The city is doing its best to accomodate the 35 media outlets covering George Huguely’s murder trial, Ted Strong writes in the Progress. Nearly two hundred people will descend on the town for the two-week trial, which starts tomorrow. CBS-19’s Bailey Disselkoen reports that satellite trucks are already lined up near the court house, and Fourth Street will be closed for the duration so that the 15–19 plus-sized vehicles will have a place to park. The mechanics of having so many reporters in a small place present some real obstacles, but the city, the sheriff’s office, and the court are all trying to deal with those problems.
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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So the national media are ‘occupying’ the Fourth St area, eh?
I think a bunch of hippies should go down there with microphones and ask them if they can specifically articulate their goals.
You know, for the lulz.
Good one yo!
The other thing I was thinking is: do they have a permit? Has it been paid for? What’s the cost to the city for law and traffic enforcement? How about the additional parking costs?
Must be bad–most of the local news servers are REALLY slow. Progress and Hook are DOA from my location.
The cameras came crowding
The circus began
To see the big trial
Of this little man
The broadcast, the cable
The weeklies, the dailies
The bloggers, the tabloids
Like Barnum and Bailey’s
We walk a tight wire
In modern society
On one hand, intrigue
The other, propriety
Some see the macabre
They can’t help but to stare
Like the scene of a car crash
Or men fighting a bear
Is justice replaced
By a sick, perverse sideshow
With sensationalist coverage
From the moment they say GO
Guilty, not guilty
To them, doesn’t matter
They feed us and feed us
Crime deep-fried in batter
If the trial is boring
It will be a disaster
For all the news clowns
And their cunning ringmaster
But there is relief
That I failed to mention
We can help end the circus
By not paying attention
We can close their three rings
Give Love’s life its true worth
By not treating sadness
As the Greatest Show on Earth
Well, the media is spending serious jack in cville. And the city needs every penny it can get in that tax base…
I was so proud of us for not commenting on this story! I was very disappointed to surf over here and see six comments. Then I realized that they began with Belmont Yo, slid past teaparty complaints about occupy, and penultimately rang in with a nearly epic poem.
Y’all rock!
Allegedly, Virginia LAX player,
Visiting ex-GF, did slay her.
And now, all the media,
from WaPo, to Cvillepedia,
Are making my hair that much grayer.
It’s obviously crazy around the courthouse but it seems pretty organized. I would think the reading of the verdict will be a bit different but it’s nice that the city has provided a separate place for the media to keep them out of the courthouse.