UVA COO Michael Strine is stepping down, effective immediately, CBS-19 reports. Strine was brought on by President Teresa Sullivan as a part of her core team on July 1 of last year, replacing Leonard Sandridge. It’s a fair guess that Strine’s resignation is connected to Sullivan’s near-death experience at the hands of Board of Visitors Rector Helen Dragas, although right now nobody’s talking.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
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Albemarle Superintendent Pam Moran has been talking with UVA about locating a new high school at the UVA Research Park in northern Albemarle, Aaron Richardson reports in the Daily Progress. The Progress was FOIAing e-mails from UVA on a different matter when they stumbled across UVA communications that referred to the discussions about establishing a school focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It sounds like things haven’t progressed very far at this point, with UVA saying that the university’s administration hasn’t been briefed on it and School Board member Diantha McKeel saying that she didn’t know that Moran had approached UVA.
At yesterday’s meeting of the two water boards, City Council, and the Board of Supervisors, they unanimously rejected the use of chloramines to purify the regional water supply, Lisa Provence reports for The Hook. Faced with a choice between an $18M granular activated carbon filtration system or a $9M chloramine-based system, they were considering adding the ammonia derivative to save $9M. Most public water supplies in the state are purified with chloramines, but the catch is that they can suck the lead right out of old pipes, which is particularly dangerous for children. Concerns about chloramines were widespread, with dozens of people speaking against chloramines at yesterday’s meeting, but nobody speaking in favor of them. Next up: Ginning up another $9M to fund a new carbon filtration system.
Downtown fixture Sidney Tapscott has died. The sweet, cheerful 89-year-old was adopted many years ago by downtown regulars, and passed away yesterday in hospice. During the eighties and nineties he could be seen around the Downtown Mall with a push broom, wearing overalls and bearing a red bandana. The Albemarle native smoked a pipe, played the harmonica, and was the Hogwaller Ramblers’ number-one fan. (Their album opens with him singing, and then introducing “the Tennessee Ramblers.) The Blue Moon Diner—his home away from home—held a big birthday party for him every year. For photos and remembrances, see the Friends of Sidney Tapscott Facebook group, which has almost 1,500 members after just one day of existence.
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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