Beyond the Headlines is our twice-weekly newsletter connecting subscribers directly to our journalists. We add context to major stories, go behind-the-scenes, highlight great work from other local outlets or provide more informal snapshots of our community.

Happy New Year!

To kick off 2026, we encourage you to envision the future you want for central Virginia.

The Next 20 series should help. Here, we highlight ideas from your friends and neighbors about what is possible in the next two decades through short videos and essays.

Community members share their stories in their own words to inform, foster dialogue and even spark community action. 

The latest installment is by self-described data nerd Ckalib Nelson. Ckalib has a vision to make local public data easier to access and understand, one that he’s already working toward by applying his skills to safety and education.

“We all have a skill that can be beneficial to help solve problems,” he said. 

In another new video this week, Joshua René explains how he wants our local leaders to put people at the center of their work.

You can also read essays by Heather Hill, Christopher Ali, Enid Krieger and more. Click on some of the links below or, better yet, scroll through the Next 20 series here.

And if you’ve been considering submitting an idea for Next 20, we’d love to hear it. But don’t wait! The submission form will close Saturday, Jan. 10.

Thanks for reading, and see you around town!

Atlee Webber, Community Editor

A person in a long brown coat and colorful sweater, wearing black rimmed glasses, leans against a concrete wall, with a brick building behind her. She is looking at the camera.
Credit: Kori Price/Charlottesville Tomorrow

She’s been around the world over the last year — but came back to Charlottesville because she sees people ready to lead

By Emily Gorcenski
A man in a button-down checker blue shirt smiles, standing on the sidewalk next to a brick and tile building with a sign that says "THE CROSSINGS." A blue sky and white car driving by are blurry in the background.
Credit: Atlee Webber/Charlottesville Tomorrow

We see homelessness around us every day — but we don’t have to accept it

By Dave Norris
A person in a bowtie and sweater stands at a podium in a college lecture hall, speaking.
Credit: Jackson Ranger/The Daily Collegian

For everything from agriculture to education, a connected community will help bridge inequality

By Christopher Ali, Ph.D.
A person in a purple shirt stands at a bus stop, smiling.
Credit: Atlee Webber/Charlottesville Tomorrow

Improving our neighborhoods’ design for older residents will mean better lives for us all

By Peter M. Thompson
A woman stands in front of a colorful play area. She wears a t-shirt that says CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY SCHOOLS and BETTER TOGETHER.
Credit: Atlee Webber/Charlottesville Tomorrow

Heather Hill wants every kid in Charlottesville to have the opportunity to thrive — not just through private programs

By Heather Hill

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