C-VILLE Weekly is the local free indie paper for Charlottesville, Virginia — my neck of the woods since 2014. I freelanced for them on and off since 2017, covering everything from restaurant and architecture reviews to profiles and front-page features. In December 2025, I joined C-VILLE full-time as its Senior News Reporter, working on both weekly news coverage and longform feature stories. Here’s some of my favorite work for them.

Greene County, Red Lights

AUG. 12, 2026

The sheriff just north of Charlottesville worked with ICE to detain 49 people in a single day. I analyzed traffic stop data and bodycam footage, finding that the sheriff’s office appeared to be stopping disproportionate and rising numbers of Latino drivers since signing a deal with ICE — in apparent violation of Virginia law.

ALSO IN THIS SERIES:

• They tried to fit in and follow the rules—until traffic stops turned their lives upside down (with Catie Ratliff)

• Greene County Sheriff’s Office stages mass immigration detention in concert with federal officials (with Catie Ratliff)

Two Story Building

JUNE 17, 2026

After more than six weeks digging into reports of alarming conditions at a local housing complex set up as a haven for folks with nowhere else to go, I found one building with two stories. It’s a place where staff seem to sincerely want to help — and where residents say they’ve been plagued with bedbugs, black mold, and bodies that don’t get found for days.

Tour Wars

JUNE 10, 2026

My editor asked me to cover the state of tourism in Charlottesville. I stumbled into a quiet but ongoing feud between businesses and the surrounding county about tourism spending and taxation, and behind-the-scenes reports of dysfunction on the local tourism board.

John McGuire vs. The Fifth District

MAY 20, 2026

In Virginia’s Fifth District, conservative Congressman John McGuire believed his 2025 vote for the Trump-backed One Big Beautiful Bill would bring prosperity. Experts, the people it affected, and the available facts argued otherwise. I interviewed the usually press-shy McGuire for the piece, researching his often heartbreaking family history to try to understand why someone who grew up in rough circumstances would deny help to people in similarly dire straits. (His press secretary called the article “a hit piece.”)

ALSO IN THIS SERIES:

• John McGuire vs. the ACA

• John McGuire vs. SNAP

• John McGuire vs. Hospitals

• John McGuire vs. Taxes

Red Club, Blue School, New Rules

April 1, 2026

At a fairly liberal local high school, a conservative student club backed by Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA was making waves, drawing huge crowds to high-profile in-school events with big-name speakers. The school board stepped in with rule changes that the club said targeted its very existence. But other students said the club's story of adoring crowds who love civil discourse wasn’t quite that cut-and-dried. 

The Three Faces of Steve

MARCH 4, 2026

On a single day in early February, five local hospitality businesses — all owned by the same company — suddenly closed, their funds run dry, surprising customers and staff alike. What went wrong? For nearly a month, I investigated the career of the person behind it all, finding a story that grew more fascinating the deeper I went.

What if ICE Comes Here?

FEB. 18, 2026

After watching federal immigration enforcement terrorize Minneapolis, I wanted to see how Charlottesville was preparing for the possibility of an unnatural disaster like this. I spoke with clergy, activists, law enforcement, prosecutors, hospitals, and more to see what plans we had in place. The more power those people had, the less they often wanted to speak.

Game of Throws

FEB. 4, 2026

A local group of disc golf devotees braves the elements every winter to raise money for food banks. I talked to players about what they love about the sport, and why anyone would want to try to throw a Frisbee into a basket through dense stands of trees in freezing temperatures.

ICE Contractors

JAN. 28, 2026

At press time, only one company in the Charlottesville area was fulfilling contracts with ICE — and catching heat for it on social media. I interviewed the CEO and dug into federal records to give readers the facts on what the company was providing and how it might be used.

Car-Light Families

SEPT. 24, 2025

As e-bikes gain popularity, some local families are swapping cars for pedal power. I interviewed people making that switch about the pleasures and potential perils of getting around on two wheels (and a battery).

Local Water Supply

July 9, 2025

Where does our water come from? How do we keep it safe? How will a changing climate affect our supply? To answer those questions, I interviewed local officials and environmental experts, following the water we drink from up in the clouds to out of our taps.

E-Bike Rebate Vouchers

June 18, 2025

To get more people out of their cars and help clear the roads and the air, the City of Charlottesville started a voucher lottery, helping make e-bikes more affordable for everyday citizens. I talked with the administrator of the program, voucher recipients, and e-bike activists to gauge the program’s success, and discover where it has room to improve.