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.
New taco shop, Taco Rock 2 is opening today at the western edge of Alexandria.
Chef Mike Cordero announced in a press release that the spin-off of Rosslyn-based Taco Rock is opening at 6548 Little River Turnpike in the Pinecrest Plaza shopping center.
In contrast to the mainly virtual events of 2020, an in-person vaccination held at T.C. Williams High School today had an air of cautious optimism as Alexandria City Public Schools staff received the first round of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Governor Ralph Northam and Mayor Justin Wilson were in attendance, along with several others in the City Council and local leadership.
Beloved local Del Ray coffee shop St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub has opened a new North Old Town location (529 Montgomery Street) to help anchor a budding new community.
The new coffee house opened on Saturday, Jan. 9. St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub joins Wooboi Hot Chicken and Hinata Sushi Bar and Grill on the ground floor of Gables Old Town North, a new residential development at the north end of Old Town.
With the pandemic forcing more daily activities like work and school to go virtual, Mayor Justin Wilson said the city is doubling down on efforts to provide broadband options for Alexandria residents.
Expanding internet options beyond Comcast has been a several-year project for the city that’s hit a few bumps in the road.
Facing a consistent barrage of concerned parents asking about reopening plans, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) said it will begin posting a weekly update on when the schools will reopen.
In a newsletter, ACPS said it will be holding a weekly review of the COVID-19 data to adjust the timeline for reopening.
(Updated 4 p.m.) Police are investigating a pair of violent crimes that occurred this [Monday] morning.
The first was a felonious assault around 6 a.m. on the 1100 block of Quaker Hill Drive, right behind the Alexandria Commons shopping center near Taylor Run.
After receiving approval from the state, Mayor Justin Wilson announced on Twitter than Alexandria is moving into the next phase of vaccine distribution.
The new wave of distribution, listed as 1B, opens up the vaccine to several new essential professions. Healthcare workers were able to recieve the vaccine under phase 1A.
Black History Museum Asks for Help in Conservation Effort — “The Alexandria Black History Museum (BHM) is asking for help from the community. The museum hopes to apply for a conservation grant from the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM)… From Jan. 11 through 20, people can vote for their favorite artifact on the top ten list. The artifact with the most votes will win the People’s Choice Award and $1,000 toward conservation work on the artifact.” [Zebra]
Nothing Bundt Cakes to Open on Duke Street — “Nothing Bundt Cakes is opening its first Alexandria location. The bakery will open at 4553 Duke St., replacing a Subway sandwich shop in the Shoppes at Foxchase in Alexandria’s West End.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Police are investigating another shots fired call at 5700 Eliot Court — barely a block away from a shooting last week — even as the police department prepares for a presentation at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Police said on social media that the police responded to a shots fired call at Eliot Court in the West End at around 11 p.m. last night (Thursday). Senior Public Information Officer Amanda Paga told ALXnow that multiple shell casings were found at the scene but there was no property damage.
For the second straight budget cycle, the pandemic is rearing its ugly head in Alexandria.
In a virtual town hall last night, Mayor Justin Wilson offered a look at the behind-the-scenes back and forth between local, state and federal agencies as the city works to get some assistance to help cover an estimated $41 million shortfall.
The Heritage, a new development in Old Town widely reviled at a September Board of Architectural Review meeting, is headed to the Planning Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 1, for review after some architectural fixes.
The plan is to demolish four 1970s-era buildings in southeast Old Town — along South Patrick and North Washington streets — originally built as an urban renewal project in the historic Black neighborhood The Bottoms. Despite community objection, the BAR and City Council found that the buildings do not meet historic preservation criteria.
