Just like two years ago, assessments of Albemarle County real estate value are going up again sharply, likely around the level of the 18.7% increase in ’03, WINA reports. The biannual assessments are based on the actual value of homes, and do not reflect any action or decision on the part of the county; they are a product of the free market. Still, reassessments piss people off, and as the notices begin to go out, there’s no reason to expect otherwise this time around.
cvillenews.com
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Twenty-year-old Bradley Thomas Arms, a 2002 graduate of Covenant, was killed during the invasion of Fallujah, Iraq on Friday. Arms was a University of Georgia student and a Marine. He shipped out to Iraq in August, and was a part of the first group of forces to enter the city of Fallujah. Julie Stavitski has the story in the Progress.
Attorney and downtown resident Jock Yellott chalked up a victory for the parking public this week, with City Council’s passage of an amendment to the parking ordinance which will involve the public in changes made to on-street parking. A year ago, the sheriff’s office took over some parking in Court Square, in a manner that appeared illegal, so Yellott gathered the legal ammunition to convince Council to require much more obvious public notice and citizen involvement before any removal of or modification of any on-street parking in the city. John Yellig has the story in today’s Progress.
silkyzephyr writes: I write from the Jefferson Madison Regional Library (Main Branch on Market Street) using WiFi to connect to CvilleNews. As of this week, the basement reading room just became a wireless hotspot. Waldo had championed wireless access when he was on the JMRL Board and I am glad to report they finally got around to it. Unlike U. Va., or commercial hotspots like the Mudhouse on the Downtown Mall, you need no password or ISP account. In fact you don’t even need a library card. All you need is 802.11b or 802.11g wireless and a willingness to sit in an open library room where anybody can see what you’re browsing. BYOC (bring your own computer). Jeff. Mad. does not have laptops available to lend. U.Va. libraries do, but the students have dibs and they are usually all lent out. Connection on my Apple laptop was instantaneous, trouble free, and the connection is super-fast. Makes me want to hug a librarian (though that is discouraged.)
Woo-hoo! Gotta love the library. No, seriously. I insist that you love JMRL.
The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star has a nice overview of the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation‘s Safe Routes to School program and their Walking Wednesday program. They’ve established standard, safe routes for students to walk to Greenbrier Elementary, Buford Middle School, and Greenbrier has all of their students walk to school on Wednesday. With childhood obesity on the rise and traffic (and related environmental problems) only getting worse, ACCT’s program is helping with a host of problems.
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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