Every Monday, the C-VILLE team compiles a list of the previous week’s most important stories that didn’t make it into the news section. Be sure to check in each week for all the news you need, in full-length stories and briefs.
Student shot with pellet gun on city school bus
A Burnley-Moran Elementary student was shot with a pellet gun on a city school bus last week, according to police and school officials.
The incident happened after hours Tuesday, but on Wednesday, school spokeswoman Jane Lee told reporters only that there had been “a reported incident on the school bus involving a minor child,” and that an investigation was underway. Parents weren’t alerted until later that day, when Superintendent Rosa S. Atkins notified them by letter. The letter made no mention of a student being hit, but said a student “reportedly discharged” the replica firearm. The parents of the 9-year-old boy who was shot told the Charlottesville Newsplex they learned what happened when the school called Wednesday and left a voicemail. They said their son was hit in the back of the head and that he’s “still upset” after a hospital visit.
Lee said the student who fired the gun has been suspended, and the school board will hold a hearing on whether to expel him within a few weeks. Lieutenant Ronnie Roberts of the Charlottesville Police Department said police began investigating as soon as they learned of the shooting Wednesday, and that a case is moving forward in Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
New allegations as Dumler heads to court
Christopher Dumler, the 27-year-old Democrat representing Scottsville on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, will appear in court Thursday, January 31, for a preliminary hearing on one charge of forcible sodomy. He was arrested last October and accused of forced anal intercourse by an anonymous victim, and now, days before his court date, he could be facing additional sexual charges.
According to a Friday report from CBS19, newly filed court documents reveal a second alleged victim has come forward, accusing Dumler of repeated sexual assaults.
The alleged incidents took place between September and December of 2006, when the accuser said Dumler raped and sodomized her multiple times. The investigation is ongoing, the report said, and special prosecutor Jeffrey Haislip said it is not yet determined whether the victim will testify about similar conduct, or whether a second charge will be filed against Dumler.
Forcible sodomy is a felony offense punishable by up to a life in prison. In a statement released October 25, Dumler said he intends to plead not guilty, and “will offer a vigorous defense.” According to CBS19, Dumler was unaware of the new allegations and declined to comment until he got in touch with his attorney, K. Andrew Sneathern.
Huguely appeals conviction with new attorneys
George Huguely is appealing his second-degree murder charge, claiming he was denied his right to representation during his trial last February in Charlottesville and citing a number of other objections.
According to The Daily Progress, Huguely has hired a new team of lawyers. Attorneys Paul D. Clement of Washington, D.C.—a well-known litigator and former U.S. Solicitor General—and Craig S. Cooley of Richmond filed on his behalf with the Court of Appeals of Virginia, instead of Charlottesville lawyers Francis McQ. Lawrence and Rhonda Quagliana, who represented him here last year.
Huguely was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 23 years in prison in the 2010 beating death of Yeardley Love, 22, when both were senior UVA lacrosse players just weeks from graduation.
In an Associated Press story carried by multiple news outlets, Huguely’s mother Marta Murphy issued a statement saying the family “has faith in the legal system and looks forward to the appeals process ahead.”
Prosecutors have 30 days to respond to the appeal.
Cav Daily to go to twice-weekly print publication
UVA’s student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, is shifting to twice-weekly print publication and is adopting a “digital-first newsroom” format, according to a press release issued last week.
Starting next semester, a newsmagazine version of the Cav Daily—one of the oldest student newspapers in the country—will hit stands Mondays and Thursdays.
“From a literary perspective [restructuring] will allow us to cover breaking news the way it should be covered—fast,” Kaz Komolafe, the paper’s managing editor, said in the release. “We will also be able to offer more in-depth coverage of events, which we are currently prevented from doing because of the time limitations of producing a daily print newspaper.”
With the help of a $20,000 grant from the UVA Parents’ Committee, the editorial staff will also expand the papers’ online offerings, with mobile and tablet apps, an e-newsletter and more emphasis on social media. The changes will be accompanied by a rebranding effort, including a new marketing push and a logo redesign.