Jessica Cook, a single mother from Charlottesville, did everything the court asked. Her life shows how fragile “success” can be after incarceration for women.
Category: The big stories
Charlottesville Tomorrow focuses on the communities of central Virginia and covers issues that you might not see elsewhere. Here are some of our enterprise and investigative reports and projects that you can dive into.
Posted inGovernment and public institutions
Madison County residents demand stronger action after School Board member said Muslims ‘hate America’ and ‘will kill us when given the opportunity’
“He’s been known for making comments for years, so I feel like if they really wanted to find a solution, they would’ve solved it a long time ago and not waited until his term was almost over,” said 2025 Madison County High School graduate Willa Lewis.
Posted inOur neighborhoods
From bake sales to big checks, this is how the tiny town of Gordonsville raised millions for a new swimming pool and park
Along the way, the project pushed Gordonsville to reckon with the pool’s segregated past — and gave the town a chance to rebuild something more inclusive in its place.
Posted inGovernment and public institutions
UVA’s deal with DOJ avoids monetary fines, but lawyers and faculty say it comes at a steep cost
“The underlying theme of what’s happening is that they’re trying to exclude voices and ideas,” Chris Ford, a contracts lawyer and UVA alumnus, said.
Posted inHealth and safety
Residents used to compare these Charlottesville blocks to a war zone — this is how the community turned it around
Residents and community leaders say the Central Virginia Violence Interrupters is one organization that helped make the neighborhood safer. Now, with shrinking budgets and fewer staff, they’re unsure what happens next and what it means for the community.
Posted inGovernment and public institutions
Charlottesville asylum seeker wins bond, but DHS refuses to release him
Immigration attorneys say the Department of Homeland Security is employing a little-used regulation to ignore a judge’s orders to free detainees.
Posted inFrom the newsroom
Next 20: What the future of central Virginia could be
For Charlottesville Tomorrow’s 20th anniversary, we are inviting central Virginians to share their visions for the next 20 years.
Posted inOur neighborhoods
Historic Rosenwald school in Albemarle County gets new life as a community center while preserving its past
Rebecca Kinney left St. John Elementary School as a student 71 years ago. Years later she led an effort to restore it.
Posted inHealth and safety
Charlottesville violence prevention group lost a lot of funding. They worry that it might be the end of them
Central Virginia Violence Interrupters, formerly known as the B.U.C.K. Squad, lost $250,000 due to the federal funding cuts on top of decreased Charlottesville City Funding. The outlook is dire, members of the leadership said.
Posted inHealth and safety
An Albemarle teenager’s suicide highlights the cracks in the system meant to protect kids like him
“It’s frontlines. It’s very chaotic, very stressful,” an Albemarle County school counselor said.
