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 police chief says long overdue overhaul of department ‘sectors’ is coming next year

By Vernon Miles
Police investigating a shooting in the Andrew Adkins development (staff photo by James Cullum)

At a meeting with the City Council yesterday, city leaders joked that the last time the Alexandria Police Department revisited the ‘sectors’ map that helps shape policing, the current Commonwealth Attorney and Sheriff were still in high school and the Potomac Yard neighborhood didn’t exist yet.

But behind that joke about the outdated map were real frustrations that the Alexandria Police Department (APD) follows a sector map that’s decades out of date.

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News

‘Single Living’ on the rise in Alexandria, particularly among women

By Vernon Miles
Apartment kitchen, via Naomi Hébert/Unsplash

It’s becoming increasingly common in Alexandria to live alone.

A new study from the investment firm SmartAsset examined census data from 2016 to 2021 and found, in a study of 342 U.S. cities, Alexandria has the second most growth in people living alone. The number one spot — discrepancy about calling it a city aside — goes to neighboring Arlington.

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Opinion

Poll: Do you think the WestEnd development name is confusing?

By Vernon Miles
A rendering for Pavilion 1 on block F of the WestEnd Alexandria development (via City of Alexandria)

Despite some pushback from city leaders this weekend, the name WestEnd is likely here to say for the redevelopment at the former Landmark Mall site.

City Council members said the name is a baffling choice given that the project is located within the larger West End neighborhood.

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News

This obscure New Deal-era program could keep a major arts nonprofit in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles
Sculpting at The Art League (image via The Art League/Facebook)

The redevelopment of the Montgomery Center has pushed some businesses out of Alexandria or out of business, but a clever re-use of an old funding authority may help The Art League survive.

The Art League is scheduled to get City Council authorization tonight (Tuesday) for a funding mechanism that should help the nonprofit set up a new headquarters at 800 Slaters Lane. The Slaters Lane location will be one of three Art League facilities, with another coming into the Muse development and the other being the Torpedo Factory.

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News

Construction on King Street intersection redesign kicking off next week

By Vernon Miles
Traffic near the George Washington Masonic Memorial during a storm (staff photo by James Cullum)

Work is finally getting underway next week on a complete overhaul of the busy King/Callahan/Russell intersection.

Work is expected to start the first week of October. Drivers going through the intersection could expect delays and limited access from 9 a.m.-6  p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday. Residents and commuters are warned to plan for potential delays.

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News

Old Town Ace Hardware getting external overhaul to match new expansion

By Vernon Miles
Exterior renovations planned for Ace Hardware expansion at 801 S Washington Street (image via City of Alexandria)

After six months of internal renovations, Old Town Ace Hardware could be getting an external facelift to match.

Zebra reported that Old Town Ace Hardware spent six months on a 5,000-square-foot expansion of the shop at 809 S. Washington Street, expanding into two adjacent and vacant storefronts. The expansion comes with a new Benjamin Moore paint store, more power tools and more.

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News

City Council-BAR divided on whether Alexandria should stay a red brick town

By Vernon Miles
Glynn Jones Salon (image via City of Alexandria)

(Updated 4:15 p.m.) A conversation around a hair salon’s paint job forced Alexandria leaders to confront the question: should Old Town stay a red brick town?

At a meeting on Saturday, the City Council voted to overturn an earlier Board of Architectural Review (BAR) decision and will allow Glynn Jones Salon (720 King Street) to keep its painted yellow exterior.

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News

Open house next week highlights major changes planned for King Street rail hub

By Vernon Miles
A VRE train crosses a bridge over King Street (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Like one of the many oversized trucks stuck there over the years, a regional partnership will impact the long-troubled Virginia Railway Express (VRE) bridge over King Street and other nearby infrastructure projects.

At an open house next week, the City of Alexandria, the VRE and Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) are planning to discuss the broad range of projects around the area where the rail lines cross over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue.

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News

Alexandria City Council approves new special use permit guidelines, despite concerns

By Vernon Miles
Scenes from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the AMC Hoffman Center 22 on Thursday, Nov. 10 (staff photo by James Cullum)

An update to the city’s special events policy intended to make the process simpler wound up creating some confusion at the City Council this weekend.

At a meeting on Saturday, Diane Ruggiero, deputy director of the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, talked the City Council through some of the changes. Among the changes to the special events policy are allowing large events (500+ people) on consecutive weekends and a requirement to file a notice of intent with the City Special Events Committee at least 180 days prior to the event.

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News

Tropical storm likely to bring heavy wind and rain to Alexandria this weekend

By Vernon Miles
Expected tropical storm track (via National Weather Service)

Alexandrians should brace for a stormy weekend.

Rain is likely to kick off tonight after 11 p.m. and there’s a good chance it will continue through the weekend as a tropical storm approaches Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.

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News

New touch-screen parking meters being installed around Alexandria this fall

By Vernon Miles

New parking meters are being installed in Alexandria to ditch the old pay-and-display system.

Earlier this year, the city started moving away from pay and display systems with new pay-by-plate meters installed in the Carlyle and Potomac Yard neighborhoods. But now, those meters are starting to get a citywide expansion to replace the older systems.

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