When the Charlottesville City Council let die a proposed ordinance that would have officially eliminated jail time for first-time simple possession of marijuana in the city last week, it signaled the end of a recent push by would-be reformers to write into law the city’s relatively lenient pot policy. But legal observers say it’s likely [...]
Miss a day, miss a lot. Here’s our regular roundup of the latest Charlottesville and Albemarle news briefs, which hits print Tuesdays. Council approves stormwater utility fee The Charlottesville City Council voted 4-1 last Tuesday to enact a utility fee on all property owners that will pay for a long-delayed overhaul of the city’s [...]
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 Ablemarle County Board of Supervisors meets Monday from 6-9pm for a public hearing [...]
05/20/2013 8:00 pm Jason Ring Blue Moon Diner, Charlottesville
The choice of the University of Virginia as the venue for John Kerry’s first major policy speech as Secretary of State surely had something to do with the lingering presence of Thomas Jefferson on Grounds. UVA’s founder was, after all, the first person to hold the title Kerry recently acquired, and his name was invoked [...]
Although we’re sure he doesn’t see it this way, being rejected by his own party might be the best thing that ever happened to Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling. Think about it: A year ago, Bolling was just a boring party apparatchik whose main function was breaking ties in the evenly divided senate (always in the [...]
Last week, two and a half years after fleeing indictments, former Charlottesville restaurateur and accused embezzler Jim Baldi made his first appearance in local court, but the nature of the charges against him make it difficult to predict what the path forward looks like for the area’s most notorious bookkeeper. Altogether, Baldi, who managed the [...]
On February 25, UVA students will vote on what could be the most substantial changes to the University’s much-lauded Honor Code in the 170-year history of the student-policed system, which demands that all Wahoos pledge not to lie, cheat, or steal, and threatens them with expulsion if they’re caught. But the storm of debate over [...]
The attack of a woman on the Rivanna Trail on Tuesday, February 5 didn’t draw much public attention. Days later, runners who frequent the trail said they were unaware any violence had occurred in the area, and agreed that, for the most part, the city’s recreational space is safe and quiet. But city police say [...]
Editor’s note: Guest columnist Cale Jaffe was recently named director of the Southern Environmental Law Center’s (SELC) Charlottesville office. Maybe it’s just the buzz of Valentine’s Day in the air, but I can’t help reflecting on how easy it is to fall in love with Charlottesville. Whether it is camping in Shenandoah National Park, canoeing [...]
Few local government topics are as mired in planning jargon—or more likely to cause eyes to glaze over at public meetings—than the revision of a comprehensive plan, the massive guidance document that lays out broad ground rules for a municipality’s growth and development. “It’s sort of this giant cloud that hangs over the community for [...]
City Council voted unanimously last week to permanently fund its Section 3 coordinator, a previously temporary position that bridges the gap between the city and the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Despite differing opinions on where the money should come from, city officials agree that the position—currently held by Tierra Howard—is essential for the Housing [...]
As we put together C-VILLE’s annual job issue, we want to hear from you. Hate your job? Love it? Constantly working late? Take our survey and tell us! Follow this link to answer seven quick questions. Then share it with friends (use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/cville-job-survey) and pick up the jobs issue March 12 and see how C’ville works!
Albemarle County School District Assistant Superintendent Matt Haas remembers the day Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and themselves at Colorado’s Columbine High School in 1999 as a day he knew his job would no longer be the same. A climate of fear was born overnight at the Virginia Beach high school where [...]
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. On Tuesday, February 12, The City of Charlottesville is hosting a lecture by the [...]
The original purchasers of the 1,200-acre Biscuit Run tract just south of I-64 have been battling Virginia’s Department of Taxation for years over a $20 million tax credit claim, and on Tuesday, a county judge denied a challenge from the state, clearing the way for a spring trial date. “It’s wonderful news,” said Craig D. [...]
It’s been a whirlwind of a week in the Virginia legislature, with the unexpected death of the controversial redistricting bill amended by the Senate last month and the banning of drones from the state for two years (our own Charlottesville led the way on this initiative, becoming the first American city to pass a two-year [...]
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. Biodynamic farms: The 2013 [...]
A bill that would have lifted Virginia’s 31-year ban on uranium mining died in the State Senate last week, but local environmental advocates monitoring the issue in Richmond during this year’s fast-paced legislative session say the long-running debate is hardly over in the Commonwealth. Dan Holmes, director of state policy for the Piedmont Environmental Council, [...]
It says a great deal about the current state of Virginia’s body politic that some idiot with a loaded AR-15 walks into a local Kroger and it barely rates a mention. Indeed, as much as we would like to pen an entire column dedicated to the minuscule size of this particular individual’s brain and manhood, [...]
Plans for a shopping center with a Wegmans grocery store just south of Charlottesville are marching forward, despite recommendations of caution from staff and the qualms of some neighbors. Last week, the Albemarle County Planning Commission gave its stamp of approval to a special use permit allowing developers to fill in parts of the site [...]
Like hundreds of others in Charlottesville’s refugee community, Patrick Bagaza and his wife came to the U.S. to escape violence, political turmoil, and persecution in their home country. By many measures, life is better here, but uprooting his family has been painful. “Everybody thinks American life is easy, but it’s completely the opposite,” said Bagaza. [...]
Albemarle County Supervisor Chris Dumler pled guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery last Thursday, in a bargain with prosecutors that lessened his felony charge to a misdemeanor. After his October arrest for forcible sodomy—a felony punishable by five years to life in prison—the 27-year-old Democrat promised to offer a “vigorous defense.” Albemarle County voters looking forward [...]