The SPCA needs $600 for surgery for “Bronx,” a dog in their care. Presumably Bronx could use a home, too. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Author Archive for Waldo Jaquith
Page 356 of 744
Remember the Water Street parking lot design competition? The Hook provides photos of a dozen of the entries. #
It was one year ago that City Councilor Kevin Lynch exposed UVa’s Patrick J. Michaels as fraudulently claiming to be Virginia State Climatologist. Now comes word that Michaels quietly resigned his position at the university this summer, Bob Gibson reports in today’s Daily Progress. Lynch’s reporting led to national coverage of Michaels’ conflict of interest (he received extensive funding from the energy industry while denying global climate change) and resulted in Governor Kaine’s request that he stop calling himself the state’s climatologist, since he held no such position. The 57-year-old Michaels has negotiated a retirement package with UVa, and will continue to hold a position as a part-time research professor…on leave.
From the “What The?!” files comes the story of Jennifer Dowell White, who was held in the jail for a month for no apparent reason, Lisa Provence reports for The Hook. She appeared before a city grand jury on August 20, who was considering indicting her for obtaining money under false pretenses, but they decided not to. Nonetheless, she was held in jail until just yesterday, the apparent fault of Charlottesville Clerk Paul Garrett. Her attorney had repeatedly requested a copy of the indictment that would presumably be required to keep White in jail, but Garrett wouldn’t send it — the paperwork had apparently been lost in his office. Garrett declined comment.
Garrett was last in the news back in April, when he was caught obtaining $52,000 from the state by lying about getting his office’s records online. Garrett, a Democrat, was most recently reelected in 2003.
9:30pm Update: I see that Henry Graff reported on this for NBC 29 and did get a comment out of Paul Garrett. He said that he wasn’t necessarily the obstacle, that “there are various ways that could have been addressed,” though not knowing anything about the legal system, it’s all greek to me.
The county has a $3.3M budget shortfall, Jeremy Borden reported for the Progress yesterday, leaving the county trying to figure out what to cut. What with the soaring property tax rates, I’m not sure many people will be able to muster much sympathy. Staff had counted on a cooling housing market, but it happened faster and cooled more than they’d planned on. The county figures they can make up their $1.4M by not filling positions as they become open, but the school has to figure out how they’ll make up their $1.9M.
Recent Comments