February 25, 2025: Suspect flees Virginia State Police traffic stop leading for UVA lockdown for over four and a half hours
The order was lifted at 1:42 p.m. after police indicated belief suspect had left the area
Today we’re all 25, twice! This is February 25, 2025 and if this newsletter was published in a different country, this might be written as 25-2-25 which just seems cooler than 2-25-25 though either features a couple of quarters. Shave and a haircut, anyone? This is Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter that is most certainly not cool but the stories you read are likely relevant. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I suspect none of the readership knows who Nine Jack Nine is?
In today’s installment:
The University of Virginia was on lockdown for several hours today as police searched for a suspect who fled from a Virginia State Police
Albemarle County releases its annual report for 2024, two days before a budget for Fiscal Year 2026 is unveiled
Sally Duncan makes her campaign for the Albemarle Board of Supervisors official with a campaign announcement at the county office building
The policy director for the Virginia Municipal League offers thoughts on the impacts Virginia localities will face with a drastically reduced federal government
First shout-out: Supporting the Keswick Heritage Fund’s Love Better Project
The Keswick Heritage Fund is a partnership of several churches in Albemarle County that provides education support and opportunities for professional development. One of their outreach programs is the Love Better Project, which provides scholarships to Black students in the Keswick area. The fund was created soon after the inaugural scholarship was awarded in 2020.
Grace Episcopal Church, Union Grove Baptist, Union Run Baptist, Zion Hill Baptist and St. John Church are united for growth through community partnership and education. To learn more about the fund, the scholarships, and the churches themselves, visit their website at keswickheritagefund.com.
UVA under lockdown for four and a half hours after suspect flees Virginia State Police traffic stop
The University of Virginia and the UVA Medical Center were both placed on a '"shelter in place" order for over four and a half hours today" as police searched for a suspect who fled a traffic stop on Ivy Road. The order was lifted at 1:42 p.m. and officials believe the person has left the area.
A Board of Visitors meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Rotunda was moved to the Boar’s Head meeting instead.
The Virginia State Police reported on their Facebook page that one of their officers attempted to make a traffic stop at 8:13 a.m. this morning on Fontaine Avenue for a Chevrolet Impala with an expired inspection sticker.
"The suspect refused to stop, and a pursuit was initiated," reads a social media post made just after 11 a.m. this morning.
"The suspect took the Ivy Road exit, slowed, and fled from the vehicle while it was still in drive," the message continues. "The Impala then struck a State Police vehicle and at least one other vehicle."
The release did not name a suspect, but stated the person had been seen in the University Heights apartment complex.
"A perimeter has been established with the assistance of Charlottesville, Albemarle, and UVA Police Departments," reads the message.
The University of Virginia canceled classes at 10:22 a.m. following an hour of increasingly frantic texts alerting people on Grounds to the incident.
At 9:04 a.m., UVA sent out an initial alert stating there was fire and police activity in the area of Alderman Road. People were told to avoid the area.
At 9:18, UVA provided more detail with an alert that read “Police are looking for a suspect in the area. Shelter in place.”
Nine minutes later, another alert detailed the suspect as a Black male with a height of 6 feet and four inches wearing a grey hoodie.
“Avoid area, shelter in place,” the alert read.
At 9:36 a.m. an alert read “All faculty, staff and students shelter in place.”
Ten minutes later an image was provided of the suspect.
At 10:06 a.m. an alert was sent out that said there were no shots fired and no injuries, but people were to continue to shelter in place.
The text alerts sent out by UVA also o not identify a suspect. Instead, an alert sent out at 10:45 a.m. updated the description to a Black male, 170 pounds, with a height of six feet, one inch.
At 12:11 p.m., the alert message asked people to not leave their current location and to continue to shelter in place.
At 12:25 p.m., an alert went out that stated the search had been expanded to Central Grounds.
The lockdown canceled other events as well such as an afternoon performance at the Paramount Theater.
"Due to the shelter-in-place directive from UVA and our close proximity to Grounds, we have made the decision to prioritize community safety and cancel the 12:15PM performance of Charlottesville Opera and Paramount Presents: SING ME A STORY — "Your Journey to the Stage" on Tuesday, February 25," the theater posted on its Facebook page.
The University of Virginia's Board of Visitors was scheduled to meet at the Rotunda at 1 p.m. for a special meeting but that was moved to the Boar's Head Inn on U.S. 250 west of Charlottesville.
At 1:42 p.m. another alert was sent out ending the lockdown.
"Shelter in place is lifted," reads the text. "Suspect believed to have left the area. Police remain on scene. Classes will resume on Wednesday."
What questions do you have about this incident?
Duncan launches Supervisor campaign at Albemarle County office building
There are just under four months until the Democratic primary for elected office in Virginia, and one of the two candidates seeking the nomination for the Jack Jouett seat on the Board of Supervisors have a speech this morning.
“I’ve love living here, but Albemarle County should be more accessible to everyone,” said Sally Duncan to a crowd of two reporters and the person she hopes to replace.
Duncan’s announcement is perhaps the first to take place during a lockdown when community members have been told to shelter in place. She devoted much of her quick speech to housing.
“It’s too expensive,” Duncan said. “I know how unaffordable housing affects people because I have been a renter for the entire ten years that I have been in Albemarle.”
Duncan said a landlord has told her that there is no upper limit for how much rent could be. She said her family had to find new housing unexpectedly in 2022 and scrambled to stay in Albemarle County schools. She called for more housing to be built near schools to allow people to walk to them.
Duncan also said Albemarle needs more parks in the urban areas, parks with active amenities like athletic courts and splash pads.
“A successful Albemarle for all is an Albemarle where we all invest in housing, where we all invest in public transit, and where we all fully invest in our schools and our parks,” Duncan said.
Duncan’s website is now up. As of now, she has one opponent for the Democratic Primary in Dave Shreve who announced his candidacy to members of the Albemarle Democrats earlier this month.
Party primaries in Virginia are on June 17 this year.
Albemarle County releases annual report for 2024
Albemarle County Executive Jeffrey Richardson will unveil his recommended budget for fiscal year 2026 tomorrow at a special noon meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
On Monday, county staff published an annual report for the calendar year 2024 that pointed to several accomplishments. In a message to readers, Richardson explained that the budget is shaped by Albemarle’s strategic plan.
“Every initiative, investment, and service improvement was guided by our commitment to enhancing quality of life, fostering economic vitality, and delivering responsive, customer-focused services,” Richardson wrote.
Albemarle’s strategic plan dates back to October 2022 when the Board of Supervisors adopted new priorities. Since then, the county has put together a program with the acronym SPEAR to analyze how well the plan is being executed. A final report came out last in August, as I reported in September.
In his message, Richardson points to the opening in December of Biscuit Run Park, a public-private partnership with Home Depot, and the launch of automated speed cameras in school zones. He also said the county seeks to build on the $58 million purchase in 2023 of 462 acres around the Rivanna Station military base.
“The Rivanna Futures project is laying the groundwork for the Intelligence & National Security Innovation and Acceleration Campus (INSIAC), positioning Albemarle as a national security hub,” Richardson continued.
The report also claims success in community engagement with nearly 5 million people who saw posts made on social media. The county’s new streetsweeper drove 631 miles and picked up 145 tons of debris from roadways.
There were 75,402 calls for service for Albemarle County Police and 18,820 for fire and rescue services. Nearly $220 million was spent on social services.
Page six features more information on the status of the Rivanna Station project, which was conceived of during the last presidential administration.
“Since acquiring the property in December 2023, Albemarle County has focused on site readiness efforts through zoning, environmental assessment, and infrastructure planning. Initially ranked as a Tier 1 site under the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s ranking system, Rivanna Futures has progressed to Tier 3 of 5,” reads the relevant paragraph. “Strategic partnerships remain essential, and the County is actively pursuing state and federal funding to ensure infrastructure improvements position the site for future economic opportunities.”
Senator Creigh Deeds (D-11) had submitted a budget request seeking over $11.16 million in funding.
“Rivanna Futures is an opportunity in Albemarle County to develop an intelligence and national security innovation acceleration campus (INSIAC) adjacent to Rivanna Station, a sub-installation of Fort Belvoir,” reads the budget request. “Phase One (50 acres) site readiness includes grading, road extension, and utility extension.”
However, the House and Senate conference committee did not agree to the funding.
Second shout-out: Rivanna River Restoration Project underway at Riverview Park
In today’s second Patreon-fueled public service announcement: The Rivanna Conservation Alliance is leading a public-private partnership to help restore the health of the Rivanna River at Charlottesville’s Riverview Park.
This comprehensive initiative aims to restore critical sections of riverbank, enhance water quality and native habitat, repair a severely eroding stormwater outfall, and provide more opportunities for the community to safely access the river in one of the Charlottesville area’s most cherished natural recreational areas. The work is being done in conjunction with the City of Charlottesville and local design firms Ecosystem Services and Wolf Josey Landscape Architects.
To follow the progress of the project, visit the RCA’s website at rivannariver.org.
Virginia legislators hear more about impacts of move to reduce federal government
There is a lot of uncertainty over the push by the Trump administration to drastically shrink the size of the federal government through executive means alone. That’s affecting localities all across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“I have to tell you that there is a palpable sense of anxiety amongst local government officials about what the impacts are,” said Joe Flores, director of Virginia Municipal League.
Flores was the fourth speaker at the inaugural meeting of the House Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions. Speaker of the House Don Scott assembled the bipartisan committee to prepare the effects of mass layoffs, dismissals, and other reductions in force.
Flores said the administration has been making additional announcements every day about the future of the federal government.
“Federal guidance on the funding freeze that was rolled out earlier this month and personnel actions have been unclear, contradictory and confusing, again making it difficult to begin to assess what the situation is,” Flores said.
Flores said the VML has been working with the groups like the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National League of Cities to share information to try to make sense of what is happening.
When you add up all of the federal funding that goes to Virginia’s cities, counties, and towns, 9.9 percent of their collective budgets come from the United States government. Some localities rely on a greater share such as the Town of Marion in Smyth County which in 2023 had 36.9 percent of its budget come from federal revenue. The Town of Bluefield is at 34.5 percent. Both are in the 9th Congressional District which is represented by Congressman Morgan Griffith.
As jobs are cut, local economies will be affected and Flores said that will have ripple effects on local taxes that localities use to pay for services. This will be stronger in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. While there is a need to understand the full impact of federal cuts, Flores said state and local officials have to ask new questions.
“Can we afford at the local level to backfill some of the reductions that may come down? How many employees are we talking about and what resources do they have, maybe through VEC or other entities to assist them in a transition and hopefully they stay,” Flores said.
Flores also said local budgets may be much more conservative than usual as uncertainty takes hold. But he also said there are legal challenges to President Trump’s claims that the executive branch has sole authority.
“And in the meantime, it would really be helpful if the federal government indicates to us what grants are we talking about, how much?” Flores said. “If they're frozen, how do we unfreeze them? One locality tells us that they were told that even though the federal grant was awarded to the town, that funding reimbursements were being withheld. We have heard this on a number of occasions.”
At least three other meetings of the House Emergency Committee are planned.
After Flores spoke, members of the Committee engaged in a roundtable discussion.
“I think it's really critical that we get live data very quickly so that we know where we need to put the most effort forward,” said Ellen Campbell, a Republican who represents the 36th House District which includes portions of Augusta and Rockbridge counties as well as the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.
Fellow Republican Anne Ferrell Tata of the 99th District also said she wanted more data.
“It would be nice to have sort of a point person or you know, on some of these websites, a place where people can go for up to date information. So because, you know, we're hearing things all over the place.
Delegate Josh Thomas (D-93) represents Prince William County and he indicated what he would like to have more information on.
“Particularly interested in the housing and real estate space, what those reductions would look like in office and retail space, housing and then also the larger implications for the mortgage industry,” Thomas said. “I don't think it's lost on anyone that a couple economic calamities ago, massive foreclosures that ended up destabilizing the global economy.”
Thomas said he also wants reports on how transit will be affected as well as veterans health care.
Delegate Michael Feggans, a Democrat who represents the 97th District, said he wants work to be done to make it easier for federal employees to find new jobs.
“We need to look at, you know, significantly, potentially, you know, reducing the hiring process for these, our state agencies, you know, from months to weeks to days,” Feggans said. “For those that are super qualified, you know, fast tracking these public servants, you know, we have constituents right now, they're hurting, they're hurting, they're scared and they've lost their job to no fault of their own.”
Delegate Vivian Watts, a Democrat representing the 14th District, is married to someone who served as a top attorney at one federal agency. She agreed that there is a lot of uncertainty and insecurity at the moment.
“I can assure you that it is not just financial insecurity that we are dealing with and that the issues that I am particularly concerned about is that right on the heels of the insecurity of COVID and what that did to our lives,” Watts said.
For instance, Watts said she is concerned that the number of suicides may increase.
Delegate Betina Anthony, a Democrat who represents the 92nd district, is most concerned about the impact on education at all levels. Fewer workers in some areas could lead to drops in enrollment.
“All things where there's a high concentration of federal workers that might see declining enrollment within certain schools,” Anthony said. “Also looking at higher education, especially with our land grant institutions, with agricultural research funding freezes, you know, what is the STEM research grants that are at risk, what are the climate research initiatives, what has been stalled already?”
Delegate Marcus Simon, a Democrat in District 13, said this is in part an attempt to reshape American government.
“If this is part of a larger movement to change the relationship between state and local and the federal government, if that's something that's going to persist, then we need to define what that relationship would look like and again, give us some policy options for how we pay for all that,” Simon said.
Delegate Joshua Cole is a Democrat who represents the 65th District Republican who serves in the 34th District. He initially noted he was the only member of the committee in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.
“I also noted that Spotsylvania county, where I represent, is in the top five counties that receives federal funding,” Cole said. “We are about to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for a brand new VA hospital next week. And how these cuts are going to impact our veterans.”
The Fredericksburg Free Press reported that there is now a hiring freeze at the hospital, putting its opening date of March 3 in jeopardy. (read their story)
Delegate Hillary Kent, a Republican from the 67th District, pointed out her district is also within the 7th CD.
Another Republican on the committee questioned if the impacts would materialize and urged that the group avoid politics. Delegate Tony Hilt of the 34th District said the presentations had all been based on speculation.
“I think it's important that we avoid theatrics, you know, trying to say things that aren't there and using it for, I don't know, whatever, campaign speeches or whatever,” said Delegate Tony Hilt. “ But we stick to the facts.”
Hilt said the presentations had been useful.
Delegate Rob Bloxom, the Republican vice chair of the committee, also echoed colleagues in his part who called for patience as actual policies develop, especially from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“If the federal government changes the rules, then we will have to adjust if you accept those rules and those are kind of set,” Bloxom said. “So, you know, we will. All this is in flux. We don't know if they just cut funding across the board or if they're going to change the rules or if they're going to change the application. We really just don't know yet.”
The next meeting of the emergency committee has not yet been scheduled.
Reading material for #819
Late Charlottesville mayor, planner Satyendra Huja remembered as the 'Urban Turban', Hawes Spencer, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), February 24, 2025
A Tale of Two Climate Policies: Canada Rethinks Consumer Carbon Pricing While U.S. Drops Social Cost of Carbon, Carbon Credits, February 24, 2025
Thoughts on #819
What’s in a newsletter? Today I posted the lockdown story to Information Charlottesville at 10:50 a.m. just as I headed out to the Duncan press conference at the Albemarle County Office Building. I wasn’t happy with what I posted, and then amended the story when I got back about 45 minutes later.
I was unhappy because I had named a suspect because I thought the name came from a credible source. So I changed it, and explained why. When things happen quickly, it’s easy to get something wrong and the job of a professional journalist is to try to avoid that at all costs.
Am I a professional journalist? Some would argue not, but I am a member of the Virginia Press Association and I’ve won awards in the past. I make my living solely off of writing stories and trying to get people to pay for them. I try to be as prolific as I can be, knowing full well I can’t track everything down.
Am I a print journalist? Or a broadcaster? I’m definitely a hybrid, but all of this work is in service of providing information to the public. That’s why I got into this business, and why I’ll likely stay in it for as long as I can.
This newsletter consists of four stories. I just remembered I needed to add the portion about the budget amendment for Rivanna Futures not making it in. And I just did. I am certain there is more I could have said, but that’s what tomorrow is for.
Now, let’s go with a little inspiration from Dom Whiting:
This post initially had the wrong district and party affiliation for Delegate Joshua Cole. This is due to my error misreading transcription software and I had initially listed the wrong delegate all together. I regret this error and have made a correction.
Seems like quite an aggressive response to a hit and run. Was there anything about this particular incident that indicates he was a threat to the general public?