By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department’s efforts to target adversaries of President Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.
Three grant recipients will unveil their findings on Alexandria’s history during the Civil War, records at Douglas Cemetery and more.
The grants were awarded as part of the Alexandria Historical Society‘s 50th anniversary celebration. The “golden grantees” will present their findings at the free event at the Lyceum (201 S. Washington Street) on Wednesday, Oct. 22, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Alexandria City Council members grappled with difficult decisions on Tuesday evening about which major infrastructure projects deserve funding over the next decade, as Alexandria approaches its debt capacity limits while facing $307 million in unfunded needs.
The work session at City Hall focused on prioritizing projects within the city’s Capital Improvement Plan — a $2.1 billion blueprint for infrastructure investments through 2035 that includes everything from school replacements to fire station upgrades and recreation facilities.
Next week, Sandy Williams IV will submit his proposal for an art installation in Alexandria to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Williams’ proposal for public art to adorn the courtyard of the Alexandria Circuit Court (520 King Street) from April to November must first receive approval from the city’s Commission for the Arts. The design is still under wraps, although the artist, who is known for creating pieces that defy convention, says that the issues the signers of the Declaration of Independence wrestled with in 1776 are similar to those faced by contemporary Americans.
Senators Slam Shutdown Messages – Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined 22 Senate colleagues Monday in demanding the Trump administration remove partisan political messages from federal agency websites and employee email accounts. [ALXnow]
Federal Workers Guaranteed Back Pay – Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., whose district includes Alexandria and has one of the largest concentrations of federal employees in Congress, said Tuesday that federal workers are guaranteed back pay “without question or exception,” pushing back against Trump administration warnings that retroactive pay is not assured during the government shutdown. [ALXnow]
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Michael Nachmanoff has built a quiet reputation in the federal courthouse in northern Virginia — a onetime public defender turned judge known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament. On Wednesday, he found himself at the center of a political storm: presiding over the Justice Department’s prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey.
By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press737
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Former FBI Director James Comey is set to make his first court appearance Wednesday in a Justice Department criminal case accusing him of lying to Congress five years ago.
Ready to solve a mystery at home?
Four years ago, a group of Alexandrians combined their talents to launch the Literary Adventure Society, a play-at-home mystery game series based on classic detective stories set in Victorian London, featuring sleuths Sherlock Holmes and Loveday Brooke. Would-be detectives (up to six at a time) can order the $55 interactive mystery boxes that include audio plays, clues, as well as custom tea blends and scented candles to get everyone in the right frame of mind to unravel mind-bending crimes like A Scandal in Bohemia, The Dancing Men, and The Mystery of the Black Bag.
The government shutdown has prompted the Taste of NoVA to move from the National Museum of the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir, nearly 30 miles west, to the NOVA LIVE event field in Manassas.
More than 120 restaurants and wineries are featured at the Northern Virginia Magazine event on Oct. 11 and 12, and organizers had to think fast as the National Museum of the U.S. Army is closed during the shutdown. Federal workers attending the event can use promo code GOV20 to receive 20 percent off general admission tickets with a valid government ID at TasteOfNoVA.com.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins outlined the city’s response to the ongoing federal government shutdown and provided updates on significant infrastructure projects during her monthly virtual conversation with ALXnow on Tuesday.
The mayor emphasized that Alexandria has proactively prepared for the shutdown’s impact on the community, which includes nearly 16,000 federal workers employed full-time and part-time in the city. A resource page on the city’s website offers information on housing assistance, food assistance, and property tax payment plans.
Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined 22 Senate colleagues Monday in demanding the Trump administration remove partisan political messages from federal agency websites and employee email accounts.
The Democratic senators sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought claiming the messages violate federal law prohibiting the use of government funds for propaganda purposes.
