Alexandria’s residential property assessments are climbing this year and, for the first time in years, that includes a significant increase for condos.
Mayor Justin Wilson, in a virtual town hall last Thursday, said the assessed property value increase comes after years of that being essentially stagnant.
Bill requiring seat belts on school buses falters — “Different year, same result with efforts by some in the General Assembly to require seat belts on school buses.” [Inside NoVa]
Agenda Alexandria forum to address racial inequity — “Agenda: Alexandria’s February program will provide a forum for diverse Alexandrians to discuss racial issues in the Port City. The panel will be led by a racial equity facilitator and will provide a judgement-free zone for all to tell their stories.” [Twitter]
An Alexandria couple pleaded guilty to conspiracy in relation to filing false tax claims for their Maryland-based auto body repair shop, and have been ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution.
Ercin Kalender, 60, and Lizette Kalender, 44, own Butch’s Auto Body in Capital Heights, and were ordered to pay the $2.2 million as part of their plea agreement, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
It’s not the easiest time to recruit teachers. That was the gist of last week’s staff update to the Alexandria School Board.
“It is very hard to do recruitment in a time like this,” Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. told the Board. “Where you’re trying to recruit people into an organization who, one: can’t come and do a tour of the building; two: our new teachers who are just graduating or will be graduating this May. They’re wondering kind of what the state of education is all about.”
For 50 years, crossing guard Cora Reed has helped students get safety to Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy (LCTA). Later this week, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is hosting a ceremony to honor her work.
ACPS said the meeting will include presenting Reed with a certificate from a statewide program.
Multiple persons of interest have been identified after an attempted break-in and arson at a 7-Eleven store in the West End.
At around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 3, four-to-five males walked into the 7-Eleven at 2 S. Jordan Street and “using incendiary devices committed the offense of arson,” according to a police search warrant affidavit.
Alexandria Police are investigating the stabbing of an employee at the Pizza Hut outside of the business on Sunday, Jan. 16.
Police responded to the Pizza Hut at 1049 W. Glebe Road at around 7:30 p.m. for a report of a stabbing in progress, according to a search warrant.
Covid cases continue to recede in Alexandria for the fourth straight week, and local pharmacies are now giving out free adult N95 face masks as part of a new federal program.
There were also seven news deaths reported since this time last week, bringing the death toll from the virus to 172.
WBJ says developers should stop trying to rebrand neighborhoods — “The neighborhoods might not plan [rebrand], but a growing body of evidence suggests the area’s most powerful business interest — yes, even more powerful than Amazon — wants ‘Crystal City’ to fade away.” [Washington Business Journal]
American Library Association recognizes local librarian — “Taylor was recently celebrated for her work in Alexandria: She was named as one of two librarians sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians in the American Library Association’s 2022 Emerging Leaders.” [Alexandria Times]
(Updated 2/7) Busy week at the intersection of state and local politics.
Yesterday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited an Alexandria Safeway for a roundtable discussion only to get heckled for not wearing a mask indoors. There’s even a shirt referencing the incident being produced as a fundraiser. Meanwhile, members of Youngkin’s administration made better headway in meeting with state and federal leaders to discuss increased infrastructure funding for a local bridge project.
The Mount Vernon Avenue bridge is a vital link between Alexandria and Arlington, but it’s in rough shape and in desperate need of a refit.
The Arlington Ridge Road/Mount Vernon Avenue bridge over Four Mile Run in rough shape and this morning (Friday) Senator Mark Warner and local leaders met with engineers to review the state of the bridge and advocate for the bridge to get a significant boost from federal funding. Federal funding for bridge infrastructure is currently in the hands of state leaders who will allocate funding to bridge projects around the state.
