Police say there was another “shots fired” call in the city’s West End last night; the latest in a series of shootings in Alexandria this year.
The shots came from the 200 block of Century Drive, near Landmark Mall. Police say they found no victims or damage at the scene, but found spent shell casings.
WMATA Considers Closing Two Alexandria Metro Stations — “The 19 stations that could face closure include those that are within one mile of other stations and those that are seeing the lowest usage. In Alexandria, that means the Eisenhower Station and Van Dorn Street station are on the list.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Local Program Supports Artists With Disabilities — “Coletta Collections, an artisan program for people with disabilities, is helping Alexandrians celebrate the holidays safely and sincerely.” [Zebra]
If you want to build bonus density, office-to-housing conversions, or continuum of care facilities in Alexandria, a new report says you should have to pony up a little extra cash to support affordable housing.
Trading density and other exceptions to zoning code for a contribution to the affordable housing fund has been a longstanding practice in Alexandria and other localities, but the new “Update to the City’s Affordable Housing Contribution Policies and Procedures” being presented at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting includes a recommendation push for that system to be codified.
Not long after Old Town Alexandria’s official tree lighting, Del Ray is planning to rally virtually for its own annual tree lighting ceremony.
The Del Ray tree lighting a virtual program this year and is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. The program is hosted by Visit Del Ray and will streamed via the Zebra Press website. The family-friendly show is scheduled to include Santa and a performance by the Alexandria Singers.
Mayor Justin Wilson says that a study by a conservative activist group alleging that 105% of the city’s voting population is registered to vote is “BS”.
Wilson wrote that a Judicial Watch study incorrectly calculated U.S. Census data from the American Community Survey (ACS) when it listed the city’s citizen voting age population at 105%, with 109,889 total registered voters and a total of 104,975 eligible voters. The study was picked up by Republican gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Amanda Chase, who said on social media that there needs to be “absolute integrity in our state electoral system.”
Alexandria Living Legend Lillian Patterson, a fourth-generation Alexandrian and former curator of the Alexandria Black History Museum (ABHM), is planning to host an annual workshop with the museum this weekend to discuss the holiday Kwanzaa.
Hundreds of new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Alexandria in the last week, as the number of positive cases has jumped to 5,366, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
That’s an increase of 356 cases since this time last week. There have also been 668 new cases reported in the city since Nov. 16.
Alexandria Lighting & Supply, a feature of the Braddock neighborhood for the last 50 years, could be making the move to the West End of Alexandria if approved at a Planning Commission meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) and a City Council meeting after that.
After moving away from its current location at 701 N. Henry St, the store is planning to open in a new building called Avanti 550 at 550 South Pickett Street.
Police Investigate More Shots Fired — “The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a “shots fired” call for service in the 5400 block of Richenbacher Avenue. Expect police activity in the area.” [Twitter]
Local Businesses Hopeful for Holiday Shopping Season — “Victoria Vergason, owner of a vintage barware store, says holiday shoppers this season could make or break some small businesses. ‘[It] is a very, very critical time for small businesses to be able to make their profits and run into the next year,’ she said.” [WUSA9]
Continued claims for unemployment continue to fall in Alexandria, while the number of initial (first-time) claims for the week ending Nov. 14 jumped 70% over the previous week, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.
There were 1,628 continued claims for the week ending Nov. 14, a sharp decrease from the 1,933 claims filed for the week ending Nov. 7. There were also 1,942 continued claims for the week ending Oct. 31; 2,340 claims for the week ending Oct. 24; 2,353 claims for the week ending Oct. 17; and 2,891 claims for the week ending Oct. 10.
Seven-year-old Reno moved to Alexandria from Florida, so the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s pet of the week might not know what to expect from cold winters.
The black Labrador retriever mix is currently in a foster home, and all of his adoption fees have been paid by a generous donor, according to AWLA spokesperson Gina Hardter.
