Good morning, Charlottesville.

Charlottesville marked its ninth annual Close Your Mouth and Listen Day on Monday, Sept.

21 where community members learned the value of listening to others.

Charlottesville’s Loop De’Ville trail festival offers walking, running and biking events along the Rivanna Trail starting Sunday, Sept.

27. Participants can choose from multiple route options and enjoy a finish-line party with a DJ and food trucks from noon to 8 p.m.

Charlottesville Parks and Recreation will remove invasive plants from city parks from September to October.

Crews mark affected areas (including Pen Park) with signs and dyes to help protect vegetation and support pollinators.

UVA Health's robotic surgery team performed the world's first mitral valve repair using the new Memo 4D Curve last month at the University Medical Center, allowing patients a quicker two-day recovery + no post-op lifting restrictions.

A study by Virginia Hunger Study released Sept.

21 shows 42% of households faced food insecurity from May 2025 to May 2026 & over half of households with children did not always have enough food; the Blue Ridge region’s rate was 37%.

UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center warns that some products labeled as Cat’s Claw in Charlottesville may actually contain kratom, a substance that causes opioid symptoms and addiction.

The center calls for increased oversight to improve quality control and protect consumers.

AAA research shows that nationwide crash data reveals children are moved out of car seats too early, with nearly nine in 10 switching to seatbelts before they are ready, which experts say increases risk.

Experts advise parents to base child seat transitions on a child's size rather than age.

University Medical Center in Charlottesville earned a high B grade (3.18, just 0.02 shy of an A) in the spring Leapfrog report on patient safety and will work to boost its performance when the November update is released.

New nationwide crash data revealed nearly nine in 10 children moved too soon to seatbelts, with proper buckling dropping from 78% at age three to 45% by age six.

AAA advised local families in Charlottesville to base car seat transitions on a child's size (not age).

UVa lost 38 to 27 to West Virginia on Saturday night in Charlotte (the team struggled with blitzes and injuries, including losing Jason Hammond after elbow surgery).

Coach Tony Elliott said the team remains focused on making the ACC title game and will play Delaware at Scott Stadium on Saturday.

UVA field hockey snapped a 20-year losing streak by beating North Carolina 2-1 in Chapel Hill on Sunday — Virginia women's soccer rallied with a 3-0 win over Miami at home while men's soccer fell 3-2 to Wake Forest on Saturday.

The teams will face new opponents later this week.