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 Health Department Adds Restaurant Workers to Current Vaccination Phase

By Vernon Miles
Inside and outside of Vola's in Old Town (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Restaurant workers in Alexandria just got moved up in the vaccination line thanks to a new prioritization from the Alexandria Health Department.

The change comes with recognition that many restaurant workers are unable to maintain safe distances from customers, putting them at increased risk of COVID-19.

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News

New Montessori School Wants to Move to the Old Spicer’s Upholstery Off Duke Street

By Vernon Miles

A new Montessori school program could be opening just off Duke Street if its special use permit gets approved.

The new Heritage Montessori Day and Preschool would be located at 3649 Wheeler Avenue, near the Spicer’s Upholstery that closed last year and across the street from the Alexandria Police Department.

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News

City and Environmental Activists Get Into the Mud on Taylor Run Restoration Debate

By Vernon Miles

(Updated 3/9/21) Under growing pressure from local environmental activists like the Environmental Council of Alexandria to halt the planned Taylor Run Stream Restoration, city staff have fired back with a 10-page response to criticisms of the project.

Opponents say the city is overstating the level of pollution in the creek and the proposed overhaul of the stream bed would damage the health of the watershed by removing foliage, though the city says many of the trees being removed are dead and that more will be replanted.

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News

Mayor on COVID: We’re in a Good Spot, Keep It Up

By Vernon Miles
Ladrey resident received his second vaccine shot on Saturday, February 20, at a vaccination POD (point of dispensing) event at the high-rise’s community room. (Photo via ARHA)

Post-holidays, Mayor Justin Wilson said in a town hall last night that Alexandrians have done a good job adhering to COVID restrictions and it’s shown in slowly declining deaths and hospitalizations.

On paper, Alexandria has seen its death toll increase over the last week to a total of 123 deaths, but the Alexandria Health Department and Wilson noted that this was due to figures from the holidays being adjusted to include additional deaths believed to be caused by COVID-19.

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News

City Could Help Turn Hotels Emptied by Coronavirus Into Affordable Housing

By Vernon Miles

Regional losses to tourism and the hotel industry could be an unexpected windfall for Alexandria’s ongoing efforts to find affordable housing.

During a presentation to the City Council last week, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) President and CEO Stephanie Landrum said that the city could look at streamlining some rezoning to help transform hotels emptied by COVID into affordable housing units.

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Opinion

Do You Like the Suggested Names for T.C. Williams and Matthew Maury?

By Vernon Miles

After months of community discussions following the School Board vote in November, Superintendent Gregory Hutchings is recommending that T.C. Williams High School be renamed Alexandria High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School be renamed Naomi Brooks Elementary School.

The choices split the difference between those who wanted to see the schools renamed after specific people and those who wanted to play it safe with area or neighborhood school names.

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News

Superintendent Proposes New Names for T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary

By Vernon Miles

“Alexandria High School” and “Naomi Brooks Elementary School”.

These could be the new names for T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School, and they are Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr.’s recommendation to the School Board.

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News

Alexandria Opens Spring Program Registration, Some Capacity Limited by COVID

By Vernon Miles

As Alexandria approaches its second spring and summer with COVID, the city is starting to put out details on limited selection of recreational programs that will be available to the public.

Registration for spring programs launched today with a variety of camps and sports clubs open to enrollment.

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News

Consultant Proposes Replacing Community Shelter with Mixed-Use Development

By Vernon Miles

With relocation of affordable housing off the table for Minnie Howard, a committee of city and Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) leaders met Monday to look to other projects to see where co-location could be implemented.

The city has several major relocation needs over the next few years, including a need to relocate four fire stations to fit changing population figures. At the Joint City-ACPS Facilities Master Plan community meeting, however, the focus was on affordable housing and school locations.

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