Charlottesville charity to open human trafficking shelter
By Simone McDonnell | March 17, 2014A new Charlottesville charity plans to build the first long-term shelter for human trafficking survivors in the city by next January.
A new Charlottesville charity plans to build the first long-term shelter for human trafficking survivors in the city by next January.
Following the November tragedy in which Gus Deeds, son of Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, stabbed his father before committing suicide, both the House and the Senate have proposed bills to prevent future incidents. The measures garnered broad, bipartisan support in a series of votes before the legislature left for recess earlier this month.
The Democratic National Committee launched a new campaign against voter ID laws last Tuesday. While the campaign focused on North Carolina, Florida and Pennsylvania, Democratic officials expressed concern with Virginia’s 2013 voter ID law. Northam, however, does not think the state legislature will pass changes to the law before the Fall 2014 elections.
The fight about Medicaid expansion in Virginia got more heated on Wednesday. Republicans and several local leaders called on Democrats to pass a budget and consider Medicaid expansion afterward, while Democrats said Republicans were ignoring a good business case for giving more Virginians health insurance.
Charlottesville City Council heard the results of a student housing survey conducted in 2013 Wednesday night. Gay Perez, associate dean of students and executive director of Housing and Residence Life, presented the results.
The fake ID ring saga that led to the guilty pleas from three Charlottesville residents last year continued this past Wednesday with the guilty plea of a fourth person involved in the case.
As University students and faculty enjoyed a third snow day, Charlottesville’s homeless population and the organizations that serve them faced a difficult situation.
Charlottesville mother and photographer Kim Kelley-Wagner has attracted international attention after posting pictures of her adopted daughters on Facebook, holding signs bearing offensive comments directed at them about their adoptions.
An AMBER Alert reached students across Grounds last Wednesday, Feb. 19, as part of an effort to recover five-year-old Amiyah Monet Dallas. She was found alive later that day.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed into law last week a repeal of the $64 tax on hybrid cars in Virginia, first enacted last year. McAuliffe repealed the bill during an appearance on WTOP radio’s “Ask the Governor” program. The revised mandate will go into effect July 1, 2014 and affect approximately 75,000 hybrid vehicle owners in the state.
Republican Robert S. Bloxom Jr. defeated Democrat Willie Randall with 60.3% of the vote in a special election for the 100th House District on Tuesday night.
A proposed budget amendment which sought to reshape spending on Charlottesville and Albemarle schools failed to gain traction in Richmond for the third time earlier this month.
A bill drafted by a group of University students that would require schools to better disclose mental health resources passed the Virginia House of Delegates with unanimous consent earlier in the month.
The proposal to construct a western U.S. Route 29 bypass ran into a pair of roadblocks last week, as the Federal Highways Administration requested the Virginia Department of Transportation further review the project and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking Gov. Terry McAuliffe to direct funds away from the project.
Elections for Honor Committee members begin today. Students can log online to www.uvavote.com from now through Thursday to cast their ballots.
Elections for Honor Committee members begin today. Students can log online to www.uvavote.com from now through Thursday to cast their ballots.
Elections for University Judiciary Committee members begin today. Students can log online to www.uvavote.com from now through Thursday to cast their ballots.
The Virginia House of Delegates voted Thursday to pass a budget for fiscal years 2015 and 2016. The budget, outlined in House Bills 29 and 30 was passed, by a 74 to 25 vote.
A Virginia House of Delegates committee voted against a bill Thursday which would have raised the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.25 by 2015. Initially proposed by Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Centreville, the legislation cleared the state Senate the previous Tuesday.
Ten cumulative inches of snow fell on Charlottesville between Wednesday and Thursday last week. Plow crews and workers were still working to clear the roads and deal with the piled up snow on Friday.