Stay connected: Local LGBTQ groups continue to support youth from home
While the LGBTQ community in the U.S. has made significant strides in recent years, there is still a lot of work to be done, especially for youth. According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ teens are almost five times as likely to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers. They also face disproportionately higher rates of depression, […]
Trauma, on top of trauma: Police violence takes increasing toll on black mental health
C-VILLE requested a statement on Katrina Turner’s allegations from the Charlottesville Police Department on Tuesday morning, and CPD responded with a statement from Chief RaShall Brackney shortly after C-VILLE went to press. The statement has been attached. When Myra Anderson saw the video of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for […]
Marching for justice: Charlottesville joins nationwide protests against police brutality
Nearly a thousand protesters took to the streets of downtown Charlottesville May 30, demanding an end to police brutality and justice for the murders of black people across the country, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade. In solidarity with the dozens of other Black Lives Matter demonstrations around the nation, people […]
Housing hero: Community mourns loss of Richard Shackelford
Beloved public housing advocate Richard Shackelford passed away in his Crescent Halls apartment on the morning of May 21, after a heart attack. He was 66 years old. Shackelford—known as “Shack” to his friends—grew up in Charlottesville, on the corner of Fifth and Harris streets. For many years, he worked as a gym instructor for […]
Making it work: Distance learning is a big challenge for special-needs students
To the relief of local teachers, parents, and students, this school year is almost at an end. The sudden transition to distance learning back in March posed a challenge to schools across the country, but it’s been especially tricky for special education and English as a Second Language students, along with their teachers and families. […]
Fighting insomnia in the age of COVID
Trouble sleeping lately? You’re not alone. Since the onset of the pandemic, many people who used to drift off the second their heads hit the pillow are now struggling to fall—and stay—asleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. For advice on how to get better rest during this stressful time, we spoke with Joanna Ajex, […]
Tough call: Some local businesses reopen, while others hold off
On Friday, May 15, a number of Virginia businesses got the green light to reopen (with restrictions), as part of Phase One of Governor Ralph Northam’s plan. But locally, response has been mixed, with some establishments instituting new safety measures to bring in badly needed customers, while others stay shut for now. Though the number […]
How coronavirus has changed the college admissions process
While schools are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, districts across the country have adopted alternative grading policies for the remainder of the academic year. Charlottesville City Schools’ middle and high schoolers who had a passing grade when schools closed on March 13 will automatically receive an A for each course, while those who […]
Cut off: UVA Health furloughs hundreds of employees
COVID-19 has stripped the pockets of businesses all around Charlottesville, including one of the city’s biggest: The University of Virginia Health System. Since the onset of the pandemic, the health system has lost $85 million per month due to a sharp decrease in surgeries and clinic visits. To offset these losses, it announced April 28 […]
Put a ring on it (later): postponed weddings take a toll on vendors
With its array of elegant wineries and historic inns, nestled in between the picturesque Blue Ridge mountains, Charlottesville has become one of the country’s top wedding destinations. Last year, over 1,500 couples said “I do” in the area, according to The Wedding Report. And in January, brides.com named Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards one of […]
Credit check: UVA students protest new grading policy
With courses moved online for a significant portion of the spring semester, colleges across the country have had to decide on the fairest way to grade students in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. While some institutions, like Yale and Columbia, have opted for mandatory pass/fail policies, others, like the University of Virginia, have implemented […]
Cut the check: BRACE grants bring relief for some businesses
As the coronavirus epidemic has devastated small businesses nationwide, many local shops and restaurants have sought federal relief. But the City of Charlottesville has also rolled out several of its own assistance initiatives this month. The Building Resilience Among Charlottesville Entrepreneurs grant, which awarded up to $2,000 to city businesses, received nearly 150 applications in […]
Managing mental health during COVID
For some people, quarantine has given them the opportunity to spend more time with their family, catch up on their favorite TV shows, or finally learn how to bake bread, among other things. But for those struggling with anxiety and depression, this time may be very difficult, especially if they live alone. To learn more […]
Juggling act: Working parents adjust to life without childcare
For the first few weeks after her kids’ daycare shut down, Sarah Burke found herself in survival mode, scrambling to figure out how to manage her full-time career while keeping her children (ages 2 and 3) busy at home. “For a while, we felt like this was a short-term problem, and therefore would have a […]
‘He was like a ninja’: Rivanna shooting remains unsolved
On the morning of April 7, a local 20-year-old college student and his 18-year-old cousin woke up early, excited for a day of fishing on the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. By 9 am, they were on the water in their kayaks, waiting to see who would make the first catch of the day. Shortly before […]
We are open: Local retailers adapt to stay afloat
In recent weeks, multiple local retailers, from Oyster House Antiques to Angelo Jewelers, have been forced to shut their doors due to Virginia’s stay-at-home order. But others are adopting contactless business models, and customers are still streaming in. Shenanigans Toys & Games, on West Main Street, has made the transition to online shopping. Customers can […]
Telemedicine keeps patients healthy from home
As the number of coronavirus cases in our area multiply daily, health officials have urged anyone experiencing symptoms of the virus—fever, cough, and shortness of breath—to immediately contact their doctor. But what if you have other symptoms, suffer a minor injury, or just need a checkup? Will you still be seen by a physician? For […]
Class dismissed: School closings intensify equity issues
With Virginia’s K-12 schools shuttered for the remainder of the academic year, our city and county districts have moved into uncharted territory: figuring out not only how to teach thousands of students outside of the classroom, but also making distance learning accessible and equitable for all. The districts say they are still developing formal distance […]
How to track a virus
You can’t stop coughing and are running a fever. It’s becoming harder for you to breathe, and you can barely muster the energy to get out of bed. A glance at the CDC’s website confirms your greatest fear: You may have the coronavirus. What happens from there? We spoke with Ta’Kindra Westbrook, a disease intervention […]
Ground zero: Local hospitals, health department prepare for coronavirus spike
In just a matter of days, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the Thomas Jefferson Health District has jumped from one to 16, including four in the City of Charlottesville and six in Albemarle County. While the first case was initially thought to be travel-related, it’s now unclear how the individual, […]
Closing chapter: Book festival cancellation reverberates throughout the area
In the past few days, outbreaks of COVID-19 have led to mass cancellations and postponements of events around the country, from the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament to Coachella. Though Charlottesville’s first presumptive positive case was just announced on March 16, efforts to contain the virus spread as much as possible led organizers to call off one […]
Healing from the past: Exploring the generational trauma of slavery and Jim Crow
Imagine you’re a young person in Africa. Your community is strong and supportive. You have everything that you need—until one day you’re kidnapped, put in chains, and packed tight into a ship with hundreds of other people who look like you, but whom you don’t know or understand. You see others die on the ship […]
Get out of the zone: Outdated zoning in Rose Hill leaves some lots vacant
Back in 2013, Julie (who asked that we not use her last name) bought a house in Rose Hill, a small, historically African American neighborhood roughly bordered by Preston Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Harris Street. The house had gone into foreclosure during the housing market crash, and had been neglected for a while. After determining […]
Be prepared: Is Charlottesville ready for the coronavirus?
Since last week, when health officials warned that Americans should prepare for the inevitable spread of the coronavirus here in the U.S., at least 12 Americans have died and new cases have been emerging almost daily. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that Americans should be prepared for the spread of the […]
(Don’t) take it down: Removal of Cale black history poster sparks backlash
On February 10, local conservative radio host Rob Schilling posted a photo of a Black History Month poster from Cale Elementary School on his blog, with the headline “Fomenting dissension at Cale Elementary.” Three days later, Albemarle County Public Schools Superintendent Matt Haas left a comment agreeing that the poster was causing dissension among students, […]
Answering the call: PACEM seeks to create a permanent women’s shelter
Last August, Chinikqua Joseph’s Buckingham County home burned down. Thankfully, no one was injured or killed by the fire, but she, along with her mother and godmother, lost everything. They were homeless. While looking for housing, Joseph stayed with friends, and later with a boyfriend. When that relationship became abusive, she had to find a […]
Call for help: Human Rights Commission asks for more city support
Charlottesville’s Office of Human Rights and Human Rights Commission have an intimidatingly broad mission: to reduce discrimination in the city. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the office and its volunteer commission, which are tasked with both investigating individual complaints of discrimination and reviewing city polices for systemic discrimination, have received their fair share of […]