Alarming news: The wells have gone dry in an Earlysville subdivision. #
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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Apparently, somebody doesn’t keep up with large low pressure systems heading towards the area. Kind of ironic that he’s from the U.Va. Climatology Office.
Anyhow, it’s not terribly surprising that this sort of thing happened. I would actually be surprised if it was the last incident.
I hiked Jones Run in Shenandoah National Park recently and the waterfall at the end was barely a trickle.
I lived in Earlysville Forest in ’03 and ’04. We were FREQUENTLY without water, and not because there wasn’t any, but because of defective equipment, poorly managed.
I don’t doubt that the water table is low. But given the history of the plant, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was silliness involved.
There’s actually this whole trend in Albemarle of building subdivisions first and seeing if there is water after the fact. I’ve heard of others that periodically have had issues too, including Peacock Hill in Ivy.
It seems kind of obvious to me that if there isn’t water, then you shouldn’t build anything that requires it. As a gardener it would be like me planting lily pads in the middle of the desert.
Speaking of water shortages, check this out from Charlottesville Tomorrow:
Peacock Hill was built over 20 years ago and told it would not be connected to the ACSA water system. They have tried to be connected on numerous times. The answer from the BOS has always been no.
They paid their money and took there chance. Planning is also much different now than then.
As for the lost gallons, that is concerning and interesting- some answers there would be welcome
Personally, I have no problem with people wanting to build houses if there is no water. People ahul in water all over the place. Parts of California get their water from the Colorado River. Maybe they need to buy water from the RWSA and haul it in from the South Rork. Or maybe they can haul it in from the Ragged Mountain.
The difficulty is that people don’t build houses without water. People build houses when there is water, and when water ceases to be available, it becomes a serious problem. On any significant scale, that can be a source of real health and safety problems.
That has been part of the history of a great many people who have wells. Sometimes they have to spend a lot of money digging a deeper well or digging a new one.