Vernon Miles | ALXnow

City celebrates Alexandria residents, businesses and organizations with a green thumb

Published August 29, 2023 at 3:45PM | Updated September 8, 2023 at 11:08AM

3912 Taney Avenue, a winner of the 2023 Residential Beautification Award (image via City of Alexandria)

Homes, schools and businesses around Alexandria are being recognized for their work to make the city sparkle a little more.

On Monday, the Alexandria Beautification Commission announced the winners of the Residential Beautification Award, celebrating the creative use of non-invasive plants, native plants, landscape architecture and more.

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Six months in, Alexandria’s guaranteed income pilot is helping locals with the necessities

By Vernon Miles

Published August 29, 2023 at 1:45PM

Money on a table (staff photo via Vernon Miles/ALXnow)

Six months in, participants in a new guaranteed income pilot aren’t diving into pools of money; it’s just helping them tread water a little easier.

While there aren’t restrictions on what the money can be used for, Economic Mobility Program Officer Julie Mullen said most of the money distributed in the city’s ARISE Guaranteed Income Pilot is helping those in need with basic necessities.

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New Vietnamese coffee and boba tea spot in Old Town headed to city review next month

By Vernon Miles

Published August 29, 2023 at 9:45AM

Bloom Tea is coming to Old Town — provided it can make it through the city’s review process next month.

Owner Thao Uyen Than previously told ALXnow the new shop will focus on boba tea and Vietnamese coffee, but the opening date is dependent on the city review process.

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Police: Two Saturday shootings in Alexandria were unrelated

By Vernon Miles

Published August 28, 2023 at 5:00PM

Speedway station south of Old Town, scene of a reported shooting (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department (APD) said the two shootings on Saturday are believed to be unrelated.

Assistant Chief Easton McDonald said in a press conference this afternoon that the timing forced the police department to split its manpower.

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The Art League moving forward with new studio on Slaters Lane

By Vernon Miles

Published August 28, 2023 at 2:45PM

Almost two months after The Art League filed permits for a Slaters Lane studio, that proposal is heading to the Planning Commission next month with city staff’s blessing.

The Art League is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing art to the community. The nonprofit’s offices and art supply shop, along with a few of their classrooms, are located in the Torpedo Factory, but the larger commercial school is located in the Montgomery Center.

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Alexandria City Hall to be illuminated in purple this week to raise awareness of drug overdoses

By Vernon Miles

Published August 28, 2023 at 11:00AM

Alexandria’s City Hall (301 King Street) will be illuminated in purple this week to commemorate those who have died from drug overdoses and to raise awareness of substance abuse recovery.

Alexandria, in particular, has been hit with an increase in drug overdoses and deaths. According to the release:

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Group opposing Alexandria zoning reform hosting rally tonight in Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published August 28, 2023 at 10:00AM

Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

It wouldn’t be Alexandria without a contentious fight over zoning and density.

As the city begins to roll out plans for zoning reform to create more housing and affordability ahead of City Council review this fall, a new group opposing some of the new proposals is hosting a rally in Market Square (300 King Street) tonight (Monday).

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published August 25, 2023 at 3:45PM

The first day at school at George Mason Elementary School, August 21, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

It was a busy first week back at school in Alexandria.

The biggest tasks facing Alexandria City Public Schools leadership are combating absenteeism, closing the academic achievement gap, and addressing concerns about school safety. A new report to the School Board last night indicated that most students in Alexandria’s middle and high schools feel unsafe.

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Report shows most Alexandria middle and high school students feel unsafe

By Vernon Miles

Published August 25, 2023 at 2:50PM

A report presented to the School Board last night (Thursday) highlighted safety concerns — but also said there are some positive signs for the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS).

Clinton Page, chief of Accountability and Research, said that the report showed that while elementary school students have maintained a fairly high and steady feeling of safety, at the secondary levels — middle and high school — those have trended downward since 2020-2021.

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National Weather Service says to expect a hazardously blustery evening

By Vernon Miles

Published August 25, 2023 at 1:30PM

High winds at the Old Town waterfront in April 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Tonight, isolated severe thunderstorms are expected to roll through Alexandria, but the National Weather Service (NWS) said the real threat is severe winds.

Alexandria and much of the rest of the region have been placed on a hazardous warning outlook today (Friday).

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Lost Boy Cider hosting dog-friendly event Saturday with a ball pit, nail trim and more

By Vernon Miles

Published August 25, 2023 at 9:45AM

Onyx, an eight-week-old American bull dog mix, getting water in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)

Lost Boy Cider (317 Hooffs Run Drive), just off the east end of Eisenhower Avenue, is partnering with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) for an event tomorrow that’s as much for dogs as for drinkers.

From 1-6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, the cidery will host Dog Days of Summer, an event full of dog-friendly activities and a chance to hang out with adoptable AWLA animals.