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Week in Alexandria
The waterfront is no stranger to debate, and now another potential clash is brewing.
Two Detectives Assigned to Investigate Rosemont Crime Wave
Theft from vehicles has become an alarming trend; police encourage residents to lock doors.
Lock your doors. That’s the message from the Alexandria Police Department, which is currently engaged in an effort to address a growing trend of thefts from vehicles in the Rosemont neighborhood.
Opposition Candidates Falter
Voters reject candidates who said City Hall lacks integrity.
Democratic primaries are usually about biography and personalities, focusing on professional resumes and personal connections.
Unpaid Taxes Written Off
City often forgives delinquent taxpayers rather than going after them.
In the last decade, Alexandria has written off more than $100,000 in uncollected tax balances. The annual write-off happens every November, just as City Council members are appearing with a giant turkey at City Hall to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Voters to Have Final Say on Waterfront Plan as Legal Challenges Linger
Boat Club occupies the Strand as tensions mount over controversial small-area plan.
Last weekend, members of the Old Dominion Boat Club staged an annual ritual that’s something of a cross between a tailgating party and Occupy Wall Street. Every year, members shut down a section of the Strand for several hours to make sure everybody knows that the land is officially Boat Club property. The yearly affirmation usually goes without much notice.
Signs Point To Change: Arlington County makes some changes to sign ordinance
For Dan Magnolia, the headache of dealing with Arlington County government is a sign of the times. Visitors to his business in south Arlington are likely to see a four-foot by three-foot sign announcing the business
Artist Loses Freedmen’s Cemetery Commission Because He Used Religious Symbols
Traditional African symbols prompted rejection of winning design.
The Contraband and Freedmen’s Cemetery is no stranger to controversy. Now a new conflict has emerged at the final resting place for dozens of former slaves.
Alexandria to Exceed Debt Limits
Officials say city is in no danger of losing credit rating.
Alexandria is on the verge of exceeding its own debt limit, and the city’s budget-advisory committee is warning that any additional borrowing could jeopardize the city’s credit rating.
Bill Would Set Aside Unallocated Money for Preschool Funding
Effort seen as way to use money for preschool rather than returning it to the general fund.
Every year, millions of dollars worth of preschool funding goes unused. Here in Alexandria, for example, Virginia offered $1.6 million worth of matching funds for preschool programs in the city.
New City Manager Offers Proposal to Increase Average Residential Property Tax Bill by $52
Rising property values mean most residential property owners would pay more.
With two months under his belt as the city’s new chief executive, City Manager Rashad Young proposed his first budget to City Council members on Valentine’s Day.
Uncertainty Haunts Jefferson-Houston Groundbreaking
Questions linger as officials prepare ceremonial shovels.
City leaders and school officials are about to break out the ceremonial shovels and turn the earth at Jefferson-Houston School, the long-troubled facility near the King Street Metro station.
Supervisor McKay Launches Effort to Explain County Budget Process
Effort could create interactive online guide and new chapter in citizens' handbook.
Lee District Supervisor is frustrated. Every year, he hears from parents who want him to do something about funding full-day Kindergarten.
Safety at a Crossroads in Poor Communities Across Northern Virginia
Less affluent neighborhoods in Northern Virginia suffer from higher pedestrian fatalities.
A national database of pedestrian crashes compiled by Governing Magazine shows 95 pedestrian fatalities in Northern Virginia between 2008 and 2012. While 26 of the pedestrian fatalities occurred in wealthy neighborhoods, where the per capita income is more than $53,000, a much larger number happened in poor communities like this stretch of Route 1 in Mount Vernon.
Off-Year Campaign Cash
Money from Alexandria will help shape Election 2019.
More than $3.5 million in campaign cash has an Alexandria mailing address this election cycle, a spending spree that reflects the stakes this year’s election. Control of the House of Delegates and state Senate is at stake, and partisans on both sides are trying to influence the outcome.
Where is Lenny Harris?
Prominent civic activist has been missing since last week.
Lenny Harris was last seen at a place that was close to his heart, the Charles Houston Recreation Center.
Week in Alexandria
Alexandria City Public Schools is beginning 2013 with a bang.
City officials and Neighbors Look to Future After Coal-Fired Power Plant Shuts Down
Lines of communication are created to avoid mistakes of the waterfront plan.
Seeking to avoid the problems that emerged on the waterfront earlier this year, city officials have taken an early lead meeting with residents in North Old Town to start planning for the future of a now-shuttered coal-fired power plant.
Council Notebook
It's official. The Alexandria City Council is against expanding operations at a hazardous materials facility on the West End of the city near the Van Dorn Metro station and just a few hundred feet from Tucker Elementary School.
Delaney Unseats LeMunyon
Former Republican defeats Republican who unseated Democrat Chuck Caputo in 2009.
Democrat Karrie Delaney unseated Republican incumbent Jim LeMunyon in the election last week, swamping him with a decisive victory in a wave election that saw 12 House GOP incumbents unseated across Virginia. Delaney, a former Republican, campaigned on a platform of expanding Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians who live in poverty or with disabilities.