After two men turned themselves in for assaulting two people downtown last month, Dave McNair (formally of The Hook) writes on The DTM that a more complicated narrative is emerging. I hope more information comes out about this soon, because this story—what it says about and how it influences race relations in Charlottesville—is important, and potentially powerful.
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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Well, it appears clear that a one sided story without any fact checking has lead to a media frenzy that made the city and a good man (Longo) look bad. So, to be concise: A group of males, all puffed on booze and needing to impress their significant others acted like asshats. Police called and the response of the “vic” was so muted and noninvolved the police figured… well not much here… until an overreaching female (wonder how much she pushed this all to escalate on the night given what she did later…) decided to turn it all into a racial firestorm.
1. That said, nothing can ever support physical violence as retribution for some name calling. Fail
2. Joseph Pulitzer’s three rules of journalism hold true today. Fail.
And City Manager Maurice Jones was on WINA this morning spinning the story. The host was so relieved that there’s nothing here so move along people. When these events happen, the public responds to similar events that happened to them. These type of assaults have been talked about in Public Comment at City Council for over a year and for decades in the community. Everybody has a story to tell. The amazing thing is the media wants to present every story in isolation like it’s the first time it ever happened. Why would this case be a breakthrough when the 2002 assaults on the corner targeting those who looked white or Asian have been all but forgotten? Is it the pictures? Or is it a historical context? Or plain old racism? I just gave more dialog on race than the official Dialog on Race, which had maintained the anti-white narrative until people started speaking at at City Council during the Human Rights Commission debate.