For more information on flood safety and preparedness visit the National Weather Service website UPDATE 2:30 PM 9/30:  The National Weather Service has extended the Flood Warning for Albemarle and Rockingham counties until 6 PM this evening including the Mechums River near White Hall Though water levels have started to recede in some areas Locations affected by flooding include Charlottesville and White Hall.adButlerLazyLoad("18564657843169962",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); a Flood Warning is in effect for the Rivanna River at Palmyra in Fluvanna County until Wednesday morning the river’s water level was recorded at 13.8 feet with levels expected to rise above the flood stage of 17 feet by late this afternoon The river is forecast to crest at 18.4 feet by Tuesday afternoon affecting the Palmyra boat launch and the Crofton Boat Ramp Residents are advised to take precautions in flood-prone areas and avoid driving through flooded roads as most flood-related fatalities occur in vehicles Flood Watch Extended Until 11 PM: A Flood Watch remains in effect for portions of central and western Virginia Moderate to heavy showers are expected to continue with an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain possible The heaviest rainfall is expected between noon and 8 PM raising concerns for flash flooding in low-lying areas.adButlerLazyLoad("15775707972089780",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); Stay updated as conditions continue to change across the region UVA Alert Monday morning from self-inflicted gunshot incident The Nelson County Sheriff and The AWARE Foundation of Virginia asking help finding a missing Nelson County teen Governor Youngkin took final actions to complete the legislative session for 2025 in the General Assembly City Council Monday night considers a grant program to assist low- and moderate-income people whose home ownership in the city may be in jeopardy due to financial stress associated with costs owning that home Virginia’s standing as one of the top states in the nation for patient safety in hospital settings has again been affirmed in the Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade rankings Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again Hollymead House’s “Hessian Room,” the first part of the inn The surname Runk is familiar to many at the University of Virginia known as “Dee,” was the school’s dean of students from 1959 to 1968 an honorific held by Edmund “Butch” Brodie III director of UVA’s Mountain Lake Biological Station Benjamin Franklin Dewees Runk was UVA’s dean of students from 1959 to 1968 “‘Dee’ Runk had an excellent relationship with the students; he was the recipient of the first IMP Award given by the IMP Society ‘to a faculty member who had been outstanding in promoting student-faculty relations and perpetuating the traditions of the university,’” Virginius Dabney wrote in his 1981 book He lived there with his mother and sister for 30 years the original portion of the home is a 1780 log cabin once occupied by Hessian prisoners a man named John Jefferies bought the home from Thomas Carr and built a large Federal-style addition 1984 UVA alumna Pam Calary and her husband The two purchased the property in 2018 in an auction and operate it as Hollymead House “I never wanted to leave Charlottesville,” said Pam for 30 years and raised their daughter Lily there they made regular summer trips to Charlottesville and dreamed of moving to town Once their daughter left for college those dreams nagged at them more than ever “We spent time here looking all over the place and realized that it had become a destination for weddings or wine we kind of thought we could make it work that way,” Pam said of making the move “I don’t think we thought it would ever happen. But after a series of life-changing events known for his restoration work at Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg “He had Milton Grigg completely redo it,” William said “He’s the one who put in plumbing and electrical and built a few additions on either side of it and really made it the beautiful house that it is.” it operated as Hollymead Inn and later the Silver Thatch Inn The Calarys were determined to return the house to Grigg glory The restoration took dedication and determination did lots of painting and tore down wallpaper as it appeared in the 1967 sales brochure for Runk’s home complete with a grandfather clock and duck decoy “I’ve painted every inch inside and out of this place and I’m still working on it,” William said The couple has filled the manor home and accompanying guest cottage with age-appropriate antiques grandfather clocks and canopy beds with custom-sewn covers and luxury linens Each of the cottage bedrooms is named for one of the previous owners of the original manor home its walls painted a soothing shade of yellow It features a framed photo of the former dean of students carrying the UVA Mace on the Lawn in 1964 healthy breakfast that includes macerated fresh fruit The Calarys say they love being close to the University and since they have opened their doors to inn guests they have enjoyed hosting many UVA families who come to Charlottesville for all sorts of events Pam said she cherishes staying involved with the school serving on the Board of Governors for the Colonnade Club the Benefactor’s Society Board of the College Foundation and the Charlottesville Symphony Society at UVA I just knew that I wanted to come back here,” she said The TimesIf you are investing in a tracker fund that does it really matter which one you choose It’s a bit like choosing whether to buy your milk at Tesco or Sainsbury’s — it all comes from the same place Only all trackers are not equal Essentially all tracker funds are doing the same thing: trying to copy the holdings and overall performance of a chosen index — be that the S&P 500 About 80 per cent of my investment portfolio sits in one global tracker fund, a fact I admitted A 500-unit development could be coming to Hollymead Stony Point Development Group and Dominion Realty Partners recently submitted an application to Albemarle County seeking approval for a project “comprised of low-rise apartments would be located on just shy of 31 acres of largely wooded land at the southeast corner of U.S Route 29 and South Hollymead Drive surrounded on three sides by existing residential development The submitted plans call for detached townhouses as well as one- Just to Holly Hills’ south would be the RST Residences a large development approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2021 much to the chagrin of some in the Forest Lakes Neighborhood Association Those neighbors cited road safety and traffic building heights and possible stormwater runoff dangers as the cause behind their concerns Only one county supervisor voted against that development: Bea LaPisto-Kirtley whose Rivanna District includes the area where the project will be located Those skeptical of Holly Hills will have plenty of time to make their opposition known The development still has a significant number of hurdles to clear as no public meeting has yet been held the Holly Hills application will need to have two public hearings — one before the Planning Commission and one before the Board of Supervisors — county spokeswoman Abbey Stumpf told The Daily Progress “Neither public hearing has been scheduled at this time.” Stumpf said the county and the applicants will schedule a separate event “where nearby property owners will be invited to learn more about the proposal and provide comment.” Stony Point Development Group and Dominion Realty Partners’ plans for the Holly Hills development in Albemarle County call for 500 units on roughly 31 acres of land north of Charlottesville county staff will review the submitted application and provide the applicant with questions The Holly Hills application claims that both Dominion Realty and Stony Point met with “representatives from the Forest Lakes and Hollymead communities” on Sept the joint venture will consider mitigating any adverse impacts to neighboring properties and public roads It would also build a right turn lane to access the property from Route 29 in an effort to create a safe access point and help with traffic flow The proposed Holly Hills development in Albemarle County would be located at the southeast corner of U.S “Through use of the site’s natural topography Holly Hills is designed to respect the character of the surrounding area,” the application reads It claims the project is in accordance with the county Comprehensive Plan and that it includes a “significant commitment” to affordable housing at least 15% of all multifamily units in the project will consist of affordable housing units “Affordable” in this instance means 80% of the area’s median income which some argue is not particularly affordable In nearby Charlottesville’s current zoning proposal while housing advocates argue it should be 50% or lower Amenities included in the proposal for the Holly Hills development in Albemarle County include a pool The proposal seems to suggest that while the sales price of the townhouse units may be high they’ll be affordable because of their size “Although the sale price of the townhome units may not qualify as affordable under the County standards the modest size of the townhome units are proposed to allow them to be more affordable for Albemarle County residents without the need for a housing subsidy,” the application says Neither Dominion Realty nor Stony Point responded to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Progress about the proposed project jarmesto@dailyprogress.com Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Writers Bruce and Elaine Ingram share their travel experience during a quick jaunt to Charlottesville including a historical stay and visiting a popular chocolate shop But how'd they do at the Scrabble Club game night and moist biscuits while sitting in a room built by Hessian soldiers (circa 1780) is reason enough to visit Charlottesville and the Hollymead House William and Pam Calary moved to Charlottesville in 2018 “We had talked a lot about moving back from Tampa,” said Pam who is a UVA alum “We would visit and when things finally came together we moved here We rented for a year while we got to know the area better.” especially given William’s almost encyclopedic knowledge of history Elaine Ingram and Pam Calary chat while in the Hollymead library “Charlottesville was a huge station for receiving Hessian soldiers during the Revolutionary War,” said William “The battle of Saratoga had ended and these soldiers were marched from New York to here Legend has it that some of those soldiers built the first parts of this house in the 1770s or 1780s John Jefferies added a two-story Federal House adjoining the original structure The old homestead was in poor condition when B.F.D but the unmistakable lines of the old Tidewater Virginia homes suggested that the work of putting the house into condition should be rather a restoration than a remodeling He hired architect and preservationist Milton Grigg to plan its restoration.” Grigg had already worked on restorations at UVA Hollymead House has had several owners and was even used for a number of years as a country restaurant This fact left William and Pam with lots of plans they wished to implement “You learn as you go – we’ve done most of this work ourselves with some local help We spent a lot of time undoing changes that had been made over the last fifty years.” Their goal is to restore the historic structure to its appearance as it was in 1937 after the restoration while emphasizing its earlier Federal history in the décor Upon our arrival our first view was of an open porch that had been one of the Calary’s early projects The porch had been enclosed at one time when the house served as a restaurant and the couple restored it to its original appearance “This porch as well as this driveway actually were at the back of the house if you look at its history,” William said “People did their driving to the rear of a home at one time.” and found a restoration expert to make sure all locks are in working order even creating replacement keys when necessary A door key in this case is approximately six inches long – no room key cards or big box store replacement keys in this inn The couple also removed carpet and wallpaper always with the goal of making the structure look as it did in its earlier history and Federal roots This required research of paint colors as well as items of décor One fortuitous happening for the Calarys was that much of their shopping for furnishings began in the early days of the pandemic “We spent three years finding period appropriate antiques for the home things that made its Federal history distinct from a colonial one.” William and Pam Calary have lovingly restored the Hollymead to its earlier glory Currently there are four bedrooms available in an adjoining guest cottage Each is named for a previous owner of Hollymead House - the Jefferies The Calarys plan to add three more lodging spaces one of two first-floor rooms in the Guest Cottage The common foyer has a sideboard prepared with coffee and water Beside the door to our room was an umbrella a thoughtful detail had the weather been a problem the next morning when we went to the main house for breakfast Our room boasted a queen-sized handmade tiger maple bed with carved posters and a canopy Heart pine flooring gave the room a vintage feel An antique writing desk and bedside tables added to the Federal feel to the room We both appreciated the inviting touches to the room – the vase of fresh roses nationally known for its quality chocolates Bottled water had been left on the fireplace mantle We also found books on Charlottesville’s attractions The bath with a shower was stocked with fluffy towels Directly across the street from Hollymead House is a paved walking trail that traverses nearby neighborhoods Bruce traveled the gently sloping trail to Hollymead Lake and back William explained that more trails were nearby as well including a nature hike around the aforementioned lake as well as lots of trails in adjacent Forest Lakes I opted for an early-morning cup of coffee outdoors padded rockers and a wrought-iron table and chairs adorned the front yard I sat in the shade of a Siberian Elm tree that I decided must be about as old as the house based on the trunk’s size Working on the grounds has been another of Pam and William’s projects opening the large yard and highlighting the mature trees there The duo is striving to create an open setting as well as build a privacy screen of plantings Hollymead lies only six miles from Monticello The couple enjoy recreating connections that would have been common between the two homes in the past they planted heritage apple trees from Monticello’s gardens and Father Abraham were common vintage varieties from a time when every homestead hosted an orchard William Calary serving granola to Elaine as part of the Hollymead breakfast experience Large groups might eat in the Garden Room where several tables are available We breakfasted in the aforementioned Hessian Room named for mercenaries who are reported to have built part of the structure and the original fireplace some purchased for this home and others that came from Florida with the couple William explained that two of the framed pieces on the wall are actually created from silk threading a popular form of needlework in the early 1800s Of course with a name like the Hessian Room it wasn’t surprising to see andirons of the German soldiers overseeing the premises When my husband Bruce and I contacted the Charlottesville Scrabble Club to see if we could come play with them and they answered yes we decided to make a night and day of our brief visit our next stop was dinner at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop where the club often meets “We try to bring a different type of flair/vibe to the Tex-Mex scene,” said owner Pete Shah fresh and fun with our food and service – all in a laid back One of the most popular entrees at Fuzzy’s Taco is the Grilled Shrimp Taco Shah says Fuzzy’s customers often like to start with Chips & Queso with favorite entrées including the Grilled Shrimp Taco and Fried Avocado Taco We opted for grilled shrimp tacos for me and a grilled chicken salad for Bruce Our Scrabble tournament did not go well in terms of victories as we lost all six games by close to 700 points Those Charlottesville Scrabble players are really good but we learned a great deal and hope to return… and do better After a night and breakfast at the Hollymead our last stop was Gearheart’s Fine Chocolates I have enjoyed the company’s products for years anniversary and Christmas presents from Bruce Owner and chocolatier Tim Gearheart explains the company’s popularity “I think what has set us apart since we opened in 2001 is our great ingredients “We hand dipped 500 pieces a day when we started and now we do it better and do it more with up to 12,000 pieces some days and it’s very important to me to keep being creative.” kitchen manager Jenessa Misevich examines a tray of chocolates Gearheart says that the company’s Signature Line remains the heart of the business the Criolla (extra bittersweet dark chocolate ganache with natural cacao nibs Maya (chocolate ganache flavored with cinnamon and Raspberry Zin (semi-sweet chocolate ganache with raspberry-zinfandel conserves We headed for home with a box containing one sample of every chocolate in the Signature Line Bruce is allergic to chocolate – a lucky thing for me Do you love great local stories about the Roanoke Valley SUBSCRIBE TODAY Read Today’s Top Story: The Truth About Houston Agents 2025 The priciest Houston home sold in December was a nearly $12 million mansion in River Oaks Country Club Estates Please note that the actual sales prices may differ from the list prices All listing data obtained from the Houston Association of REALTORS® and website in this browser for the next time I comment Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited Sponsored link The composer spins out the COVID tale of her latest offering Pianist and composer Holly Mead picked the title Solitary Animals for her fourth album months before COVID-19 spun us all into cocoons of solitude. Released July 10th on all platforms Solitary Animals [artist’s note: use headphones for optimal listening] grew out of a breakup that ultimately landed Mead in her first solo apartment When the mandate to shelter in place derailed her plans for a studio recording Mead is a musical chameleon whose compositions crop up all over the Bay Area and beyond, from Pop-Up Magazine to Awesöme Orchestra she created a talk and performance series celebrating the work of women composers over the past millennium Her solo piano is a balm for the unyielding isolation that stretches before us It also shows what it sounds like to get through it: Mead was open about her struggles and insecurities in pursuing life as an artist and the childlike wonder that continues to bring her back to the piano 48 HILLS How did you first fall in love with the piano my mom decided that it’d be a great idea for the boys to have piano lessons—and they absolutely hated it But my mom—because they spent so much money on these boys’ lessons—was like we’re gonna wait ’til you’re older.” And I begged and begged and begged I’m just going to teach myself how to play.” And then I started writing songs 48 HILLS What were the first songs that you composed about One was called “Rain” and it was very—my parents have really eclectic taste and but they especially liked anything on the Windham Hill label when I realized that it was not cool to like that I went through a crisis that lasted a good 15 years 48 HILLS Were you trained in a classical style Every tax-deductible donation helps us grow to cover the issues that mean the most to our community Become a 48 Hills Hero and support the only daily progressive news source in the Bay Area my mom thought jazz might give me a framework for just being creative and writing songs So they found a teacher for me: Carolbeth True She was my guiding light all the way through high school and when I went to college [in Jazz Studies at the DePaul University School of Music] it was a bit of a shock because it was all men there was one other woman who was in the program [of 100 students] when we started and she eventually dropped out because of the harassment 48 HILLS What kind of harassment was there and then they would tease her because she was upset Don’t cry in front of a room full of your male peers My job in that moment was to stand up for her and I was just not who I would have wanted myself to be You just wouldn’t get invited to the hang And so much of playing jazz is the hang—jamming with your friends 48 HILLS That’s exactly how bassist Caroline Chung has described sexism in the jazz scene I know that this—understandably—precipitated a crisis of confidence that made you almost quit music MEAD I had a couple teachers in college sit down with me and ask “Why are you doing this?” I had to think about it And in the next five minutes—I’m pretty sure the tears had not dried yet—I would be at the piano I’ve had to do that a few more times Because you make some sacrifices: it’s not what a lot of my peers are doing 48 HILLS I attended a talk you gave about female composers throughout history and you mentioned that you put that program together partly because you couldn’t recall ever playing something by a female composer in jazz school Do you feel like your experience in school has expanded the themes you’ve chosen to explore in your work I was just angry about it and felt like I didn’t want to spend all my time talking about how I was the only woman in the room The talks that I did at Pixar and the Throckmorton Theater in 2019—all those women—it was a consolation I learned a lot about myself while I was reading about those women and how a lot of times they were the only woman doing what they were doing 48 HILLS I’m also curious about how your compositions settled into a contemporary classical vernacular when your training was in jazz That you’re a blend of the five people that you spend the most time with I sometimes think that you could draw a nice parallel there: the music that you make is a blend of the five genres that you spend the most time with I think the pool that I like to swim in is: all of the music that I grew up listening to with my parents And then it’s just everything else that I’ve ever listened to and it all gets funneled into the music that I write 48 HILLS Let’s dive into your new album MEAD I was in a long-term relationship with a very lovely person I’m not one of those artists that is very productive when I’m sad friends help—and I was starting to feel ready and I moved into my first apartment by myself 48 HILLS What effect has that had on your music MEAD Living alone has given me a new lease on life I love being able to sit down and play without any distractions This house has a long history of having beautiful music playing in it all the time so I also don’t worry as much about what people can hear 48 HILLS Is it possible to describe what it feels like for your emotions to come out as piano music What does it feel like to process the world around you that way But the best way that I can describe it is that the feeling I get when I sit down at a piano is like when you sit down with a really good friend to have a meal There is a conversation that happens between you and this instrument and the way you play has a lot to do with how you’re feeling that day The thing that’s endlessly fascinating to me is that the catharsis that would happen when I was a little tiny kid—just having my big feelings and trying to make songs about them—is really no different from the way that I feel now Having 25 years of experience under my belt and dreams—it doesn’t actually change the feeling that much 48 HILLS You recorded this whole album in your apartment during quarantine— but it became the plan when I got stuck in the house I decided to mix and master everything myself Shout-out to Jerome Rossen with Freshmade Music because he talked to me through how to do that just as a friend 48 HILLS What was it like recording at home They’re strictly in the attic or the walls I don’t know what they’re doing in there but it really does sound like they’re chewing the pipes A few times I had to stop and bang on the walls so that I wasn’t distracted by the chewing But I’ve never seen them—they’re very mysterious little creatures They were kind of like the little helper spirits but I think that some of us like solitude more than others Living alone—the solitude is really important 48 HILLS Do you have thoughts on what this time is going to mean for you as an artist or for the arts in general It seems like this crazy tension between not being able to perform and not being able get fed—literally and figuratively—in that way MEAD I count myself really lucky because the bulk of my income comes from teaching and that’s a choice that I’ve made because it allows me to make the art that I choose to make when I choose to make it But a lot of my friends and people in my community are not in the same boat and I think that is really scary for a lot of people: not knowing where your money’s coming from and we’re just going to have to see what happens I was so terrified that you were gonna ask me That’s not a relevant question anymore Purchase Holly Mead’s Solitary Animals album here. Stream here Sponsored link 48hills.org is the official publication of the non-profit San Francisco Progressive Media Center We are community supported journalism. Become a member. but we need you to help us beat the billionaires and fight for the soul of San Francisco by becoming a member or donating today One assumption in the draft of Albemarle’s new Comprehensive Plan is that the county must increase its housing supply “Albemarle County needs to add approximately 10,070 affordable units to our housing stock by 2040 to ensure all current and future residents can enjoy a good quality of life in our community,” reads a section of the draft chapter on housing.  Albemarle has designated about 5 percent of its land mass for dense development intended to absorb population growth most projects that have been built have come in at lower densities than allowed under the Comprehensive Plan.  That’s in part due to a legislative process where the public can express concerns to appointed and elected officials as they consider whether to approve a project or not That often leads to a reduction in housing units as happened with the development of the former Ridgewood Mobile Home Community in Hollymead.  A Virginia Beach developer bought the 19.5-acre property in late 2019 and originally sought a rezoning to allow for a total of 370 units The Forest Lakes Community Association mounted serious opposition and the total number of homes was whittled down to 332 When the Board of Supervisors voted 5-1 to approve the rezoning in September 2021 one of the conditions was that 190 were to be affordable under the county’s guidelines.  The firm filed for a new rezoning that would reduce the total unit count to 280 and only 15 percent of them will be guaranteed affordable.  Riverbend is also developing the Brookhill community to the south where 503 of the 1,550 units approved have been built according to Albemarle’s development pipeline.  But there’s no shortage of other projects that could help the county meet its housing goals Immediately to the north is a proposed development called Holly Hills Dominion Realty Partners and the Stony Point Development Group have filed a rezoning for eight parcels totaling 30,821 acres from Residential-1 to Planned Residential Development.  “A maximum of 500 dwelling units is proposed at a gross density of approximately 16 dwelling units/acre and a net density of approximately 24 dwelling units/acre,” reads a recent memo from Albemarle’s Community Development department “The dwelling units are proposed to be a mixture of single-family attached units and multi-family units.”  the county continues to proceed with AC44 (its updated Comprehensive Plan) and is seeking public input through a series of questionnaires Surveys are also open for economic development and decisions about land use are up to the six-member Board of Supervisors The unincorporated community is in Albemarle’s White Hall District incumbent Supervisor Ann Mallek narrowly defeated challenger Brad Rykal   Rykal’s campaign argued Albemarle has focused too much development into Crozet without providing […] the Quirk Hotel in Charlottesville was sold for $24 million to Blue Suede Hospitality Group on Monday The hotel will undergo a complete rebrand—including a renaming—later this fall the Charlottesville Quirk Hotel is the sister location of the popular Richmond-based Quirk Hotel Tensions between organizers and university leadership reached a boiling point underneath the gray skies on Saturday when police forcefully broke up a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Virginia.  By all accounts the UVA Encampment for Gaza organized peacefully on Grounds with demonstrators intermittently chanting and working on their finals throughout […] we work to spark curiosity and enable readers to engage meaningfully with their community shining a light into the oft-overlooked corners of our city and providing a jumping-off point for our readers to dive deeper into the place we call home Powered by Innovative Software Solutions The TimesThere are three weeks left of the current tax year Every adult gets a £20,000 annual Isa allowance and the beauty of these accounts is that all the gains you make are tax-free Only about 7 per cent of savers actually use the entire allowance with the average deposit in 2022-23 (the most recent figures available) being £5,757 Investing money on the first day of the tax year gives it an entire 12 months more to grow than if you leave it until the last day of the tax year 2024 at 9:02 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Out of more than 250 bed-and-breakfasts inns and small hotels across 17 cities and small towns 10 from Virginia are named best nationwide (Shutterstock)VIRGINIA — A new report has named 10 bed and breakfasts in Virginia among the best in the nation U.S. News & World Report published its rankings Tuesday of this year’s “best” bed & breakfasts rankings The report looked at more than 250 bed-and-breakfasts inns and small hotels across the 17 cities and small towns which showed which accommodations would be of particular interest to travelers Here are the bed-and-breakfasts that made the list from Virginia (all are in Charlottesville): News said the top bed-and-breakfasts tended to offer personalized touches such as homemade breakfasts and customized tours and often have unique amenities such as libraries with borrowable books “B&Bs typically offer a unique atmosphere a complimentary breakfast and a cultural experience authentic to their given location,” said Zach Watson “The 2024 Best Bed & Breakfasts rankings offer travelers options for staying at a top-rated property with all the charm and personal touches of an intimate stay.” Bed-and-breakfast rankings were based on star ratings and both expert and guest sentiment gathered via awards from distinguished travel publications and TripAdvisor user scores Below are the top bed-and-breakfasts in the report: Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The TimesHave you listened to the new weekly personal finance podcast from The Times and Sunday Times yet Hosted by deputy money editor Holly Mead and money reporter Lucy Andrews Feel Better About Money is for anyone who wants to understand money and feel better about it Mead and Andrews are joined by Sarah Coles the head of personal finance at the investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown They discuss the options: pay into your pension save into Premium Bonds — or even book a trip to the Seychelles “There are some decisions you need to make that are quite serious,” Coles said “One of the really big issues is that you may The TimesDividends are often overlooked by investors whose main investment goal is to grow their money — but neglect them at your peril They are the superpower in your portfolio that should not be underestimated Dividends are paid out by businesses as a way to redistribute profits and reward shareholders Investors can get them either from direct holdings in company shares or by putting their money in a fund that holds dozens of different shares and passes on the dividends they earn to investors Many income-seeking investors withdraw their dividends and this can be a particularly good strategy for those who are in retirement and so want a regular flow of money But there is also an option to have your dividends automatically reinvested 29 across from Walmart in Albemarle County Another Starbucks could be coming to Albemarle County A developer is proposing to build a Starbucks with a drive-thru on U.S The county’s Architectural Review Board will review the initial site plan for the project at its virtual meeting Monday There is currently an office building on the site the property at 2231 Seminole Lane was rezoned from Commercial Office to Highway Commercial but a proposed use for the property was not given at the time which regulates the design of development along entrance corridors recommends approval of the initial site plan without conditions Staff also recommended a number of revisions to the proposed plan before any final approvals including more specifics about the building and landscaping A location map of a proposed new Starbucks on U.S Fifth Street and the former Wells Fargo bank off U.S the county’s ARB also approved changes to the 29th Place shopping center Starbucks The store will be relocated to the other end of the building and a drive-thru will be added including six regular review items and a work session Albemarle County's Architectural Review Board will consider changes to the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport's parking lot elevators and stairs the board also will review changes to the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport’s parking lot elevator and stairs an auto dealership on the corner of Rio Road and U.S 29 and changes to a Holiday Inn Express on Pantops It also will review an initial site plan for an ExtraSpace storage facility in Hollymead along Worth Crossing The location of a proposed storage facility in Hollymead The Board of Supervisors in December approved changes to the site to allow for additional square footage beyond what was approved in the original rezoning as well as different building footprint locations County staff recommended the ARB recommend approval of the initial site plan without conditions including that the applicant provides renderings of the building from both directions on U.S An ExtraSpace storage facility is proposed for Hollymead along Worth Crossing The ARB will also have a work session about architectural revisions to a proposed Sheetz at the intersection of Airport Road and U.S The meeting is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. on Zoom. For more information, visit albemarle.org Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly The board recommended some changes to a building that will have a self-storage business and a retail spot About 80 per cent of my investment portfolio is in a single tracker fund its own Dow Jones index lost about 3 per cent and the tech-focused Nasdaq was down almost 5 per cent Behind all the moving and shaking were fears about a US recession Jobs data from across the Pond was weaker than expected and the price of US government bonds (known as Treasuries) seemed to suggest a downturn The TimesTerry Smith’s Fundsmith Equity might have been a top performer for nigh on a decade but there is one aspect of the fund I have always struggled with: its annual charge Maybe when the fund launched in 2010 a fee of 1.04 per cent was par for the course This is especially true at a time when investors are flocking to low-cost tracker funds which can be picked up for as little as 0.06 per cent Fundsmith Equity is an actively managed investment fund that can hold stocks from across the globe It built a name for itself with a high conviction buy-and-hold approach — meaning that it owns very few stocks (typically about 20-25) and holds The Times‘I guess my retirement plan is just to become rich at some point.” I couldn’t help but admire my friend’s attitude when we discussed pensions the other week — this is the kind of riveting conversation topic you can expect if you are one of my pals she doesn’t own a string of buy-to-let properties and she doesn’t have a huge investment portfolio or unique insights into how to get rich from cryptocurrency What she does have is optimism and a very relaxed attitude to her finances That sort of laissez-faire attitude to money gives me heart palpitations I started saving into a pension the moment I got my first job as a money journalist Home   News   Article The Hill Group is endorsing a pioneering scheme that offers exclusive access to lower mortgage rates making it easier and cheaper for buyers to secure their dream home With mortgage rates available below 1.49 per cent through the Own New Rate Reducer buyers can reduce monthly payments for the first two years where house prices have surged by 80 per cent since 2007 the market can feel out of reach for many – and Hill aims to change that Designed to ease the burden for those looking to purchase a new home the scheme gives access to lower interest rates from lenders Customers could save up to £985 per month on mortgage payments through Own New assuming a 5 per cent homebuilder incentive and a two-year fix with a 75 per cent LTV mortgage This offer applies to a selection of Hill’s homes in sought-after locations in Cambridge and the surrounding area buyers can choose from a collection of spacious two and are set within seven acres of open green space with play areas and a pond the development has many nearby amenities including schools making it ideal for families and professionals alike Marleigh offers a diverse selection of houses and apartments integrated with convenient amenities such as a Co-op supermarket for all your essentials R3FORM pilates studio for wellness and fitness and a restaurant for a taste of local flavours Families are well-catered for with the Marleigh Primary Academy school the Own New scheme extends to other flagship developments Hollymead Square is the largest Zero Bills development in the UK to date and has been designed in partnership with Octopus Energy four and five-bedroom houses and two-bedroom bungalows transforms the way energy is consumed and means residents are guaranteed no energy bills for at least five years Located just a six-minute walk from Newport train station selected homes offer views overlooking green space Chesterford Meadows is situated in the centre of Great Chesterford four and five-bedroom homes offer an aspirational lifestyle surrounded by green countryside The village train station is a 10-minute walk away offers services to the centre of Cambridge in just 15 minutes and central London in just over an hour For more information on Own New and starting prices for all Hill developments, visit hill.co.uk/own-new or call 020 8527 1400 take advantage of your workplace pension and save 10 per cent of your salary each month These are all sound bits of financial advice But this one could be the best money tip of them all: don’t have children It’s no secret that having kids is an expensive business The figures vary depending on where you look but it is estimated that raising a child to the age of 18 costs an average of about £220,000 Research by the insurer L&G suggests that child-free families are about £12,000 a year better off than those who have children So it’s little wonder that people are delaying starting a family The TimesLast week my in-laws needed to withdraw £2,000 to pay a builder they decided to call ahead to their local HSBC branch to check if they needed to order the money in advance or bring ID along you can’t withdraw cash here,” they were told on the phone You can withdraw up to £250 a day from the ATM or drive to your nearest “full-services branch” Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor Holly Mead can't bring back her grandfather an athletic and handsome pilot who died so long ago that even Mead's mother — the aviator's only child — never met him But ever since a near-obsession overtook over Mead's life upon her discovery that a dog-tag or similar war artifact bearing her grandfather's name — Benton F Eichorn — was found late last year in Italy downed by German anti-aircraft fire in June of 1944 an artist and clothing designer in Santa Rosa who's suddenly feeling old at 35 Her late grandfather was but 21 when he died; the oldest man aboard his plane was 24 when she received an invitation just months ago to come to Tuscany this June Her mother will travel with her to accept the ID tag and to help a small World War II museum to honor Eichorn and his crew "All these men are heroes to me," Mead said during a break in her quest to learn more about her grandfather and his final mission and to locate and contact relatives of the five crewmen who perished along with him Mead launched the research project not long after she received an e-mail in January from Denise Eichorn The cousin told Mead she'd been contacted through Facebook by an Italian woman who helps to operate a World War II historical society and museum in north-central Italy told Denise Eichorn through online messages that members of the group have researched the crash of a flak-disabled warplane in the village of Poggiole the launch of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France And four days after the Allies' taking of Rome caused German troops to fall back to the fortified Gothic Line across northern Italy Nannini informed Denise Eichorn that members of her historical society — Linea Gotica Alta Val di Bisenzio — had located fragments of the plane downed in '44 Their research confirmed that it was a twin-engine North American B-25 Mitchell bomber assigned to the 12th Air Force's 379th Bomb Squadron and it was piloted by a 1st lieutenant named Benton F Nannini found the pilot's niece on Facebook and told her that she and her colleagues have created a museum exhibit on the B-25 And they were thrilled when a hunter brought in something he found last December in the woods near Poggiole Nannini refers to it as "platelet" bearing Lt It is quite likely one of the pilot's identification tags Nannini told Denise Eichorn the Italian group now has prepared a book on the B-25 and its crew Nannini then invited Eichorn to come to Italy on June 7 for a 70th-year commemoration and the release of the book — and to bring along other relatives of 1st Lt Denise Eichorn shared that invitation with her cousin Mead and soon the Santa Rosan and Nannini were trading e-mails Mead said she assumed that the Italians had located relatives of other of the crewmen but she learned from Nannani that they had not So she offered to put her Internet skills and curiosity to work searching for family of the one crewman who survived the downing — tail gunner Wilmer H Hochstatter — and the five who perished along with her grandfather "I felt it was my duty to honor these men," Mead said she has scoured Ancestry.com and other Internet sites phone books and public records in search of anyone related to them Discovering that lone survivor Hochstatter was the only crewman other than her grandfather to bear children she looked for aged siblings and nieces and nephews The detective work has been exhausting but also rewarding "I'm kind of like a Nancy Drew," Mead said She has come up with family members — mostly grand-nephews or grand-nieces — of Hochstatter who died in Illinois as a 48-year-old war veteran Mead has told all the family members about the work of the historical society in Italy two children of Hochstatter plan to be at the book-release celebration in Tuscany and a grand-nephew of Everett hopes to arrange to attend Mead will accompany cousin Denise Eichorn and her husband The Santa Rosan will travel with one other person as well Born in Southern California in January of 1944 she wasn't yet five months old when the valiant young father she'd never met came to rest in the countryside of northern Italy Her daughter said all the recent research and renewed interest is bringing him alive to deFord and she wouldn't for the world miss the opportunity to be where her father was exactly 70 years ago (Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.) Octopus Energy has joined forces with The Hill Group and Clarion Housing Group in a landmark strategic partnership to revolutionise sustainable living in the UK Hill and Octopus Energy are developing the nation’s most extensive ‘Zero Bills’ housing development comprising 89 homes at Hollymead Square in Newport where residents will pay no energy bills for a guaranteed minimum of five years The remaining 25 will be made available for affordable rent and shared ownership by Clarion Housing Group These will be the first completed ‘Zero Bills’ homes under affordable rent Octopus Energy has now accredited close to 1,000 homes through contracts with other prominent developers comprising two to five-bedroom houses and two-bedroom bungalows will be equipped with cutting-edge low-carbon technology such as solar panels Designed to exceed the energy requirements for each property this high level of home energy technology is integrated and optimised by Octopus’ advanced tech platform Octopus Energy has set an ambitious goal of delivering 50,000 ‘Zero Bills’ homes across the UK and beyond by 2025 while Hill has a strategic goal in place to deliver net-zero carbon homes by 2030 Construction of the new homes is underway and the sales launch is due to take place on 20th January with the first homes expected to complete in spring 2024 zero bills homes director at Octopus Energy commented: “This partnership with The Hill Group is the first giant leap in transforming the way we live in our homes and consume energy This will also mark both the biggest ‘Zero Bills’ development in the UK and the first with affordable rent options with Clarion This partnership pioneers a future where sustainable living is the standard for everybody said: “We are excited to be working in partnership with Octopus Energy to provide our customers with the largest residential ‘Zero Bills’ development in the UK The new homes at Hollymead Square will provide a blueprint for future sustainable housing and mark the start of our fruitful strategic partnership to deliver new homes complete with cutting-edge low-carbon technology that enable zero energy bills.” group director of development at Clarion Housing Group said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Octopus Energy and The Hill Group on such an innovative project It’s crucial that we cut emissions and cut bills for homes of all tenures I am proud that Clarion residents will be among the first to benefit from a Zero Bills home.” Copyright © 2025 Show House We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are 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to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Brave young investors who are willing to boldly go where few have gone before have the chance to achieve out-of-this-world returns Investing in the new technologies and innovations that have the potential to shape our futures can reap huge rewards because there is no knowing whether these companies will fulfil their potential or not although it may feel counter-intuitive to take risks with children’s nest eggs youngsters are among those best placed to take a punt on futuristic investment choices That is because they are likely to be invested over a long period – usually several decades – and so have plenty of time to ride out the inevitable ups and downs along the way You can invest up to £9,000 a year through a Junior Isa for children and grandchildren from when they are born and they can’t access the money until age 18 Of course you can put it in cash as well as investments but this curbs the potential for interstellar returns Hamish Maxwell from the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust which seeks out the firms that could shape the future says: ‘Few companies can say that they might change the course of human progress but some really are rejecting the status quo and building new industries from scratch ‘It’s a risky strategy and some companies will fail but having a long time horizon in which to invest is important We focus on what the world might look like in 2030 and beyond.’ Joby Aviation recently announced a partnership with Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic It may sound like the stuff of sci-fi movies but Joby Aviation is creating electric air taxis that it hopes will one day save commuters a billion hours every day The aircraft looks like a cross between a drone and a small plane with six propellers that allow it to take-off vertically and travel up to 200mph It is powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels and can fit a pilot and four passengers This year they are set to become available to the public in Dubai where the firm claims it will reduce travel time between the airport and Palm Jumeirah island from 45 minutes by car to 12 minutes The firm also recently announced a partnership with Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic with the hope of bringing the service to the UK – starting with connections for passengers between Virgin’s hubs at Heathrow and Manchester airports ‘Once people realise how safe and cost-effective it can be we think any trepidation will give way to excitement and demand,’ says Maxwell Joby Aviation listed on the New York stock exchange in August 2021 at a share price of about $5 it has a market capitalisation of $4.75 billion (£3.6 billion) a trip in a Joby air taxi could be as normal as getting an Uber is today,’ Maxwell adds Most of us have used Siri or Alexa – and probably experienced the frustration when it responds to your command with: ‘I’m sorry But the voice-based artificial intelligence (AI) of the future will be like having a conversation with a friend, says Storm Uru, co-manager of the Liontrust Global Innovation Fund, which has returned 57 per cent over five years. ‘We view this as the next frontier in the digital revolution of AI. ‘Chatbots like ChatGPT are text-based, so voice-based options are the next step, allowing us to talk to our devices as naturally as we talk to each other,’ he says. SoundHound AI is one to watch in this space, says Uru, which connects to gadgets such as cars, phones and smart devices. ‘It will mean you can be driving in your car and tell it to wind the window up, turn on the air-con, place your order at Starbucks and then navigate you to the nearest branch to collect your coffee,’ he says. Car makers including Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and the brands under Stellantis are already starting to use the technology, and it is also being trialled at some fast-food restaurants to handle orders at drive-throughs. SoundHound was listed on the Nasdaq in April 2022, and its shares have since climbed by 25 per cent to about $8. Tesla is set to launch its own ‘Robotaxi’ within the next year Imagine hopping into a cab and being driven to your destination by… well, no one. In some parts of America, it is already possible. Waymo, a subsidiary of the Google-owner Alphabet, is a ride-hailing app for autonomous vehicles. In 2022, the company began rolling out a driverless taxi service, which uses sensors to navigate the streets. In operation in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco, users simply download the app, order a cab and hop in. ‘I used one and it was terrifying for the first few minutes, but you very quickly get used to it,’ says Uru. ‘People worry about safety, but if anything it’s too safe – you often get stuck at intersections because it won’t nudge through traffic like a human might.’ But there are challenges for the business, warns Michael Seidenberg from Allianz Technology Trust – the vehicles are costly to produce and there is anecdotal evidence that they don’t perform as well in certain weather conditions such as snow or heavy cloud. ‘But people are generally very positive about Waymo,’ he says. ‘It seems likely that apps such as Uber will become less relevant as these services develop.’ There is speculation that Waymo could be floated but no date has been confirmed. Yet Tesla, which is already listed on the Nasdaq, is set to launch its own ‘Robotaxi’ within the next year – a two-person, driverless electric vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals. Only a decade ago the idea of getting same-day delivery of groceries or thousands of other items at the touch of a button seemed far-fetched, but these services from supermarkets and the likes of Amazon have developed at a staggering rate. The next step for logistics, says Maxwell, is to cut out humans from the process with delivery straight to your door by autonomous drones. He likes the company Zipline, which started in Africa using drones to deliver medical supplies and is now moving into other countries and industries. The firm says its electric-powered drones have so far flown more than 102 million miles to deliver more than 15 million items. ‘Its operations are rapid, reliable, scalable and environmentally friendly,’ says Maxwell. ‘This technology has the potential to transform global supply chains and offer a lifeline to remote and under-served communities.’ He believes that, in the future, drone technology will be used by households for the delivery of all essential personal goods. There is already evidence this is under way: this month Zipline partnered with the US retailer Walmart to start offering home deliveries from one of its Texas stores. ‘Drones are able to navigate the streets, skies and pavements in a way that they haven’t been able to before,’ says Uru. ‘They already make deliveries in China, and at a meeting in the US last year I watched them delivering pizzas around a company’s campus.’ Zipline is not currently listed, but is held in the Scottish Mortgage Trust portfolio. The company is valued at $4.2 billion (£3.2 billion). Uru believes there will be more uses for robots around the home and they are likely to be humanoid – having the physical characteristics of people Maybe you already have a robot vacuum pootling around the house or a robot lawn mower keeping the garden under control. And robotics are already used in factories, where they can perform repetitive tasks efficiently and consistently without tiring. But Uru believes there will be more uses for robots around the home and they are likely to be humanoid – having the physical characteristics of people. The Chinese company Unitree Robotics is a start-up which has created a robot that can run at two miles per hour and perform some dexterous tasks – even taking the cap off a glass Coca-Cola bottle. US-based company Figure AI, also an early-stage business, has created humanoid robots called Helix that can unpack groceries, identifying where best to store each item. ‘It’s probably a couple of years away, and it will be at a high price point initially, but by the end of this decade we will likely see robots come into our homes,’ says Uru. One way to access a range of robotics companies is through a low-cost tracker fund. The iShares Automation & Robotics Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) follows a range of firms that are exposed to the sector, including Intuitive Surgical, Rockwell Automation and Nvidia. It has returned 70 per cent over five years. For an actively managed option, the Pictet Robotics fund holds a concentrated portfolio of companies operating within the sector, including the German semi-conductor chip maker Infineon Technologies and the Chinese AI firm Baidu. It has returned 88 per cent over five years, and charges 1.09 per cent. SpaceX, a private company owned by Tesla-magnate Elon Musk, is already generating billions through its Starlink internet service, but this is hardly something to get children excited about. However, it’s the future of this business that could really capture young imaginations, as SpaceX has cut the cost and increased the frequency of sending rockets into space. In the future there are hopes that its systems could be able to launch larger objects, which opens potential opportunities for aspiring young space travellers. but these achievements are stepping stones to establishing colonies on Mars,’ says Maxwell The most valuable private company in the world SpaceX has been valued at about £275 billion – making it bigger than Coca-Cola The company is expected to keep growing because of its monopoly-like position in the market and strong partnerships with governments and companies while its constant innovation makes it hard for new entrants to disrupt the market As SpaceX is not yet listed on any stock market the best way for investors to get access is by choosing funds that hold shares in it which has returned 45 per cent over five years has about 3 per cent of its £12 billion of assets invested in the firm the Seraphim Space Investment Trust invests in a range of companies operating in the sector Its share price is down 53 per cent over three years Investing in firms that may shape the future is high risk as there is a chance they do not work out and you’ll lose a lot – maybe all – of the money you’ve put in there is a second risk that excitement among investors drives up share prices to unrealistic levels – only for them to tumble again the safest way to invest is usually through a fund rather than individual stocks an expert manager can choose the best opportunities – and might get to find out about them before anyone else The Polar Capital Technology Trust is a highly rated option for exposure to tech trends Its top holdings include the cybersecurity firm Cloudflare the chipmaker Broadcom and the e-commerce giant Shopify It has returned 69 per cent over five years There are also low-cost tracker funds which follow a basket of companies involved in specific themes The L&G Artificial Intelligence ETF tracks 54 companies in the Robo Global Artificial Intelligence index including the healthcare tech firm Tempus AI and Samsara which provides software to help companies improve safety such themes should only make up a small portion of your portfolio – even if you are buying on behalf of a youngster with years of investing ahead of them Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission These deals are chosen by our editorial team This does not affect our editorial independence The comments below have not been moderated By posting your comment you agree to our house rules Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy This is Money is part of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday & Metro media group Clarion has announced a strategic partnership with a major energy firm and house builder to develop what they believe will offer the first “zero bills” affordable homes The 125,000-home landlord will work alongside Octopus Energy and Hill Group to deliver the homes in Essex Each home has been designed to exceed the energy requirements of the property meaning that residents are guaranteed to pay no energy bills for a minimum of five years A total 64 properties at Hollymead Square in Newport are being sold on the open market with the remaining 25 being made available for shared ownership and affordable rent Each of the homes will be fitted with low-carbon technology the firm has set a goal of delivering 50,000 of these homes in the UK and elsewhere by 2025 said: “This partnership with the Hill Group is the first giant leap in transforming the way we live in our homes and consume energy “This will also mark both the biggest zero bills development in the UK and the first with affordable rent options with Clarion “This partnership pioneers a future where sustainable living is the standard for everybody said: “The new homes at Hollymead Square in Newport will provide a blueprint for future sustainable housing and mark the start of our fruitful strategic partnership to deliver new homes complete with cutting-edge low-carbon technology that enable zero energy bills.” The development will consist of two to five-bedroom houses with the first houses are expected to complete in spring 2024 said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Octopus Energy and Hill Group on such an innovative project “I am proud that Clarion residents will be among the first to benefit from a zero bills home.” Earlier this year, Clarion revealed it was exploring training its residents in green jobs as part of “a general push” to increase green skills and address challenges in the retrofit supply chain New to Inside Housing? 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