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The survival of the two teenagers involved in the April 9 runaway car incident on I-81 may still be considered miraculous, but, according to revised information from Virginia State Police today, it was more in keeping with the laws of physics. Still, as revealed in the now released 911 call the teenagers made, it was a harrowing, bizarre experience for the young drivers, one that could have been tragic for other drivers if it wasn't for the quick thinking of a state trooper. read full story

Another bowtie-wearing, twenty-something candidate has announced a bid for the Democratic nomination for City Council. UVA grad student Adam Lees chose the front of the Rotunda on April 9 to officially announce his run for office, and says he was inspired by the unpleasantness of last summer at UVA, when President Terry Sullivan was fired and reinstated.  He's working on a master's degree in foreign affairs, is a teaching assistant, and has served on Student Council. His biggest challenge: "Getting enough sleep," says the candidate. read full story

Men kept showing up at the victim's house in Fauquier County wanting sex, she testified– more than 100 males between January and March 20. A federal judge in Charlottesville denied bond April 5 to Kenneth Edward Kuban, who is accused of posting the fake "close encounters" ads on Craigslist that directed men to his former girlfriend's house. Kuban, 61, a film preservationist for the Library of Congress in Culpeper, is charged with two federal counts of stalking for using the Internet to post the fake sex-wanted ads on Craigslist. read full story

When Toan Nguyen first conceived of a local microlending program similar to ones that have been successful in developing countries, people scoffed. read full story

We fidget as we sit, we walk, we run and dance—we’re all in constant motion. But how often do we think of it as something that we share with others, something that links us together? Katie Schetlick, ballet instructor at the Charlottesville Performing Arts School, considers this connection between people, dancing, and movement every day.  read full story

Greg Thompson wants us to learn to love each other, even if we have deep differences, and not just because he's a pastor at a local Presbyterian church and Jesus said love thy neighbor and all that, but because he believes the survival of our democracy depends on it. Disturbed by the divisive political discourse in the country, Thompson, 39, began studying Martin Luther King, Jr. for his dissertation at UVA about seven years ago, asking himself how people with deep differences could not only live together, but flourish. read full story

Four years after the $7 million re-bricking of the Downtown Mall, a patch of damaged bricks along the edge of the Main Street Arena near Water Street is pitting a property owner against the city in a dispute over who's responsible for the repairs. "They have been in this condition for almost a year," wrote Arena General Manager Will van der Linde in an email sent last July to the city in advance of the planned visit by Michelle Obama, which was cancelled in the wake of the mass shooting in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater. read full story

Former neighbor Paul Whitehead, often up to something creative. Moved to San Francisco. ~Commentator Bill Emory puts up a new photo nearly every day at billemory.com/blog. read full story

Bob Pianta isn't afraid to say he has no idea what the classroom of the future will look like. Coming from the dean of UVA's Curry School of Education and a nationally-lauded builder of better teachers, that's pretty refreshing. "We're at this intersection with technology," says Pianta. As critical to education as technology is however, there's this one other thing getting attention now: social skills. read full story

More than two weeks after a late-night shootout on Second Street NW outside the Elks Lodge left two men shot and wounded on the street, police say no charges have been filed and the investigation is still ongoing. There's been neither widespread public outcry nor city action concerning the violence, but internally police and city officials have taken notice."The City Manager and I have had no fewer than two meetings in the last week or so to discuss how to go forward with this in an aggressive, but lawful manner," says Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo. read full story

Worst first: Albemarle has its first traffic fatality March 27 followed by two more two days later (see related story page 10). In 2012, 12 people died on county roads. read full story

“If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Dreams of a child read full story

Even in a non-presidential election year, Virginians go to the polls. This year, besides the June 11 Democratic primary and the November 5 governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general elections, Charlottesvillians have another chance to cast a ballot April 2 for the under-the-radar position of city treasurer.   Related story Rare openings: Treasurer, commissioner of revenue up for grabs read full story

Like the palm of your hand, our city, if you were to look at it from high in the sky, has a similar pattern of lines that time has carved out. One of those lines, running east to west from the Rotunda to the Rivanna River, and parallel to the Buckingham Branch railroad, has local "palm readers" looking to the future.  "In 50 years, I hope someone can walk from the grounds of the University all the way to the read full story

Every once in a while, a technology comes along that revolutionizes medicine. Sometimes, it just takes a while to recognize its impact. In 1970, for instance, Neal Kassell saw a CT scan for the first time. "I thought it had no future," laughs the 67-year-old UVA neurosurgeon. "I was wrong." Kassell was certain he was right, however, when, about eight years ago, he conceived of treating and even curing previously untreatable conditions using ultrasound technology. read full story

By Amy Mathews AmosThe snow had melted, the sun was shining and the river beckoned, so I took a long walk by the water this weekend. Being outside was satisfying enough, but I got an unexpected treat: frogs. I heard them first, croaking a chorus in shallow water, then was rewarded with a glimpse as one swam away. The daffodils haven’t bloomed yet, but the frogs told me spring is coming. It’s a scene that has delighted children and adults across America for centuries. But what if next year, they’re gone?  read full story

Area:  Fry’s Spring Price range:  $108,800-$882,500 Schools: Jackson Via & Johnson, depending on location, Walker and Buford, Charlottesville High School Pros: Easy access to amenities, tight-knit community Cons: Effects of student and rental housing on property values, heavy traffic during football games read full story

Former mayor and City Councilor Dave Norris has made a career out of working for nonprofits dedicated to helping the disadvantaged. That's why it was so surprising to find in a recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development note of a possible conflict of interest in his roles as chair of the public housing authority board and as a paid consultant for public housing residents. read full story

Worst trend: Charlottesville becomes the wild West again with another incident of gunfire on a weekend night at a crowded venue. The latest bullets erupt March 22 at the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot during a 20-person brawl, in which two are stabbed, according to the Daily Progress. Antwan Chambers, 20, of Buckingham, racks up five charges including reckless use of a firearm, and possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute. Four other people arrested with him face drug charges. read full story