Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Areal flood warning issued for Alexandria

Published May 7, 2022 at 12:10AM

Weather radar around Alexandria, image via National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood warning for Alexandria after heavy rainfall yesterday afternoon (Friday).

“The National Weather Service has issued an areal Flood Warning for Alexandria,” the NWS said in a text alert. “Avoid small streams and do not drive through water on roadways.”

News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published May 6, 2022 at 3:30PM

Alexandria’s annual budget process wrapped up this week with a $839.2 million fiscal year 2023 budget approval and special tax relief for car owners.

Meanwhile, an uptick in opioid overdoses among children has Alexandria City Public Schools considering adding Narcan to schools and city officials issuing warnings about counterfeit Percocet.

Opinion

Poll: How dog-friendly do you find Alexandria?

By Vernon Miles

Published May 6, 2022 at 10:00AM

In a national ranking of fastest-emerging dog-friendly cities, Alexandria took third place.

The ranking looks both at where dog-owners are registered on the dog boarding and walking site Rover and where there are the most page views of pet-friendly single-family home rental listings on real estate marketplace site Zillow.

News

Tax relief for Alexandria car owners approved

By Vernon Miles

Published May 5, 2022 at 2:15PM

Traffic moves along Duke Street near N. Jordan St. (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After the idea was floated by Mayor Justin Wilson a month ago, proposed tax relief for car owners was approved as part of the city budget last night (Wednesday).

The one-time measure is intended to keep the vehicle tax from skyrocketing after vehicle values were estimated to increase by 26% for around 87% of cars in the city. For comparison, the tax base increased by only 5% for 15% of vehicles the previous year.

News

Alexandria Police seeing spike in opioid overdoses in local children

By Vernon Miles

Published May 5, 2022 at 9:50AM

Recently confiscated small, round, pale blue counterfeit pill with tin used for inhalation, image courtesy Alexandria Police Department

The Alexandria Police Department and city officials are warning locals about an uptick in overdoses linked to pills laced with fentanyl.

“City of Alexandria officials warn the community about a recent spike in suspected fentanyl-related overdoses, especially in school-aged youth who report using a ‘little blue pill’ they believed was Percocet,” the city said in a release. “Illicit drugs are often laced with fentanyl, an inexpensive substitute that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and can be deadly.”

News

Braddock affordable housing redevelopment headed to City review this month

By Vernon Miles

Published May 4, 2022 at 3:45PM

Rendering of new proposed Samuel Madden development (image courtesy ARHA)

A new redevelopment project that could bring hundreds of new affordable housing units to the Braddock neighborhood is headed to city and public review throughout this month.

The mixed-use redevelopment of Samuel Madden Homes in Braddock is scheduled for a pair of community meetings next week followed by a review at the Board of Architectural Review in two weeks.

News

Alexandria hosting public event next weekend to help explain historic ship re-sinking

By Vernon Miles

Published May 4, 2022 at 11:05AM

Pieces of 18th-Century ships waiting to be scanned (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Fieldwork started earlier this week on a project to put the Old Town ships back underwater, and a public event scheduled next Sunday will give locals a chance to discuss the process with city archaeologists.

The public event, called “SeeWorthy in the Park,” is scheduled for Sunday, May 15, from noon to 4 p.m. at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive). The name SeeWorthy is derived from a new exhibit in the Torpedo Factory featuring digital reconstructions of the ships.

News

Early voting for Democratic Primary in Alexandria starts this week

By Vernon Miles

Published May 4, 2022 at 10:00AM | Updated May 4, 2022 at 3:16PM

Voting at Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 3:15 p.m.) Early voting in the upcoming Democratic Primary is scheduled to start later this Friday, May 6.

The only election on the ballot is the Democratic nomination for the 8th District House of Representatives seat. Victoria Virasingh is hoping to unseat Don Beyer, the 8th District Representative for eight years.

News

Alexandria library hosting free event next week with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine

By Vernon Miles

Published May 3, 2022 at 3:45PM

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, image via Jennifer Watkins/Alexandria Library

The Duncan Library in Del Ray is planning to host a conversation next week with a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine about her experience in the country and the current crisis.

The event with Marie Yovanovitch is scheduled for Monday (May 9) at 7 p.m. in the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square (2311 Mount Vernon Avenue). The discussion will also be live-streamed online.

News

Waterfront flood mitigation plan returns with slashed budget

By Vernon Miles

Published May 3, 2022 at 1:15PM

Flooding on lower King Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

The city of Alexandria is getting ready to drop $102 million to fix flooding along the waterfront.

A proposal by the Waterfront Commission’s Flood Mitigation Committee, pitched to the Waterfront Commission at their April 19 meeting, outlined the potential pump stations, underground stormwater detention chambers, and streetscape and other stormwater infrastructure improvements for the ongoing efforts to implement the Waterfront Small Area Plan.

News

New improvements coming to the King Street pedestrian zone

By Vernon Miles

Published May 2, 2022 at 3:45PM

Some changes could be coming to the King Street pedestrian zone to make the block’s change a little more permanent.

The Board of Architectural Review is scheduled to review a certificate of appropriateness for new bollards at either end of 100 block of King Street at the Board’s Thursday (May 5) meeting. The use of bollards was already approved in January, but the type approved in January was not rated for withstanding vehicle crashes, so a new type needs to be approved for locations like the 100 block where they’re designed to block vehicles.