This is the staff byline for ALXnow, used by editors and other full-time staff. Launched in October 2019, ALXnow is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Alexandria, Virginia.
Alexandria is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, as a strong storm bears down on the area.
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Local News Now is the company behind the site you’re reading. We aren’t usually very visible or vocal, preferring to let the reporting of our Northern Virginia local news brands — ARLnow, ALXnow, Tysons Reporter, Reston Now — speak for itself.
LNN does not endorse candidates nor publish editorials. But today we would like to make the following statement, the first of its kind in our company’s 10 year history.
It was quite a week in Alexandria. The city saw the removal of a controversial Confederate Statue at Prince and Washington Streets, had numerous vigils and demonstrations against police brutality, and weathered more cases of COVID-19.
Alexandria, like all great cities, is constantly changing and evolving. pic.twitter.com/CZTjlOkpfT
As the country grapples with the death of George Floyd at the hands of four since-fired Minneapolis police officers, and the fiery protests that have followed, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson has released a letter to the community.
Wilson said that a “culture of white supremacy” is present in Alexandria, and that the current coronavirus pandemic has exposed how residents of color have high infection rates.
The following Letter to the Editor was written by John Liss, co-executive director of New Virginia Majority, a statewide racial justice and pro-democracy organization based in Arlandria.
Perhaps no greater community illustrates the tone-deaf nature of ignoring the most vulnerable communities than Arlandria/Chirilagua.
Tenants & Workers United will lead a rent protest in Arlandria today starting at 5 p.m., and the organization is asking low-income residents to make themselves heard by joining along in their cars or banging pots and pans from the windows of their residences.
The caravan is scheduled to assemble at 4:30 p.m. and will go through Arlandria with the message that rents in Virginia should be canceled during the pandemic. The protest is planned to last until 6 p.m.
These are tough times for local businesses, and ALXnow wants to help.
While we have also seen a decline in our own business, we are grateful for the sponsors that are sticking with us — McEnearney Associates, Berry & Berry, A Cleaning Service, ACT for Alexandria, Visit Alexandria, and The Foundry apartments.
The following Letter to the Editor was written by Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley.
Like every emergency, the Alexandria Fire Department approached this pandemic with the mindset that we will win the fight, no matter the circumstances – and that is NON-NEGOTIABLE. We have found the courage to redefine ourselves and think outside of the box to try new things in response to something we have never faced before.
The following Letter to the Editor was written by Dr. Lauren Fisher, co-owner of Del Ray Psych and Wellness.
My message for people reading this is: You will get through this.
Exactly one week after its first, Alexandria now has a second coronavirus fatality.
The city announced in a daily update that 16 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Alexandria and one additional fatality, bringing to the total number of cases to 241, including both fatalities.
The following Letter to the Editor was written by Heather Peeler, the President and CEO of ACT For Alexandria.
If you’re like me, the last few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster.
