The eastward expansion of the Downtown Mall was approved by City Council on Monday night, ending two years of debate on the matter, WINA reports. “Presidents’ Plaza,” which is what the city is calling it, will extend the Downtown Mall another block east to the amphitheater and provide a building that will serve as the mass transit hub. Those who favored the plan felt that it would popularize the east end of the Mall, but opponents believed it to be a wasteful use of federal money. It was approved by a single vote, with Kevin Lynch and Rob Schilling voting against it.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Monthly Archive for January, 2004
Page 3 of 3
The Fourth Circuit Court has refused to hear an appeal from the Albemarle County Schools Board in the suit brought against them in late 2002 by the family of a Jack Jouett student, WINA reports. Twelve-year-old Alan Newsome was not permitted to wear his NRA t-shirt to school, despite there being no rule to the contrary. (Notably, the logo of Albemarle High School is a man carrying a gun, and the logo of UVa is two crossed swords.) With the support of the NRA, Newsome sued for the right to wear the shirt, and won last month. With the denial of the school board’s appeal, that ends the case in Newsome’s favor.
At a League of Women Voters forum yesterday, Del. Mitch Van Yahres (D), Del. Rob Bell (R), Del. Steve Landes (R), Del. Watkins Abbitt (R/I) and Sen. Criegh Deeds (D) debated the upcoming General Assembly session, during which the biannual budget must be established. The Democrats came out in favor of tax increases along the lines of Governor Warner’s proposals, but the Republicans were unwilling even to commit to tax increases for the purpose of maintaining basic services. The event was a preview of the 60-day session that begins on the 14th, although with considerably more decorum. Bob Gibson has the story that begin shortly.
City Council voted 3-2 last night (Mayor Cox and Councilor Lynch in the minority) to seek the opinion of Attorney General Jerry Kilgore in the debate over the Meadowcreek Parkway. The majority on Council is seeking to dodge a constitutional restriction on the supermajority required to sell parkland by simply giving the land to the state for the next few decades. The minority believes that this is a questionably-legal dodge of the state constitution, and they enjoy the backing of the primary author of the state constitution, Dick Howard. Liz Nelson has the story in today’s Progress.
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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