City councilor resigns
After two years of serving on Charlottesville City Council, Sena Magill has resigned.
Magill announced her surprising departure at the end of council’s January 3 meeting. Overcome by tears, she asked Councilor Michael Payne to read her resignation statement on her behalf.
“The needs of my family have changed during my term in office, and in the last few months it has become more and more apparent that I cannot meet the needs effectively of both,” read the statement. “This has not been an easy decision, as there is much I still want to do for this city, but right now I need to focus on my family.”
Magill’s husband Tyler Magill suffered a stroke after he was attacked by white supremacists during the 2017 Unite the Right rally. Though he has largely recovered from his injuries, he still has a small blind spot, memory issues, and PTSD, Sena Magill told C-VILLE in 2020. In November, Magill shared on Twitter that she took her husband to the emergency room, but did not provide additional details.
Since taking office in 2020, Magill, whose last day is January 11, has pushed for mental health care, social services, and housing reforms, among other causes. Her term was set to expire at the end of this year.
The remaining councilors thanked Magill for her contributions and service to the city.
“It’s been so many times with us four gentlemen up here, what we would have missed out on if you didn’t say, ‘Hey guys, what about so and so?’” said Councilor Jaundiego Wade.
“Your voice and perspective will be missed on council,” added Payne.
Mayor Lloyd Snook has expressed that he would like to see another woman replace Magill. “I think we’re better off if we’ve got at least one woman on council,” Snook told NBC29. “That would suggest a preference there, but it’s not a quota.”
Council will hold a public hearing on the candidates on February 6, and plans to appoint a new councilor by February 21. Any eligible city voter can apply for the position. Applications are now open on the city website, and are due by January 30. Magill’s replacement will serve on council until December 31.
Lee statue lawsuit
Andrea Douglas, executive director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, was subpoenaed to appear in Charlottesville Circuit Court on January 9 as part of the ongoing lawsuit surrounding the city’s donation of the Robert E. Lee statue to the JSAAHC. However, Douglas never took the stand. Instead, the city filed three motions to dismiss, which were staunchly opposed by plaintiffs Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation and the Ratcliffe Foundation.
The three motions to dismiss the lawsuit—which alleges the city broke the law by donating the statue to a group pledged to dismantling it—were partially upheld, with Judge Paul M. Peatross Jr. sustaining a motion to dismiss a supposed FOIA violation.
JSAAHC’s attorney, Christopher Tate of the Flora Pettit law firm, argued for removing four expert witnesses from the deposition, witnesses that plaintiffs believe could speak to the condition of the statue and the terms of its removal. Plaintiffs insisted that the statue’s current condition, which is unknown, is paramount to their complaint. Ultimately, Tate’s request was honored.
Repeatedly, the judge requested both parties settle the matter on the official court date next month.
“I wanna have a hearing,” said Judge Peatross. “We’ll discuss this on February 1st.”
In brief
Shots fired
On January 8 at around 1:40 pm, the Charlottesville Police Department responded to a shots fired report on the 400 block of Monticello Road, and discovered two adult men who had been shot in the Fitzgerald’s Tire Co. parking lot. Osvaldo Lopez-Hernandez of Texas was pronounced dead at the scene, while, at press time, the other victim remains in the hospital. Police charged Jose Omar Rivas Sorto of Maryland with felony shooting from a vehicle and arrested him at the scene, and have obtained warrants for the second victim—under the name John Doe—for felony abduction for a pecuniary benefit, among other charges.
New names
The Charlottesville School Board voted 6-1 and 5-2, respectively, to change Venable Elementary School’s name to Trailblazers and Clark Elementary’s to Summit during a January 5 meeting. Trailblazers honors the first Black students to desegregate the city’s white schools, while Summit is a nod to the school’s view of the mountains.
New variant
Health officials urge everyone to get their bivalent COVID booster shot and wear masks where recommended as the new XBB.1.5 variant spreads. The Omicron subvariant—which is more transmissible than others, but so far hasn’t shown to cause more severe symptoms—now makes up nearly three-quarters of new cases in some parts of the country, reports The Washington Post.
Car break-ins
On January 4, multiple cars were broken into near Orangetheory Fitness in the Barracks Road Shopping Center, reports CBS19. Anyone with information regarding these incidents should contact the CPD at 970-3280.
Big bucks
University of Virginia Ph.D. student Lloyd Sy was a “Jeopardy!” winner on January 3 and again the following night, before being defeated by D.C. consultant Patrick Curran during his third night on the popular game show. Sy, who studies English literature, had beat 13-time winner Ray LaLonde. The 28-year-old, a Rockford, Illinois, native, took home $53,578 in winnings.