Published March 2, 2006 in issue 0509 of the HooK.

Latest Whisper Ridge woes: Police search the perennially plagued teen mental health facility February 23 in response to allegations of sexual assault. The Arlington Boulevard institution has faced investigations of abuse under its earlier incarnations as Millmont Center and then the Brown Schools of Virginia. Now the state mental health commissioner threatens to yank its license.

Latest City Council candidate: Councilor Rob Schilling announces he'll seek reelection in the May 2 election. Schilling, Council's only Republican, faces Democrat challengers Dave Norris and Julian Taliaferro.

Latest School Board candidate: Vance High, who ran for City Council in 2004 as an independent, announces his bid for a spot on Charlottesville's first elected School Board. High, a former teacher, says he's running in honor of Corporal Jeffrey Starr, a former student who died in Iraq May 30.

Most homophobic state, Part 1: Attorney General Bob McDonnell opines that an executive order protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination as state employees-- signed by former Governor Mark Warner and Governor Tim Kaine-- is unconstitutional.

Most homophobic state, Part 2: After both houses of the General Assembly overwhelmingly approve a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, both bodies agree that the full text of the amendment, which opponents say could be used to deny benefits to unmarried couples whether gay or straight, will be on the ballot in November,.

Best protest props: Students demanding $10.72 an hour for university workers at a February 21 living wage rally carry oversized $10 bills that they drop on the desk of the secretary of UVA President John Casteen-- until university police deny their entrance to Madison Hall. Melanie Mayhew has the story in the Daily Progress.

Biggest muffin mystery: UVA students are not allowed to give muffins to UVA's housekeeping staff as a show of support, according to a February 22 WINA report.

Worst first: Danielle Howard, 22, is found shot in the middle of a street in Gordonsville shortly after midnight February 22, the first Central Virginia killing of the year.

Biggest assist in the investigation: An NBC29 photographer finds a shell casing on the scene that investigators say is from a Sig Sauer, but wouldn't comment whether that was the type of handgun used to kill Howard.

Most confusing cousins: A special grand jury sorts through testimony from partying eyewitnesses to the shooting of Ashley Toney, 19, resulting in the conviction of Christopher James Green of felony murder February 22. Charges originally were brought against Green's cousin, Phillip Jamar Green.

Most meritorious Wake Forest alum: Former Daily Progress owner Eugene Worrell is awarded Wake Forest's highest honor, the Medallion of Merit, February 21.

Most challenging: The Dave Matthews Band's charitable arm, Bama Works, pledges $550,000 to complete the City Center for Contemporary Arts, aka the Live Arts building, and challenges the community to match its donation to raise the $1.1 million the arts center needs to finish its capital campaign by the end of the year.

Worst blow to the neighborhood model: Scottsville Town Council votes nay to an ordinance that would have allowed higher-density development.

Biggest jackpot: Eight meatpackers in Nebraska split a $365 million pot, each pocketing a $15.5 million after-tax check.

Most serious playing around: An estimated 500 board-game enthusiasts flood the DoubleTree for a frenzy of play February 22-26 at PrezCon 2006.

Whitest: A study shows that the majority of students who check "other" for race on college applications later identify themselves as white, the Cav Daily reports.

Biggest exhale: A House of Delegates subcommittee kills a Senate bill to ban smoking in all indoor spaces-- including restaurants and bars. Bars?

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