U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) at the ribbon cutting for Metro's Integrated Command and Communications Center in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood, Oct. 27, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Facing billions in federal health care cuts in Virginia, Alexandria Congressman Don Beyer (D-8) is joining Virginia House Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-4) and State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39) next week for three in-person panel discussions across Virginia.
The $715 billion in federal health care cuts would impact Medicaid and Planned Parenthood. The trio of Northern Virginia legislators will hold their first panel at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, June 2, at the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke St, Alexandria). The trio will then conduct similar panels later in the day in Norfolk and Richmond.
Housing Alexandria Launches New Rent Ready Online Application System for Affordable Housing (via City of Alexandria)
Housing Alexandria, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing, has launched Rent Ready, a new online application system that makes it easier to apply for affordable housing.
The platform tackles common hurdles in the application process, such as confusing language, too much paperwork, and complex eligibility rules.
Among the movers serving Alexandria, VA, 495 Movers stands out for a simple reason: its local hourly rate includes packing materials, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and protection for floors, walls, and elevators. The company has been in business since 2009 and has completed more than 20,000 moves, a number that keeps climbing.
Anyone who has hired movers in the DC area knows the familiar pattern. A low hourly rate wins the call. Then the invoice arrives with a charge for boxes, a charge for taking the bed apart, a fee for the stairs, and another for the elevator. By the end, the number on the bill has little to do with the number in the ad. 495 Movers was built to avoid that.
495 Movers at a glance
In business since: 2009 (17 years)
Moves completed: more than 20,000, local and long-distance
Licensed in: Virginia
Serves: Alexandria and the rest of the DMV
Local hourly rate includes: packing materials, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and home protection on every move
No separate fees for: stairs or elevators
Also offers: junk removal, custom crating, and self-storage
Reputation: 4.7 stars across nearly 1,000 Google reviews
Who is 495 Movers?
495 Movers is a full-service moving company serving Alexandria and the rest of the DMV, founded in 2009 by people who had worked as movers for several other companies first. They wanted to do it differently.
“We wanted to take a different approach, offering a simple, honest, and transparent approach for the customer,” said Moti Kachlon, co-owner at 495 Movers. For local moves, that meant building the most common extras into the hourly rate. Seventeen years and more than 20,000 moves later, the company is still growing.
What makes moving in Alexandria different?
Alexandria is a hard place to move. A truck on an Old Town block gets watched by neighbors, property managers, and a family wondering whether the sofa will make the turn on a staircase built long before sofas got this big.
Old Town’s rowhouses have narrow staircases and tight turns, which is why large furniture often has to come apart to get out. Del Ray’s bungalows and rowhouses have basements that hold more than anyone remembers. And condo and apartment buildings in Carlyle, Potomac Yard, and the West End often require movers to carry a certificate of insurance and book the elevator, with building managers who care a great deal about scuffed hallways. The street adds its own complications, from cobblestones to limited curb space.
That’s the context for how 495 Movers prices its work.
What does 495 Movers include in its hourly rate?
For local moves, the rate covers four things that many movers bill separately:
Packing materials. Boxes, tape, paper, and wrap are provided at no additional cost, whether a move needs a few or a few hundred.
Furniture disassembly and reassembly. Beds, tables, desks, sectionals, and wardrobes are taken apart, moved, and put back together at the new home. In an Old Town rowhouse, that’s often the only way a dresser gets down the stairs.
Redistricting Update: What We’ve Heard, What’s Changing, and What Comes Next
The Alexandria City Public Schools School Board has narrowed its redistricting options, eliminating the Circle Plan while advancing the Triangle 2 and Triangle 3 maps for elementary schools. The decision came during a six-hour Regular School Board meeting on May 29, setting the stage for a final vote on June 12.
For middle schools, the board will consider three options: Option B (minor changes), Option C (Quaker Lane), and Option E (a combination that includes specific grade 6-8 boundary lines for K-8 schools).
A paper calendar (Photo by Eric Rothermel on Unsplash)
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⛈️ Today’s weather: Scattered showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 81 degrees. Calm wind becoming southwest around six mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 60%—new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.
The City of Alexandria is among thirteen cities across Virginia being classified as “Sanctuary jurisdictions”, according to President Trump’s administration.
“Executive Order 14287: Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens requires that a list of states and local jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws (sanctuary jurisdictions) be published,” according to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) website. “Sanctuary jurisdictions including cities, counties, and states that are deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities. Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril”.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) is seeking a permanent home for Steve, a 7-year-old, 90-pound dog currently residing with a foster family.
Steve is a laid-back and easygoing companion who does great on leash walks and gets along well with other dogs during playdates.
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A 28-year-old Alexandria resident who works for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is in custody for allegedly attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, an IT specialist in the DIA’s Insider Threat Division, was arrested Thursday in northern Virginia. He’s set to appear in court in the Eastern District of Virginia on Friday.
Flooding at King and Union Streets in Old Town, October 29, 2021. (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria officials are alerting residents to prepare for potential severe weather on Friday, May 30. The National Weather Service predicts a chance of thunderstorms and flash flooding in parts of Northern Virginia.
The forecast predicts widespread showers and thunderstorms that could bring strong winds, large hail, and flash flooding to the area.