Justin Wilson | ALXnow

Alexandria seeking applicants for community policing review board

Published November 1, 2021 at 9:55AM

Alexandria Police at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

The City of Alexandria is looking for locals to comprise the new Independent Community Policing Review Board, a body created by the City Council last year as part of an effort to provide greater police accountability in the wake of the George Floyd murder and the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.

The new review board is an eight-member panel that will review complaints against the police department after an internal investigation by the police department. Ordinance adopted on April 17 earlier this year described the board as part of an effort to enhance policing legitimacy and to maintain trust between the police department, City Council, city manager and the public.

News

Apology? Alexandria City Council wants restitution from Dominion Energy for ‘Art On The Avenue’ power outage

By James Cullum

Published October 27, 2021 at 2:30PM | Updated October 27, 2021 at 4:10PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria City Council wants more than answers from Dominion Energy for a recent power outage on the busiest day of the year in Del Ray — they want restitution.

After a 2020 hiatus, the weather was perfect for Art On The Avenue on October 2 along Mount Vernon Avenue. But a 16-hour power outage that morning ended up shuttering many businesses throughout the festival, which brought an estimated 50,000 visitors to Del Ray.

News

Alexandria mayoral candidates Wilson and Catchings clash on policing and guaranteed basic income

By Vernon Miles

Published October 21, 2021 at 3:45PM

Alexandria incumbent Mayor Justin Wilson (D) faced off against challenger Annetta Catchings (R) in a forum hosted by the Seminary Ridge Civic Association (SRCA) earlier this week.

Discussion of crime and policing took up much of the forum, marking one of the few instances where the candidates challenged each other directly. During a discussion of the opioid impact on Alexandria, Catchings put the blame for the issue on drugs on border control and drugs imported from China.

News

Alexandria sales and meals taxes rebound, but hotel lodging still greatly diminished

By Vernon Miles

Published October 18, 2021 at 9:50AM | Updated October 18, 2021 at 10:23AM

New data from tax collection over the summer shows a minor rebound for sales and meals in Alexandria, but while it’s a positive sign, Mayor Justin Wilson cautioned that they don’t quite tell the full picture.

In March, local sales tax revenue reached a high of nearly $3 million. Since the start of the year, sales tax revenue has been higher than it was in those respective months the last two years, but the fact that COVID-19 seemed to have a negligible impact on sales last summer indicates that most of that is driven by online sales rather than local business, which Wilson confirmed.

News

Alexandria considers options after local businesses crushed by ‘Art On The Avenue’ power outage

By James Cullum

Published October 4, 2021 at 9:30AM

The power went out on the busiest day of the year in Del Ray on Saturday (October 2).

An estimated 50,000 people descended on Mount Vernon Avenue for the 26th annual Art On The Avenue festival that day, but many restaurants and other businesses were forced to shut down due to the outage.

News

Art On The Avenue festival continues despite Del Ray power outage

By James Cullum

Published October 2, 2021 at 12:30PM | Updated October 2, 2021 at 6:58PM

A power outage in Del Ray has shut down a number of businesses, although the annual Art on the Avenue festival today (October 2) is still happening. The event is one of the biggest events in the city and draws tens of thousands of people.

“We have a right to expect more from @DominionEnergy,” tweeted Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. “Plunging a central business district into darkness for the better part of their biggest day of the year, with no inclement weather, is UNACCEPTABLE.”

News

Mayor Wilson: Potomac Yard construction delay ‘could have nothing to do with Metro station’

By Vernon Miles

Published September 29, 2021 at 1:10PM

After the previously announced delay for the Potomac Yard Metro station, Mayor Justin Wilson said at a meeting last night that the cause of the September 2022 date is still vague and the city is hoping the project can be completed sooner.

At the City Council meeting, Wilson said the delay to September could, in part, be the result of internal issues at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

News

School Board Chair Meagan Alderton says ACPS leadership will be challenged by high Board turnover

By James Cullum

Published September 28, 2021 at 3:55PM | Updated September 29, 2021 at 2:10PM

Facing no electoral opposition in her November reelection, Alexandria School Board Chair Meagan Alderton says the next three years will be full of challenges. For one thing, the incoming nine-member board will have six new faces who will be challenged to lead a school system beset by controversy.

“I am definitely concerned about the turnover of the board,” Alderton told ALXnow. “One of the greatest challenges in today’s public schools in general is what I call the revolving door. We really reached a critical juncture in which we can’t even expect and plan to our support personnel — teachers, principals, leadership, superintendents… To not stick around for at least five years is devastating to our potential for progress.”

Opinion

Interview: Port City Publius opens up about Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published September 21, 2021 at 3:30PM

For five years Port City Publius has let fly. The anonymous blogger won’t shy from criticizing the superintendent, or blasting “NIMBY” residents who favor changing the leadership of City Council.

Who is this writer? Is Port City Publius more than one person?

News

Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus breaks ground in Potomac Yard

By James Cullum

Published September 15, 2021 at 11:00AM

With the groundbreaking of the first of Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus buildings, Alexandria took a step into a new future on Tuesday.

Governor Ralph Northam joined top brass from Virginia Tech, Boeing, master architect JBG Smith and hundreds of visitors at the groundbreaking for a state-of-the-art 300,000 square-foot building. He said that, when completed, the academic buildings will be places “where academia, government and industry connect working to solve problems through technology.”

News

Alexandria Police report double-digit rise in burglary and drunk driving arrests

By James Cullum

Published September 13, 2021 at 2:25PM

Alexandria police cruiser (file photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria Police are reporting double-digit increases in burglary and drunk driving arrests so far this year.

In an update to the Health and Safety Coordinating Committee, police reported a 35% increase in driving while intoxicated arrests (136 incidents) — as of August 2021.