Today’s Progress reports that Charlottesville police have begun to issue tickets for “excessive horn-honking” to drivers on West Main that are honking to support living wage protesters at the Marriott. Section 46.2-1060 of the Virginia Code says that it is illegal “to use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable warning,” so it appears that the police are legally correct. Protester Nicholas Graber-Grace (arrested for trespassing at The Omni quite recently) says that “this is a form of speech, people expressing their discontent and desire for justice.”
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Oh, give me a break. That’s absolutely ridiculous. Sure, it may be against the law, but the purpose of laws are to keep people from hurting one another and whatnot, and this certainly doesn’t cause anyone any harm, so why should they be ticketed? This is just stupid, and I suggest that the C’ville police find something better and more helpful to do with their time.
If you consider one of the biggest draws of C-ville as being its “high quality of life”, then the honking as a quality of life crime could diminish the quaint appeal of the town, discourage repeat tourism and decrease local revenue. That seems to be enough of an argument to discourage the noise pollution…