Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Reward offered for information about murder of Alexandria resident in D.C.

Published July 5, 2023 at 10:45AM

Police car lights (file photo)

Alexandria resident Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, was murdered on Monday in D.C. and a reward is being offered for information related to the crime, Patch reported.

D.C. police are investigating Yar’s homicide on Monday, July 3, on the 400 block of 11th Street NE.

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Notes: GoFundMe established for family whose three-year-old fell from window last week

By Vernon Miles

Published July 5, 2023 at 8:50AM

Dylan Velasquez (image via GoFundMe)

Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!

☀️ Today’s weather: Scattered showers and thunderstorms between 2-5 p.m. Partly sunny with a high near 91. Slight chance of showers tomorrow, with a chance of thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny tomorrow with a high near 90.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published June 30, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated June 30, 2023 at 4:39PM

A new mural by El Mac at the corner of 901 King Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

It was a busy week for meetings in Alexandria.

There was a seven-hour meeting on Tuesday where the City Council voted to move forward with the design for the Duke Street Transitway. The Transitway will reconfigure portions of Duke Street to have center-running bus lanes, along with a host of other transit and pedestrian/cyclist improvements. At the meeting, the plan had its share of supporters, detractors, and those in the middle who supported parts or nearly all of the plan but had specific concerns about pieces of the proposal.

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Police: Alexandria man arrested after non-fatal shooting

By Vernon Miles

Published June 30, 2023 at 2:45PM | Updated July 12, 2023 at 11:56AM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus. (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department (APD) said an Alexandria resident, Jovan Saunders, 45, was arrested today after allegedly shooting a 30-year-old woman.

The woman arrived at a hospital today with a gunshot wound to her lower body, police said. The wounds were non-life threatening, police said, and an investigation started after APD was notified by the hospital.

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Free Lyft rides program returns next week to combat drunk driving

By Vernon Miles

Published June 30, 2023 at 1:30PM

A multi-frame exposure of fireworks over Arlington's Westover on July 4th (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

This upcoming Independence Day, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is bringing back the SoberRide program.

The program runs from 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4th, to 4 a.m. on Wednesday, July 5.

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Dominion Energy says it’s making good on promises but city leaders say there’s room for improvement

By Vernon Miles

Published June 29, 2023 at 3:55PM

Superintendent Distribution Contractor Resource Management Allen Moon (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

It’s been two years since Alexandria leadership put Dominion Energy’s feet to the fire over frequent outages. Dominion said it’s been making good on promises to improve the city’s power infrastructure, but city leaders are a little more skeptical.

Near the intersection of West Braddock Road and Russell Road in the Braddock neighborhood, Allen Moon, superintendent of contractor resource management with Dominion Energy, ran down the list of projects ongoing around Alexandria, from changing poles to targeted improvements in specific neighborhoods.

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Code Red: Smoke shuts down Alexandria outdoor pools and moves summer camp activities indoors

By Vernon Miles

Published June 29, 2023 at 1:15PM

Smokey conditions in Alexandria on 6/29 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandrians are being urged to stay indoors due to hazardous air quality — again.

A Code Red Air Quality Health Advisory has been issued for the region today, warning of detrimental health impacts due to poor air quality, with outdoor pools and other activities impacted.

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Alexandria School Board walking back budget ‘contingency’ after scuffle with City Council

By Vernon Miles

Published June 28, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated June 28, 2023 at 4:19PM

ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated 4:20 p.m.) Alexandria’s School Board is meeting tomorrow for a seemingly innocuous budget revision, but city leaders say the truth is the School Board is walking back a potentially illegal decision made without communicating with the City Council.

Like previous work sessions, a joint City Council/School Board meeting became tense as the discussion turned to funding. The fiscal year 2024 combined funds budget for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) details the revenues and expenditures.

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Influential Deputy City Manager Debra Collins retires

By Vernon Miles

Published June 28, 2023 at 1:30PM

Deputy City Manager Debra Collins (image via City of Alexandria

Longtime Deputy City Manager Debra Collins is retiring at the end of this week after nearly 20 years working for the city.

Collins’ 19-year career in the City of Alexandria included helping to kickstart ACT for Alexandria and the consolidation of city services in the West End.

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Alexandria City Council votes to move forward with Duke Street Transitway after marathon meeting

By Vernon Miles

Published June 28, 2023 at 11:20AM | Updated June 30, 2023 at 2:40PM

Rendering of center-running bus lanes on Duke Street (image via City of Alexandria)

(Updated 6/29) After nearly seven hours of public comment, Alexandria’s City Council voted to move forward with the Duke Street Transitway.

The gist of the plan is to reconfigure sections of Duke Street to make the road more accessible to public transit, as well as making improvements to the pedestrian and cyclist experience along the arterial road.

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JUST IN: Alexandria Police searching along Four Mile Run for grand larceny suspect

By Vernon Miles

Published June 27, 2023 at 5:00PM | Updated June 27, 2023 at 5:19PM

Police searching along Four Mile Run for a wanted suspect (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria and Arlington police are searching along Four Mile Run for a grand larceny suspect who fled from officers near the West Glebe Road bridge.

Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett said the department requested assistance from Arlington police to search along both sides of Four Mile Run.