The week in review
Least surprising aftermath of the June 26 SCOTUS gay marriage ruling: The ACLU of Virginia says it will file a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Virginia laws that deny same-sex couples the freedom to marry.
Most suspicious death: Vincent Shifflett, 22, dies June 27 from what is at first believed to be an aneurysm until it comes to light he was hit on the head outside Riverside North the night before, NBC29 reports.
Most dangerous getaway: A 3am July 8 call to police about car larcenies on Huntington Road results in the suspected perps running the stop sign at Rio Road, going off the road at Pine Haven Court, slamming into a parked car, continuing on the sidewalk, and crashing into brick stairs, according to an Albemarle police release. The driver and two passengers flee, and Rashaun Perkins, 23, is apprehended minutes later on Greenbrier Drive.
Biggest mass exodus: A majority of VMI's English department faculty resign over disagreements in a change in curriculum that moves away from literature to focus on rhetoric and composition. The Chronicle for Higher Education has the story.
Biggest pot bust: Police arrest Orange County man Kurt Rohling, 48, after finding 67 marijuana plants July 2 they say are worth more than $234K, the DP reports.
Most grim anniversary: July 4 marks 15 years since Quinn Woodfolk, then 11 years old, disappeared in Charlottesville. He joins Katie Worsky, who went missing in 1982, and Dashad "Sage" Smith, who hasn't been seen since November.
Latest in the Star Scientific scandal: House Minority Leader David Toscano writes Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to question Cuccinelli's own ties to Star CEO Jonnie Williams. Toscano had earlier called for Cuccinelli to resign while running for governor. And Governor Bob McDonnell's spokesman denies a rumor that the governor is resigning.
Latest former UVA football player to run afoul of the law: Ahmad Brooks, now a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, is the target of an investigation of allegations that he repeatedly hit a teammate on the head with a beer bottle, according to the AP.
Latest abrupt resignation of a UVA coach: Swim team coach Mark Bernandino's July 2 press release announcing his departure after 35 years has supporters questioning whether he left of his own volition, Whitelaw Reid reports in the Progress. Longtime women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan made a surprise exit in 2011 immediately after losing in the ACC tournament after 34 years as head coach.
Second highest out-of-state tuition: UVA gets the public university nod from U.S. News & World Report at $38,018, coming in behind most-expensive Michigan. Both schools will charge more for the upcoming school year.
Fifth highest salary: Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's $175,000 annual paycheck ties with New Jersey for fifth highest paid governors in the country, while Maine's governor is paid a more modest $70K. Former DP reporter Olympia Meola has the story in the Times-Dispatch.
Worst traffic nightmare: The U.S. 250 Bypass narrows to one lane each way while the median is removed for the interchange construction at McIntire Road, which will also be reduced to one lane from Harris Street.
Best news for Canadian sperm counters: A UVA biotech spinoff, SpermCheck, has the okay to sell its over-the-counter male fertility test in Canada, and the product is already available in U.S. stores and online.
Most perplexing: Why Walmart is such a frequent target of bomb threats. The local emporium was evacuated July 2 for nearly two hours. Last August, reports of a man with a "suspicious package" closed the store for several hours, and Walmarts across the country, most recently in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Johnson City, New York, have received such phone calls.