Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Police: Drug Offenses Decline in Alexandria, Though Assaults Continue Upward Trend

Published January 13, 2020 at 11:45AM | Updated January 13, 2020 at 12:47PM

Alexandria police cruiser (File photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) Police calls for serious crime in Alexandria rose in 2019, though misdemeanors have generally been on the decline, according to a new report.

Data in the city’s Crime and Quality of Life report shows that overall, felony dispatches have increased by 4.2% in Alexandria. Between 2018-2019, aggravated assaults increased from 151 to 208, a 37.7% increase.

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Riverside Taco on the Waterfront Could Become Music Venue

By Vernon Miles

Published January 13, 2020 at 10:30AM

When Riverside Taco comes back to the Alexandria waterfront this spring, it could be expanded into a new music venue.

The eatery currently consists of the Airstream trailer that dispenses tacos, soft drinks, and beer — seasonally — as well as a 90-seat picnic table area. A new special use permit (SUP) requested for Riverside Taco would allow the market to host live acoustic entertainment.

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City of Alexandria to Offer Free Narcan Training

By Vernon Miles

Published January 13, 2020 at 9:15AM

Alexandria is offering free Narcan training, which teaches members of the public how to spot and reverse an opioid overdose, starting tomorrow.

Narcan is a prescription medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose through injection or intranasal mist. Last year, Alexandria Police Department Lt. Mike Kochis was credited with saving the life of an unconscious man in Carlyle with a Narcan dose.

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Alexandria Cocker Spaniel ‘Solo’ is Ready to Pair Up

By Vernon Miles

Published January 10, 2020 at 2:15PM

Solo (photo courtesy Animal Welfare League of Alexandria)

An elderly, golden-haired cocker spaniel named Solo is, ironically, looking for some companionship.

The 10-year old spaniel at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (4101 Eisenhower Avenue) has a number of tricks he’s been showing off in foster care — like sit, stay, down and come — but also has a more specialized ability to find treats hidden around a room on command.

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New Kid-Focused Coding School in the West End to Host Party with Robots This Weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published January 10, 2020 at 10:35AM

Code Ninjas in Alexandria (photo via Code Ninjas/Facebook)

Computer programming tutoring franchise Code Ninjas is celebrating the launch of its new West End location with a grand opening celebration this weekend.

Code Ninjas has a simple but ambitious goal: make coding accessible and fun for kids. The school’s game-based curriculum focuses on teamwork, logic, math and problem solving, according to the company website. The company has locations across the country, including locations in Falls Church and Burke, and has been working to expand internationally.

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Local Stream Set For Revitalization Over the Next Year

By Vernon Miles

Published January 9, 2020 at 3:30PM

Taylor Run (photo via City of Alexandria)

Taylor Run stream in pretty bad shape, but the City of Alexandria wants to revitalize it into a healthy stream rich with native vegetation.

“It’s in the design phase right now,” said Jesse Maines, division chief for Stormwater Management. Maines estimated the design was about halfway completed, but the department is still reaching out to local stakeholders and continuing internal discussions about the eventual design.

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MLK Commemoration in Alexandria to Include Visit from National African American History Museum Director

By Vernon Miles

Published January 9, 2020 at 11:45AM | Updated March 15, 2024 at 2:40PM

The City of Alexandria planning to host a commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. next Wednesday, Jan. 15.

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Old Town Power Plant to be Broken Up into Three Lots

By Vernon Miles

Published January 9, 2020 at 10:30AM

GenOn Power Plant (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

The enormous power plant in North Old Town has been shut down for nearly a decade, but plans have finally emerged to break the property up into smaller parcels for redevelopment.

The Potomac River Generating Station, more commonly known around Alexandria by its former name GenOn — which still adorns the building’s signs — was decommissioned in 2012.

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New Laser Tag Bar in West End to Host Grand Opening on Friday

By Vernon Miles

Published January 8, 2020 at 3:40PM

Laser tag arena at Doyle's Outpost (photo via Doyle's Outpost/Facebook)

West End bar/arcade/laser tag arena Doyle’s Outpost is planning to host a grand opening celebration on Friday, Jan. 10.

The new “entertainment venue” in the Seminary Plaza shopping center (4620 Kenmore Avenue) features a restaurant and bar along with a two-level laser tag arena, with some arcade games and VR attractions thrown into the mix.

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DASH Buses Get New ‘West End’ Look to Promote Service Enhancements

By Vernon Miles

Published January 8, 2020 at 10:40AM

Alexandria’s DASH buses may look a little different this week if you ride in the West End.

The new white West End bus traveling the new AT1 Plus route will feature artwork showing the route and various destinations in Alexandria’s West End, according to DASH.

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Man Hospitalized After Being Struck By Vehicle in the West End

By Vernon Miles

Published January 7, 2020 at 2:00PM

A man remained hospitalized with serious, though non-life threatening, injuries after a crash on Yoakum Parkway yesterday, according to police.

The 300 block of Yoakum Parkway was closed in both directions around 5 p.m. yesterday (Monday), up to Stevenson Avenue, police tweeted. An adult male pedestrian was struck by a vehicle, police spokesman Lt. Courtney Ballantine told ALXnow, with serious but life-threatening injuries that left him hospitalized.