Snap o' the day: dawning Main
Today’s shot was taken from a vehicle stopped at the corner of Main and JPA, an area that will likely change in coming years as UVA develops its South Lawn Project, its cancer center, and as Bill Atwood develops his so-called “East Lawn Project.” (0)

Tech families get $208,000
Relatives of those killed in the Virginia Tech massacre will receive checks for $208,000, the Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday. The money is administered by the same man who administered the 9/11 fund. (0)

Robot reck: Tommy Jr.'s out
Charlottesville-based robot car Tommy Jr. has fallen out of the competition for a $2 million first prize, the Daily Progress reports this morning. Tommy Jr., you may recall, got a beer and pizza party from his engineers and friends before setting off to the government contest in California. (0)

Abshire civil suit continued
The husband of a young woman killed in a hit and run near Barboursville last November 3 was due in Charlottesville District Court today to answer a claim that he defaulted on a loan; however, car trouble kept him away. A post-it note stuck to his file revealed Eric Dee Abshire had called to say his car had broken down on Route 3, and that he was awaiting a tow-truck to assist him in getting to court. According to a civil suit filed by UVA Credit Union, Abshire, who remains at the center of swirling questions regarding the death of his wife, Justine Swartz Abshire, who will be memorialized on Saturday, owes $3,100. His hearing has been continued to November 13. (0)

Who killed the Ruckersville Parkway?
map: CharlottesvilleTomorrow.org With the recent state opinion that Charlottesville could owe $45 million for what’s been spent so far on the Route 29 Bypass, a question has arisen in the Hook newsroom: who killed the Ruckersville Parkway? Short answer: the County supervisors. On April 5, 2006, they voted to remove it from consideration in the local road matrix. The Parkway, a cars-only route that addresses many of the criticisms of the state’s proposed $270 million-plus Bypass, would utilize existing rights-of-way as well as parts of the would-be Bypass footprint to move traffic around heavily trafficked parts of Route 29 North. It was proposed two years ago, got a hearing a couple of months later, but lost favor after Greene County officials dismissed it as a non-starter and Supervisors and other planners failed to commit any significant funding. Yet the alleged rebirth of the Bypass has renewed fears that the state could be building one whopper of an obsolete road. So tell us… what’s so wrong with the Ruckersville Parkway? # (0)