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.

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Clothing store in Old Town to convert into new private school location

By Vernon Miles
Planned Linder Academy location in Old Town (image via Rust Orling Architecture/City of Alexandria)

The Linder Academy, a private school that opened at 607 S. Washington Street in 2021, has applied to open a new location at Ross Dress for Less at 112 N. Washington Street.

The school, which currently has around 105 students at the existing location, is applying to have a maximum of 160 middle and high school students at the new location.

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Upcoming Agenda Alexandria panel explores the city’s ‘broadband frontier’

By Vernon Miles
Empty municipal fiber cables to be laid in the ground (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

An Agenda Alexandria panel later this month will dive into how the city’s digital landscape isevolving and what it means for local residents.

In 2021, the city broke ground on a new municipal fiber optic network to boost internet speeds at city facilities and schools and earlier this year Internet provider Ting started to break Comcast’s hold over Alexandria’s internet.

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New report shows geographic and racial divide in Alexandria’s out-of-school programs

By Vernon Miles
Kids played running games in the Alexandria City High School gymnasium prior to a watch party for Alexandria track star Noah Lyles' 200 meter race in the Tokyo Olympics on Monday. (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 1/10) Data in a new report shows a geographic and racial divide between which Alexandria students receive out-of-school services.

The Alexandria City Youth Report noted that the city’s out-of-school programs “tend to be clustered at schools and recreation centers, with fewer programs offered in the West End.”

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Bishop visits and blesses new Catholic Charities food pantry in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles
Bishop Michael Francis Burbidge blesses new Alexandria food pantry (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Sister Aniliza Juan’s days of hauling boxes up from a cramped basement to offer food to those in need are over.

The new food pantry at 4725 Eisenhower Avenue opened on Nov. 1, giving Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington a much larger, better-equipped facility to better provide for Alexandrians struggling to get by.

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‘Elongated roundabout’ and curb extensions planned in Arlandria and Del Ray

By Vernon Miles
Proposed elongated roundabout at the Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road intersection (image via City of Alexandria)

(Updated 1/9) A set of Complete Streets changes for Mount Vernon Avenue through Arlandria is headed through city review starting later this spring.

The City of Alexandria released a set of ‘preferred alternatives’ for changes to several Mount Vernon intersections. One of the biggest changes will be to the intersection with Glebe Road.

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Alexandria math teacher, who started teaching at ACPS in 1959, dies at 91

By Vernon Miles
Louis Kokonis, ACHS math teacher (image via ACPS)

Louis Kokonis, an Alexandria City High School math teacher who worked in the school division for over 60 years, died yesterday.

Kokonis, 91, was renowned for his devotion to the students. A CBS article last year noted that Kokonis, who had no wife or children, offered free tutoring on Saturdays and was often the first to arrive at the school each day.

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Alexandria Fire Department says ‘Meals on Wheels’ may be affected by large fire on Tuesday

By Vernon Miles
Fire on Wheeler Avenue (staff photo by James Cullum)

An inferno at a commercial warehouse on 4407 Wheeler Avenue Tuesday night could have a ripple effect on local seniors.

The fire, which was reported at 9:20 p.m., raged for hours and spread across three buildings. Over 1000 firefighters were called in from multiple jurisdictions and one firefighter sustained minor injuries.

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Alexandrians and Washingtonians rally against Potomac Yard arena development

By Vernon Miles
Former Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald at the rally against the proposed Potomac Yard arena (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

A group of Alexandrians and activists from the neighboring suburb — Washington D.C. — rallied outside of the Potomac Yard Metro station this afternoon, protesting the proposal to bring the Washington Capitals and Wizards to a new arena on the site.

The Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yard held the rally with around 20 protestors and half as many local reporters.

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Mayor: City seeing ‘anemic growth’ in real estate tax while expenditures loom large

By Vernon Miles
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson speaks at the announcement of a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals in Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Dec. 13, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Another year, another multi-million dollar revenue shortfall in the city’s budget.

In a newsletter, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said the city is seeing gradual growth in real estate taxes. The city is also seeing a return to normalcy in vehicle personal property tax revenues after a surge during the pandemic.

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Coalition opposing Potomac Yard arena development to host rally on Thursday

By Vernon Miles
Rendering of aerial view of Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)

(Updated 2:30 p.m.) A group called the Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yard is holding a rally tomorrow near the site of the proposed arena.

For those just now waking up from a month-long coma: Washington Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis announced, along with city leaders and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, that the teams would be moving to a new arena in Potomac Yard — pending a series of approvals from various levels of government.

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