Last night, a hundred people went to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors to ask that Planned Parenthood be barred from opening a new office on Hydraulic Road, and their request was denied. After a group prayer — which Progress writer David Dadurka writes “went unanswered” — a series of speakers requested that the zoning permit be yanked, preventing the family planning center from providing contraception, birth control, prenatal care, abortions, HIV testing, and other services at the location. They objected to the location, which is a mile from Albemarle High School and on the same street as a pair of churches. The BOS said, simply, that they lack any legal authority to make any such restriction. David Dadurka 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 #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
What this reminds me of is cities with restrictions on where sex offenders can live. (Remember that, in Virginia, a sex offender includes anybody who has engaged in oral sex, had sex outside of marriage, or urinated outdoors.) They pass laws that say things like “no sex offender may live within 500 yards of a church, 1500 yards of a school, or 1000 yards of a day care.” What happens is that there is no place at all where sex offenders can live, and they’re driven out of town to be somebody else’s problem. It’s a modern-day, legalistic version of running somebody out of town on a rail.
These restrictions are, of course, ridiculous, and generally meaningless. You’d be hard pressed to find many non-residential streets in town that don’t feature a church or two, some sort of an educational facility, or some similar organization that would upset people opposed to birth control. To oppose Planned Parenthood’s location because it’s near a high school is particularly silly — that sends exactly the right message: plan parenthood.
Such nonsense-spouting nuts are best ignored, as the BOS thankfully did in this case.
Hoe does Dadurka know the prayer "went unanswered"? Has the Progress now cultivated sources in the supernatural?
Perhaps the deity to whom the prayer was offered is thinking about it. Stay tuned.
Talk about media arrogance!
It’s just that the answer was in the negative. For now, anyway.
That crossed my mind but I will continue to think the diety is mulling over it and may cause a reversal (not that I care one way or another – it is a legitimate operation)
Keep smiling
You’d think the religous nuts(tm) would be happy about this! Its one more building to blow up! Staffed with lots of more people to murder!
i hope every single one of their kids either gets an STD or an unwanted pregnancy b/c they’re too ignorant to accept the fact that PEOPLE WILL HAVE SEX REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT PLANNED PARENTHOOD EXISTS!!! god forbid you should EDUCATE people about having safe sex. oh, no, let’s just tell them not to do it, and everything will work out fine. buncha dumbasses.
"Talk about media arrogance!"
probably closer to artistic license. lame attempt to add some wit to an otherwise lackluster article.
Yeah, I overloaded that barrage but I get rather po`d at the Progress – I can`t get out of my mind an ad in the Progress a few years ago when they hired someone – the ad didn`t dwell much on journalistic education or experience but rather stressed their need for someone to write "witty" headlines. Gaaaaaaag