Brian Wheeler, Director of Communications for the city of Charlottesville, has resigned from his position. His last day will be Friday, Nov. 19. Wheeler is the latest in a long line of employees to leave their city hall jobs in recent months — many of them, including Wheeler, have held high-profile positions. News of his […]
Author Archives: Erin O'Hare
I'm Charlottesville Tomorrow's neighborhoods reporter. I’ve never met a stranger and love to listen, so, get in touch with me here. If you’re not already subscribed to our free newsletter, you can do that here, and we’ll let you know when there’s a fresh story for you to read. I’m looking forward to getting to know more of you.
Posted inGovernment and public institutions
Former Police Chief Brackney demands $3 million from city, alleges wrongful termination
Former Police Chief RaShall Brackney is demanding $3 million from the city of Charlottesville and has lodged a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that her Sept. 1 termination was unjust. Standing in front of city hall on Tuesday morning, Brackney and her attorney, Charles Tucker of The Cochran Firm, accused Charlottesville’s former […]
Posted inGovernment and public institutions, Race and equity
City Council (tentatively) plans to decide the fate of Charlottesville’s Confederate statues before the year’s end
A public comment in the last few minutes of Monday’s City Council meeting prompted Councilors to discuss when they’ll decide what to do with the recently removed statues of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. The Council had not discussed the matter since its Oct. 15 deadline for individuals and organizations […]
Posted inRace and equity
Charlottesville’s Greyhound bus location remains an open-air stop
Sometime in late spring or early summer of this year, the local Greyhound station quietly closed, kicking patrons to the curb — literally. The former station, located in a building at the intersection of West Main St., Ridge St., and McIntire Rd., offered shelter, seats, restrooms, and a full-service ticketing counter for folks traveling to, […]
Posted inOur neighborhoods
Charlottesville is losing its community gardens to redevelopment — this group wants to relocate them to city parks
Editor’s note: This story has been updated on Nov. 4 to better reflect the leadership of residents of various housing communities in making decisions regarding community gardens. Peering into an aqua plastic container that sat atop a folding table, an older woman paused to ask Richard Morris about its contents. “What kind of lettuce is […]
Posted inRace and equity
Number Nothing Court Square, the historic building from which humans were bought and sold, has a new owner
After more than a month on the market, Number Nothing Court Square — the site of an auction block upon which humans were bought and sold into slavery — has sold.
Posted inGovernment and public institutions
City receives just one local proposal for Confederate statue, and the organization wants to melt Lee down
A few years ago, Jalane Schmidt started hearing a common refrain: “We should just melt them down.”
Posted inOur neighborhoods, Race and equity
Charlottesville Planning Commission unanimously approves Comprehensive Plan update after nearly five years of work; now it goes to City Council for a hearing
Charlottesville Planning Commission chair Lyle Solla-Yates was certain that the biggest news to come out of Charlottesville last week would be the Tuesday evening Planning Commission meeting.After all, the topic of discussion — the update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan — has been in the works for nearly five years. But just before the meeting […]
Posted inGovernment and public institutions
The unprecedented turnover in Charlottesville government could have ‘enormous consequences’ for the community — this is how
Chip Boyles this week became Charlottesville’s fifth city manager to leave the post in less than five years. That is an unprecedented level of turnover in the city’s top position — and the upheaval is not limited to the city manager’s office. In an interview with Charlottesville Tomorrow this week, Councilor Michael Payne rattled off […]
Posted inRace and equity
‘Confederate memorials are associated with hate’ — New UVA study shows ‘significant’ correlation between lynchings and monuments
John Henry James sold ice cream. That’s all that’s known about him, except for how he died on July 12, 1898, just a few years after moving to Charlottesville. James was murdered by a white lynch mob. More than a century after his death the community in 2019 acknowledged James publicly with a historical marker […]
