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Morning Notes

Published November 20, 2019 at 8:00AM

Shopping in Old Town (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

City Phone Service Restored — The City of Alexandria’s non-emergency phone lines are working again after service was restored Tuesday night. A cut to a fiber optic line caused the outage, a city spokeswoman said. [Twitter/@AlexandriaVAGov]

House With George Washington Connection on Airbnb — “George Washington may have slept here, and now so could you… in the heart of Old Town Alexandria in Virginia, where a house that once belonged to the first U.S. president is available to rent. The George of Old Town is a 6000-square-foot townhouse on Cameron Street, and it is available on Airbnb.” [WTOP]

News

Minor Flooding in Old Town as Coastal Flood Advisory Continues

By ALXnow.com

Published November 19, 2019 at 2:30PM

The sun is shining and last night’s light rain is a distant memory, but the lower portion of King Street in Old Town is flooded nonetheless.

The Potomac River has inundated portions of King Street, Prince Street and The Strand, as it has done in the past — as recently as last month. The water is thus far only causing minor impacts, including prompting the King Street Trolley to temporarily turn around at City Hall.

News

New Bubble Tea Spot “Spill the Tea” Hoping to Open Next Month

By ALXnow.com

Published November 19, 2019 at 2:00PM

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) A new bubble tea joint near the Braddock Road Metro station called Spill the Tea could start serving next month.

The restaurant will be located at 515 Braddock Road, in the space once occupied by the now-shuttered Aveda. The exact opening date for Spill the Tea is still TBD, however.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 19, 2019 at 8:00AM

Taking out the trash in Old Town (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Carpenter’s Shelter Getting Amazon Donation — “A nonprofit that is building a $2 million facility for the homeless in Old Town Alexandria says it has reached its fundraising goal after receiving $300,000 from Amazon, Inc… The donation from Amazon is the latest example of how the retail giant is trying to be a good corporate citizen in Northern Virginia.” [Washington Post, Patch]

Digital Plaudits for City — “Alexandria has been ranked the fourth top digital city of its size in the United States, according to the 2019 Digital Cities Survey… This is the 15th consecutive year Alexandria has been ranked in the top 10, including two years in first place.” [City of Alexandria]

News

Coastal Flooding Expected Tonight in Old Town

By ALXnow.com

Published November 18, 2019 at 5:00PM

Expect some flooding near the waterfront in Old Town tonight.

The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood Advisory, set to go into effect at 8 p.m. and run overnight. The Potomac River is expected to be up to 2 feet above its normal levels at high tide, around 12:30 a.m., approaching the curb at the intersection of King and Strand streets.

News

Alexandria Man Sentenced for Steroid Distribution

By ALXnow.com

Published November 18, 2019 at 3:30PM

An Alexandria man accused of manufacturing and distributing anabolic steroids has been sentenced to prison time.

John Russell Kestel, 38, was sentenced to serve five years in federal prison for the illicit steroid business, which was run “in a clandestine laboratory in the basement of his home in Alexandria.”

News

Alexandria Police Investigating Fatal Pedestrian Crash on Duke Street

By ALXnow.com

Published November 18, 2019 at 9:30AM

A 77-year-old Fairfax County man was struck and killed by a driver on Duke Street near the Alexandria Commons shopping center over the weekend.

The crash happened around 7:30 a.m. Saturday on Duke Street at Sweeley Street.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 18, 2019 at 7:30AM

Stolen Vehicle Prompts Police Helo — “The Alexandria Police Department stopped a stolen vehicle in the 3000 block of King Street. A helicopter has been requested to assist.” [Twitter/@AlexandriaVAPD]

Route 7 Bus Lanes Planned — “New plans for rapid bus stations and bus lanes along Route 7 in Northern Virginia show the changes that could come to the busy commuter route over the next decade. A new conceptual engineering report lays out 18 specific bus rapid station locations from Tysons to Alexandria.” [WTOP]

News

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 15, 2019 at 8:00AM

Residential Parking Permit Changes in the Works — “Changes to the city’s residential parking permit program are underway and both residents and businesses are concerned about what the proposed changes could mean… The most controversial change, which staff has since removed from its list of recommended changes, would have eliminated the three-hour parking option for non-permit holders in RPP districts.” [Alexandria Times]

Port City Brings Home Gold Medal — “Several Northern Virginia craft brewers brought home medals from the 2019 Great American Beer Festival, including two gold medals… Port City Brewing in Alexandria won a gold medal for its German Pilsner in the Kellerbier or Zwickelbier category.” [WTOP]

News

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 14, 2019 at 8:00AM

Alexandria house in the fall (staff photo by Kalina Newman)

Key Leader Chosen for New VT Campus — “Virginia Tech has found its founding director for the computer science program at its forthcoming Innovation Campus in Alexandria. Sara Hooshangi, a faculty member at George Washington University’s College of Professional Studies since 2010, will join Virginia Tech in January to build the curriculum at the new campus.” [Washington Business Journal]

Va. Tech Flags at Market Square — “Thanks to @AlexandriaVAGov #VirginiaTech flags are flying on Market Square commemorating the one-year anniversary of the #VTInnovationCampus announcement. Snap your photo – they’ll be up all week.” [Twitter]

News

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 13, 2019 at 8:00AM

Propeller on the waterfront (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Wilson Skeptical of ‘National Landing’ Name — “For Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, the term National Landing was always meant to help streamline the Amazon bid. He joked that he was a resister to the name, adding he still used Potomac Yard because that’s how his constituents know the area. ‘If we talk 10 years from now, will people be calling it National Landing? I don’t know. I doubt it,’ Wilson said.” [Washington Business Journal]

VT Grad Students Helping Plan Alexandria Campus — “Fresh off of four years in Blacksburg earning a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at Virginia Tech, Logan Eisenbeiser moved to Northern Virginia last year to pursue his master of computer engineering at the university’s Falls Church campus. Little did he know that he would be helping to set the stage for future Hokies who also will study in Northern Virginia at Virginia Tech’s future Innovation Campus.” [Virginia Tech]