Former Red Hill Elementary teacher Michelle Frilot has filed suit against Albemarle County and the School Board, charging them with discriminating against her because she’s Christian. The Eastern Orthodox Christian had displayed a 5″x7″ painting of Jesus in the corner of her classroom, despite being asked repeatedly by a superior not to do so. When she turned to an assistant superintendent for help, she was told once again that she could not display religious iconography in the school. In February of 2001, after five months on the job, she quit, citing a hostile work environment. Her attorney is John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute. Adrienne Schwisow has the story in today’s Progress.
cvillenews.com
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
An unidentified man was hit by a freight train near Sherwood Farms in Albemarle early Saturday afternoon, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The train’s crew blew the whistle and slowed the train when they saw that they were going to hit the man, but he did not move. The Progress featured a fairly grim color photo of the scene, showing the man’s body sprawled on the ground a few yards from the tracks. Eric Swensen has the story in today’s Daily Progress.
At 2am this morning at Mel’s on West Main, 24-year-old Lamonte Carter of Fluvanna was murdered, WINA reports. Details are limited, but the suspect is Robert Leroy Martinez, and he is wanted by police. He’s also charged with the malicious wounding of a 22-year-old woman.
Albemarle County water monitors are out searching for violators of the state-mandated water restrictions, and they’re finding them in spades. Activities like washing cars and watering lawns are no longer permitted, but that doesn’t seem to stop some people. The problem areas are largely suburban planned communities including Glenmore, Forest Lakes and Dunlora. Violators of the restrictions could be fined up to $500. The monitors aren’t the only way to get caught — the county has set up a snitch line for neighbors to report one another. Peter Savodnik has the story in today’s Progress.
There’s been a bit of a pissing match going on between WNRN and C-Ville Weekly in the past few weeks, and it looks like it may not be ending any time soon. It all started a few weeks ago when media critic Kathryn Goodson wrote a piece criticizing public radio (you might remember her story criticizing cvillenews.com last June), which resulted in some defensive letters in the next couple of issues of the C-Ville Weekly. Last week’s issue featured an angry letter from WNRN’s Mike Friend, who took a shot at WTJU (“[a] miserable, play-less radio playtoy”), Goodson (“[an] ignorant twerp”) and issued a thinly-veiled legal threat against C-Ville Weekly. However, the letter was written to the publisher of C-Ville Weekly, not the editor, so it appears that Friend didn’t write the piece to be read by the public. This week’s issue brought the largest volley of letters yet, with everybody criticizing somebody for something, but nobody really agreeing on anything. So what do y’all think? Is Goodson right: is public radio in the area not up to snuff? Should Friend’s letter have been published? Will either side know when to back down, or will this become an ongoing soap opera?
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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