in the 1980s for a job working with and showing horses, he never dreamed that 30 years later he’d own a successful antiques shop and be training with the area’s top marathon runners. He’s passionate about everything he does, […]
Amy Sarah Marshall: Loud and proud
It’s not difficult to picture a 13-year-old Amy Sarah Marshall standing up at eighth grade graduation, telling her classmates to forego their catty middle school tendencies and learn to love and accept one another. As the president of Cville Pride, and organizer of the city’s first pride festival last summer, Marshall is no stranger to […]
Advocate group Piedmont CASA bridges the gap between kids and courts
Kiara Miller was taken from her mom’s home when she was 3 years old, and spent the next 15 years in and out of foster care, group homes, and courtrooms. She had a revolving door of adults coming and going from her life as a child, and said she struggles with authority to this day […]
With Albemarle County’s many streams impaired, stormwater utility fees loom
Albemarle officials say that a majority of the county’s streams would likely be deemed impaired by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and requirements to address those impairments are at the forefront of the county’s agenda. To comply with federal and state mandates coming down the pike, Albemarle will have to consider a stormwater […]
City considers new approach to development in growth area
Charlottesville is one tenth the size of Virginia Beach, but city officials say we have a lot to learn about smart development from the coastal town. After the PLACE Design Task Force met for a video conference with Virginia Beach city staff and watched an hour-long presentation on its efforts to develop strategic growth areas, […]
Green happenings: Charlottesville environmental news and events
Each week, C-VILLE’s Green Scene page takes a look at local environmental news. The section’s bulletin board has information on local green events and keeps you up to date on statewide happenings. Got an event or a tip you’d like to see here and in the paper? Write us at news@c-ville.com. Fun with farmers: The […]
UVA tennis player Jarmere Jenkins wins McKevlin Award as top ACC male athlete
Jarmere Jenkins may have grown up with enough siblings to field a complete batting lineup in the family’s backyard baseball games, but he fell in love with tennis at age 4 and hasn’t looked at another sport. The 22-year-old Atlanta, Georgia native and recent University of Virginia graduate just received the McKevlin Award as the […]
New board forms to save Barrett Early Learning Center from closing, fundraisers in the making
It’s been three weeks since Grace Williams checked her grandson’s cubby at Barrett Early Learning Center and found a letter announcing the decision to close the nearly 80-year-old daycare center later this month. A fixture in the city’s Ridge Street neighborhood and for decades one of the few local child care options for African-American families, […]
Cyclist Kiersten Downs stops in Charlottesville on veteran advocacy campaign
Charlottesville prides itself on being a bicycle-friendly town, but can you imagine biking 3,000 miles? Kiersten Downs, a 30-year-old Air Force veteran and doctoral student, has traveled coast to coast on two wheels to advocate for Student Veterans of America (SVA), a program that funds and supports former military members who want to pursue higher […]
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 […]
Kroger announces purchase of Harris Teeter grocery stores
The area’s two largest grocery store chains are merging in a $2.44 billion deal. Kroger announced last week it will buy Harris Teeter, putting the six stores that control almost half of local grocery sales under the ownership of one company. It’s big news in a city where food retail options are diverse, shoppers are loyal, […]
Task force takes aim at forums on race disparities in juvenile courts
African-Americans make up 47 percent of Charlottesville’s youth population, but nearly 70 percent of the young people who appear before city judges are black. Of the 788 kids ages 10 to 17 who appeared before a judge in 2009-2012, 550 were black, and 171 were white. The stark disparity has caused the black community to […]
Capshaw’s Starr Hill Presents enters partnership with The Southern
It’s a long overused joke in Charlottesville, but it’s funny because it’s true: The C in “Cville” could very well stand for “Capshaw.” Coran Capshaw, who has a hand in management, promotion, and merchandising in Charlottesville, and whose titles include Dave Matthews Band manager, founder of Red Light Management and Riverbend Management, and owner of […]