News

City Council endorses EPA regulations to rid ‘forever chemicals’ from Alexandria’s drinking water

By James Cullum
Tap water in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s drinking water has an “actionable” level of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), and the City Council just endorsed a plan to help clean it up.

The long-lasting substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” are hard to break down and pollute Alexandria’s drinking water to an “actionable” degree, Mayor Justin Wilson wrote in a letter unanimously supported by Council. PFAS are proven to weaken immune response, increase cancer risk and liver damage, and pose a risk to pregnant women and their babies.

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Cut-through no more: Duke Street changes yield significant results for nearby residential streets

By Vernon Miles
Traffic backed up in Taylor Run neighborhood off Duke Street, courtesy Jill Hoffman

After years of struggling with terrible traffic and frequent crashes, recent changes to West Taylor Run Parkway have had a substantial impact on the trouble street’s residents.

Alexandria city staff are recommending that a Duke Street Traffic Mitigation pilot — which redirects traffic flow onto Duke Street and off of “cut-through” streets winding through nearby neighborhoods — be made permanent.

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Police investigating armed carjacking in Old Town, vehicle recovered in Fairfax

By Vernon Miles
Alexandria Police at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating an armed carjacking that allegedly occurred in Old Town earlier today..

The incident allegedly took place around 2 p.m. near the 700 block of S. Alfred Street. According to the scanner, the victim told police a man in all-black clothing put a gun to the driver’s head and took the white Mercedes.

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Alexandria City Council wants to incentivize locals and businesses to get private security cameras

By James Cullum
Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Personal security cameras, speed cameras in school zones, summer youth employment programs and eviction prevention funding are just a few of the final additions included in the fiscal year 2024 budget by the Alexandria City Council on Tuesday.

Council approved funding a $20,000 program to encourage businesses and homeowners with a “small incentive” to set up security cameras to deter crime, as well as increase their coordination with the Alexandria Police Department.

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PIES Fitness Yoga Studio owners look to expand with Connect & Sip Cafe in Old Town

By James Cullum
(Left to right) Jefferey, Marsha and Gabiel Harold outside their businesses on Prince Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Do you take your yoga with coffee or tea?

By this summer, the Harold family of Alexandria want to add a third business in Old Town — Connect & Sip Cafe at 1320 Prince Street. The proposed cafe would be located next door to their PIES Fitness & Yoga Studio at 1322 Prince Street. If all goes well with the permitting process, they’d like to open up by mid-summer.

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Holmes Run Trail trail repair could be pushed back to 2025

By Vernon Miles
Detour for Holmes Run trail (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Five years after extensive flooding severely damaged parts of the Holmes Run Trail, a staff report to the City Council this week indicated that repairs could take even longer than expected.

Parts of the trail have been inaccessible since the flooding in 2018. Earlier reports estimated the trail would be repaired by this spring, then by late fiscal year 2024, but the newest Capital Projects Status Report (item 10) indicated a new estimated substantial completion as the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.

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Spring2ACTion shatters record by raising $2.9 million for Alexandria nonprofits and charities

By James Cullum
(Photo via Runningbrooke/Facebook)

ACT for Alexandria did it again.

Wednesday’s Spring2ACTion fundraiser — the largest single day of giving in Alexandria — broke the record set two years ago by collecting $2.9 million for 182 local nonprofits. The 13th annual event received more than 7,700 individual donations and ACT for Alexandria exceeded its goal of $2.5 million.

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