Podcasts about charlottesville

A devotion from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 14, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

A devotion from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

A talk from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

The BBC did what the media does. It lied about the news. In their case, they pulled “Charlottesville”, reframing President Trump's actual words. Remember in the Charlottesville case multiple media outlets tried to make Trump out to be a supporter of White Nationalists. They played over and over only the partial statement by Trump, versus what he really said. This clip was played incessantly by media and used by Leftist pundits and politicians to paint Trump as a racist. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The opening talk from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 14, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

A talk from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

A breakout session from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

A breakout session from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

A breakout session from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

A breakout session from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

The closing talk from the 2025 Mockingbird Fall Conference in Charlottesville, VA: Anchored by Grace. Nov. 15, 2025. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

In today's episode, I'm joined by Colin Allen, executive director of the American Property Owners Alliance, for a conversation that moves effortlessly from campaign classrooms in Charlottesville to the frontline debates shaping housing policy today.Colin shares stories from his early days at UVA with Larry Sabato, the lessons that still guide his approach to politics and persuasion, and his time inside the U.S. Senate, where he learned how the institution really works — and sometimes doesn't.We also talk about his years at the National Association of Realtors, the evolving housing landscape, and why affordability has become one of the defining economic and political challenges of our time. Colin walks through how regional differences shape the narrative, how local leaders can meet voters where they are, and why events outside Washington often tell us more than the ones inside the Beltway.It's a smart and grounded conversation with someone who has lived the DC experience from multiple vantage points — and who's now leading a national effort to give property owners a stronger voice. Get full access to Authentically Speaking at thefridayreporter.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Notes Loaves and Fishes has grown to be the City's second-largest distribution partner of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, supported by more than 100 volunteers. Executive Director Jane Colony Mills discusses the behind-the-scenes operations — from sourcing food to the work of their dietitian and volunteers — and reflects on why it's important for students to learn about the city they live in.

At the end of the world, Philip Lorish (University of Virginia) decided to open a bookstore. He says that despite the cultural moment that audiobooks are having and that impenetrable, digital mass distribution behemoth who shall not be named – bookstores matter. He's the owner of Commerce Street Books. And: As a child, Lamar Giles (William & Mary) was allowed to read anything he wanted. And he took full advantage of that on his weekly library visits. Everything from DC comics and Stephen King novels, he read it all. There was nothing called “young adult” literature when he was coming up. Now, he writes it. And he says it's important to him that kids today have the same freedom to read. Later in the show: When you think of trees in Charlottesville, Virginia, what comes to mind? Probably not the willow oaks lining the eight-block downtown mall. But MaKshya Tolbert (University of Virginia) became entangled with the trees. Her book is Shade is a place.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Mariah McVey. Mariah a first year student in UVA Darden's Full-Time MBA program, and she is also the Section representative for Section B. We talk with Mariah about what led her to Darden, what she enjoys about Charlottesville, what drew her to the section rep role, her advice for prospective students and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

This bonus episode of Scholars & Saints is taken from the Eleventh Annual Joseph Smith Lecture, delivered by author and journalist Jana Riess at Newcomb Hall in Charlottesville, Va on October 24, 2025. Click here for more information about Dr. Riess and her lecture.You can follow along with the lecture slides here.Each fall, the University of Virginia's Mormon Studies Program sponsors the Joseph Smith Lecture Series: a public lecture on religion in public life, with particular emphasis on religious liberty and civic leadership. The Lecture is designed to honor the legacies of both Thomas Jefferson and Joseph Smith but is not limited to either the American or Mormon experience. If you like or learn from what you hear, we would appreciate your support of the Joseph Smith Lecture Series Endowment Fund.

The I Love CVille Show headlines: What Neighborhood Most Needs A Coffee Shop? Changing The Face Of CVille's Neighborhoods How To Increase Walkability In Charlottesville? CVille To Begin Sidewalk Improvement Project AlbCo MicroCAT Beats Ridership Expectations City Must Encourage Stefan Friedman To Open Storefronts UVA Hoops Beats Hampton, How Good Are Hoos? If You Need CVille Office Space, Contact Jerry Miller Read Viewer & Listener Comments Live On-Air The I Love CVille Show airs live Monday – Friday from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The I Love CVille Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible, Rumble and iLoveCVille.com.

Join Randy, Caly, and travel writer Whitney O'Halek as they explore Charlottesville, Virginia, one of America's most historic and charming colonial towns. Discover the homes of early U.S. presidents, stunning Blue Ridge Mountain scenery, and the region's award-winning wine trails, along with other tips for the best things to see and do in this unique and charming destination.Subscribe to RV Destinations Magazine at https://RVDestinationsMagazine.com and use code PODCAST20 to save 20% on your subscription today!Learn more about Whitney O'Halek at https://halffullpassport.com and follow her on Instagram @HalfFullPassport.CHAPTERS00:00 About Charlottesville02:08 Skyline Drive03:22 Hiking04:14 U-Pick Farms05:47 Shopping/Downtown06:49 Wineries09:10 Presidential Homes (Montpelier/Monticello)13:41 Hot Air Balloon Ride19:13 Recommended Campgrounds

Eben erst feierte Trump das Einknicken von 8 demokratischen US-Senatoren als grossen Durchbruch. Der Shutdown endete, und das zu seinen Bedingungen. Nun haben Amerikanische Medien am Mittwochvormittag Lokalzeit über die neue Wende im Fall Epstein berichtet.Demokratische Abgeordnete im Repräsentantenhaus hatten brisante E-Mails des verstorbenen Sexualstraftäters Jeffrey Epstein veröffentlicht. Diese legen nahe, dass Trump mehr über Epsteins Missbrauchsring wusste, als bisher eingestanden.Unbestritten ist, dass Trump und Epstein einst gut befreundet waren. Davon will Trump nichts mehr wissen. Der 79-jährige Präsident feiert aber nach wie vor gerne und liebt den Prunk, wie die neue Dekoration seines Büros im Weissen Haus zeigt. An Halloween lud Trump zu einer rauschenden Great-Gatsby-Party ein, benannt nach dem Roman von F. Scott Fitzgerald, der vor 100 Jahren erschienen ist und in den goldenen 1920er-Jahren spielt. «The Great Gatsby» nehme Trumps Amerika vorweg, schrieb die amerikanische Literaturwissenschaftlerin Sarah Churchwell in der «Financial Times». Sieht sich Donald Trump als eine Art «Great Gatsby» seines eigenen Goldenen Zeitalters? Was hat es mit seinem Goldfimmel auf sich? Wie wirkt sich das Ende des Shutdowns aus, auf die Demokratische Partei wie auf die USA überhaupt? Darüber unterhält sich Christof Münger, Leiter des Ressorts International, mit dem langjährigen USA-Korrespondenten Martin Kilian in einer neuen Folge von «Alles klar, Amerika?» Kilian lebt in Charlottesville, Virginia.Produzentin: Jacqueline WechslerPodcastfolge zum Thema (Publikation: Juli 2025):Die Causa Jeffrey Epstein hat Donald Trump eingeholt: Was nun?Artikel zum Thema: Neue Epstein-E-Mails belasten Trump schwerDemokraten lenken ein, um Shutdown zu beenden«Trump ist bereit, hungernden Kindern zu schaden, um seinen Willen durchzusetzen»Trumps goldener Schriftzug erinnert an ein Möchtegern-Luxushotel Mehr USA-Berichterstattung finden Sie auf unserer Webseite und in den Apps. Den «Tages-Anzeiger» können Sie 3 Monate zum Preis von 1 Monat testen: tagiabo.ch.Feedback, Kritik und Fragen an: podcasts@tamedia.ch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick Fuentes and his followers - Groypers - are working to push American conservatism and the MAGA movement into even more dangerous and reactionary territory. He started to gain a following in 2017 after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. On his show, America First, Fuentes openly praises Adolf Hitler and pushes white supremacist, Christian nationalist and antisemitic ideas. Fuentes, and his ideas moved one step closer to the mainstream last week when he sat down with Tucker Carlson, one of the most prominent right wing talk show hosts in the U.S.So we're talking about this mainstreaming of his beliefs with Ali Breland, staff writer at The Atlantic, and Ben Lorber, senior research analyst at the social justice think tank Political Research Associates. Lorber is also the author of Safety through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Roddy Jones has a house full of sick kids (one of which you'll hear from), Hartzell has two boys who are out of school for Veteran's Day, and Tripp is ... missing ... for the first 30 minutes of the show. Once Tripp does arrive, a fight ensues over the Indiana/Penn State game and what may (or may not) have been said on the TV broadcast. There's plenty of ACC discussion, including Roddy's trip to Charlottesville to watch Wake ruin Virginia's dream season, plus thoughts on fraudulent Louisville and the fact that Boston College has officially quit (according to Hartzell). What does all of this mean for the ACC tiebreaker scenarios and the most likely combination of teams that are going to play in Charlotte in December? CFP predictions for tonight's rankings unveil, week 11 takeaways, and Rodstradamus' weekly selections are all included. Good stuff on the early week show!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you've ever laid awake at 3AM, counting sheep, overanalyzing your life, and stressing that you'll be a zombie tomorrow, this episode, part 2 of our series on sleep, is one  you don't want to miss.Today, Susan and Kate sit down with the Dr. Christopher Winter, neurologist, sleep medicine specialist, and author of The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child. He's the go-to expert for pro athletes, firefighters, and anyone who's ever wondered, “What's wrong with my sleep?”But here's the twist: according to Dr. Winter, your sleep might not be “broken” at all. In fact, the way we think about sleep, our fears, expectations, and obsession with perfection, might be the real problem.This isn't another conversation about blue light and blackout curtains. Dr. Winter flips the script on everything you think you know about insomnia, sleep hygiene, and the infamous “8-hour rule.” You'll laugh, you'll learn, and you might just stop fearing those restless nights once and for all.Because maybe, just maybe… your body knows exactly what it's doing.In this episode:Insomnia isn't a disease, it's a perception.  Most people who say they “can't sleep” are actually sleeping more than they realize. The problem isn't sleep, it's the anxiety about sleep.The real secret? Be happy awake or asleep. When you stop fearing wakefulness, insomnia loses its power.This conversation will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about sleep, and maybe even help you stop fighting with your pillow.P.S. This is part 2 of our sleep series! Check out last week's episode with Dr. Kirk Parsley for another perspective on sleep!Learn more about our guest Dr. Christopher WinterDr. Christopher Winter has practiced sleep medicine and neurology in Charlottesville, Virginia since 2004, but has been involved with sleep medicine and sleep research since 1993. Currently he is the owner of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine clinic and CNSM Consulting. He is the author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It as well as The Rested Child: Why Your Tired, Wired or Irritable Child May Have A Sleep Disorder--And How To Help. In addition to working with numerous professional sports organizations to help their athletes optimize sleep, he is the host of the podcast Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter which has consistently ranked as one of the most popular medical podcasts in the country. He is also the host of the Sleep.com series Sleeping Around with Dr. Chris Winter.RESOURCES:Connect with Dr. Chris WinterWebsite: https://www.wchriswinter.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchriswinterYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SleepUnpluggedPodcastTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drchriswinterFind all of Kate and Susan's Resources and links in the show notes: https://healthyawakening.co/2025/11/03/episode89Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/Connect with Kate: https://theradiantlifeproject.com/Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcastFind listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/linksP.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast

Delivered at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, VA on 10/26/2025 as part of their Mbird 101 adult education series.

Fr. Sean McDermott's sermon for Trinity XXI preached at All Saints Anglican Church in Charlottesville, Va on November 9, 2025.

Time again for another sonic edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and podcast that seeks to capture at least some of what happens in local and regional government. The timestamp for this one is the 312th day of the year 2025, otherwise known asNovember 8. I'm Sean Tubbs, glad to bring you another set of stories that went out this morning on WTJU. Why not send them out again to all of you?In this edition:* A round-up of elections at the state and local level* Charlottesville is planning to launch a public art program and City Council gets an update (4:30) (read the story)* Charlottesville is holding a Community Walk this Sunday through the Venable neighborhood (read the story)* A divided City Council appears willing to sell Clarke Court to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation (read the story)* Albemarle County prepares to celebrate Veterans Day with a ceremony* A very quick preview of the Week Ahead!This edition is an audio version which is on the same feed as the newsletter. The links above go to stories that have already gone out. The next new edition is tomorrow!Sponsorship demonstration: Westwind FlowersFall is in full bloom at Westwind Flowers! With the crisp autumn air settling in, they're celebrating the season with fresh, local blooms perfect for every occasion.And as the holidays approach, let Westwind Flowers bring local beauty to your celebrations. Dress up your Thanksgiving table with seasonal blooms, gift your host or hostess with a gorgeous indoor plant, or join us for one of our Holiday Wreath Workshops on November 29th or December 6th. Create your own festive wreath, from the base to the finishing touch, with expert guidance and fresh, locally grown greenery.Westwind Flowers offers sustainably grown, thoughtfully curated cut flowers, perfectly suited to the season and the special moments in your life. They believe the blooms in your vase should be just as fresh, and just as local, as the food on your table. Visit their website to learn more!Sponsorship demonstration?Every edition of this newsletter allows me to continue to experiment with getting messages out to people who are paying for that for one reason or another. This all began in 2020 when I was considering a launch and created a Patreon account. Many of the shout-outs you see and hear are because I created a system where people or entities that paid a certain amount could get some sort of a benefit.Over the years, I've offered more opportunities for people to qualify for shout-outs but the vast majority of people who are eligible for that system don't take advantage of it. And as the audience grows, so does the value of reaching people.In addition to this newsletter, there's also Information Charlottesville, a companion website that provides a more robust archive than what my current service provides. Traffic there is light but the potential is there for that to serve as a community archive.I'm not ready to broadcast the media kit I've put together yet because it's not quite ready. I've still got a lot to learn and I'm looking for people and entities that would like to help support the business while assisting me with my experimenting.I am a one-person operation and I put the reporting first. But as I continue this experiment I find myself intrigued with a part of the business I've never really been part of except for my attempts to sell ads in the early 1990's for a college newspaper.Drop me a line if you'd like to learn more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

When a band's first album drops, it's exciting. When it shoots up to a top three position on the charts – any chart for that matter – something is happening. That's exactly what is happening to Ramona & The Holy Smokes whose eponymous debut album landed at No. 3 on the Alt Country Specialty Chart in early October. It has bounced around the top 10 since and debuted at No. 50 on the Americana Music Association charts on October 29. Founder and front woman Ramona Martinez joined Frank and Falls on Roots Music Rambler the day after the Alt-Country chart spike to talk about the new album, her decidedly old-school country sound, her journey to being an artist and much more. Martinez's parents were military and diplomacy professionals, so she lived in several different countries growing up. She landed in Charlottesville, Va., where her music career took hold, after several years working in public radio. The new album is full of Texas-sounding honky tonk drinkin' and thinkin' songs. The band's sound includes multicultural and bilingual numbers as well, underlining Martinez's South Texas family roots.  Frank and Falls also have their Pickin' the Grinnin' selections for new music recommendations and Falls actually joins the show from the radio studio in Pikeville, Ky., where he first broadcast at 14-years-old in 1987. Watch the Episode on YouTube Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com, watch the full episode on YouTube, or download wherever you get your podcasts.  Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler's new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available.  Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It's a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links:  Ramona & The Holy Smokes Online Ramona & The Holy Smokes on Spotify Ramona & The Holy Smokes on Instagram Americana Music Association's weekly album and singles charts Alt-Country Specialty weekly album charts Appalachian Echoes Online WXCC-FM Online The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on YouTube Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Jason Falls on TikTok Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin' the Grinnin' Recommendations Trey Hedrick on Spotify “Unknown Legend” by Neil Young on Spotify “Unknown Legend” by Lukas Nelson, Sierra Ferrell & The Travelin' McCourys Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners. All music on the program is licensed by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out Christ Church, Charlottesville (https://www.christchurchcville.org/), where Amanda serves as Associate Rector.

This week on Stitch Please, Lisa chats with designer and certified fashion powerhouse Shanya Lewis an FIT and Parsons grad who can turn fabric, leather, and even your old assumptions about fashion into pure art.Shanya spills the tea on her creative journey from stitching knits to slaying in leatherwork and why sustainability isn't just a buzzword, it's a lifestyle (and a mood). They dive into the highs and lows of freelancing in fashion's competitive jungle, the power of a good education, and the hustle it takes to build a brand that lasts longer than a fast-fashion trend cycle.With wisdom, warmth, and a few laughs, Shanya reminds us that quality over quantity is always in style and sharing what you know is the best accessory you can have.====Where You Can Find Shanya! Shanyalewis.com===========Dr. Lisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Instagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork======Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast--Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon Store

If you love old books – if you love how they smell, if you love imagining their journeys through the world into your hands, if you can't pass by a used bookstore without popping inside – then you'll love today's episode. Our guest is Fr. Michael Suarez, SJ, a Jesuit priest and the director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The Rare Book School runs courses for students and practitioners from all disciplines on the history of written, printed and digital materials with leading scholars and professionals in the field. Fr. Suarez is also an English professor and an honorary curator of UVA's special collections. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked him about the work of the Rare Book School and why he is fascinated by books (and all matter of printed material) as cultural objects. They also discussed how Fr. Suarez's work has deep connections to his faith, and how the Jesuits through the centuries have often been at the forefront of writing and making books around the world. Fr. Suarez is so clearly passionate about his work and teaching that it'll make you want to travel to Charlottesville, Virginia, to check out all the fascinating stuff housed in the special collections at the university. Rare Book School: https://rarebookschool.org/ Fr. Michael Suarez, SJ: https://rarebookschool.org/faculty/general/michael-suarez/ AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/

A talk by Fr. Sean McDermott given at All Saints Anglican Church in Charlottesville, Virginia on October 22, 2025 for the Agape adult education class.

A talk given by Fr. Sean McDermott at all All Saints Anglican Church in Charlottesville, Virginia on October 8, 2025 for the Agape adult education class.

A talk given by Fr. Sean McDermott at All Saints Anglican Church in Charlottesville, Virginia on October 15, 2025 for the Agape adult education class.

Former UVA running back Mike Hollins, who survived the November 2022 shooting that took the lives of three teammates, continues to inspire with his indomitable spirit. He's working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and coaching football at the Covenant School in Charlottesville.

As federal food assistance is suspended, we visit a food sharing site in Charlottesville... It's election day, but Virginians have already set a new record for early voting... A New Orleans-style funeral march in Charlottesville mourns a loss of civil liberties in America – and celebrates hope for the future....

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one newsletter to produce an audio version, than this shall be what happens. As in, this a stand-alone audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter produced by Town Crier Productions with information about growth, development, government, and the occasional attempt at humor. I'm Sean Tubbs, encouraging readers to become listeners, listeners to become readers, and glad you're here either way.On this edition of the program:* The Virginia Senate follows the Virginia House of Delegates in advancing a Constitutional amendment to allow for a one-time redrawing of Congressional districts (House story) (Senate story below)* A preview of two readings coming up this month from the poet and author MaKshya Tolbert (story below)* Charlottesville design panel approves design for fence at Downtown Mall business, though Council must approve special exception (read the story)* Work continues to prepare candidate projects for VDOT's next Smart Scale Round (read the story)* Greene Supervisors briefed on innovation corridor planning (read the story)* Council signs off on revenue-sharing application for sidewalk in Meadows neighborhood (learn more)Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Westwind FlowersFall is in full bloom at Westwind Flowers! With the crisp autumn air settling in, they're celebrating the season with fresh, local blooms perfect for every occasion.And as the holidays approach, let Westwind Flowers bring local beauty to your celebrations. Dress up your Thanksgiving table with seasonal blooms, gift your host or hostess with a gorgeous indoor plant, or join us for one of our Holiday Wreath Workshops on November 29th or December 6th. Create your own festive wreath, from the base to the finishing touch, with expert guidance and fresh, locally grown greenery.Westwind Flowers offers sustainably grown, thoughtfully curated cut flowers, perfectly suited to the season and the special moments in your life. They believe the blooms in your vase should be just as fresh, and just as local, as the food on your table. Visit their website to learn more!Virginia Senate passes first reference of Constitutional amendment to allow mid-Census redistrictingThe Virginia General Assembly has taken the first step towards amending the state constitution in order to allow for a one-time redrawing of Congressional boundaries to counter similar moves being made elsewhere.Democrats hold the majority in both the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate, and Republicans in both chambers objected to the process, arguing there was not sufficient notice to voters and that at least a million people have already cast their ballots in early voting. A lawsuit has been filed and the first hearing is on November 5, a day after the election.Article XII of the Virginia Constitution describes how that document can be changed. Section 1 explains that both houses of the General Assembly must first adopt a resolution. Then an election has to take place in the House of Delegates. Then the General Assembly has to vote on the resolution a second time before it goes to the voters in a referendum.Amendments to the Virginia Constitution are fairly common with the last one approved by voters in 2024. Over 92 percent of the electorate approved a proposal to extend tax exemptions to spouses of soldiers killed in the line of duty.In 2020, two-thirds of the electorate voted to establish an eight member Virginia Redistricting Commission which would take over the process of establishing legislative districts from the General Assembly.In the final week of October 2025, Republicans argued in committee meetings and from the House and Senate floor that this amendment counters the will of the people. Democrats argued the step is necessary to counter a presidency that is acting beyond its power by asking other states to change their rules.This story covers the Virginia Senate debate on October 31.For more background, go back and read these two stories:* Virginia General Assembly has begun consideration of Congressional redistricting during special session, October 29, 2025* Constitutional amendment for Virginia redistricting passes House, awaits action in Senate, October 31, 2025The Senate took up House Joint Resolution 6007 the Friday morning of Halloween. The day before, the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee approved the amendment on an 8 to 6 vote.Before the full debate, there were three requests to amend the resolution including one from Senator Christoper Head that would have required the mid-Census boundary change to go through the Virginia Redistricting Commission. Those failed on partisan lines, and three Republican members were not present.A long debate over the resolution kicked off when Senator Aaron Rouse (D-22) made a motion for its adoption. He said the amendment would give Virginians a chance to weigh in with their vote on whether the lines should be redrawn.“We do see evidence that the system is being rigged by a wannabee dictator out of Washington,” Rouse said. “During this Republican shutdown we've seen this dictator be enabled by a coequal but separate branch of government. Virginians may have something to say about that.”Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-16) was one of the patrons for the Constitutional amendment that set up the Virginia Redistricting Commission. He said Republican claims that the amendment would eliminate the body are false.“That's not what this is and that's not what we're doing,” VanValkenburg said. “Today we are taking a truly proportional response to an extreme situation. The current outbreak of opportunistic mid-decade redistricting means that we are in a truly unprecedented, Constitutional norm breaking time.”Senator Glen Sturtevant (R-12) said the resolution is a betrayal of voters in part because over a million people had already voted.“That's not reform, that's reversal,” Sturtevant said. “It's not transparency, it's a power grab. It's been rushed. It's been secretive. And it is purposely timed to avoid accountability in this election.”Senator J.D. “Danny” Diggs (R-24) said the Constitution is intended to be updated every ten years to accommodate for population shifts.“This amendment is being proposed not to protect our citizens or to make our government better,” Diggs said. “This amendment is about increasing the political power of the Democrat party. It has an expiration date so that if the political winds change, the Republican party can't do the same thing in a few years.”Senator Luther Cifers (R-10), elected earlier this in a special election to replace John McGuire, took issue with Democrats advancing the process in late October, over a month after early voting had begun. Some voters might have changed vote if they had known the General Assembly would take this action.“It appears to be well-established that the intent of the intervening election in the Constitutional amendment process is so that voters can respond at the ballot box between the two passages of an amending resolution,” Cifers said.Senator Christie New Craig (R-19) said the resolution is intended to advance national interests rather than those of Virginia's.“The timing of H.J. 6007, positioned as an urgent matter, was not authored based on constituent demands,” New Craig said. “It was authored based on instructions from national leadership.”Senator Mark Peake (R-22) echoed comments made by Delegate Lee Ware (R-72) during debate in the House of Delegates.“Texas embarking on a mid-decade redistricting was probably not a good idea but because they have embarked on that endeavor doesn't mean we have to engage in the endeavor,” Peake said.One argument made by Republicans is that the resolution does not pass legal muster because it doesn't follow language in state code that requires court clerks to post a public notice of a pending Constitutional amendment 90 days before an election. Senator Head said that has not been followed.“There's no way we can do this,” Head said. “I mean you can do this today. You're going to do this today. We know that you're going to do this today. It's going to get the 21 votes. You're going to pass it because you're not paying attention to what people are screaming about out there or any of the arguments that are valid that any of us are going to have made.”Senator Mamie Locke (D-23) said Republicans making arguments about her party taking national direction were hypocritical and they would be doing something similar if they controlled the General Assembly.“Be assured if the proverbial shoe was on the other foot, a directive from D.C. to the Governor would have been adhered to, quick, fast, and in a hurry to undo the Constitutional amendment in Virginia mid-stream and not one of you would be talking about the sanctity of the bipartisan redistricting commission or the needs of the voters or respect for the will of the people,” Locke said.Locke said the federal government has been transformed by executive orders from the White House which have been followed by Virginia's executive branch.Senator Barbara Favola (D-40) called the resolution one of hope that would give Virginia voters another opportunity to weigh in on a presidency that is bending the rules of the U.S. Constitution.“That's what this is,” Favola said. “We're not redrawing anything today. We're not doing anything magical. We're saying to voters, if this goes through the process we've laid out, and we've explained that multiple times, should the Constitutional amendment go to the voters, they will have the final say. We are in no way undermining the principles that all of us have stood for.”Senator Scott Surovell (D-34) said the resolution is necessary to combat an unprecedented attempt to change Congressional boundaries to keep Republicans in power no matter what.“This is a coordinated national strategy to grab power,” Surovell said. “The fundamental power problem that we are giving ourselves the option to address is that Virginia cannot fight with one hand tied behind its back.”Surovell said a mid-census redistricting is not ideal but is necessary to have as an option as more Republican-controlled states adjust their boundaries.“What do you do when one side refuses to play by the rules?” Surovell asked. “Do you maintain principles and accept defeat? Or do you recognize that preserving democracy sometimes requires tools you find distasteful to prevent permanent entrenchment of minority rule? We owe it to our constituents to have this conversation. We owe it to democracy to consider all of the options.”Soon after, the resolution was adopted 21 to 16. The Senate adjourned about an hour later.Now what? There's an election on Tuesday. There's always something to pay attention to.MaKshya Tolbert reads two poems from Shade is a PlaceThere are more stories about the mechanics of government coming up later in this edition of the program. But first, let's take a quick break to hear a poem from MaKshya Tolbert. They're the 2025 Art in Library Spaces Artist-in-Residence at the University of Virginia as well as a former Chair of other.Tolbert has two events coming up as part of the launch of their National Poetry Series-winning debut poetry collection It's called SHADE IS A PLACE and it is on sale November 4 from Penguin BooksHere's Ways to Measure Trees, originally published in Poem-a-Day on February 11, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets.Tolbert will lead a public shade walk on the Downtown Mall at 4:45 p.m. with New City Arts on November 4 with a reception and artist talk at 6 p.m. followed by a book signing at the Welcome Gallery at 114 3rd St. NE. The shade walk begins at the Free Expression Monument. (learn more)On November 15, Tolbert will discuss SHADE IS A PLACE, in conversation with Lisa Russ Spaar, from 7:00pm-8:00pm, New Dominion Bookshop. (learn more). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

First,I want to thank you for your prayers for traveling mercies for my wife and Iyesterday as we left our home in Sneads Ferry NC around 3am to drive 6 hours upto Roanoke, Virginia for the ribbon cutting ceremony and the grand opening ofthe Go Center. Aroundnoon, we were got in the car to go to Charlottesville to visit my brother Mark atthe UVA Medical Center. We called to make sure it would be ok to visit him andwere pleasantly surprised to find out he was being discharged at that verymoment to go back home to Lynchburg. He has made an amazing recovery from hisbypass surgery. Todaywe want to look specifically at Ephesians 2:14-15, where it speaks of the factthat, “Jesus Christ Himself is our peace who has made both one and hasbroken down the middle wall of separation having abolished in His flesh theenmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances so as to createin Himself one new man from the two thus making peace.”  Myfirst big question as a brand-new Christian was how did people get saved beforethe cross? How did they get saved in the Old Testament? My friend over theyears I've concluded there's only one way of salvation. That is the way offaith. The way of faith through Christ Jesus. In the Old Testament, they lookforward to His sacrifice on the cross and now we look backwards, and by faith,both looks are taken. Everyone, both Jew and Gentile receive salvation becauseof Jesus and His sacrifice and blood shed on the cross. Verse15 reveals that the cause of the enmity was the law because the law had made adefinite distinction between Jew and Gentiles. The dietary laws reminded theJews that God had put a distance and difference between the clean and theunclean (Leviticus 11:44-47). But the Gentiles did not obey these laws.Therefore, they were unclean. Ezekiel the prophet reminded the priests thattheir task was to teach the Jews the difference between the holy and theprofane (Ezekiel 44:23). The divine ordinances given by God to Israel stood asa wall between the Jews and the other nations. In fact, there was a wall in theJewish temple separating the court of the Gentiles from the rest of the templeareas.  Archaeologistshave discovered this inscription from Herod's temple. It reads like this: “Noforeigner may enter within this barricade that surrounds the sanctuary andenclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will himself be blamed for his ensuingdeath”. It was this wall that the Jews thought Paul and his gentile friendscrossed when the Jews attacked him in the temple and threatened to kill him inActs 21:28-31.  Inorder for Jews and Gentiles to be reconciled, this wall had to be destroyed,and this Jesus did on the cross. The cost of destroying the enmity was theblood of Christ. When He died, the veil in the temple was literally torn intwo, and the wall of separation (figuratively) was torn down. By fulfilling thedemands of the Law in His righteous life, and by bearing the curse of the Lawin His sacrificial death (Galatians 3:10-13), Jesus removed the legal barrierthat separated Jew from Gentile. For centuries, there was a difference betweenthem. But today, "there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoevershall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans10:12-13). Ohmy friend, what a wonderful Savior we have. He is our peace. We are now onewith anyone. The new creation is the church, the body of Jesus Christ. We arepart of that new creation. “Old things have passed away. Behold, all thingshave become new”. Oh, what a wonderful thing it is to have peace with God,peace with one another, and be made one in Christ, and with any and everyonewho accepts Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Godbless!

Yesterday, I promised I'd give an update on my brotherMark and his triple bypass surgery at the UVA hospital in Charlottesville,Virginia. The surgery went extremely well, according to the report of thesurgeon to his family after he came out of surgery. But last night we heardthat Mark was in excruciating pain from the surgery.  Also, we were told that Mark will be inintensive care for at about five to seven days. You can continue to pray forhim. Pray for his wife Renee as sheministers to him and his family during this time and as he recovers andrecuperates from this surgery. Yesterdaywe also mentioned the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Go Center that's going totake place in the Bonsack, Roanoke area of Virginia this Saturday morning, November1st, at 9:30am. Again, if you live in that area, we invite you tocome. If you don't live in that area, I want you to pray for the Go Center. Iremember when I became a believer, I felt the Lord was calling me to missionsand that He wanted me to go overseas. I surrendered my life to ministry under amissionary thinking that that's exactly what was going to happen. But the Lordhad other plans and led me to stay in America as a pastor. Yet at the same time,the Lord gave me a tremendous burden to do all I could to facilitate missions,to encourage people to pray, to give, and to go.  Overthe last 50 some years in ministry, we've watched God do amazing things. One ofthose things is that my heart has been moved and blessed by the fact that my familyis very involved in missions. And especially my son Jonathan who is the head ofGlobal Partners in Peace and Development. The Go Center Out was born out of thishumanitarian organization by the great passion Jonathan's and his wife Heidi hasfor missions and the unreached peoples of the world. This is the central themeof Go Center.  Ilove what others are already saying about the Go Center. The mission's directorof the Parkway Church on the Mountain wrote after visiting it: "The GoCenter has the potential to spark the fire for a movement of young people toengage in a great commission. This incredible unique discovery experience willenable families to actively participate in learning about God's plan for thenations and the unreached people groups of the world. You'll leave the GoCenter in awe that you just made your way across the globe without setting afoot on an airplane."  JeremiahHambrick, the lead pastor of Bedrock Church Roanoke, wrote this: "I've hadthe unique privilege of witnessing the transformation of the Go Center from arundown church building into a place full of purpose and potential. It's morethan just a building. It's a launching pad for global mission right in theheart of the Roanoke Valley. The Go Center isn't just a place to visit. It's anexperience that draws you into the story of God's heart for the nations, takingyou on a journey to the world's unreached people groups and inviting you toplay a part in His global mission.” Again,I want to invite you to come this Saturday for the grand opening starting with theribbon cutting ceremony at 9:30. If you can't attend this Saturday, at a laterdate bring your family and a group of young people. Help let them see whatmissions and really what the heart of God is all about. That's been my heartfor over 50 some years and I'm so blessed to see it now just blossom into thisgreat Go Center to continue to facilitate and to excite people about doing whatGod has called us all to do. That is to go into the world and make disciples ofall the nations. All the nations, even those who've never heard of Jesus, needthe opportunity to hear. Ireally want to encourage you to help us with the Go Center. Even if you don't liveclose by you can pray and you can give. And if you live close you can participate by volunteering. You can visitthe Go Center website at: https://www.gpartners.org/gocenterto learn more about all these opportunities.

Today's sponsor is Piedmont Master Gardeners: Now accepting applications for their 2026 training class. Apply by December 1, 2025No study of American history or macroeconomics would leave out the impact played by the Great Crash of the New York Stock Exchange of 1929 which culminated on Black Tuesday, 96 years ago today. Stock prices had continued to increase throughout the Roaring Twenties but would generally decline until 1932, marking the era of the Great Depression. This edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement does not have the time or resources to delve into the causes of a financial panic that transformed the United States. I'm Sean Tubbs, and I think people should look back on their own time.In this edition:* Earlier this year, President Trump asked officials in Texas to redraw the Congressional maps to give the Republican Party an advantage in the 2026 midterms* Other states with Democratic majorities such as California have countered with redistricting proposals of their own* This week, the Virginia General Assembly is meeting in a special session to take a first step to amend the state's constitution to allow for a mid-Census redistricting* The podcast version features an audio version of yesterday's story on 530 East Main Street (read the story)Charlottesville Community Engagement is the work of one person and that one person sometimes neglects the marketing. You can help fill the gap by sharing with friends!First-shout: The new WTJU mobile app is here!WTJU is pleased to announce our brand new mobile app! You can download a version from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Here are the links to both:* iPhone version* Android versionThe WTJU app is the place to tune in and listen live to WTJU, WXTJ, and Charlottesville Classical. Aside from the live stream, listen to archived shows, view recent songs, playlists, and program schedules, check out videos of live performances, stay up-to-date on WTJU's most recent news and articles, and more!Live chat with your favorite hosts, share stories with your friends, and tune into your community all in the palm of your hand.Virginia General Assembly takes up redistricting amendment during special sessionThe second presidency of Donald Trump has introduced many novel approaches to governance in the United States, including pressure on legislators in Texas to break from precedent to redraw Congressional districts in advance of the 2026 mid-term elections.Traditionally redistricting happens every ten years as mandated in Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. States can determine the method of how they draw districts but for many years Southern states were required to submit boundaries for review to ensure compliance with civil rights legislation such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.The Republican Party currently holds a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives with 219 members to 213 Democrats with three vacancies. One of those vacancies has been filled in a special election in Arizona won on September 23 by Democrat Adelita Grijalva but Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has so far refused to swear her in until he calls the full House of Representatives back into session.According to the Texas Tribune, redistricting in Texas is expected to create five additional safe seats for Republicans. The state's delegation of 38 Representatives consists of 25 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and one vacancy. Governor Greg Abbott signed the new Congressional map on August 29 with no need for voters to approve the measure.In response, California Governor Gavin Newsome, a Democrat, suggested legislation called the “Election Rigging Response Act” in direct response to the new maps in Texas, and a voter initiative to redraw maps in the nation's largest state mentions efforts underway by Republicans to redistrict in Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nebraska, and South Carolina. Proposition 50 is on the ballot on November 4.Last week, the Virginia Political Newsletter reported that Democrats who control a narrow majority in the General Assembly are seeking to follow California's lead. On Monday, the House of Delegates agreed to take up House Joint Resolution 6007 which would amend the Virginia Constitution to allow the General Assembly to make a one-time adjustment.The General Assembly is able to meet because a special session from 2024 was never technically adjourned. To allow consideration of the Constitutional amendment, the joint resolution that sets the rules for the special session had to be changed and agreed to by both the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate.One adopted on February 22 of this year lists six items of acceptable business including memorials and resolutions commending people or businesses. A seventh was added to House Joint Resolution 6006 which was introduced by Delegate Charniele Herring (D-4) on October 24. This would allow a “joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia related to reapportionment or redistricting.”Both the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate convened on Monday, October 27.As the debate in the House of Delegates began, Delegate Bobby Orrock (R-66) made a parliamentary inquiry.“My first inquiry would be given that special sessions have by their very nature only occurred for specific reasons. Ergo, we have resolutions controlling what can be considered during them. And subsequently, to my knowledge and experience here, they've never extended for more than a one year period.”Orrock said the 2024 Special Session was continued to allow progress toward adopting a budget that year. He said that had taken place and the stated reason for the special session was moot.The amendment itself was not made available until Tuesday afternoon. More on that later.Delegate Jay Leftwich (R-90) read from §30-13 of the Virginia Code which lays out what steps the Clerk of the House of Delegates has to take when publishing proposed amendments to the Constitution.“It goes on to say, Mr. Speaker, the Clerk of the House of Delegates shall have published all proposed amendments to the constitution for the distribution from his office and to the clerk of the circuit court of each county and the city two copies of the proposed amendments, one of which shall be posted at the front door of the courthouse and the other shall be made available for public inspection,” Leftwich said.Delegate Herring countered that that section of code predates the Virginia Constitution of 1971 which does not have those requirements. Leftwich continued to press on this note but Speaker of the House Don Scott ruled that his questions were not germane to the procedural issue.Delegate Lee Ware (R-72) said the move across the United States to redraw districts mid-Census to gain partisan advantage was a bad idea no matter what party was proposing it.“Just because a bad idea was proposed and even taken up by a few of our sister states such as North Carolina or California, is not a reason for Virginia to follow suit,” Ware said. “ For nearly two and a half centuries, the states have redistricted following the decennial census, responding to the population shifts both in our country and in the states.”A motion to amend HJ6006 passed 50 to 42.The House of Delegates currently only has 99 members due to the resignation of Todd Gilbert. Gilbert had been named as the U.S. Attorney for Western Virginia but lasted for less than a month. Former Albemarle Commonwealth's Attorney Robert Tracci was appointed to the position on an interim basis.Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Second-shout out: Cville Village seeks volunteersCan you drive a neighbor to a doctor's appointment? Change an overhead lightbulb, plant a flower, walk a dog for someone who is sick, visit someone who is lonely? If so, Cville Village needs you!Cville Village is a local 501c3 nonprofit organization loosely affiliated with a national network of Villages whose goals are to help seniors stay in their own homes as long as possible, and to build connections among them that diminish social isolation. Volunteers do small chores for, and have gatherings of, professors and schoolteachers, nurses and lawyers, aides and housekeepers. Time and chance come to all – a fall, an order not to drive, failing eyesight, a sudden stroke. They assist folks continue living at home, with a little help from their friends.Cville Village volunteers consult software that shows them who has requested a service and where they are located. Volunteers accept only the requests that fit their schedule and their skills.Volunteering for Cville Village can expand your circle of friends and shower you with thanks.To learn more, visit cvillevillage.org or attend one of their monthly Village “meet-ups” and see for yourself. To find out where and when the next meetup is, or to get more information and a volunteer application, email us at info@cvillevillage.org, or call them at (434) 218-3727.Virginia Senators pre-debate the amendment on TuesdayThe Virginia Senate took up the matter on Monday as well. Democrats have a 21 to 19 majority and were unable that day to suspend the rules to immediately consider an amendment to HJ6006. They had a second reading on Tuesday.The initial discussion of the Constitutional amendment took place during a portion of the meeting where Senators got to speak on matters of personal privilege. As with the House of Delegates, many inquiries from Republican legislators happened because the document itself was not yet available for review.Senator Bill Stanley (R–20) rose to remind his colleagues that the General Assembly passed a bipartisan Constitutional amendment to require that redistricting be conducted by a nonpartisan committee.“We listened to Virginians who were tired of the gerrymandering,” Stanley said. “In 2019, polls showed 70 percent of Virginians supported redistricting reform. Not 51 percent, not 55 percent, [but] 70 percent. The Mason Dixon poll showed 72% support. And crucially, over 60 percent of Republicans and Democrats alike supported this amendment. Equally when it came to a vote in the Commonwealth. This was not partisan.”Senator Mamie Locke (D-2) served on the bipartisan redistricting committee and reminded her colleagues that the process broke down in October 2021, as I reported at the time. The Virginia Supreme Court ended up appointing two special masters to draw the current boundaries.“There was constant gridlock and partisan roadblocks,” Locke said. “[Those] Were the reasons why the Supreme Court ended up drawing the lines because the commission ended up discussing things as tedious as which university could be trusted to provide unbiased data.”Locke said the proposal in Virginia would still have a bipartisan commission draw new maps after the 2030 Census and that voters in Virginia would still have to approve the amendment.Senator Scott Surovell (D-34) said the amendment is intended to step in when other branches of government are not exercising their Constitutional authority to provide checks and balances. He echoed Locke's comment that the redistricting commission would continue to exist.“There's no maps that have been drawn,” Surovell said. “There's no repeal of the constitutional amendment. The only thing that's on the table or will be on the table later this week is giving the General assembly the option to take further action in January to then give Virginia voters the option of protecting our country.”Senator Richard Stuart (R-25) said he thinks President Trump is doing a job of bringing manufacturing back to the country and dismissed Surovell's notion that democracy is at threat.“I'm not seeing any threat to democracy,” Stuart said. “I heard the word king, and I would remind the Senator that if he was a king, he would be beheaded for what he just said. But in this country, we enjoy free speech. We get to say what we want to say, and that is a valued right and privilege.”Senator Barbara Favola (D-40) said many of her constituents are concerned about cuts to federal programs due to the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill including threats to Medicaid. She explained why she supports her Democratic colleagues in Congress in the current state of things.“We are in a shutdown situation because the Democrats are standing up and saying we must extend the tax credits that are available on the health marketplace so individuals can afford their insurance,” Favola said. “Health insurance. This is not going unnoticed by the Virginians we represent.”Senator Mark Peake (R-22) said Republicans were entitled to govern how they want because they are in control of the federal government.“The current president won an overwhelming majority in the Electoral College and he won the popular vote by over 4 million or 5 million votes,” Peake said. “That is called democracy. That is what we have. And the Republicans won the Senate and they won the House of Congress. We will have another election next year and it will be time for the citizens to vote. But we are going under a democracy right now, and that's where we stand.”The points of personal privilege continued. Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-72) said elections are a chance for citizens to weigh in on a presidency that started the process of mid-Census redistricting.“The key point is this,” VanValkenburg said. “The president's ideas are unpopular. He knows it. He's going to his ideological friends, he's asking them to carve up maps, and now the other side is upset because they're going to get called on it in elections.”The Senate adjourned soon afterward and will take up a third reading of HJ6006 today.Democrats file Constitutional Amendment for first referenceEarly discussions about a potential constitutional amendment in the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate this week did not include a lot of details about how a mid-Census Congressional redistricting would take place.House Joint Resolution 6007 was filed with the Virginia Legislative Information System on Tuesday, October 28. As of this publication it is in the House Privileges and Elections Committee because the Senate has not yet given itself permission to take up the matter.The amendment would amend Article II, Section 6, of the Virginia Constitution to insert language into the second paragraph.Here is the full text, with italicized words indicating new language.The Commonwealth shall be reapportioned into electoral districts in accordance with this section and Section 6-A in the year 2021 and every ten years thereafter, except that the General Assembly shall be authorized to modify one or more congressional districts at any point following the adoption of a decennial reapportionment law, but prior to the next decennial census, in the event that any State of the United States of America conducts a redistricting of such state's congressional districts at any point following that state's adoption of a decennial reapportionment law for any purpose other than (i) the completion of the state's decennial redistricting in response to a federal census and reapportionment mandated by the Constitution of the United States and established in federal law or (ii) as ordered by any state or federal court to remedy an unlawful or unconstitutional district map.Take a look at the whole text here. I'll continue to provide updates. Stories you might also read for October 29, 2025* Charlottesville Ale Trail brings people to craft beverage makers, Jackson Shock, October 27, 2025* U.Va. leaders defend Justice Department deal in letter to Charlottesville legislators, Cecilia Mould and Ford McCracken, Cavalier Daily, October 28, 2025* Council agrees to purchase $6.2 million office building for low-barrier shelter, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, October 29, 2025* Republican legislators slam Virginia redistricting proposal, Colby Johnson, WDBJ-7, October 27, 2025* Democrat Abigail Spanberger backs Virginia legislature's redistricting push, Steve People and Olivia Diaz, Associated Press, October 27, 2025* Va. Democrats roll out redistricting amendment to counter GOP map changes in other states, Markus Schmidt, October 28, 2025* Virginia Republicans Sue to Block Democratic Redistricting Push, Jen Rice, Democracy Docket, October 28, 2025* Redistricting session to resume Wednesday, WWBT, October 29, 2025Back to local again shortly after #947This is a unique version based on me wanting to go through the General Assembly recordings myself. I have a lot of local stories to get back to in the near future and I'm working extra this week to make sure I get back to them.They include:* Coverage of the discussion of 204 7th Street at the October 21, 2025 Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review* Coverage of last night's Albemarle Planning Commission public hearing on Attain on Fifth Street* Coverage of two discussions at last night's Greene County Board of SupervisorsAs expected, I work longer hours when I'm out of town on family business because I don't have the usual places to go. This is okay. Summer is over and it's time to hunker down and get to work. Today's end video is The Streets: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

A sermon preached by Fr. Kyle Williams for the Feast of Christ the King on Sunday, October 26, 2025 at All Saints Anglican Church in Charlottesville, Virginia.

This talk was given at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (UOC-USA) in Charlottesville, VA. In it, Fr. Anthony presents Orthodoxy's sacramental view of creation and uses music as an example of how the royal priesthood, in Christ, fulfills its commission to pattern the cosmos according to that of Eden. My notes from the talk: I'm grateful to be back in Charlottesville, a place stitched into my story by Providence. Years ago, the Army Reserves sent me here after 9/11. I arrived with a job in Ohio on pause, a tidy life temporarily dismantled, and a heart that didn't care for the way soldiers are sometimes told to behave. So I went looking for an Orthodox church. I found a small mission and—more importantly—people who took me in as family. A patient priest and his matushka mentored me for six years. If anything in my priesthood bears fruit, it is because love first took root here. Bishops have a sense of humor; mine sent a Georgian convert with no Slavic roots to a Ukrainian parish in Rhode Island. It fit better than anyone could have planned. The Lord braided my history, discovering even ancestral ties in New England soil. Later, when a young man named Michael arrived—a reader who became a subdeacon, a deacon, and in time a priest—our trajectories crossed again. Father Robert trained me; by grace I was allowed to help train Father Michael; and now he serves here. This is how God sings His providence—melodies introduced, developed, and returned, until love's theme is recognizable to everyone listening. Why focus on music and beauty? Because they are not ornamental to the Gospel; they are its native tongue. Beauty tutors us in a sacramental world, not a "God of the gaps" world—where faith retreats to whatever science has not yet explained—but a world in which God is everywhere present and filling all things. Beauty is one of the surest ways to share the Gospel, not as salesmanship or propaganda, but as participation in what the world was made to be. The Church bears a particular charism for beauty; secular beauty can reflect it, but often only dimly—and sometimes in ways that distort the pattern it imitates. Beauty meets the whole human person: the senses and gut, the reasoning mind, and the deep heart—the nous—where awe, reverence, and peace bloom. Music is a wonderfully concrete instance of all of this: an example, a symbol, and—when offered rightly—a sacrament of sanctifying grace. Saint John begins his Gospel with the Logos—not a mere "word" but the Word whose meaning includes order, reason, and intelligibility: "All things were made through Him." Creation, then, bears the Logos' stamp in every fiber; Genesis repeats the refrain, "and God saw that it was good"—agathos, not just kalos. Agathos is goodness that is beautiful and beneficial, fitted to bless what it touches. Creation is not simply well-shaped; it is ordered toward communion, toward glory, toward gift. The Creed confesses the Father as Creator, the Son as the One through whom all things were made, and the Spirit as the Giver of Life. Creation is, at root, Trinitarian music—harmonies of love that invite participation. If you like, imagine the first chapter of Genesis sung. We might say: in the beginning, there was undifferentiated sound; the Spirit hovered; the Logos spoke tone, time, harmony, and melody into being. He set boundaries and appointed seasons so that music could unfold in an ordered way. Then He shaped us to be liturgists—stewards who can turn noise into praise, dissonance into resolution. The point of the story is not that God needed a soundtrack; it is that the world bears a pattern and purpose that we can either receive with thanksgiving or twist into something self-serving and cacophonous. We know what happened. In Adam and Eve's fall, thorns and thistles accompanied our work. Pain entered motherhood, and tyranny stalked marriage. We still command tools of culture—city-building, metallurgy, and yes, even music—but in Cain's line we see creativity conscripted to self-exaltation and violence. The Tower of Babel is the choir of human pride singing perfectly in tune against God. That is how sin turns technique into idolatry. Saint Paul describes the creation groaning in agony, longing for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. This is not mere poetic flourish; it is metaphysical realism. The world aches for sanctified stewardship, for human beings restored to their priestly vocation. It longs for its music to be tuned again to the Logos. Christ enters precisely there—as the New Adam. Consider His Theophany. The Jordan "turns back," the waters are sanctified, because nothing impure remains in the presence of God. He does not merely touch creation; He heals it—beginning sacramentally with water, the primal element of both life and chaos. In our services for the Blessing of Water we sing, "Today the nature of the waters is sanctified… The Jordan is parted in two… How shall a servant lay his hand on the Master?" In prayer we cry, "Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your works… Wherefore, O King and Lover of mankind, be present now by the descent of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water." This is not magic; it is synergy. We offer bread, wine, water, oil; we make the sign of the cross; we chant what the Church gives—and God perfects our offering with His grace. The more we give Him to work with, the more He transfigures. And then Holy Friday: the terrible beauty of the Passion. Sin's dissonance swells to cacophony as the Source of Beauty is slandered, pierced, and laid in the tomb. Icons and hymns do not hide the scandal—they name it. Joseph and Nicodemus take down a body that clothes itself with light as with a garment. Creation shudders; the sun withdraws; the veil is rent. Liturgically, we let the discomfort stand; sometimes the chant itself presses the dissonance upon us so that we feel the fracture. But the dissonance does not have the last word; it resolves—not trivially, not cheaply—into the transcendent harmony of Pascha. On the night of the Resurrection, the church is dark, then a single candle is lit, and the light spills outward. We sing, "Come receive the Light from the unwaning Light," and then the troparion bursts forth: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…" The structure of salvation is musical: tension, longing, silence, and a resolution that is fuller than our peace had been before the conflict. Here is the pastoral heart of it: Christ restores our seal. Saint Paul says we are "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit." Think of a prosphora seal pressed into unbaked dough; the impression remains when the loaf is finished. Sin cracked our seal; everything we touched bore our corruptions. In Christ, the seal is made whole. In Baptism and Chrismation, that seal is pressed upon us—not only on the brow but on the whole person—so that our very engaging with the world can take on the pattern of the Logos again. We do not stop struggling—Paul's "what I would, I do not"—but we now struggle inside a music that resolves. Even our failures can become passing tones on the way to love, if we repent and return to the key. This is why the Church's common life matters so much. When we gather for Vespers and Liturgy, we enact the world's purpose. The Psalms give us perfect words; the Church's hymnody gives us perfected poetry. Music, rightly offered, is Logos-bearing—it is rational in the deepest sense—and love is the same. Music requires skill and repetition; so does love. Music benefits from different voices and timbres; love, too, is perfected when distinct persons yield to a single charity. Music engages and transfigures dissonance; love confronts conflict and heals it. Music honors silence; love rests and listens. These are not analogies we force upon the faith—they are the way creation is built. The world says, "sing louder," but the will to power always collapses into noise. The Church says, "sing together." In the Eucharistic assembly, the royal priesthood becomes itself—men, women, and children listening to one another, matching pitch and phrase, trusting the hand that gives the downbeat, and pouring our assent into refrains of "Lord have mercy" and "Amen." The harmony is not uniformity; it is concord. It is not sentimentality; it is charity given and received. And when the Lord gives Himself to us for the healing of soul and body, the music goes beyond even harmony; it becomes communion. That is why Orthodox Christians are most themselves around the chalice: beauty, word, community, and sacrament converge in one act of thanksgiving. From there, the pastoral task is simply to help people live in tune. For families: cultivate attentiveness, guard against codependence and manipulation, and practice small, steady habits—prayer, fasting, reconciliation—that form the instincts of love the way scales form a musician's ear. For parishes: refuse the twin temptations of relativism and control; resist both the shrug and the iron fist. We are not curators of a museum nor managers of a brand; we are a choir rehearsing resurrection. Attend to the three "parts" of the mind you teach: let the senses be purified rather than inflamed; let the intellect be instructed rather than flattered; and let the nous—the heart—learn awe. Where awe grows, so does mercy. And for evangelization in our late modern world—filled with distraction, suspicion, and exhaustion—beauty may prove to be our most persuasive speech. Not the beauty of mere "aesthetics," but agathos beauty—the kind that is beautiful and beneficial, that heals what it touches. People come to church for a thousand different reasons: loneliness, curiosity, habit, crisis. What they really long for is God. If the nave is well-ordered, if the chant is gentle and strong, if the icons are windows rather than billboards, if the faces of the faithful are kind—then even before a word is preached, the Gospel will have begun its work. "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth," the emissaries of Rus' once said of their time at worship in Hagia Sophia. Beauty did not close their minds; it opened them to truth. None of this bypasses suffering. In fact, beauty makes us more available to it, because we stop numbing ourselves and begin to love. The Scriptures do not hide this: the Jordan is sanctified, but the Cross remains; the tomb is real; the fast is pangful. Yet in Christ, dissonance resolves. The Church's hymnody—from Psalm 103 at the week's beginning to the Nine Odes of Pascha—trains us to trust the cadence that only God can write. We learn to wait in Friday night's hush, to receive the flame from the unwaning Light, and to sing "Christ is risen" not as a slogan but as the soundtrack of our lives. So: let us steward what we've been given. Let us make the sign of the cross over our children at bedtime; let our conversations overflow with psalmody; let contended silence have a room in every home; let reconciliation be practiced before the sun goes down. Let every parish be a school for choir and charity, where no one tries to sing over his brother, and no one is left straining alone in the back row. If we will live this way, not perfectly but repentantly, then in us the world will begin to hear the old pattern again—the Logos' pattern—where goodness is beautiful and beauty does good. And perhaps, by God's mercy, the Lord will make of our small obedience something larger than we can imagine: a melody that threads through Charlottesville and Anderson, through Rhode Island and Kyiv, through every parish and prison and campus, until the whole creation—long groaning—finds its voice. Let God arise. Let His enemies be scattered. Christ is risen, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

This week on Stitch Please, Lisa chats with costume designer LeVonne Lindsay, who turned a post breakup hobby into a career dressing drama literally. From sewing Barbie outfits to running a college costume shop, LeVonne shares what it really takes to make magic backstage. It's a fun, insightful dive into the world of stitches, stage lights, and saying no to shortcuts (until you've earned them).===========Dr. Lisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Instagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork======Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast--Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon Store

We use history a lot in our worldbuilding, whether as a direct re-interpretation or as inspiration for a secondary world that we're creating. So… why do we do that? And what choices do we need to examine as we do so? Guest Alix E. Harrow joins us to discuss weaving historical realities into our fiction. The construction of history is, itself, always the process of creating a narrative through authorial and editorial choices, and so not as wildly different from writing fiction as it may seem. That interrelation means there is an ethical component to worldbuilding, particularly when dealing with issues of imperialism, colonialism, and historically marginalized populations. How do we interrogate the stories we've received, the information our research turns up, and the assumptions both we and our readers might make based on what we think we know about history? [Transcript for Episode 166] Our Guest:  Alix E. Harrow is the NYT-bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Once and Future Witches, Starling House, and various short fiction, including a duology of retold fairy tales (A Spindle Splintered and A Mirror Mended). Her work has won a Hugo and a British Fantasy Award, and been shortlisted for the Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, Southern Book Prize, and Goodreads Choice awards. She's from Kentucky, but now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband and their two semi-feral kids.

UVA and White House move closer to a deal; Richmond's new registrar tries to rebuild trust in the office after scandal; and a state commission recommends improvements to Virginia's special education system.   Read more  Eugene Williams, lifelong Charlottesville activist, dies at 97  'We reject the compact': UVA community speaks out at National Day of Action  Note: VPM's Fall 2025 membership campaign is ongoing now through Oct. 31. Click or tap here to see our matching challenges.  Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism. 

Hey Doc—This week's episode is one of my favorites yet because it's a full-circle moment.I'm sitting down with my friend Dr. Sarah Stombaugh—family medicine physician, obesity medicine specialist, private practice owner, coach, podcast host, and mom of three.And fun fact: she's the reason I started Dr. Toya Coaching.Yep. You've heard me mention her before. The woman who looked me in the eye and said, “That's not a medical practice. That's coaching.”And here we are. Two years later. Full circle.In this conversation, we walk through Dr. Sarah's incredible journey—from meeting her husband in med school and navigating the couples match, to having her first baby the day before residency graduation (yes, really).We talk about the chaos of postpartum, what it was like to parent through a pandemic while her husband was a critical care fellow, and how she finally built a life that honored her values.It's a story of boundaries, self-trust, and creating work that actually fits the life you want—not the other way around.You'll laugh, you'll probably tear up, and if you're in a season of questioning what's next, this episode will remind you that you can design something better.Dr. Sarah Stombaugh is a family medicine physician and diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Graduating from Creighton University Medical School and completing her family medicine residency at University of Chicago, Dr. Stombaugh practiced outpatient primary care in Evanston, Illinois before moving to Charlottesville, Virginia with her family.Upon moving to Charlottesville, Dr. Stombaugh opened a private practice weight loss clinic, in which she sees patients in-person at her downtown Charlottesville office and by telemedicine throughout the states of Virginia, Tennessee, and Illinois.In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Stombaugh is the host of the "Conquer Your Weight" podcast. Through this platform, she shares valuable insights, expert opinions, and practical advice on weight management, contributing to the well-being of a broader audience.Dr. Stombaugh believes in empowering both individuals and the medical community in order to promote an evidence-based approach to the treatmeWhat did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know! Thinking about leaving your job? Start here. Before you walk out for the last time, make sure nothing gets left behind. The Empowered Exit Checklist helps you leave with clarity, peace, and a plan.

We get more stories from Lunchbox as he is back in the studio from his trip to LA. Bobby takes callers from listeners giving Lunchbox advice on The Price Is Right…before they knew he didn’t make it. Bobby tells the story of his former waiter who now is making it as a songwriter with 2 number 1 songs and a CMA nomination. Amy talks about her first road trip with her boyfriend to Charlottesville for a UVA game. She also shares why she was mortified after dropping her drink on one of her boyfriend’s friends. Amy nailed another psychic prediction. Eddie shares the worst story of all-time in the room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Find your No Kings Protest March/Rally at https://www.nokings.org/ This week, we're asking the only question that matters: Will what we do actually help?What does it mean to be "effective" in the fight to save democracy? Did throwing pies at Bill Kristol, Rupert Murdoch, or Newt Gingrich ever change anything? And why should we always ask ourselves the Bridge of Spies question: "Would it help?"We'll explore how the Irish Grapefruit Ladies fought apartheid and won, and why the Civil Rights movement succeeded—not just because of peaceful discipline, but because national media attention forced the federal government to act. What happens when the entire dynamic reverses and the racist thug is in the White House instead of standing in the schoolhouse door?This a voter problem—a "Vox Populi" problem—not just a Trump problem.The word of the day is "effective." Let's figure out what that means.Photo from Charlottesville protest by Ted Eytan via https://inkstickmedia.com/ (Creative Commons). Not safe for work. Recorded live from the Cornfield Resistance.Stay in Touch! Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.comWebsite: proleftpod.comSupport via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpodor Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpodMail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791(Please note: NO podcast next Tuesday; we'll be back Thursday 10/23)Support the show

Also: State employees are being furloughed due to the federal shutdown; Richmond Public Schools hits graduation rate highs; Chesterfield Supervisor Jim Holland dies at age 73 — and more Central Virginia news.  Read more Longtime Chesterfield supervisor Jim Holland dies at 73 Richmond City Council votes down real estate tax relief proposal Our award-winning work is made possible with your donations. Visit vpm.org/donate to support local journalism. 

Check out Christ Episcopal Church, Charlottesville (https://www.christchurchcville.org/), where David serves as Adult Education Minister.

During the violent Charlottesville protests of 2017, journalist and author P.E. Moskowitz was only a few feet away when Heather Heyer was killed by an attacking motorist. 16 years earlier, P.E. was in middle school Spanish class a couple blocks from the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. The trauma contributed to panic attacks and, finally, a mental breakdown. As they got their life back together, P.E. began to question a lot of conventional wisdom. Were they mentally ill to have such a breakdown or were they responding appropriately to enormous trauma in a difficult world? Are we looking at potential cures when we should be looking at coping or better yet coming up with ways to stop the horrors from ever taking place? They also questioned the role of drugs in mental health treatment. In the book Breaking Awake: A Reporter's Search for a New Life, and a New World, Through Drugs and in this intriguing interview, P.E. explains how they look at drugs - both the prescription and street varieties - as tools that can be used positively or negatively, to help or harm. And that patients are owed a lot more options than a shortcut to SSRIs or Adderall in their quest to feel better.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you're part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group. Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines 

This week on Stitch Please, Lisa and Mind the Force Podcast host Kristine McPartlin geek out over the secret language of Star Wars fashion from Luke's hopeful robes to Darth Vader's villain chic. They laugh about the Empire's tiny hats, dissect Jedi linen minimalism, and revel in Queen Amidala's 20 yard gowns. It's a hilarious, insightful dive into how every stitch in a galaxy far, far away tells a story and yes, sometimes that story is simply “Nazis bad.”====Where You Can Find Kristine! MInd The Force Podcast===========Dr. Lisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers on Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville, Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation.Instagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa Woolfork======Stay Connected:YouTube: Black Women StitchInstagram: Black Women StitchFacebook: Stitch Please Podcast--Sign up for the Black Women Stitch quarterly newsletterCheck out our merch hereLeave a BACKSTITCH message and tell us about your favorite episode.Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonCheck out our Amazon Store