No trespassing: Local angler loses fight for Virginia river rights
Oct 22nd 4:49pm
by Dave McNair
After over two years and tens of thousands of dollars, Charlottesville citizen Dargan Coggeshall's legal fight to preserve fishing rights for Virginia anglers came to an end on October 9 in an Alleghany County courtroom.
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Free Springsteen: Boss rocks Obama vote with free concert
Oct 22nd 1:54pm
by Hawes Spencer
A music superstar already in town for an arena show decided to rock the Central Virginia electorate by giving a free Tuesday afternoon solo acoustic concert in the nTelos Wireless Pavilion.
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Martin's marker: UVA heralds its most celebrated former slave
Oct 22nd 12:07pm
by Hawes Spencer
A new book may be calling out the cruelty of the plantation masters, but one former Monticello resident is getting some decidedly positive publicity this fall.
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Busted: after area-wide search, police track down Currier
Oct 22nd 10:42am
by Dave McNair
Last Wednesday, October 17, The Albemarle County Police Department called on the public to aid in the search for a criminal wanted on four felony counts, including burglary, grand larceny, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The next day, Michael Nelson Currier (photo left) was in custody.
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Cavalier developments? UVA buys 199-acre near-town farm
Oct 22nd 8:56am
by Chelsea Jack
After two decades of dealing, a sprawling Charlottesville-area farm recently came into the possession of UVA, practically completing a sort of university-owned western wall around Charlottesville and stoking development concerns in the surrounding neighborhoods. By paying $1.575 million to Foxhaven Farm LLC on July 7, the University of Virginia Foundation finished its purchase of the properties long owned by the late Jane and Henderson Heyward.
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FunStuff: Charlottesville events October 25 and beyond
Oct 21st 8:59am
Counting platinum: After a decade, Crows return to town
Oct 20th 11:55am
by Emma Eisenberg
“You owe your audience a really passionate concert every night, so I want to come out and play my a— off,” says Adam Duritz, front man for Counting Crows, a fixture in the alternative rock scene for almost 20 years. Counting Crows will soon play their first show in Charlottesville since the early '90s.
Counting Crows
Sunday October 28nTelos Wireless Pavilion$35-65doors at 5 and show at 6pm
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Separate checks? UVA students create Foodio app
Oct 19th 4:39pm
by Dave McNair
Okay, so maybe this new food ordering app that a couple of twenty-something UVA students came up with doesn't address a major issue, but it does eliminate one annoying thing about eating with friends.
"The idea all started with credit card splitting," says Rory Stolzenberg, a 21-year old UVA fourth-year student who recently founded Foodio (getfoodio.com) with two friends.
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Hogan's a hero? President Sullivan and BOV name new COO
Oct 19th 3:55pm
by Hawes Spencer
A business executive with longtime ties to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia has been tapped as the University's new chief operating officer. The announcement of the replacement for short-serving Michael Strine, who resigned unceremoniously in the wake of the president's summertime reinstatement, came Friday after a vote by the Board of Visitors.
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Bail set: Dumler must raise $50K and forfeit alcohol
Oct 19th 1:05pm
by Hawes Spencer
As he did a day earlier, County Supervisor-turned-felony arrestee Christopher Dumler shifted uneasily in his chair and mustered an approximation of a smile as he stared into a video camera at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail to hear whether he'd win bail in General District Court. Judge William Barkley was presented an agreement by defense and prosecution to let Dumler go free on a $50,000 secured bond.
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Fall on the Lawn
Oct 19th 10:48am
by Hawes Spencer
A recent misty morning gave the UVA Lawn a chance to shine.
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Spiraling down: Why the Bypass will wreck Albemarle
Oct 19th 9:00am
by Randy Salzman
The Taxpayers for Common Sense, in an October report subtitled "Two trillion in common sense cuts to avoid the fiscal cliff," calls the Charlottesville Western Bypass a financial boondoggle:
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Jefferson Street at 8:29am
Oct 18th 11:25am
by Hawes Spencer
This is how the street in front of the Albemarle County Courthouse looked at 8:29 this morning, as a reporter waited for the clerk's office to open (to examine a high-profile arrest record).
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Dumler arrested: County Supervisor charged with forcible sodomy
Oct 18th 8:56am
by Hawes Spencer
Self-employed lawyer and Albemarle County supervisor Christopher J. Dumler has been jailed and charged with sexual assault and felony forcible sodomy over an allegation that he performed anal intercourse "against the victim's will by force, threat, or intimidation," according to his October 18 arrest warrant.
The incident occurred October 4, according to the warrant, and courtroom testimony indicates that the victim is female.
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My list tops your list
Oct 18th 4:15am
by Letter Writer
[Re: October 11 essay: "Power viewing: The 10 best political movies"]:
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Let UVA police chief keep commenting
Oct 18th 3:08am
by Letter Writer
UVA Police Chief Mike Gibson’s comment about the “point of no return” that causes men to rape may help explain UVA’s policies toward rape, which are often criticized for being stacked against the victim. [October 11 edition: "Rape myth: Critics say UVA police sent the wrong message"]
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Mr. Jefferson's greed: New book challenges image of reluctant slaveholder
Oct 17th 3:19pm
by Lisa Provence
Publishers Weekly calls it the number one history title of the fall and one of the best of all genres. Both Smithsonian and American History magazines have made it a recent cover story.
However, thus far here in Thomas Jefferson's hometown, the reception to Henry Wiencek's new book, Master of the Mountain: Jefferson and His Slaves– which builds a portrait of the author of the Declaration of Independence as cold, greedy, and a lying racist– has been less effusive. Far less effusive.
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Wanted: police searching for Michael Nelson Currier
Oct 17th 2:03pm
by Dave McNair
The Albemarle County Police Department is asking for the community's help in tracking down Michael Nelson Currier (photo left), who took off running when he was pulled over today. Currier fled his vehicle on Milton Road, off of the Thomas Jefferson Parkway. Currier is wanted on four active felonies, including possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Note: Police believe Currier is not armed. Call 434-531-5387 or email johnsonc@albemarle.org if you see anything suspicious or have information
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Regal crowned? Indie theater owner predicts Carmike's doom
Oct 17th 10:31am
by Hawes Spencer
Next month's debut of a new Regal 14-plex will nearly double the number of theater screens in Charlottesville. And according to the last independent theater owner, the opening of the Regal will trigger a shake-out that will drive its major competitor out of business.
Screens in C'ville:
Regal Seminole: 4Regal Downtown: 6Carmike: 6Vinegar Hill: 1
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Property auctions
Oct 17th 10:22am
by Hook Staff
October 19 at 4pm at the Charlottesville Circuit Court Property: 1111 Cherry Avenue Debtor: Teresa D. Caddell Original amount owing: $140,800 Bidder brings: 10 percent sale price Info: BWW Law Group 301-961-6555
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Nursing robot: Futuristic companion not quite the real thing
Oct 17th 4:04am
by Roger Ebert
Robot & Frank tells the story of relationship between a retired burglar and a household appliance more relentless than an alarm clock. Frank is a man who lives alone in a bucolic house in upstate New York and is somewhere along the slope into dementia. He's still able to feed and care for himself and walk into town to get books from the library, but he's becoming forgetful. Just how forgetful we don't realize at first.
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No wallflowers: Young cast shines in YA adaptation
Oct 17th 3:03am
by Roger Ebert
All of my previous selves still survive somewhere inside of me, and my previous adolescent would have loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The movie has received glowing reviews, and some snarky ones that seem to have been written by previous adults. The film is about an alienated high-school freshman who sees himself as a chronic outsider, and then is befriended by a group of older kids who embrace their non-conformist status.
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The week in review
Oct 16th 1:41pm
by Hook Staff
Coldest case: Joseph Harris, 22, is on trial for the 2005 murder of Anthony Lorenzo "Bunny" Johnson in Darden Towe Park. Harris was arrested in 2010, and prosecutors say they will use jailhouse snitches to try to convict Harris in what is expected to be a week-long trial, NBC29 reports.
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The mural progresses
Oct 16th 10:07am
by Lisa Provence
We photographed artist Ross McDermott last week starting on the new mural on the side of One Meatball Place on West Main. Here's how it looks October 16.
Post-publication clarification: While McDermott did the paint work, the designer of the mural is named Matt Pamer.
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Friendship Court
Oct 16th 3:03am
by Bill Emory
"There is hereby created the Placemaking, Livability and Community Engagement (PLACE) Design Task Force (PDTF) to act as an advisory body to the Planning Commission and City Council... charged with... developing design criteria... identifying best practices in master and small area planning... fostering good urban design and placemaking." – March 5, 2012~Commentator Bill Emory puts up a new photo nearly every day at billemory.com/blog.
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FunStuff: Charlottesville events October 18 and beyond
Oct 15th 9:47pm
The dalai llama....
Oct 15th 1:37pm
Hearing continued: Allegedly murder-minded Crozet mom still jailed
Oct 15th 12:26pm
by Lisa Provence
A preliminary hearing for Theresa Brady, the Crozet woman accused of attempting to kill her husband by injecting him with insulin, scheduled for Monday, October 15, has been continued again.
Brady was arrested August 21 after James Brady, a captain with Albemarle Fire and Rescue, allegedly awoke from feeling a prick to his abdomen. A search warrant affidavit indicated that he told police he then saw two syringes fall from his wife's shorts, an incident that followed a week in which he reported feeling violently ill and vomiting uncontrollably for six days.
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Citizen Lane: Unstoppable agitator pens lively memoir
Oct 15th 10:46am
by Hawes Spencer
His backyard in Charlottesville's Bellair neighborhood is far removed from the jungle of Guyana, and the grandfatherly man relaxing in a patio chair doesn't seem the type to tangle with murderous henchmen of the late Jim Jones. But here he is, a man who grabbed a knife-wielding arm and escaped from Jonestown on the day that over 900 Americans died.
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Getting out the unregistered vote
Oct 15th 9:43am
by Lisa Provence
Margie Shepherd stands ready to register the at Toddsbury of Ivy shop during the morning commute October 15, the last day to register to vote in the November 6 election.
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Do you think the negatives of Thomas Jefferson get downplayed here?
Oct 15th 5:05am
Making Strides: Condo transfer includes WorldStrides
Oct 13th 7:07am
by Samantha Masone
7/5/12
Albemarle
David M. & Ester N. Valcich to Lavezzo Real Estate LLC, 122 Yellowstone Drive, Unit 205, $80,000
Dmytro & Yuliya Havaleshko to Marybess M. Johnson, 396 South Pantops Drive, $148,000
NVR, Inc. to Kirstin N. Cooney & Jean L Sopha, 1485 Wickham Pond Drive, $243,525
Cass Lewis Cannon Living Trust et al to Dwight D. & Sarah S. Emerine, 2410 Kimbrough Circle, $275,000
Thomas J. & Ruth Ann Sherman to Robert & Margaret Rubin, 3675 Country Woods Lane, $535,000
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Merry Randolph: Upscale finishes highlight downtown tower condo
Oct 13th 5:05am
by Samantha Masone
Address: 210 NE 10th Street, Unit 103Neighborhood: The RandolphAsking: $625,000Assessment: $555,000Year Built: 2008Size: 1789 finished sq. ft.Curb Appeal: 5 out of 10Listing Agent: Lindsay Milby, Sloan Milby Real Estate Partners - 434-962-9148
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Business is good: new Mex, cheap sushi, and a Glass Haus
Oct 12th 4:45pm
by Dave McNair
In the last few months, we haven't been able to turn a corner without finding a new eatery opening. Since August, we've counted 16 places that opened, recently opened, or are about to open, so it was no surprise when we walked into the former Fuel Co. restaurant/gas station on the corner of East Market and Avon Street to find a deli place called Subworks, and a fast-food type chicken place called Chester's, had already been operating for awhile.
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Photo Gallery: the Dalai Lama's visit to the Downtown Mall
Oct 12th 11:46am
by Dave McNair
You've likely seen plenty of photos of the Dalai Lama's visit to Charlottesville on October 11 already, thanks to Facebook and cameras in cell phones, but it's unlikely you've seen photos quite like the ones that Hook photographer Bill Emory captured that day. Enjoy.
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Appeal denied: County cop convicted, transparency still elusive
Oct 12th 7:24am
by Courteney Stuart
Five years after the notorious Gerry Mitchell case in which an officer went uncharged despite striking a wheelchair-bound pedestrian in a crosswalk, the Albemarle County Police Department seems to be sending a new message: that its officers aren't immune from prosecution even in minor traffic incidents. Two cases that went to court this year seem to illustrate the notion of Albemarle accountability.
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Hello, Dalai: His Holiness rocks Downtown
Oct 11th 3:13pm
by Dave McNair
The line started before 9am. For the Dalai Lama's morning talk at the Paramount Theater, it stretched all the way down past York Place on the Downtown Mall. In front of the theater, a dozen city police officers and a State Department detail milled about while local Tibetans in colorful, formal dress beamed with anticipation. Earlier, the Dalai Lama's motorcade, which included seven black State Department SUVs and at least 20 police vehicles and motorcycles, raced up Market Street to bring the world famous spiritual leader to the theater.
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Let the mural-making begin
Oct 11th 9:59am
by Lisa Provence
After finally getting approval from the Board of Architectural Review, which rejected his first boldly-colored design, Ross McDermott, director of the Charlottesville Mural Project, starts painting on the side of One Meatball Place in the 500 block of West Main. The new mural splashes geometric shapes and animals, but leaves some of the '70s roses visible. Photographed October 11.
Post-publication clarification: While McDermott did the paint work, the designer of the mural is named Matt Pamer.
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Property auctions
Oct 10th 6:07pm
by Hook Staff
October 11 at 1:30pm at the Charlottesville Circuit Court Property: 235 Hartmans Mill Road Debtor: Wallace C. Dowell and Antoinette R. Thomas Original amount owing: $156,000 Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent sale price Info: Shapiro, Brown & Alt LLP 757-687-8777
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Greenwood: EPA leaves Superfund site 27 years after fatal disaster
Oct 10th 4:25pm
by Lisa Provence
The most obvious disturbance to the bucolic setting of Mt. Zion Baptist Church is the sound of constant traffic zooming from Interstate 64. Less obvious, but way more disturbing about the location of the little country church: Its next door neighbor is Albemarle's only Superfund site, the designation the Environmental Protection Agency gives the most polluted, most toxic places in America.
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