Local politically-minded fellow (and friend of mine) Rey Barry is taking on Charlottesville and offering solutions to pretty much every problem that you can throw at him. On his site, he has a two-part strengths and weaknesses analysis of Charlottesville and, to some extent, Albemarle County that makes for a very interesting read. If you have any interest in where we’ve come from and where we’re going (which you do, in that you’re reading cvillenews.com), give this a read.
cvillenews.com
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
You know those weather alert things that you can buy for $50 and hang on your wall to let you know when a disaster is going to happen? They work here now, which is exciting the local press and government to no end. WVIR, the Progress and WINA are all reporting this one. The real news, though, is that a Florida-based company, Dyn-o-mat, has created a powder that, when dumped on storm clouds, turns it into a gel that drops harmessly to the ground. So we may not need those radios after all.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they intend to re-investigate the UVa Medical Center‘s psychiatric ward after reports of two patients shooting up and having sex in a laundry room. CMS just finished their investigation of the psych. ward after the June allegations of sexual assault, and is due to release that report in a week or so. This new investigation is pretty much a worst-case scenario for the UVA hospital. Claudia Pinto reports on this in today’s Progress.
UVa Police are investigating allegations of yet more misconduct at the psychiatric ward of the UVa Medical Center. Police say that on July 21st, a visitor provided heroin to a male and a female patient, who shot up in a bathroom and then had sex in a laundry room. The timing couldn’t be worse for the psych. ward, given the problems [1, 2] that they’ve had there in previous months.
WVIR reported this evening that Charlottesville is in the early stages of determining how to fund a proposed expansion of the Downtown Mall. The plan is to expand the Mall all the way to the amphitheatre and extending it down some side streets, much like 3rd Street SE, the expansion that was unwillingly funded by, among others, Michael and Jill Williams of Williams Corner Bookstore. (Now Virginia National Bank.) Though funding for the project is still very much in the exploratory phase, City Councilors Maurice Cox and Blake Caravati both expressed an interest in a business tax being levied on area property owners.
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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