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Friday, Dec. 30, 2022
Happy New Year from the whole team at Charlottesville Tomorrow!
Jessie, Erin, Tamica, Michaux, Giles and I are so proud of the work we’ve done together — with you, a community that cares for local news — and I can’t help but look back at the year with pride. Even when things were difficult, even in the face of big challenges, we worked hard to bring you news that can help you better know your neighbors. We worked to give you the kind of news that empowers us all to keep making Charlottesville and central Virginia as strong as it can be.
Today, I’m sharing the stories you read most in 2022, along with some of the feedback we got from community members about the reporting. We hope these stories give you fresh perspective, important information and a feeling of connection to where we all live together.
If you value this work, and want to see it continue in 2023, it’s crucial that we get support from the community today. We’re over half the way to our goal of raising $350,000 to start next year strong. To help us build local news, give now or share this message.
In the Charlottesville area, the rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting pushed out
An increase in area median income will increase the number of people eligible for housing assistance — but not the amount of assistance available. It’s a complex topic and the day we ran the report, we quickly got about 10 emails about how well it explains the real-life implications. One person tweeted, “I keep rereading this story to wrap my head around it. The numbers are staggering.”
An immigration detention center in Farmville built for over 700 people now has 11 — and activists say it’s time to shut it down
Farmville earns $15,000 and the private company that operates the center earns $2 million per month — and as recently as November, 2022, there were still only 20 detainees. One reader sent this note: “I’m no journalist, but I can tell a ton of work went into that article. And, from my perspective, it provides a great historical overview of the broader issues surrounding immigrant detention. Impressive!”
Incarcerated people who could not vote were counted as voters in their prisons’ districts. A new Virginia law changes that.
This June, for the first time ever, the thousands of incarcerated people in Virginia who cannot legally vote were no longer be counted in their prisons’ districts. We try to cover elections all year — not just when elections are around the corner. This year, we’ve heard from many of you that you value these deep dives and our annual voter guide, which gives practical ways to engage with local central Virginia races that aren’t getting enough scrutiny.
While Charlottesville erected Confederate monuments, hundreds of African American residents were sitting for professional portraits
Have you seen this exhibition yet? It tells the story through nearly 200 portraits taken in the Holsinger photography studio at the turn of the 20th Century. So many of you read — and are still reading — about this exhibit and we can see that many in the audience aren’t here in Charlottesville. We love it when our reporting brings your perspectives and work to a broader audience.
When this Charlottesville shelter closes next year, its 100 elderly and seriously ill guests might have nowhere to go
It’s an amazing thing that one of the most popular stories of the year is about the most vulnerable among us. I’ve been a journalist on the internet for 20 years — it is rare that news isn’t dominated by click-bait or celebrities. Your care for the those around us gives us motivation that yes, you do indeed value local news that builds community! We’ll keep updating you on the Premier Circle emergency shelter and the ever-important housing issues we all face.
So last but not least, please help us keep doing high quality, community-driven journalism in 2023. Give if you can — a one-time or monthly donation makes a huge difference — and share our work with a friend.
We’re over half the the way to our goal — your investment can get us closer!
My first year at the helm of this newsroom has been so rewarding — we have a great, mission-driven team and, most importantly, we have readers like you who engage with the reporting and help us tell your stories. I’ll end 2022 with so much gratitude for this community, and hope you will too.
My very best,
Angilee Shah, editor-in-chief
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