By Claudia Gohn The postponement of this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo (moved to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic) has disrupted the plans of athletes around the world—including several right here in Charlottesville. Ella Nelson, a University of Virginia swimmer and rising second-year, is one of many UVA athletes who were competing for […]
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, […]
A crane looms over a huge glass rectangle. The shiny office block, just completed, sits behind Preston Avenue’s old Monticello Dairy factory, where renovation work has been underway since 2018. When the new Dairy Central corner is fully operational next year, the complex will boast state-of-the-art office space, swanky apartments, and a “Brooklyn-based coffee […]
Goodbye, summer Monday is Memorial Day, the traditional start to summer, but this year, much of the city’s outdoor recreation space will be off limits. Last week, Charlottesville Parks & Recreation closed all city pools and spraygrounds for the summer, and canceled camps. In addition, other outdoor facilities, including basketball and tennis courts, picnic shelters, […]
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 […]
Three Marines and a doctor walk into a bar… Cards on the table: It’s going to be difficult for a Democrat to win the race for Virginia’s (heavily gerrymandered) 5th Congressional District. In 2018, on the back of historic turnout and a nationwide blue wave, and running against a Republican who didn’t have an […]
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 […]
For the first time in nearly 200 years, the University of Virginia will be honoring its graduates not on Grounds—but online. Starting at 1pm May 16, students, their families, and friends will be able to tune in to the university’s virtual celebration and conferral of degrees on its website, as well as on UVA’s […]
Correctional facilities, where inmates live in tight quarters, have proven (entirely predictably) to be hotbeds for coronavirus outbreaks. Some jails and prisons in the area have managed to avoid major transmission within their walls—as of May 8, the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail has reported just four cases, all among “support staff” who do not come in […]
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 […]
Just about everything has changed in the last month—and as our habits have shifted, so has our relationship with the local environment. “People aren’t flying, people aren’t driving,” says Jamie Brunkow, the senior advocacy manager of the James River Association. Those transportation changes have effects for our air and our water. “Typically we think […]
Bluegrass blues What gives a town its character? It’s a complicated question, but here are two easy answers: great food and local rituals. For years, Bluegrass Grill and Bakery has offered both. There’s the pre-meal ritual of waiting outside, rain or shine, for a chance to squeeze into a rickety wooden chair in a little […]
Coping with coronavirus is hard even when you’re surrounded by all your favorite creature comforts. And observing Ramadan, the month-long Islamic holiday that includes fasting during daylight hours, is an arduous task even when there isn’t a pandemic sweeping the globe. This year, the two have coincided. Ramadan began on April 23, and local […]
The Virginia Press Association announced its annual awards today, and C-VILLE Weekly took home 9 editorial and design and 5 advertising awards. C-VILLE garnered five first place awards, and nearly swept the feature writing category, with a first place award for culture writer Erin O’Hare’s story on the Holsinger photo project, and second place for […]
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 […]
Local newspapers faced an uncertain future even before coronavirus ground life as we know it to a halt. Now, with events canceled and commerce limping along, advertising revenue has cratered and the industry is in crisis. Over the past month, weeklies and dailies around the country have paused operations or gone dark completely. The […]
Open wide Parking lots have become the scene of all kinds of new activity in our virus-crippled world. Students are sitting in their cars to access school Wi-Fi. Religious congregations are meeting without getting out of their vehicles. And here in town, the Charlottesville Free Clinic is offering parking lot dental services for its patients: […]
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 […]
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 […]
Deadly disparities While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people of all backgrounds across the globe, statistics show that it has had a disproportionate impact on black Americans. Data is limited, because only about 35 percent of U.S. cases specify a patient’s race, according to the CDC. But its numbers show that black people comprise nearly […]
The City of Charlottesville was almost all the way through the always-laborious yearly budget process when the coronavirus crisis derailed its plans. City Council held an online meeting Monday night—its first meeting in a month—to discuss the city’s deeply uncertain finances. The most recent projections, delivered by City Manager Tarron Richardson, suggest $8.5 million […]
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 […]
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 […]