Violent crime is down so far this year in the Charlottesville area, but that good news is tainted by September’s three homicides.

PALMYRA — More charges are pending against two Fluvanna men reportedly connected to about 50 burglaries in at least eight counties, officials said Monday.
In the meantime, Mark Wayne Shifflett and Ronald Lee Morris will remain in the Central Virginia Regional Jail on felony charges of possession of cocaine and unlawfully possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. Both men were denied bond Monday morning in Fluvanna County General District Court.
“Many, many charges will be forthcoming,” said Stephanie Commander, Shifflett’s appointed attorney.

Increasing gunplay along the freeway has L.A. drivers worried about fellow drivers. At least seven shootings in the past six weeks along major roadways have resulted in five deaths and several injuries. Many drivers have been left with the jitters, and jammed commuter corridors have been brought to a halt while authorities searched for clues in the shootings that officials said were not connected. Unlike recent events in Central Virginia, the California shootings tend to be car-to-car or road rage related.

A jury trial for a 29-year-old charged with murder was postponed Monday until Aug. 4 in Charlottesville Circuit Court.