On the Campaign Trail
Back in 1979, the competition to become Alexandria's next commonwealth's attorney was fierce.
On the Campaign Trail
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe is not the standard candidate for higher office.
Week in Alexandria
What happens when you mix raw emotions and firearms? Sometimes people get injured.
Alexandria Leaders Consider Lawsuit Challenging Takeover of Long-Troubled School
Unless courts intervene, new statewide division will take control of Jefferson-Houston next year.
Is Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell's effort to take over Jefferson-Houston School constitutional?
Terry McAulife Launches Healthcare Platform at Inova Alexandria Hospital
Affordable Care Act is a key point of distinction between candidates for governor.
Democratic candidate for governor Terry McAuliffe found himself in the emergency room this week, but it wasn't because of a medical crisis.
Civil Disobedience and Holiday Ordinance in Alexandria
Fireworks are illegal, but violating this particular ordinance has a long tradition.
Newsflash: Consumer fireworks are illegal in Alexandria. According to the city's fire-prevention code, use of fireworks is a class one misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail or a $2,500 fine.
Hybrid Outrage at the Department of Motor Vehicles
Two legislators vow to introduce effort to repeal new tax on hybrid vehicles.
Suzanne Cleary has owned a hybrid vehicle since 2006, making her an early adopter and a proselytizer to her friends and neighbors.
Prosecutor's Report Clears Officers of Criminal Wrongdoing in February Shooting
Unlike Fairfax and Arlington authorities, Alexandria prosecutor shares report with public.
Seven different officers shot 37 rounds at Alexandria man Taft Sellers last February during a standoff in the city's West End, hitting him five times.
Landmark Neighborhood Braces for Drastic Redevelopment
11-acre site to become urban village with retail, residential and entertainment.
When West End resident Daniel Daughtry's watch broke, he did the same thing people across the country do — he headed for the local mall.
Bike to the Future: Alexandria Rewrites Rulebook for Cyclists
Bicycles will now be allowed on sidewalks outside core business zone.
Do bicycles belong on the street or on the sidewalk?
Combat Veteran Takes on Former City Councilman in House of Delegates Race
First-time candidate challenges freshman delegate.
Jeffrey Engle is no stranger to combat. The Army veteran spent 11 years in the service, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Now that he has taken a medical retirement from the military, he's ready for a different kind of fight.
Northern Virginia Democrats Spoiling for a Fight Against Republican Incumbents
13 first-time candidates ready to take on incumbents across the region.
He may be taking the summer off from his role as host of the Daily Show, but Jon Stewart is playing an important role in the Democrats’ campaign for the House of Delegates this fall.
Alexandria Leaders Search for Alternative to Alternative B
City officials to reconfigure design for Potomac Yard Metro station.
For years, city officials and Deleware-based CPYR have been planning to build a Metro station known as Alternative B — a design that would allow direct access from land owned by the developer to a new Metro station.
On the Campaign Trail
Turnout for Tuesday's primary was abysmally low, with only 140,000 participating in the voting.
Establishment Wins Democratic Primary
State senators beat out first-time candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Two first-time candidates had a hard time beating back the establishment this week, as two state senators won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor and attorney general Tuesday night.
Panel to Evaluate Middle Schools
School Board creates committee to take a look at reorganization.
Consider the scenario: Two eight-grade students get into a fight in the cafeteria of Hammond Middle School.
Dreams Taken Away: Julian Dawkins Remembered as Hard Worker with Sense of Humor
Arlington Sheriff's deputy charged with murdering 22-year-old Alexandria man.
Just a few hours after Alexandria police charged an Arlington Sheriff's deputy with murdering Julian Dawkins, hundreds of friends and relatives packed Antioch Baptist Church on Queen Street for an emotional funeral.
Tea Party Ticket
Republican convention selects conservative slate of candidates for November.
Perhaps the biggest sign that the Tea Party has taken control of the Republican Party of Virginia was the yellow Gadsden flag emblem that appeared on placards distributed by supporters of Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, who was one of seven candidates vying to be the nominee for lieutenant governor last weekend at a raucous convention in Richmond. Davis, who represented Fairfax County for a decade in the General Assembly, has a reputation as being a moderate.
Uncertainty Haunts Jefferson-Houston Groundbreaking
Questions linger as officials prepare ceremonial shovels.
City leaders and school officials are about to break out the ceremonial shovels and turn the earth at Jefferson-Houston School, the long-troubled facility near the King Street Metro station.
Office Vacancy Hits Historic High in Alexandria
City officials blame Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
The crush of rush hour traffic at Mark Center is not the only headache caused by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
Council Notebook
It's official. The Alexandria City Council is against expanding operations at a hazardous materials facility on the West End of the city near the Van Dorn Metro station and just a few hundred feet from Tucker Elementary School.
Business Matters
Former Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley is looking for a new gig. Ever since United Bankshares announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire all the outstanding stock of Virginia Bancorp back in January, the writing has been on the wall.
Alexandria City Council Approves Historic Tax Increase
After ousting two Republicans, all Democratic council hikes tax rate four cents.
Members of the Alexandria City Council unanimously supported a historic four-cent hike in the tax rate this week, raising the average residential property tax bill $314 to $4,888.
School Board to Reconsider Middle School Reorganization
Members ask superintendent to evaluate four years of middle school data.
When students arrived at Hammond Middle School for the first day of classes in the fall of 2009, they were stepping into three different schools: Hammond 1, Hammond 2 and Hammond 3.
Business Matters
A quiet stretch of Eisenhower Avenue is about to get a new lease on life — nightlife, to be exact.
Federal Officials Audit T.C. Williams to Follow $6 Million in Federal Funds
Three-year program dubbed school 'persistently lowest achieving.'
For two days this week, a team of federal officials from the U.S. Department of Education were in Alexandria to follow the money.
Horse Trading at City Hall as Council Members Approach Budget Deadline
Warwick Pool to remain open for the short term; holiday lights to stay dim during the summer.
The Warwick Pool is likely to stay open for another year, although what happens beyond that is a mystery. But the holiday lights along King Street will likely go dark during the summer months, despite one councilwoman's longtime quest to persuade her colleagues otherwise.
A Firehouse Mystery: Who Vandalized Two Antique Dalmatian Statues?
Two separate statues damaged on opposite sides of Old Town in late-night crime.
Ever since they were donated to the two Old Town fire stations a few weeks ago, the antique Dalmatian statues have stood as silent witnesses to the life of Alexandria's firefighters.
Athenaeum Wants Your Vote to Fund Restoration in Online Contest
Leaders at the Old Town landmark suggest voting early and often.
Do you love the Athenaeum? If the answer is yes, executive director Catherine Aselford is asking for your vote.
Business Matters
Del Ray is known as the place where Main Street still exists. Now it's also a place where adults can eat sushi without the threat of hearing a crying baby.
Newly Elected School Board Members Clash Over Raises for Teachers
Now budget heads to City Hall, where council members will determine appropriation.
School Board members traditionally try to present a unified front to City Hall, where members of the Alexandria City Council have the final say over how much money is transferred to the Beauregard Street headquarters of Alexandria City Public Schools.
Alexandria Set to Exceed Debt Ceiling, Raising Concerns About Bond Rating
City leaders say borrowing is necessary to finance future of Alexandria.
Alexandria is about to hit the roof, literally.
Council Notebook
Once upon a midnight dreary, while Alexandria Poet Laureate Amy Young pondered weak and weary.
West End Rezoned
Council approves plan to demolish thousands of garden apartments.
Like many of the residents who live along Beauregard Street, Salam Jawad is unsure about the future. Since he came to America last year, he's been trying to find his way in a new culture and a new environment.
Alexandria Leaders Engage in Risky Business at Potomac Yard
City taxpayers are about to assume financial risk for new Metro station.
Alexandria taxpayers are about to gamble on the future, rolling the dice on development at a former railroad yard to fund a new Metro station.
Coalition Wages War on Brick Sidewalks in Old Town
Group calls for action now, before more brick sidewalks are installed in new development.
They may be charming, but many people say Alexandria's brick sidewalks have become a dangerous burden. Now they are asking City Hall to do something about it.
Hunting Towers Sold
New owners tell city leaders they will preserve affordable housing.
For years, people who live in the twin towers at the southern edge of Old Town have lived with a sense of dread.
Thousands of Families are Living with Uncertainty on the West End
City Council to consider plan that would demolish hundreds of low-end garden apartments.
On the windswept streets of the city's West End, many poor and Latino residents say they are living with a sense of uncertainty.
Hunting Towers Sold
New owners tell city leaders they will preserve affordable housing.
For years, people who live in the twin towers at the southern edge of Old Town have lived with a sense of dread. That's because their landlord is the Virginia Department of Transportation, which purchased the buildings during construction of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
War on the Waterfront
Iron Ladies file another lawsuit challenging city's efforts to upzone three sites.
When the dispute between Old Town and City Hall was at its height last year, 20th Century Fox movie "Iron Lady" was in the theaters celebrating the life of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. So when Old Town residents April Burke, Beth Gibney and Marie Kux filed a lawsuit against the city, the trio was dubbed the "Iron Ladies" — a tip of the hat to the steely determination of the former prime minister.
Alexandria City Public Schools Administration Costs $3.6 million a Year
Administrators pull down competitive salaries for Northern Virginia.
In the classic Depression era tune "Nice Work if You Can Get It," Ira Gershwin describes "a man who only lives for making money" as one who "lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny." Here in Alexandria, the sun is not always shining on the Alexandria Public Schools central administration headquarters on Beauregard Street. But it is raining cash.
Governor Approves Conditional Budget for Medicaid Expansion
Vote-swapping operation traded transportation votes for Medicaid money.
Half a million uninsured Virginians may be eligible for Medicaid under an agreement now being worked out in Richmond — a deal in which Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell agreed to include Medicaid expansion as part of the budget if Senate Democrats supported a transportation package.
Parents Rally to Save FACE as Alexandria School Board Considers Budget Cuts
Board members must close a $3 million gap before sending budget to City Hall.
Dozens of parents appeared before members of the Alexandria School Board last week with a simple plea — save FACE.
Cloud Hangs Over Troubled Alexandria School As Governor Considers Takeover
Future of Jefferson-Houston is in doubt, even as state and local leaders strike new agreement.
Even as central administrators in Alexandria have finally entered into a memorandum of understanding with state leaders to turn around a troubled school, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is considering legislation that would seize control from local leaders.
How Much Money Does Your School Administrator Make?
Alexandria school system has some of the highest paid administrators in the region.
The administrator in the corner office at your local school is sitting pretty with a six-figure paycheck.
Alexandria City Council Rezones Waterfront Despite Massive Opposition
Six-to-one vote opens the door to higher density and overturns longstanding ban on hotels.
Members of the Alexandria City Council cast what may become one of the most important votes in their career last weekend, approving a controversial zoning change that would triple density at three sites slated for redevelopment compared to what’s there now.
List of Rejected Budget Cuts Reveals Thinking Behind Budget Proposal
Cuts that were cut may become key as budget season moves forward.
Imagine a world without school crossing guards or security screening at the courthouse — a city so strapped for cash it closes one of its fire stations and eliminates life insurance for its retired workers.
Council Notebook
Want to know how much city officials are going to charge you for the privilege of living in Alexandria? Check the advertisements.
Week in Alexandria
What’s the difference between a map amendment and a text amendment?
State May Takeover Struggling Alexandria School After Decade of Failure
Increasing pressure for progress at Jefferson-Houston School.
A decade of efforts to improve Jefferson-Houston School have failed, and now state leaders are increasing pressure on Alexandria City Public School leaders to turnaround the turnaround.