Closing down
After 33 years in business, George Swingler will be closing down Rose Hill Market.
The former Albemarle County police officer first opened up the store in 1989. The idea came to him while having a casual conversation with a friend about how he would keep himself busy after retiring. A week later, he decided to seriously pursue becoming a store owner.
Today, the community can’t imagine life without the market, which has a perfect 5-star rating on Google. Swingler notes that the store’s location is convenient for many Charlottesville residents: it is only a mile away from both The Corner and The Downtown Mall. But at the end of this month, the beloved Rose Hill Market’s doors will close.
Swingler now plans to focus his energy on his other hobby: gardening.
“I like taking care of my property,” he says. “My neighbor is a senior citizen, so I try to take care of her yard as well.”
He also looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren.
Reflecting on his many years running the shop, Swingler says he particularly enjoyed decorating the store around Christmastime and having regular customers come in.
“I’ve had a lot of customers come in, and they’d become friends over the years and come in just to say ‘hi’ to me,” he says.
Albemarle County euthanizes long-sequestered pit bull
An eight-year battle over the fate of a pit bull named Niko ended on July 14, when Albemarle County animal control seized the dog from the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA and euthanized him.
“I don’t know what hearing or information they used to weigh this decision,” says Elliott Harding, the attorney who has represented Niko’s former owner in her efforts to save the dog’s life. Harding says he had identified numerous alternatives to euthanasia, including placement at pit bull sanctuaries both in-state and out-of-state and had asked the county for information to assist that search. “We never heard back.”
Niko had been held at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA since 2014, after he killed a neighbor’s cat and the court ruled him a “dangerous dog.” According to a county press release, Niko had previously injured two other dogs, once in 2013 and once in 2014, and had escaped an SPCA handler in 2016 to injure a third dog at the shelter. Harding, however, says he has found no information about the 2013 incident.
County spokesperson Emily Kilroy says county leadership considered other options available under the law but decided on euthanasia after a final court hearing this spring in the interest of “community safety.”
In a statement, the SPCA, a no-kill shelter, said it opposed the county’s decision to euthanize Niko and played no role in the euthanasia.
“Niko will be greatly missed by staff and volunteers at the SPCA,” the statement reads.
In brief
Crowded race
Former Charlottesville School Board member Amy Laufer is running for the Democratic nomination for the newly redrawn 55th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, joining Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Chair Donna Price and local nurse Kellen Squire in the race for the seat, which represents most of Albemarle County and parts of Nelson, Louisa, and Fluvanna counties. Laufer has already raised more than her competitors—since June, she’s received $61,731.52 in donations, compared to Squire’s $41,531 and Price’s $11,798, reports the Daily Progress. The majority of the 55th District is what was once the 58th District, which has been represented by Republican Delegate Rob Bell for two decades.
No more quarantine
Unvaccinated children enrolled in school, day care, or camp who have been exposed to the coronavirus—but are asymptomatic—are no longer required to quarantine, according to guidance issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin last week. The guidance also no longer recommends mask wearing in those settings. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends unvaccinated individuals quarantine for five days after being exposed to the virus, and all people wear masks in areas of high transmission. The City of Charlottesville currently has a high transmission level, while Albemarle County has a medium level.
The search begins
The City of Charlottesville has hired D.C. executive search firm POLIHIRE Strategy Corporation to find its next police chief. POLIHIRE—which Fairfax County hired for its police chief search last year—will assist interim city manager Michael Rogers with recruitment, interviews, and other aspects of the selection process. The firm’s base contract award is $35,000, plus additional services the city can add, reports the Daily Progress.