Casteen lights up list
Former UVA President John Casteen, who retired in August 2010 and previously bypassed a salary bump when in-state tuition costs rose, earned $251,823 as a board member for Altria, according to a study by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Altria is the parent company of cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris USA, and announced a net revenue of $24.3 billion in 2010, according to reports. That $251,823 represents roughly 36 percent of Casteen’s $700,000-plus salary as president of the University of Virginia.
Governor McDonnell applauds Silverchair
Silverchair Information Systems, a medical and scientific publishing company located on the Downtown Mall, has been awarded the Governor’s Award for Science Innovation. What started as a two-person venture, Silverchair, founded by Thane Kerner and Elizabeth Willingham, turned into a company with 100-plus employees, and was featured on Governor Bob McDonnell’s website as a “fast-growing job creator.”
Speaking of jobs…
Last week, the Naval and Marine Systems Division of Northrop Grumman announced that it would cut 50 positions from its Charlottesville division, according to NBC29. Defense contractor Niitek also announced plans to trim its workforce by 15 percent, with cuts coming to its facilities in Albemarle County and Dulles, Virginia. The Newsplex reported that the layoffs are the product of defense budget cuts. Finally, according to NBC29, 20 employees at local resort Keswick Hall were let go under the resort’s new ownership, reportedly helmed by Richmond’s William Goodwin, Jr. Goodwin also owns Richmond’s Jefferson Hotel.
Panhandling suit dismissed
A federal district court judge dismissed a First Amendment lawsuit filed by five homeless men against the City of Charlottesville. The suit contested a city ordinance that prohibited panhandling in select areas on the Downtown Mall. Attorney Jeffrey Fogel intends to appeal the decision, according to the Daily Progress.
Former mayor launches nonprofit with UVA
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Dave Norris (Photo by Cramer Photo) |
Dave Norris is a busy man. Less than a month after passing the “mayor” title to Satyendra Huja, the City Councilor has announced the creation of the Charlottesville Institute, a nonprofit geared towards “harnessing the tremendous intellectual resources of the University of Virginia for the betterment of the Charlottesville community.” For starters, Norris will co-teach a spring class called “Field Work in Social Enterprise—Reducing Poverty in the Community.”
Charlottesville court candidate dies suddenly
Pam Melampy, a longtime Charlottesville resident and recent candidate for Charlottesville Circuit Court clerk, died on January 16 following a brain aneurysm. She was 50. In a 2008 interview with C-VILLE, Melampy said the best part of her job was “the familiar faces I work with over the course of a lawsuit. You really develop a good working rapport and want resolution for all parties involved.” Mary Alice Trimble, Charlottesville General District Court clerk, wrote in Melampy’s memorial book to extend her sympathies: “Sudden deaths are hardest of all.”
Don’t let your Guard down
Three former members of a Charlottesville battalion for the Virginia Army National Guard face a February 8 trial date after the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged each with embezzlement. Those charges stem from an investigation into stolen Army equipment that was launched more than four years ago. One of the three, 30-year-old Staunton bouncer Michael Tutwiler, is accused of selling stolen weapons accessories to Staunton police officers and of a firearms-related charge for carrying a gun without a permit. According to the Staunton News Leader, “plea negotiations are currently taking place.”