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.
Election day in Alexandria — “Alexandria voters will decide local races for Mayor, City Council, School Board and more.” [Patch]
Deployed Dad makes surprise visit to ACPS — “Lt. Col Warren makes a surprise visit. Join in for this special moment!” [ACPS]
The City of Alexandria is looking to move forward with Phase 1 of a pilot program that could help reshape traffic patterns on Duke Street.
The pilot program will start in Phase 1 with changes to signal timing on Quaker Lane and along Duke Street for routes to Telegraph Road, an access point to I-395 that sees frequent backup during rush hour periods.
The City of Alexandria is looking for locals to comprise the new Independent Community Policing Review Board, a body created by the City Council last year as part of an effort to provide greater police accountability in the wake of the George Floyd murder and the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.
The new review board is an eight-member panel that will review complaints against the police department after an internal investigation by the police department. Ordinance adopted on April 17 earlier this year described the board as part of an effort to enhance policing legitimacy and to maintain trust between the police department, City Council, city manager and the public.
Robert E. Lee home in Alexandria omits famous resident in new listing — “The Potts-Fitzhugh House in Old Town Alexandria is for sale for $5,995,000. The listing for the six-bedroom, five-bathroom, 8,000-square-foot mansion includes a thorough description of the place, but omits a key fact: It was the childhood home of Robert E. Lee.” [Washingtonian]
Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin stops in Alexandria — “At an early Saturday morning campaign stop in Alexandria, Virginia, supporters for Youngkin told Fox News that family and education are top ticket items in their decision to back the GOP candidate.” [Fox News]
Staff from Alexandria Toyota desperately piled sandbags in front of Chadwicks (203 Strand Street) as floodwaters started to swell and shut down several blocks of Old Town.
The National Weather Service has issued an areal flood warning for Alexandria, in addition to a coastal flood warning in place until Saturday.
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is bringing back its SoberRide program this weekend to offer a safe alternative to drinking and driving.
The Halloween SoberRide will be operational from 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30, to 4 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31. During this time, any area resident 21 or older can use the SoberRide code in the “promo” section of the app and get a no-cost trip of up to $15 to get home. The code will be posted at 7 p.m. on the SoberRide website.
The legend of the burning bride — “Autumn is not only the season for brisk weather, mahogany and burnt orange color combinations and pumpkin bread with apple cider – it’s also the time of year when Alexandria’s spookiest ghost tales emerge from the shadows to take center stage.” [Alexandria Times]
Alexandria couple creates new non-alcoholic wine — “Michelle and David Toothman found a way that you can have your wine and drink it too but without the negative side effects.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
(Updated at 9:30 p.m.) High water levels in Old Town marked the start of what could be several days of tidal flooding around Alexandria.
A Coastal Flood Warning is in effect starting tonight (Thursday) at 8 p.m. and running until 2 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 30). The National Weather Service warned that high tides could flood parts of the city, particularly along the waterfront.
The city has unveiled plans for the next art installation in Waterfront Park, which will be in place at the park for most of next year.
At a meeting of the Park & Recreation Commission Meeting, Diane Ruggiero, deputy director of recreation, parks and cultural activities and two-time ALXnow quotee this week, outlined the initial plans to work with R&R Studio in Miami on a new display meant to evoke joy and happiness after a dour couple of years.
Two Maryland juveniles have been arrested and face several charges after leading Virginia State Police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash at the I-395 and Seminary Road interchange on Wednesday afternoon (October 27).
According to a release put out by the Virginia State Police, the chase started at around 2:30 p.m. after an Infiniti was clocked doing 89 mph in a 55 mph zone and displaying a fake temporary registration tag.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning that low-lying areas of Alexandria could see as much as two or three feet of tidal flooding for the next few days.
In a coastal flood warning, the NWS said from tonight (Thursday) at 8 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 30), high tides could flood parts of the city — particularly along the waterfront.
