City Council approved a plan to replace Smith Pool last night, Seth Rosen writes in the Progress. They’ll shut down Crow Pool and rebuild an expanded Smith, in hopes of compensation for the loss of Crow. The renovation will cost $10M.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Author Archive for Waldo Jaquith
Page 174 of 549
Michael Stuart Pritchett has confessed his role in the murder of Jayne Warren McGowan, Kate Harmon and Rob Seal report in today’s Daily Progress. The eighteen year old says that he and his cousin, William Douglas Gentry, intended to rob somebody. They selected her house (for reasons not yet disclosed), knocked on her door, and entered when she opened the door. Based on the Progress’ depiction, it sounds like they immediately killed her, with each of the two men using a handgun of their own. They then robbed the home and stole her car. The two were arrested just a week ago, and McGowan was killed just ten days ago, so there’s a great deal more information yet to come out.
The gravy train is coming to a halt. Jeremy Borden writes in today’s Daily Progress that Albemarle County expects property tax reassessments to be flat next year, or perhaps even down. Assessments climbed sharply in 2003, 2005, and 2007, but that’s over now. Since inflation naturally increases the cost of goods and services purchased by the county, this leaves the county needing to cut expenses, a task it hasn’t faced in quite some time. And with the approval of two enormous new subdivisions, our costs are only going to be climbing. All of this just in time for the new Democratic majority to be left holding the bag.
I’ve often lamented that the headlines when somebody’s accused of a crime are far bigger than when they’re acquitted. So I must call up that charges have been dropped against one of the Whisper Ridge employees who was accused of molesting two kids in his care, Rob Seal writes in the Progress. One of the victims has dropped out of sight, leaving just one to testify against Bryan Antwann Vaughan. Without corroboration, the county says they can’t move forward. Vaughan says he’s innocent. It’s possible that other similar charges will be brought against him, though.
Four others were indicted, part of the never ending series of charges against the utterly incompetent mental health facilities.
Molly Lazard, of Blue Ridge Cohousing, writes:
Blue Ridge Cohousing, a group of residents forming a community in Crozet, was approved for rezoning yesterday on a property off Parkview.
Cohousing neighborhoods attempt to be both green and social, creating a community where neighbors know and care for one another. To that end, cars are relegated to the periphery and only pedestrian paths lead to clustered homes. The homes are all privately owned, but there is extensive common land and a shared community building with extensive resources.
Blue Ridge Cohousing is partnered with a nonprofit developer, Community Housing Partners, and will be building 26 homes, 4 of which will be designated affordable housing.
I ignore press releases (my mail client auto-erases any e-mail that contains the words “for immediate release), but this is too interesting to pass up. We learned about cohousing in my urban planning class some years ago and, while it’s not for me, I think it’s a brilliant idea. I’ll be interested to see how things work out with this project.
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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