A Student Services Moving and Storage truck became the latest victim of the 14th Street bridge and its unyielding 10-foot clearance. The truck heading westbound on University Avenue was jammed under the bridge around 8:45am Thursday. A woman who answered the phone at Student Services says no one was injured and it’s not the first time the bridge has gotten one of the company’s trucks. She declined to give her name. At least one bright spot for the company and whoever was getting moved: The truck appeared to be empty.
SLAPP-happy: Virginia’s weak anti-SLAPP law attracts defamation lawsuits
What do Johnny Depp, California Congressman Devin Nunes, and Confederate statue defender Edward Tayloe II all have in common? This year, they all filed defamation lawsuits in Virginia. Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for allegedly defaming him in a Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote
Pushing for play: The local mom behind an effort to bring a playground to Walker Elementary
By Alexis Gravely Christa Bennett is no stranger to community advocacy. After earning a master’s degree from King’s College London in international relations with a focus on human rights, she directed an organization focused on ending the genocide in Sudan. She’s worked on community
Changing the game: Esports come to middle school
Amy Brudin has always been a gamer. She grew up playing games like Myst and Doom, back when computers were “way less cool than they are now.” And today, she loves playing games on her phone. So when Brudin, director of educational technology at the Peabody School, first learned about
In brief: Garage rage, statue spray-paint, second-amendment sanctuaries, and more
Making space: City Council approves land purchase for downtown parking lot Late Monday evening, City Council voted unanimously to purchase Albemarle County’s portion of the 701 E. Market St. lot, where it plans to build a new, 300-car parking garage. The $1.28 million purchase—half of the
Where is Gladys the emu? The beloved pet of an Albemarle couple is still missing
Today, the day after Thanksgiving, I am praying for Gladys the emu. A lapsed Catholic, I haven’t been a churchgoer for years. But praying to St. Francis for the safe return of Gladys, for her reunion with her brother Floyd and sister Mabel at their home 10 miles south of Charlottesville, and
Scattered history: The city’s 74 historic properties piece together our past
The city of Charlottesville wasn’t incorporated until 1888, but people are recorded as living in the region as far back as 1612, when English explorer John Smith encountered a Monacan village and documented it on the very first map of Virginia. The Native Americans gradually left as European
Speaking out: UVA prof Jalane Schmidt offers thoughts on public engagement, defamation lawsuit
On a chilly Thursday evening last week, several dozen people gathered at the Central Library for a talk on “the risks and rewards of public engagement” by someone who knows them all too well. Jalane Schmidt, a community activist and professor of religious studies at UVA, was recently sued for
Freedom, but no pardon: Soering and Haysom to be paroled, deported
“Finally.” That was the first word tweeted on a Twitter account for Jens Soering November 25, the day he learned he and former girlfriend Elizabeth Haysom had been granted parole, 34 years after the savage murders of her parents, Derek and Nancy Haysom. Upon their release, Soering, 53, and
Doing the work: Social Services department seeks to innovate and reflect
The Charlottesville Department of Social Services oversees a broad array of programs; everything from Child Protective Services to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, and more. In its November 18 annual report to City Council, the department’s advisory board highlighted
In brief: form-based code delayed, UVA soccer wins, A12 appeals denied, and more
Rain check Planning Commission delays form-based code proposal After much debate, the City Planning Commission has decided to table its plans to introduce an alternative kind of zoning, called form-based code, to the city’s Strategic Investment Area south of downtown. Unlike conventional
Flushed out: Business owners say downtown’s shortage of public toilets is a longstanding problem
By Spencer Philps Spend enough time on the Downtown Mall late at night and you’re bound to see it happen: someone hunched over against a wall “relieving” himself. Downtown business operators are acutely aware of this issue: One says he’s seen people urinating late at night, by the bus station
Power struggle: Residents and homeowners associations clash over solar panels
For Lillian Mezey, installing solar panels on the roof of her family’s home wasn’t just about saving money—“We just care a lot about environmental issues,” Mezey says. That’s part of the reason Mezey was so frustrated when the homeowners association that governs her neighborhood rejected her
Moving on: City Council votes 4-0 to remove statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea from West Main
Rose Ann Abrahamson has seen nearly every depiction of her ancestor Sacajawea in the United States. “This statue in Charlottesville is the worst we have ever seen,” she told City Council at a meeting on November 15, referring to the statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea on West Main Street.
In brief: statue antics, spelling mishaps, PVCC graduation, and more
On their own terms “If you have a dream, and you focus on it, and you work hard, your dream will come true one day,” Bushiri Salumu told a small crowd assembled at Piedmont Virginia Community College on Thursday, November 7. He spoke from experience: Salumu lost family members to the civil war
Tragedy on 29: Pedestrian death highlights need for safer crossings
Before Bradley Shaun Dorman left his Charlottesville home the morning of October 25, he told his mother he was going to look for a job. He would be back in a few hours, in time to bathe their dog Gater. Several hours later, his mother, Annette Simmons, heard a knock at her door. She opened […]
Blue wave: Dems take General Assembly—but GOP keeps local legislators
Governor Ralph Northam declared Virginia “officially blue” following Tuesday’s election that gave Democrats control of both houses in the General Assembly for the first time in 26 years. And Dems swept Albemarle County, taking the Board of Supervisors, commonwealth’s attorney, and sheriff
In brief: a new plan for Starr Hill, CRB moves forward, Saga boots again, and more
A new plan for Starr Hill Since last spring, the New Hill Development Corporation has been working on a Small Area Plan to guide development in the Starr Hill area, which runs from Preston Avenue to the CSX Railroad along West Main Street. On November 4, the African American-led nonprofit,
History lesson: Local educators help expand Virginia’s African American history curriculum
Community leaders gathered at the University of Virginia October 28 for the first meeting of the Commission on African American History Education. Charlottesville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Rosa Atkins is among those appointed to the commission, which was established by Governor Ralph
Lending a paw: Local groups harness the power of animal therapy
Tamera Mason, an EMT working at Augusta Health’s emergency room in Staunton, lives with a life-threatening medical condition: In July 2015, a yellow jacket’s sting set off an extreme autoimmune reaction that devastated her hormonal systems and caused Addison’s disease, which affects the adrenal
Traffic troubles: What will new development bring to an already dangerous intersection?
By Spencer Philps The opening of the Dairy Central apartment, retail, and office complex, slated for May 2020, is likely to bring more traffic to one of Charlottesville’s most confusing and dangerous intersections. According to development materials on the Dairy Central website, Preston Avenue,