The Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association, having held an interview forum and considered comments from the public, has backed both Judge Robert Downer and prosecutor Cheryl Higgins to replace Judge Paul Peatross, Liesel Nowak reports in today’s Daily Progress. It’s the General Assembly who will make the decision, though, and there’s some reason to believe that they will ignore the bar.
Bizarrely, several lawyers tell the Progress that Albemarle commonwealth’s attorney Jim Camblos is still considered to be in the running by some members of the General Assembly. Even Republican Del. Bill Janis, who represents Louisa, says that Camblos “would be an imminently qualified judge,” despite the bar having made clear that he is not.
The founder of the Charlottesville-based National Vanguard white supremacy group was arraigned on charges of possession of child pornography and witness tampering after being arrested at his home last night by FBI agents. Kevin Strom, an occasional cvillenews.com troll, is accused of possessing “multiple images of child pornography” on his computer and physically assaulting a witness to his crime. This yahoo is considered one of the top intellectuals in the Neo-Nazi movement, a group of people with an average IQ around room temperature.
The Hook has more on their blog.
Media outlets across the state conducted their own audit of municipal compliance with Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act this fall, and both Charlottesville and Albemarle did really well. Three requests were made of every 134 cities and counties in the state: crime reports, e-mails between elected officials, and school fire inspection reports. Only thirteen localities in the state granted all three requests, and Charlottesville, Albemarle, and Greene all made the list.
City Council, Planning Commission, and BAR meetings will all be broadcast online beginning Monday, the city announced on Thursday. They’ve been testing this for a bit — which is why I jumped the gun on this two months ago — but now it’s official. Better still, the video will be archived and integrated with agendas and minutes for a fully-searchable archive. Very impressive. (Via Charlottesville Tomorrow)
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 four six 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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