Vernon Miles | ALXnow

First Lady Jill Biden announces departure from Alexandria’s Northern Virginia Community College

Published December 17, 2024 at 1:50PM

First Lady Jill Biden waves to East Wing tour visitors (courtesy of June Prakash)

After 15 years of teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), First Lady Jill Biden announced her retirement from her teaching post.

Jill Biden announced on Monday that she’d finished her final class at the Alexandria school the week before, NBC reported. Jill Biden started teaching at NOVA in 2009 after her husband Joe Biden became vice president. Jill Biden started teaching English in 1976.

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Underutilized Alexandria park’s transformation into parkour playground to kick off next year

By Vernon Miles

Published December 16, 2024 at 3:55PM

John Ewald Park (image via RPCA)

The City of Alexandria is soliciting public feedback on plans to revivify one of the city’s most underutilized parks as the project heads into a design phase starting next year.

The City is hosting a series of meetings — including one tonight at 7 p.m. at Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4643 Taney Avenue) — about long-awaited plans to fix up the city’s fairly underwhelming John Ewald Park.

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Del Ray Artisans hosting final holiday market of the season this weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published December 16, 2024 at 2:45PM

StitchesnQuilts handiwork at the holiday market (photo via Del Ray Artisans/Facebook)

For anyone looking for last-minute Christmas gifts: Del Ray Artisans’ 29th Annual Holiday Market is coming to a close this weekend.

The market, which also ran for the last two weekends, is held at their 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue headquarters from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

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Sushi restaurant moving into former Java Grill space in Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published December 13, 2024 at 2:00PM

Sushi at Akeno Sushi Bar (photo via Akeno Sushi Bar)

The former Java Grill space in Old Town could be turned into a sushi restaurant.

A new permit filed to the City of Alexandria requests a change of ownership of 611 King Street from Java Grill — which closed in 2021.

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Alexandria to ease up on sign restrictions

By Vernon Miles

Published December 13, 2024 at 8:30AM

A 'Shop Local' sign in the 200 block of King Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria could be loosening up on its fairly restrictive sign ordinance soon.

The changes are broad, but mainly focus around providing more flexibility in the city’s ordinance, increasing some of the limits, and creating an administrative process (as opposed to having to go to City Council) for some sign approvals.

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New Carlyle neighborhood condo development headed to City Council

By Vernon Miles

Published December 12, 2024 at 3:45PM

Eisenhower Block 20 (image via Architects Collaborative Inc)

A new residential development (item 18) near the Eisenhower Metro station is headed to City Council for final approval this weekend.

The project, called Eisenhower East Block 20, would create 110 total residential condominium units. Of those, two affordable housing units would be available for purchase.

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JBG Smith announces 750-unit residential developments in Potomac Yard

By Vernon Miles

Published December 12, 2024 at 11:15AM | Updated December 12, 2024 at 2:01PM

Map of planned Potomac Yard residential developments (photo courtesy KTGY Architects)

Developer JBG Smith announced plans today for 750 new residential units in Potomac Yard.

The developer said the plan is to build a mix of multifamily, townhome and committed affordable units on the southern portion of the neighborhood across from the Potomac Yard Metro station.

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Alexandria seeking pet boarding inspection authority after PetSmart dog death debacle

By Vernon Miles

Published December 11, 2024 at 3:55PM

PetSmart in Potomac Yard (staff photo by James Cullum)

After a series of dog deaths connected to the Potomac Yard PetSmart earlier this year, Alexandria is seeking independent authority to inspect animal boarding facilities.

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria — who the City of Alexandria contracts for animal care and control services — ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence to charge PetSmart or any staff with a crime but did cite poor conditions at the boarding facility.

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Alexandria’s Housing Authority needs toys for Winter Wonderland event this weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published December 11, 2024 at 2:50PM

Santa's Winder Wonderland 2020 (photo via Hearts of Empowerment/Facebook)

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) is asking for help in making the holidays special for some local kids this weekend.

ARHA is collecting toys for its 15th annual Santa’s Winter Wonderland this weekend, in which children 17 and under who are members of ARHA households receive gifts from Santa.

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Alexandria neighborhood’s enchanting holiday tradition returns this weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published December 11, 2024 at 1:55PM

Warwick Village Luminaria 2023 (courtesy photo)

This weekend marks the return of one Alexandria neighborhood’s very special, long running local tradition: the Warwick Village Luminaria.

The Luminaria is celebrated with thousands of paper lanterns lining the streets of the neighborhood. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, beginning at sunset (approximately 5 p.m.).

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What is the most dangerous street in Alexandria?

By Vernon Miles

Published December 11, 2024 at 11:40AM

Duke Street was closed at S. Walker Street down to N. Ripley Street, where a motorcyclist died after crashing into a DASH bus, April 9, 2024 (staff phjoto by JAmes Cullum)

Traffic safety advocacy group Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) compiled crash data from 2021 to 2024 and put together a ranking of the city’s most dangerous corridors with one standing out in particular.

The ranking looks not at the number of crashes, but the number of total casualties — from visible and non-visible injuries to severe and fatal crashes — reported by the Virginia Department of Transportation.