Charlottesville Breaking News

By David Swanson

Most of the world's governments no longer use the death penalty. Among wealthy nations there is one exception remaining. The United States is among the top five killers in the world. Also in the top five: the recently "liberated" Iraq.

But most of the United States' 50 states no longer use the death penalty.  There are 18 states that have abolished it– six in this new millennium, including Maryland earlier this month. Thirty-one states haven't used the death penalty in the past five years, 26 in the past 10 years, 17 in the past 40 years or more. A handful of Southern states– with Texas in the lead– do most of the killing.

The progress is slow and painful. Mississippi is right now having trouble deciding whether to spare a man just because he might be innocent.  Maryland has perversely left five people waiting to be killed while banning the death penalty for any future cases. In Virginia, we hold second place behind Texas and continue to kill.

Virginia electrocuted a man named Robert Gleason in January. Since then, Texas has killed four men, Ohio two, and Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia one each– all by lethal injection. Since 1973, there have been 141 exonerations from death row nationwide, including an innocent Virginian who came within days of being killed.

If you're convicted of killing a white person in Virginia, you're over three times more likely to receive the deat...

The idea behind the Sedona Taphouse is simple: good beer, good food, and a comfortable atmosphere for all.

Although Dish had no luck reaching the owners by presstime, owner Dennis Barbaro recently told local food website The Charlottesville 29 that he "wanted a place that would appeal to women equally as much as men, a place that I would like to go and enjoy quality food and awesome beer and also a place that my wife and her friends would feel equally comfortable.

The upscale brew pub, which is slated to open on Millmont Street (right behind Barracks Road Shopping Center) in the former Millmont Grille location in the first week of June, will be Barbaro’s second Sedona Taphouse.  The first, located in Midlothian, won two 2012 Best of Virginia awards in Virginia Living magazine’s – a first place for Best Overall Bar, and a second place for Best Place to Buy Beer.

The Charlottesville location promises to follow this successful model, with a rotating list of over fifty local and international craft beers on tap, and nearly ten times as many bottled offerings, as well as an extensive wine list, and hand crafted martinis.

The food side of things will be captained by executive chef Jordan Clegger, formerly of eclectic Richmond eatery, Mosaic Restaurant.

Though Barbaro is a...