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City and Alexandria School System officials want to be clear: there is no plan to build a four-story housing structure as part of the plan to rebuild George Mason Elementary School.

Last weekend, a feasibility study commissioned by ACPS with architect Studio Twenty Seven Architecture, was mistakenly shared with the George Mason PTA. It showed an outline of an apartment complex in the middle of the George Mason baseball field. The study was quickly shared and denounced by members of the Beverly Hill Listserv, which spread it further and created an uncomfortable situation for ACPS administrators.


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Going to the dentist can be expensive, and a grant from Dominion Energy will help Alexandria kids keep those pearly whites glistening.

Dominion’s charitable foundation announced this week that it awarded $1.6 million to more than 200 organizations in 13 states, including $15,000 to the Alexandria City Public Schools Wellness on Wheels (WOW) bus, a mobile dental unit that provides primary dental care to students in schools across the city.


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Aggravated assaults have increased every year for the last three years in Alexandria, and Police Chief Michael L. Brown said that his department is working on methods to reverse the trend.

“Some of these are happening behind the doors of residences in the city, and we’re trying to get a better understanding of that,” Brown told ALXnow. “We’re working with the Department of Community and Human Services to see what we can do to come up with a program that aligns city services with the need of individuals so that they don’t have to call 911 and we can do something else beforehand.”


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Everything must go! Numerous Pier 1 Imports stores will be closing in Virginia by the beginning of March, and that includes two Alexandria locations.

Staff at the Pier 1 at the Potomac Yard Shopping Center (3901 Richmond Hwy) are marking merchandise 20% to 40% off, and bigger discounts are expected in the days ahead. The store has two full-time and 12 part-time employees, all of whom were informed of the closing after the Christmas holiday.


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There’s a new dog-friendly boutique hotel in town. The six-floor, 124 room Hyatt Centric Old Town Alexandria (1625 King Street) opened just a few blocks from the King Street Metro station on Wednesday.

“Today we are 100% open, 24/7 and year-round. It’s really exciting,” General Manager Matt Karow told ALXnow. “As you may know, Alexandria is one of the most dog-friendly cities in the country, and inside the rooms you’ll find some fun, quirky little things that pay tribute to man’s best friend.”


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Alexandria Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings needs help, and says that his newly approved chief of staff will is a key component to the success of the school system’s organizational structure.

“Right now I have nine direct reports, so that’s nine department heads reporting directly to me,” Hutchings told ALXnow. “Each of those individuals has a department that they oversee.”


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Boyd Walker has never done this before. On the night of Jan. 29, the Alexandria resident will travel nearly 1,000 miles with 18 others in a four car caravan from Alexandria to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to volunteer with Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.

“It’s fun. It’s an adventure. It’s a road trip with a bunch of people who share your values and goals,” Walker told ALXnow. “Whoever the candidate is, there should be tremendous enthusiasm, because Donald Trump is the most corrupt, dangerous president we’ve ever had and will be very damaging to our democracy and our planet if he spends another four years in office.”


News

The Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney believes that the Virginia General Assembly will pass measures to decriminalize marijuana this session, but that doesn’t mean he will stop prosecuting simple possession charges.

In fact, while Bryan Porter introduced a diversion program in the summer that would allow people to be treated more leniently, that’s not stopping him from prosecuting such cases.


News

Alexandria’s finest were recognized by the City Council last week. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Alexandria Police Department, and Mayor Justin Wilson honored the department with a city proclamation in council chambers.

“The most important role of local government is to protect public safety, and we are fortunate that the residents of the city are able to rely 24/7 on the best police department on the planet, the Alexandria Police Department,” Wilson said. “Every day you confront danger so our residents do not have to. You keep our residents safe, and you do it with a smile and incredible customer service.”


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How spicy do you like your vindaloo? For the last five months, Spice Kraft (2607 Mount Vernon Ave.) has helped diners answer that very question, and on the frigid evening of Monday, Jan. 20, the restaurant finally held its ribbon cutting.

“We are finally settled down, and it took about four months,” said Spice Kraft manager Anthony Shankar. “We want to keep the price at a minimum level, but at the same time we want to give a very good experience in terms of service and food presentation.”


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