By OLIVIA DIAZ and DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats are taking steps to redraw their state’s U.S. House districts, hoping to boost their party’s chances in next year’s midterm elections and counter President Donald Trump’s push for more partisan districts in Republican-run states.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Thursday to authorize the use of state funds to continue providing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to more than 850,000 Virginians — including thousands of Alexandria residents — starting Nov. 1.
The emergency declaration comes as federal funding for SNAP is expected to run out after 22 days of a federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1.
The Alexandria City Council will host a town hall meeting on Nov. 5 (Wednesday) at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street) in Old Town.
“Members of the Alexandria City Council will be present to speak about the issues impacting you and your family. You can also get the latest news on upcoming projects and initiatives in Alexandria,” the city said in a release.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification on Oct. 14, indicating 126 employees at its Alexandria headquarters will be removed from the payroll on Dec. 9, but a source familiar with the matter told ALXnow on Friday that these are not new layoffs.
The 126 employees were part of the reduction in force announced on October 1 and have been on administrative leave since then, according to the source. The WARN notice filed with the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement reflects when those employees will officially come off the agency’s books.
The Alexandria City Council will open its budget season with an annual retreat in the West End on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The meeting will be held in-person in the first-floor community conference room of the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive) from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Council will receive a revenue forecast, expenditure overview and a preliminary budget gap from city staff, as well as a presentation from Alexandria City Public Schools and other city departments.
Halloween will not be interrupted by repaving on S. Lee Street in Old Town.
Residents of Lee Street received a letter from the city today (Oct. 23) advising that all of S. Lee Street would be repaved from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3. Despite a plan for work crews to wrap up daily by 3 p.m., the repaving work would have coincided with the annual Halloween celebration on the roadway, which is attended by thousands of people every year. Now, the city has confirmed to ALXnow that the repaving will be rescheduled to the following week.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s planned trip to Asia during a remote media availability Thursday, calling it “the height of irresponsibility” as the government shutdown enters its 23rd day.
Warner expressed frustration that Trump plans to leave the country for nearly a week while federal workers and contractors go without pay and Virginians face dramatic increases in healthcare premiums.
A new transit hub will open its doors next month in Alexandria’s West End, marking the first phase of a major redevelopment project on the site of the former Landmark Mall.
The West Alexandria Transit Center, located on Hecht Avenue, will officially begin operations at 5 a.m. on Nov. 2, according to announcements Tuesday from DASH. The opening will coincide with the permanent closure of the temporary Landmark Transit Center, which will shut down at 2:05 a.m. that same day, with all DASH and Metrobus services relocating to the new facility.
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday rejected dueling partisan bills to pay federal workers during the government shutdown, with both Republicans and Democrats deflecting blame as many employees are set to miss their first full paycheck at the end of this week.
Alexandria’s Traffic and Parking Board will convene on Monday, Oct. 27, to discuss several transportation-related items in the city.
On the docket is a proposal to allow drivers to pay by phone for on-street parking along three residential streets in Old Town — the 900 Block of Cameron Street, the 200 Block of North Alfred Street and the 200 Block of Wilkes Street. The Board will also discuss an appeal to a curb cut at 1612 Princess Street, proposed travel lane and speed limit reductions on Yoakum Parkway and Reinekers Lane, and the removal of parking spaces for crossing improvements on Cameron Mills Road at Woodland Terrace.
As the federal government shutdown stretches into its third week, Alexandria’s congressman and Virginia’s two U.S. senators have all declined their salaries while approximately 13,000 federal workers in the city go without pay.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., announced he would have his pay withheld for the duration of the shutdown. During a telephone town hall, Beyer told a constituent that, while the 27th Amendment ensures members of Congress continue to be paid during shutdowns, he had requested that his salary be withheld in solidarity with federal workers.
