Good morning, Charlottesville.

Botanical Garden of the Piedmont began its Build in Bloom campaign at a 15-acre site in McIntire Park.

The expansion will add a visitor center, garden pavilion and event space, with construction set to begin later this summer + local leaders express excitement for the project.

On May 9, postal workers and community donors collected 120,692 pounds of food and $6,401 online for the Blue Ridge Food Bank's Stamp Out Hunger drive serving a 25-county area — these donations will support more than 119,780 meals for local neighbors.

A Charlottesville native and UVA School of Nursing alum will appear on Jeopardy on Friday, June 5.

Seth McElroy, a registered nurse at UVA Health who once had a college tryout, will compete on NBC (7:30 p.m.).

The Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Building What’s Next membership meeting — a forum to review its progress and outline future plans for economic growth — where business and community leaders addressed workforce challenges and discussed support for local companies.

Wertland Street — a historic corridor linking town and gown near UVA — was added to Virginia’s 2026 endangered places list after local preservation groups expressed concern for its future.

Local officials already denied a demolition permit for the Wertenbaker House to help protect the area.

Albemarle County School Board officials shared that Mountain View Upper Elementary will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 24 at 10 a.m. while Ace Academy Lambs Lane will host its opening event on July 31 and detailed recent leadership changes along with budget process feedback during the Supervisors’ meeting.

Middle schoolers attended FutureWorks Learning Labs at Charlottesville High School last week, exploring STEM topics such as environmental engineering and food science through hands-on projects.

City school instructors and guest speakers (funded by a Virginia Department of Education grant) offered real-world insights and plan to return next summer after renovations.

United Way awarded $100,000 to 14 childcare providers from Charlottesville to neighboring counties, creating more than 100 new slots.

The grants will help centers expand classrooms, hire staff, or launch after-school programs to ease the current shortfall (3,200 missing spots) for local families.

The Cavalier Marching Band raised $57,000 ahead of UVA football's season opener against NC State — the game has been moved from Brazil to Scott Stadium.