silkyzephyr writes: As of 11:00am Wednesday Sept. 17, the National Weather Service Hurricane Center is forecasting the center of Hurricane Isabel to track through central Virginia and almost directly over Charlottesville. The storm is estimated to arrive here Friday morning around 6:00am, with sustained winds at that point of 50 to 70 mph. Updates are available at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Monthly Archive for September, 2003
Page 2 of 3
The current issue of the bimonthly Columbia Journalism Review contains an extensive overview of the recent lawsuit against WVIR by Jesse Sheckler, in which Sheckler was awarded $10M in May. The feature article, entitled “From Simple Story to Major Mess: The not-so-funny comedy of errors behind the largest libel award in Virginia history,” was written by Daily Progress alumnus and now New York resident Jake Mooney. The article is, of course, further evidence that Jake truly loves and cannot wait to return to dear old Charlottesville. Huzzahs to Jake.
cornelious writes: “Just as the involuntary manslaughter trial of a University of Virginia professor began Tuesday, it ended with charges dropped because the prosecutor (Camblos) in the case did not subpoena a medical witness.” See the Daily Progress , 10 Sep 03 , for details about this sad story.
If memory serves, Jim Camblos has fumbled cases in a similar fashion at least a couple of times before. Camblos is running unopposed for reelection this November.
silkyzephyr writes: On Monday morning September 9, a Charlottesville citizen sat vigil on a car parked illegally in a newly-created police-only parking space, demanding the return of public parking. The sign on his car’s windshield said: “An Act of Civil Disobedience at Mr. Jefferson’s Courthouse.” “The Sheriff’s Office has been trying to grab this parking from us for years,” he said. “They took advantage of the confusion created by the courthouse renovation to try grabbing it again.”
He moved his car only after City Traffic Engineer David Beardsley personally came to the courthouse and agreed to change the signs. The City has now agreed to return two hour public parking to the west side of Jefferson Street, and to limit the hours of police-only spaces so shoppers and church-goers can park there evenings and weekends.
As of today (Tuesday) the signs have not changed. It is unclear whether cars parked in what is currently a parking “twilight zone” without any governing parking regulations will be ticketed.
Because of the new police-only parking, the entirety of Jefferson street was devoid of cars on Saturday, and local businesses were starved of customers. A passerby noting the new signs called them “absurd,” and remarked “this really is not good for the downtown.”
“Thank you for standing up for us,” said local business owner Candace DeLoach to the protestor. The problem pointed to by silkyzephyr’s story is one that the city has failed to resolve for years. As public parking spaces are slowly taken away, new ones are not being created. What’s to be done?
The reconstruction of the Park Street bridge has altered city traffic patterns strongly, in part because many people have long used the street as the route from downtown to 29 north. The furloughed traffic runs through north downtown residential neighborhoods, and Marianne McKernan of Saint Charles Avenue has had enough. She’s launched a petition drive — seeking what, WINA doesn’t say — complaining that the increased traffic has had a negative impact on her neighborhood. The new bridge should be built by December. 09/09 Update: The Hook had a considerably more detailed story about Ms. McKernan a couple of weeks ago.
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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