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.

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Halloween event and Shrek musician returning to The Birchmere

By Vernon Miles
Poster for Underworld event at The Birchmere (image via The Birchmere)

The Birchmere’s (3701 Mt Vernon Avenue) annual Halloween event Raven’s Night is scheduled to return next month, along with a slew of other musical acts.

Raven’s Night is returning for its 10th year. The event features belly dancing, live music, a costume contest and a pre-show carnival.

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New report examines progress on Alexandria’s housing and tourism goals

By Vernon Miles
As seen around Old Town Alexandria and Waterfront Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new report, prepared for a City Council meeting tomorrow (Wednesday), looks back at the progress made on several priorities adopted earlier this year, from pandemic recovery to housing.

The mulit-part update tackles a dozen community-welfare topics identified as a priority early in 2022, with each of those broken down into a look at progress on individual initiatives. While some have been fully completed, others are still in their early stages.

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Alexandria’s Policing Review Board shows slow progress in first annual report

By Vernon Miles
Police at the Bradlee Shopping Center where 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez was fatally stabbed on May 24, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 3:45 p.m.) After all the fuss over its creation, the Alexandria Independent Community Policing Review Board has seemingly had a pretty quiet first full year since its creation.

The Board started meeting in January this year, and the first annual public report said it’s mostly been focusing on prep work.

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City considering new pedestrian bridge to connect West End with Landmark development

By Vernon Miles
Tentative location for Landmark pedestrian bridge (image via City of Alexandria)

The City of Alexandria is looking into building a pedestrian bridge over I-395 to connect the Landmark Mall site to neighborhoods west of the highway.

Last week, the Transportation Commission reviewed a potential grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide funding to study the potential bridge.

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Potomac Yard Metro station added to new Metro maps… kind of

By Vernon Miles

We’re just a nebulous amount of time away from the opening of the Potomac Yard Metro station, but the station is already showing up on new Metro maps.

The ongoing shutdown for Alexandria to bring the Potomac Yard Metro station into the system is scheduled to finish on Oct. 22. Metro officials said trains will be passing through but not stopping at the station.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles
Food at 1799 Prime Steak & Seafood in at 110 S. Pitt Street in Old Town. (Courtesy photo)

It was a busy week in Alexandria, with the City Council back in session and changes on the horizon for local restaurants.

The Polk Avenue sidewalk saga came to its close with the City Council voting unanimously to strike down an appeal, authorizing the city to move forward with plans to build a new sidewalk on the north side of the street.

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King Street redevelopment approved, but earns Council scorn for lackluster affordable housing contribution

By Vernon Miles
615-621 King Street development proposal (image via City of Alexandria)

The Mansly, a redevelopment of the Walgreens and a bank at 615-621 King Street, got its approval from the City Council — but not without some heavy side-eyeing and one “nay” vote after the Council criticized the underwhelming affordable housing contribution.

Technically, affordable housing didn’t and legally couldn’t have anything to do with the Council vote. The city has a trade set up, securing affordable housing units or contributions in exchange for extra density, but the staff report said the development wasn’t requesting density or height above what’s already recommended in the Old Town Small Area Plan and applicant The Silverman Group hit the bare minimum requirements for affordable housing contribution.

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Former Braddock lighting shop reopening with ‘European-style coffee shop’ in the West End today

By Vernon Miles
Alexandria Lighting + Design (courtesy photo)

After relocating from the Braddock neighborhood, Alexandria Lighting + Design is hosting a grand opening in the West End today.

The opening is the debut of the shop’s new showroom and coffee shop at 444 S. Picket Street.

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New Montessori school coming to Del Ray

By Vernon Miles
218 East Monroe Avenue (image via Google Maps)

A new Montessori school has filed for permits to open in Del Ray and is currently enrolling new students.

The Monarch Montessori School is a new program coming to 218 East Monroe Avenue, also the location of St Paul Pentecostal Church, though the school’s website says the program is a private, non-sectarian school.

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