Alexandria School Board To Get Seven New Members
One School Board incumbent ousted as voters select new direction for school system.
The past few years have been some of the most turbulent in the history of Alexandria City Public Schools, which was blasted in a recent audit as having a budget office with a “dysfunctional environment.”
Alexandria Voters to Determine Direction of City Government
Growth, development, taxes and spending are the hot-button issues dividing candidates.
Are voters pleased with the recent direction of city government, which has dramatically increased the amount of density available to developers in recent years?
Week in Alexandria
October Surprise Virginia election officials are asking the attorney general's office to investigate the son of U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) discussing a plan to cast fraudulent ballots and the person who made the recording of the incident.
Sandy Leaves Clean-up Behind
The hybrid hurricane and nor’easter known as Sandy smashed into Alexandria Monday night, packing wind gusts of up to 60 miles an hour.
School Board Candidates Offer Perspectives on Failing Scores for Students with Disabilities
Incumbents defend record; challengers call for more action.
The last three years have seen test scores plummet for students with disabilities, a group that constitutes an expensive and vexing challenge for Alexandria City Public Schools.
Voters to Determine Fate of Amendment to Limit Use of Eminent Domain
Measure will allow property owners to seek damages for loss of profits and access.
Nowhere is the debate about eminent domain more intense than the foot of King Street in Alexandria, where city officials threatened to take land owned by the Old Dominion Boat Club using the power of eminent domain for flood mitigation.
Council Notebook
Alexandria has become a whistle stop town — in more ways than one. Trains have been a regular feature of life in the city since before the Civil War.
The Passover Amendment: Should Legislators Meet on Religious Holidays?
Former Del. David Englin (D-45) was behind amendment now before voters.
Every year, the Virginia General Assembly convenes several weeks after the session to react to the governor’s vetoes.
Choice for Alexandria Voters: Insiders Versus Outsiders at City Hall
Growth, development, taxes and spending form dividing line between city candidates.
When they head into the voting booths on Election Day, Alexandria voters will be confronted with a choice: Do they like the recent direction of government at City Hall, where controversial planning decisions have divided the city and the average residential tax bill has nearly doubled in the last decade? Or are they looking for people who will work against the status quo?
Artist Loses Freedmen’s Cemetery Commission Because He Used Religious Symbols
Traditional African symbols prompted rejection of winning design.
The Contraband and Freedmen’s Cemetery is no stranger to controversy. Now a new conflict has emerged at the final resting place for dozens of former slaves.
Council Notebook
Private Virtue is a public good. That’s the result of a decision this week at the Alexandria Circuit Court, which is giving the green light to city officials who want to lease part of a public alley to a private restaurant known as Virtue.
Council Notebook
The story about how the Potomac River Generating Station closed its doors this month is an Erin Brockovich story with an Old Town twist.
Is Money Buying Influence in the Race for Alexandria City Council?
Candidates accept contributions from people with business at City Hall.
Campaign finance documents show candidates for mayor and City Council have taken hundreds of dollars from people with business at City Hall.
Clash for Mayor: Bill Euille Squares Off with Andrew Macdonald
Candidates for mayor meet in the first of three debates.
In their first of three scheduled debates Tuesday night at George Washington Middle School, three-term incumbent Democrat Bill Euille and independent challenger Andrew Macdonald clashed over the waterfront plan, the Base Closure and Realignment Commission and the scale of development in Alexandria.
Jefferson-Houston Challenges Denial of Accreditation
Troubled elementary adds hour-and-a-half to school day as part of transformation effort.
Standing in the lobby of Jefferson-Houston Elementary School, Bea Porter is frustrated and angry. She sent her children to the school, and now her grandson is enrolled. But that may change unless the school makes drastic improvements soon.
Council Notebook
Everything old is new again at City Hall, where former Councilman David Speck has been tapped by Alexandria Circuit Court Chief Judge Lisa Kemler to fill the unexpired term of former Councilman Rob Krupicka, who was recently elected to fill the unexpired term of former Del. David Englin (D-45).
On the Campaign Trail
With five weeks to go before Election Day, Republicans and Democrats have targeted a small number of jurisdictions as key battlegrounds, including Henrico County and Virginia Beach. Here in Northern Virginia, the key swing jurisdictions are Loudoun County and Prince William County, where Republican George W. Bush won in 2004 followed by Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 only to flip back the next year and vote fore Republican Bob McDonnell in 2009.
Wake for an Irish Restaurant: Pat Troy Bids Farewell to Ireland's Own
After decades in business, outspoken restauranteur sells his business and enters retirement.
Friends and supporters — and even some former enemies — gathered at Pat Troy’s Ireland’s Own Restaurant last weekend to say goodbye.
City officials and Neighbors Look to Future After Coal-Fired Power Plant Shuts Down
Lines of communication are created to avoid mistakes of the waterfront plan.
Seeking to avoid the problems that emerged on the waterfront earlier this year, city officials have taken an early lead meeting with residents in North Old Town to start planning for the future of a now-shuttered coal-fired power plant.
City Council Debate Heats Up Over Taxes and Spending
Candidates clash over budget issues at contentious candidates forum.
The high-water mark of Tuesday’s City Council candidates forum was a clash between former Councilman Justin Wilson and two incumbent members, Councilman Frank Fannon and Councilwoman Alicia Hughes, over taxes and spending, a key issue that hits voters in the pocketbook each year when property tax bills are issued.
Two independents and a Libertarian Offer Variety for Voters in City Council Race
Three candidates hoping to land seats at City Hall without major party labels.
Alexandria politics has long been dominated by Democrats, although Republicans have been successful from time to time.
Incumbents and Former Incumbents Take Heat for BRAC Site Selection
Ghosts of 2008 haunt the BRAC five.
The ghosts of 2008 are haunting the campaign for mayor and City Council, as candidates clash over events leading up to the relocation of more than 6,000 daily commuters to the city’s West End.
Alexandria Cracks Down on Old Town Grocery
Two arrested for selling stolen goods; city officials say investigation is ongoing.
Don’t look for a sign announcing the Old Town Grocery. There isn’t one. But customers and investigators have been flocking to the business in the 800 block of Pendleton Street.
Trio of Challengers on the Ballot to Challenge Moran This November
Republican, Independent Green and independent offer a variety of options for voters.
A trio of challengers will oppose longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) this November, although the Northern Virginia district is solidly blue and not considered competitive.
On the Campaign Trail
With six weeks to go before Election Day, it’s starting to look like Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille will not be debating former Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald — at least not in a debate that doesn’t include all 12 of the City Council candidates.
On the Campaign Trail
Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell may not have received the vice presidential nomination, but he got a great consolation prize this week — a prime-time speaking slot this year at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
City Officials Clash with Descendants of Long-Neglected Graves at Fort Ward
African-American burials may never be discovered as city prepares management plan.
Two years ago, city officials aimed a high-powered radar from California at the ground in various spots at Fort Ward.
Rob Krupicka Wins Special Election In Landslide Victory
Councilman wins every precinct in special election for 45th District of House of Delegates.
Back in 2003, a former AOL executive named Rob Krupicka launched his campaign for Alexandria City Council at Fireflies — a popular Del Ray restaurant a stone’s throw from the Krupicka house on East Nelson Avenue.
Known and Unknown: What Would Candidates Do In Richmond If Elected?
Two candidates in special election say they don't know what bills they would introduce next year.
Voters in next week’s special election will be faced with a choice between the familiar and the unknown in the Sept. 4 special election.
Voters to Have Final Say on Waterfront Plan as Legal Challenges Linger
Boat Club occupies the Strand as tensions mount over controversial small-area plan.
Last weekend, members of the Old Dominion Boat Club staged an annual ritual that’s something of a cross between a tailgating party and Occupy Wall Street. Every year, members shut down a section of the Strand for several hours to make sure everybody knows that the land is officially Boat Club property. The yearly affirmation usually goes without much notice.
Hidden History of St. Asaph Racetrack
Del Ray was once home to an infamous gambling operation creating by a double-dealing senator.
You’d never know it today, but Del Ray was once the capital of gambling in Northern Virginia.
On the Campaign Trail
So far, three-term Mayor Bill Euille has yet to agree to a one-on-one debate with independent challenger and former Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald.
Week in Alexandria
Seven Alexandria businesses got stung last weekend during a regularly scheduled crackdown on businesses that sell alcohol to minors.
Three-Way Race for the House of Delegates Special Election
Voters to choose between Democrat, Republican and Libertarian in lightning-fast campaign.
Voters in the special election for the House of Delegates have a variety of choices, offering candidates on the left and the right and somewhere in between.
Waterfront Politics Unfold in the Courtroom and on the Campaign Trail
Three separate lawsuits still moving forward as mayoral campaign heats up.
For those keeping score in the ongoing war over the Alexandria waterfront, opponents have scored one major victory and supporters have scored one major victory.
A Stark Choice: Candidates in Special Election Are on Opposite Sides of Key Issues
Voters to choose between radically different views in September.
The summer of 2012 is turning out to be the hottest political season in recent memory, and not just because of the record-breaking temperatures.
Week in Alexandria
Alexandria police officers have arrested a man they say is responsible for a rash of burglaries from automobiles over the last few months in the Rosemont neighborhood.
Should Virginia Compensate for Dark Days of Eugenics?
Del. Patrick Hope (D-44) asks governor and General Assembly to form a task force.
The number of victims is unknown in Virginia’s system of forced sterilization, a dark chapter that stretched from the 1920s into the 1970s.
On the Campaign Trail
What happens to City Councilman Rob Krupicka’s seat if he is elected to the House of Delegates next month? Fortunately for Democrats, it’s too late to have yet another special election.
Enrollment Spikes Again as Schools Prepare for Opening Day
Classrooms are packed to capacity throughout the city.
With the first day of school fast approaching for most of the city’s public schools, central administration officials are scrambling to respond to dramatic enrollment increases.
Week in Alexandria
This week marked the first day of school at Mount Vernon Community School, which has about 100 more students than last year. It was also the first day of school at Tucker Elementary School, which has about 100 more students than last year. When the rest of the city’s schools open after Labor Day, Alexandria is preparing for a massive crunch.
Business Matters
As members of the Alexandria City Council enjoy their summer recess, elected officials turn to their day jobs. For Councilman Frank Fannon, that means trying to close some mortgage loans for SunTrust Bank — if he can.
Lightning Campaign Pits Longtime Elected Official Against Progressive Newcomer
Democrats to determine special election candidate this weekend.
This week, Democrats will determine their candidate in a special election blitz campaign that offers little time for voters to learn much about their options.
Two Detectives Assigned to Investigate Rosemont Crime Wave
Theft from vehicles has become an alarming trend; police encourage residents to lock doors.
Lock your doors. That’s the message from the Alexandria Police Department, which is currently engaged in an effort to address a growing trend of thefts from vehicles in the Rosemont neighborhood.
Business Matters
Death may be one of those unavoidable things. But taxes? That’s another story.
After Years of Construction, a New Jones Point Park Emerges from Orange Cones
Southernmost point of the District of Columbia gets a makeover.
Now, after more than a decade hidden behind a veil of orange cones, Jones Point Park is ready to once again take its place among the premier city parks.
Proposal for Waterfront Hotel Would More Than Double Density of Existing Development
Carr Hospitality presents concept to city even though zoning does not yet exist.
The vivid color images of a hotel on the waterfront offer a stark contrast to the dingy old warehouse currently occupying the northeast corner of Duke Street and Union Street.
Week in Alexandria
For more than a month, voters in the 45th District have been waiting for Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell to call a special election to fill the seat vacacted by former Del. David Englin (D-45), who resigned to put his family back together after announcing he had been unfaithful in his marriage.
Public Interest Vs. Absolute Discretion
Lack of transparency forces some to consider lawsuits just to get information.
Brook Besha is at his wit’s end. It’s been almost four years since the Fairfax County Police Department shot and killed his son. But even today, he still does not have access to the investigation conducted by the Arlington County Police Department.
Consumer Confidence on the Rise in Washington Region
Survey participants perceive regional economy better than broader national picture.
Consumer confidence is on the rise, according to results of a new survey by the Greater Washington Board of Trade.