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In brief: Rice reactions, RBG ruling, TJ’s party over, and more

‘Odd’ indictment

The felony embezzlement charge against former City Council clerk Paige Rice, 37, for an iPhone and Apple Watch valued at more than $500 has many scratching their heads.

“It seems very unusual it got to this point without a resolution,” says attorney Scott Goodman. “It seems like something that could have easily been resolved without a felony indictment.”

A former city employee who spoke only on the condition of anonymity says, “It seems kind of odd to me someone didn’t call her and say, you need to return the phone, rather than sneak around and charge her with a felony. Particularly with her husband working there. It’s very odd.”

Rice is married to Joe Rice, deputy director of communications for the city. Neither responded to C-VILLE’s phone calls.

Rice was a fixture at council meetings for eight years. Last July she was named chief of staff to manage two new employees at the disposal of councilors. The job came with a salary bump from almost $73,000 to $98,000. The larger council staff had been touted by then-mayor Mike Signer, but was criticized by Mayor Nikuyah Walker, who call for a guest audit of the position and its pay.

Rice’s resignation letter came barely two months later on September 12. She took a job at the Focused Ultrasound Foundation as chief of staff.

Attorney Dave Heilberg says embezzlement is a crime of taking property with which one has been entrusted, but Rice’s case “is not as clear cut” as that of an accountant who writes herself a check. What Rice was told about the equipment could be a factor in her defense, and he points out that “technology goes out of date really fast” when assessing its value.

A grand jury from both Albemarle County and Charlottesville—which is also unusual, says Heilberg—indicted Rice June 7. And court records show the date of the offense as October 5, Rice’s official last day.

Goodman says the indictment could have consequences that “could be ugly,” particularly if Rice has information about other people in the city in similar circumstances who didn’t get indicted.

A city release announcing Rice’s resignation said, “The City Council appreciates the service of Ms. Rice over the last eight years and wishes her the best as she moves on to the next exciting phase in her professional life.”

Her next court appearance is August 19.


Quote of the week

“The House [of Delegates] has no prerogative to select its own members.”Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a U.S. Supreme Court decision that upholds a lower court ruling that Virginia’s legislative districts were racially gerrymandered


In brief

B’day non grata

At its June 17 meeting, City Council took steps to remove the birthday of local icon Thomas Jefferson, April 13, as a paid city holiday and to replace it with Liberation and Freedom Day, March 3, which commemorates the arrival of Union forces and the emancipation of the area’s 14,0000 enslaved people. Albemarle will discuss ditching Jefferson’s birthday at its June 19 meeting.

Are luxury condos in the Dewberry’s future? Skyclad Aerial

Dewberry condos?

Not much activity has been seen on the ground at the site of the alleged Dewberry Hotel, now celebrating its 10th anniversary as a wraith towering over the Downtown Mall. But the Progress reports some movement on the Dewberry Group website, and renderings of the hotel have migrated from its hospitality to its living section, with a new name: the Laramore.

Deadbeat guv pays up

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice finally paid the  $311,000 in back taxes his company owed to Albemarle County, plus the current tax bill, reports the DP’s Allison Wrabel. The county had started the process to sell 52 of Justice’s 55 parcels because of the large arrearage.

AG okays THC

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring spoke out in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in an op-ed published in both the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot on Sunday. The General Assembly has yet to pass any measures on the issue, but decriminalization has been an issue generally shot down by Republicans in past sessions.

Rural broadband access

Central Virginia Electric Cooperative’s subsidiary, doing business as Firefly Fiber Broadband, will receive $28.6 million of FCC funds to provide 1 gigabit internet speeds for over 11,000 homes and businesses in central Virginia over the next 10 years.


Election turnout: Not great

Off-year elections traditionally have lower turnout, and this year’s June 11 primary was no exception. With no presidential or gubernatorial candidates at the top of the ballot, many voters chose to sit out the primary, despite several local General Assembly races.

  • The 57th District, which includes Charlottesville and the Albemarle urban ring, had the highest turnout—15.7 percent—in state General Assembly elections, according to Virginia Public Access Project.
  • The 17th Senate District, which had both a Democratic and Republican primary, brought in a much lower 5 percent of the electorate in each race.
  • Total Charlottesville turnout (including City Council primaries) was 19 percent, compared to 27 percent in 2017.
  • Total Albemarle County turnout (including races for sheriff and Rivanna supervisor) was 10 percent.
  • In 2017, county turnout was 19 percent for the Democratic primary for governor and .05 percent for the Republican primary.
Categories
News

In brief: #counciloutofcontrol, billionaire’s arrearage, Wegmans trail hub and more

Out of order

Everyone was ordered out of City Council chambers when the April 2 meeting spiraled out of control following public comments from Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler and Confederate statue shroud-rippers Brian Lambert and Chris Wayne. In a closed session, councilors sought legal advice on dealing with disruptive attendees, such as Tanesha Hudson, who is beside the police officer (above) and who continued to interrupt councilors during a discussion about West2nd. “Tanesha, we’re going to have to move you out,” threatened Mayor Nikuyah Walker.


“While it has been better, it has been very difficult to conduct the meetings and have business take place.”—Mayor Nikuyah Walker after clearing the chamber during the April 2 out-of-control City Council meeting


Adoption nightmare

Virginia Media Relations

The abrupt March 20 resignation of former UVA women’s basketball coach Joanne Boyle, 54, for a family matter was because she has to take her 6-year-old daughter, Ngoty, back to Senegal to finalize her adoption, a process that could take months—or years, the Washington Post reports.

Eyes in the sky

Charlottesville will install seven security cameras in a four-block area near City Hall and the Market Street Garage for $54,000. The cameras will not be monitored in real time and images will be stored for 30 days. Former police chief Tim Longo first called for 30 cameras on the mall in 2007, but cost and privacy concerns stymied them.

Scofflaw governor

Billionaire West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is in arrears on property taxes he owes in Albemarle County to the tune of $148,000. Justice bought 4,500 acres in southeastern Albemarle in 2010 from MeadWestvaco for $23.75 million. Justice reportedly has stiffed West Virginia and Kentucky on taxes as well.

Latest U.S. attorney

Thomas T. Cullen, 40, of Roanoke was sworn in March 30 as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, a position that’s been open since John Fishwick resigned in early 2017.

Unhappy hour

Chef Geoff Tracy sues the Virginia ABC for restrictions that prohibit publicizing the price of drink specials at his Tysons Corner restaurants—although he can do so at his Maryland and D.C. restaurants.

Friendly with the feds

“Crying Nazi” Christopher Cantwell, who faces charges from the summer’s tiki torch march on Grounds, has written recent blog posts titled “I Am A Federal Informant” and “Why I’m Talking to the Feds,” detailing his quest for revenge on anti-fascist groups. Adds Cantwell, “Maybe the feds fuck me over. It’s a distinct possibility. But I’m DEFINITELY getting fucked by Charlottesville.”

Pound o’ meth

When Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement officers arrested Ersy Alejandro Hernandez on March 23 on an outstanding warrant for sexual battery, they found 458 grams of meth and 28 grams of coke on him, valued at $15,275 and $1,250, respectively. He was charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 10 grams of meth.


Feeling connected

Albemarle County officials have long preached a doctrine of interconnectivity, but a vision of trail biking and walking is more than just a prayer.

The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, which won nearly $500,000 for the project from VDOT in 2016, has revealed its first look at a “trail hub” that would connect multiple current and future pathways near 5th Street Station—the county’s newest shopping center anchored by Wegmans.

The trail system will be located to the east of Fifth Street Extended and north of Interstate 64, with the newly acquired Biscuit Run Park to the south. The Rivanna Trail to the city’s Azalea Park will border the west.

Local architecture firm Land Planning & Design Associates Inc. has had a heavy hand in designing the project.

“LPDA is enthusiastic about this project, which combines pedestrian connectivity, placemaking, amenity design and recreation planning,” says manager Jessica Mauzy. “[It’s] a key building block in the alternative transportation network in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.”