George Loper has assembled an extremely informative piece on his site, “HB718, HB2309 and the Decriminalizaation of Sodomy.” He provides an overview of recent efforts in the Virginia General Assembly to overhaul our “Crimes Against Nature” statute, and what the upcoming 25th District election has to do with it. Without being too presumptious, I’ll say that it seems likely that this law affects you, so you may want to give this a read.
cvillenews.com
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Dave Matthews Band has donated $114,576 to Madison House, UVa’s volunteerism clearinghouse. That sum is a percentage of the proceeds from their sold-out show at Scott Stadium in April. That $114k represents a significant chunk of Madison House’s $200k annual operating budget. They’re normally funded 30/70 by private donors and UVa. This money will be invested to ensure Madison House’s long-term financial security. The Cavalier Daily has the story.
The airport wants us to know that they’re running a secure facility, presumably to reassure us that they’d never let terrorists through their metal detectors or hire anybody with evil intentions. Rey Barry noticed that, but found that the image just doesn’t fit with the reality. Keep reading for Rey’s letter on the topic, which originally appeared on George Loper’s website.
Have you been seeing the TV ads for the Charl-Alb Airport stressing stressing stressing “security?” The Help Wanted ads in the Daily Progress are a bit more instructive than those TV ads. The ad below appeared Wednesday the 14th:
“Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport – Full time Airport Community Service Officer. Fulltime, assigned to 1 of 3 shifts: 6 am-2 pm, 2 pm-10 pm, 10 pm-6 am with two permanent days off. Starting pay range $8.50/hour.
“Performs routine security patrols of airport to protect property & equipment from unauthorized use or theft. Controls movement of personnel and vehicles within the facility & enforces security access control system to identify and control all employees, visitors, & vehicles.
“Counts overnight vehicles in the parking lots & prepares shift checklists. Assists Public Safety Officers with airport operations. May assist with snow removal.
“Requirements include good powers of memory & observation, ability to operate motor vehicles, good physical condition & ability to act calmly & quickly in emergencies & other critical situations,
“High school education or GED preferred. Successful applicant must supply copy of driving record prior to hire.”
That is our vaunted airport security. $8.50 an hour entry-level employees. It matters not at all if the head of the security department is an over-qualified James Bond at $150,000 a year, backed up by $3 million in state-of-the-art hardware. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and our airport chain of security relies on unskilled, untrained, entry-level help. So do all other US airports. Ads like that appear all over the country.
Wednesday morning the vile Sen. Phil Gramm was on CNBC defending this as entirely adequate for the nation’s airport security. He raised hell about people wanting the government to take over security functions at airports. He sank to a level of rabble ignorance seldom heard beyond Rush Limbaugh, calling federalizing airport security a Democrat plot to create big government.
Nice to be reminded who the enemies are.
Charlottesville resident Robert Shiflett has donated a 22-foot Norway spruce to serve as the city’s Christmas tree this year. This may be the start of a new tradition: after last year’s $22,000 fake tree was destoyed by vandals, a county couple donated a replacement. After the heat that the city took for the cost of the 2000 Christmas tree, getting somebody to donate the tree every year would like prove to be an excellent public image move. Jake Mooney has the story in today’s Progress.
The video for Dave Matthews Band‘s new single, “Everyday,” hits the airwaves today. It was filmed just three weeks ago, right here in C’ville on the Downtown Mall. You can give it a watch on DMB’s website. Is it just me, or is it really weird to see the Mall in a video and those shots of NYC interspersed with shots of C’ville?
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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