As planned, both the CBS (WCAV) and the ABC (WVAW) stations are on the air now, on channels 19 (18 cable) and 16 (3 cable), respectively. Both are just repeaters for national content, and won’t have local news until mid-October, or so goes the plan. The third new station, WCVL, is still shooting for a mid-November launch date, but there remains the matter of the $2M start-up funding. Inevitably, there is the question of whether the town can support a whopping four local TV stations — with the demise of the Observer, the question of how many local weeklies that Charlottesville can support may have been answered. Lisa Provence has the story in this week’s Hook.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Monthly Archive for August, 2004
It’s time for the annual influx: this weekend, the students return, with UVa’s fall session starting on Monday. Somewhere between 5k-10k visitors will accompany the student body, which will include 3,100 incoming freshmen. Traffic should be as bad as always, so plan to avoid Emmett St. and West Main St. Kate Andrews has the story in today’s Progress.
Gordonsville police officer Emerson Brown — who disappeared in October of last year, then reappeared claiming that he’d gone on a mission to hunt down some people who stole his gun, then was fired, then turned out to have just gone on a cocaine bender in Fredericksburg, where he traded his service pistol for drugs — has been sentenced to five years in prison (4.5 suspended), having pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement and another six months (suspended) for making false statements to police. Apparently, the cocaine wasn’t a problem, since that charge was dropped. (“It’s not the cocaine that bothers me…it’s that you lied about it.”) Olympia Meola has the story in today’s Progress.
Things seem to be getting tense in the community after two police officers shot a man in a struggle at Friendship Court, a man who is now in critical condition at the UVa Medical Center. Officers William Sclafani and Jeremy Carper responded to a call about a man who had entered an apartment without permission and begun to damage it. When they arrived, the man — Kerry Von Reese Cook — was hiding in a bedroom closet, and refused to leave. The police began to struggle with him, and the situation escalated to the point that officer Sclafani shot Cook, though it’s not clear exactly how that escalation occurred. The officers are on a routine administrative leave, and have been treated for injuries sustained in the scuffle. Reed Williams has the story in today’s Progress.
Former Sheriff of Greene County Willie Morris has been convicted of assault and battery after he abused a prisoner in June of last year. Morris handcuffed and kicked 24-year-old Shawn Carter after he became angry at the prisoner for bad behavior. Morris was given a 30-day suspended sentence and ordered to pay a $500 fine. During his time as sheriff, Morris was known for his unusual approach to the job, gaining particular attention at one point for refusing to write tickets to motorists driving without a county sticker. Olympia Meola 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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