Author: Vernon Miles

Vernon Miles is the ALXnow cofounder and editor. He's covered Alexandria since 2014 and has been with Local News Now since 2018. When he's not reporting, he can usually be found playing video games or Dungeons and Dragons with friends.

News

Alexandria City Council to consider resolution outlining which flags can be flown and when

By Vernon Miles
A street lined with American flags in Old Town, Alexandria. (staff photo by James Cullum)

While flags on private property are mostly unlimited, a new resolution (item 16) heading to the City Council next week outlines some specifics on which flags can fly from city flagpoles.

It’s a topic that can be controversial — in 2015 the city finally prohibited the flying of Confederate flags on city poles.

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News

Birchmere brushes up against city zoning ordinance in switch to electric signage

By Vernon Miles
New sign at The Birchmere (image via City of Alexandria)

(Updated 10:10 a.m.) Like Bob Dylan, The Birchmere has switched to electric — at least for its signage. Also like Dylan, it’s a change that’s causing some trouble for the music venue.

It started last summer when famed music venue The Birchmere Music Hall (3701 Mount Vernon Avenue) was finding it difficult to hire someone to change out the letters on the venue’s old sign.

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News

What are some of the big City of Alexandria priorities in 2023?

By Vernon Miles
Alexandria City Hall was lit up for the weekend of Juneteenth 2021. (photo via Carol Jean Stalun Photography for Visit Alexandria)

Alexandria has kicked off the new year with a glimpse at some of this year’s biggest priorities.

A memo from Director of Planning Karl Moritz, published ahead of Planning Commission meeting this Thursday, lays out some of the work priorities for the city over the upcoming year.

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News

Delays expected this week for DASH routes to Pentagon

By Vernon Miles
Electric DASH bus, photo via DASH/Facebook

Recent data showed the DASH bus routes to the Pentagon are some of the most widely used in the system, and those lines could see delays this week due to a lane closure.

Alexandria’s DASH bus system put out a service alert that a lane closure could cause 15-20 minute delays this week for lines 35, 103, and 104.

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News

Mayor: City getting closer to refund for excessive water rate increase

By Vernon Miles
ALXnow reporter's sink (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Earlier this year, Alexandria got into a scrap with Virginia American Water Company (VAWC) over a rate increase. Now, Mayor Justin Wilson says the city, utility company and other parties are getting closer to a compromise.

Alexandria is one of a handful of Virginia with a private water utility provided by VAWC, a subsidiary of a large national company regulated by the State Corporation Commission (SCC). In November 2021, it applied to the SCC for a nearly 28% increase in rates, along with other charges and rate supplements.

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News

Sales, sleds and suggestions for Alexandria’s post-holiday shopping season

By Vernon Miles
Storefront of The Old Town Shop (photo via The Old Town Shop/Facebook)

The busy holiday season is coming to a close, but there are ways locals can both get good deals for merchandise in Alexandria and support local businesses moving into a slow season.

Retail shopping tends to hit a fever pitch just before Christmas, but some local business owners said post-holiday shopping can still be a rewarding experience in a very different way.

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News

Thompson Italian to open in Old Town next week

By Vernon Miles
Bucatini Carbonara at Thompson Italian (image via Thompson Italian/Facebook)

Hot on the heels of Trattoria da Franco reopening, another Italian restaurant is coming to Old Town next week.

Falls Church restaurant Thompson Italian announced that the new location at 1024 King Street — formerly Hank’s Oyster Bar — will open on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

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News

New Year’s celebrations shifting trash collection in Alexandria next week

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

If you typically leave your trash out on Monday, you might want to leave it inside another day.

While New Year’s Day is on Sunday, the holiday is also observed on Monday. As such, recycling, trash, and yard collection next week will “slide” back one day.

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Opinion

Poll: Should electric scooters be allowed on sidewalks?

By Vernon Miles

Currently, electric scooters are only allowed on city streets. While some say that rule makes sense for a place like Old Town, there has been discussion in city meetings recently that it might not be the best policy for the rest of the city.

At a Transportation Commission meeting last week, commissioners and city staff discussed giving the scooters-on-streets policy a second look.

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News

Eisenhower Avenue and South Pickett Street could be getting protected bike lanes

By Vernon Miles
Eisenhower Avenue (image via Google Maps)

The City of Alexandria is looking at adding protected bike lanes (page 21) to Eisenhower Avenue and South Pickett Street in the Van Dorn neighborhood.

A report to the Transportation Commission last week reviewed some of the plans for adding protected bike lanes around the city. The plan, as recommended in the Complete Streets Five-Year Plan reviewed in June, includes adding these new bike lanes sometime in the next five years.

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