Organizers say People can shop at the Pantops and Seminole Square Giant grocery stores with all donations going to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The goal for this event is to stuff five tons of food into the trucks.The food bank says they are in need of pasta and protein. Customers can also purchase pre-filled bags in the checkout lanes for five or ten dollars.
(WCHV) The downtown mall will be turning orange this evening for the Cavalier football team
The annual Paint the Town Orange event will be this evening as the UVa marching band will march the downtown mall beginning at 745PM. New head football coach Mike London will be taking the stage around 8:15PM to host the pep rally event for the first time. Fans are encouraged to wear orange and blue at the event and help support the Cavilers football team this season.
(WCHV) Albemarle County officials announce the retirement of the Parks and Recreation Chief
Officials say director Pat Mullaney of the Parks and Recreation will retire effective of December 31st of this year. Mullaney joined the county as a recreation program coordinator in 1978 and was promoted to director in 1981.
Officials say Mullaney oversaw the expansion of the county park system from 1,200 acres in 1981 to over 3,300 acres currently in the county.
(WCHV) Minor Family Hotels says that the petition was filed in order to quickly resolve the lawsuits that were preventing them from completing construction and putting people back to work. The hotel has been tangled up in 8 lawsuits in the past 18 months. Officials say that in July an arbitrator found that the developer had made omissions regarding the Landmark Hotel’s construction budget and had misrepresented the true costs to Minor Family Hotels. Chief Executive Officer Halsey Minor says that it is unfortunate that their lenders are refusing to honor their contract, which says that they are to provide $23.6 million in construction funding, and he says he will continue to prosecute claims against the lender for failing to do so.
(WCHV) Officials say James Manson, the man accused of robbing an Albemarle County bank in May, pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon. Police say Manson held the teller at gunpoint and left on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. They say the robbery was followed by a short pursuit, with Manson being caught in a parking lot at the Fashion Square Mall. Manson is scheduled to appear in court again in November and will face sentencing of up to life in prison.
A New Regulation Adds Diseases That Link To Agent Orange
(WCHV) Officials say Parkinson’s disease, ischemic heart disease, and all chronic B cell leukemias can be linked to Agent Orange exposure. Vietnam veterans are often diagnosed with these diseases as a result of their exposure to the chemical and they must file a claim to obtain benefits. Since preparing a claim for benefits can be complicated, veterans are encouraged to work with the representatives at the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. The service is free and it assists veterans and their families with preparing their claims.
(Metro) The Virginia Supreme Court has its first female chief justice. Justice Cynthia Dinah Fannon Kinser was elected to head the state's highest court on Tuesday. She'll be the first woman to serve in the position when she succeeds Chief Leroy Hassell Senior on February 1st. The 58-year-old Kinser is a native of Lee County and was appointed to the Supreme Court by former Governor George Allen in 1997.
(WCHV) A group of teachers from Greenbrier Elementary School will be running in the annual Charlottesville Women’s Four Miler, an event that raises money for breast cancer research. The teachers are running in honor of Carol Hine, a friend who had been battling breast cancer for the past 14 years. They say there will also be a student running with them in the event.
(Metro) Governor Bob McDonnell says the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles will be up and running today. According to DMV officials, all 74 locations throughout the state will be fully operational and open until 6 p.m. today and tomorrow to accommodate anticipated crowds. The agency has been effectively shuttered for more than a week due to a statewide computer failure. State officials estimate around 45-thousand people have been unable to renew their drivers' licenses because of computer issues.
(Metro) Vacationers and some residents were evacuated from North Carolina's barrier islands today as Hurricane Earl produced dangerous swells and prompted storm alerts along the East Coast. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said he briefed President Obama this morning on preparations his agency arranged with state and local officials. Fugate calls it a "what if" scenario when it comes to prudent planning for the Category Three hurricane. Watches and warnings were posted along the Atlantic coast for most of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and part of Delaware. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said while Earl is not expected to make landfall, it is expected to bring high winds, pounding surf and dangerous rip currents to the eastern seaboard for the start of the Labor Day weekend.
(Metro) The Virginia Department of Transportation says holiday travelers will not encounter any construction or maintenance-related lane closures on interstates and other high volume roads over the Labor Day weekend. Construction operations will be suspended from noon Friday until Tuesday, September 7th throughout Virginia. VDOT reminds drivers to buckle-up, obey speed limits, share the roads and drive drug and alcohol-free.
DMV Will Be Fully Operational On Thursday
(WCHV) The computer services will be fully restored which means they will be able to process driver’s licenses and ID cards. They will also be extending their service hours until 6:00 pm on Thursday and Friday and they will extend services on Saturday at 14 of their locations. DMV estimates that over 35,000 customers were affected by the outage, and they will send in headquarters employees to assist the workers at local DMV’s.
(WCHV) Officials say 19 year olds Damon Riddick and Brandon Brown pleaded guilty to crimes occurring over the course of a week in September of 2009. They say the teens committed the crimes in order to gain ranking with a street gang. Louisa Commonwealth’s Attorney Thomas A. Garrett says that those who are associated with gangs will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The Defendants are convicted of four counts of burglary, two counts of grand larceny, and one count of possession of burglary tools. They will face 130 years each at their sentencing, which will take place on November 15th.
PVCC Discusses Plans For Off-Campus Classrooms
(WCHV) Due to an increase in enrollments at PVCC, school staff and officials are meeting Wednesday night to discuss where to find extra classrooms. They have been able to take on more students thanks to the Stultz Center and the Kluge Moses Science Building, but those buildings are now full and the school is looking to expand again. They say they are looking at a potential site in Greene County and they are also hoping to add more part-time faculty to the school.
(WCHV) People can shop at the Pantops Seminole Square Giant grocery stores with all donations going to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The goal for this event is to stuff five tons of food into the trucks. The food bank says they are in need of pasta and protein foods. Customers can also purchase pre-filled bags in the checkout lanes for five or ten dollars.
This Summer Is The Hottest On Record For The State Of Virginia
(WCHV) Officials say this summer is the hottest since 1895 and the hottest ever for the city of Charlottesville. It is also one of the driest summers, which is a problem for Virginia farmers. However, climatologist Jerry Stenger says the large amount of precipitation from last winter is helping to provide some moisture to the ground.