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Contaminated Legacy
From slave plantation to industrial pollution, a hidden history of North Old Town.
The shuttered power plant dominating the landscape in North Old Town has layers of industrial pollution, a hidden history buried under the contaminated soil of the Potomac River Generating Station. Even before the coal-fired power plant was constructed in 1949, the property was home to the American Chlorophyll Company and Potomac River Clay Works. That means the long and complicated task known as "remediating" the property could mean removing everything from coal ash and mercury to industrial fertilizer and hazardous metals.
Taking on Beyer
Five Republican candidates seek nomination in convention to challenge incumbent congressman.
Usually Republicans have to recruit candidates to run against four-term U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8). Not this year. Five Republicans are seeking the Republican nomination for the 8th Congressional District in a convention later this month.
Body of Law
The history of abortion in Virginia has many twists and turns.
The United States Supreme Court's decision to dismantle the right to abortion has upended the discussion over reproductive freedom.
Reconsidering Marijuana
Pot is still legal, but the plan to regulate its sale is in jeopardy.
Marijuana
Up in Smoke
Black market to remain underground for now as lawmakers reject licensing scheme.
Cannabis
Election Mirage Evaporates in Alexandria
Governor signs bill to improve election returns at the precinct level.
Election
Texas Official Appointed to Lead Alexandria
City Council hires James Parajon as city manager.
New City Manager
Green Rollback May Hit Blue Wall
Republican efforts to undo environmental laws to face opposition in Democratic-led Senate.
Environmental laws
Ban Battle Botched
Inside the failed effort to ban assault weapons in Virginia.
Banning assault weapons was a major priority for gun-violence prevention advocates in early 2020...
Rethinking Juvenile Justice
Alexandria detention facility may be consolidated as part of statewide effort.
The Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center has 70 beds with an average population of 12 juveniles.
Student Growth Outpaces Staffing
Number of new teachers hasn't kept pace with surge in enrollment.
Since 2008, Alexandria schools have added more than 4,000 new students. But a new report from the Commonwealth Institute shows staffing has not kept pace. City schools have added only 100 new teachers during that time, and the number of teacher aides has actually declined by 10 positions.
Oops! They Did it Again
Lawmakers accidentally gave overtime protection to farmworkers and domestic workers, now they're taking it back.
They didn't mean it. Seriously. And now they're about to undo what they did last year. Lawmakers say the vote last year to create a cause of action for farmworkers and domestic workers to seek overtime pay was a mistake. Senators say they were misled, snookered by the blitzkrieg pace of the General Assembly. Now they're taking action to rectify the situation, stripping farmworkers and domestic workers of the ability to sue for overtime.
Fossil Fuel Fiesta in Alexandria
Governor proposes gas-tax holiday, but will Virginians benefit?
gas tax
Commemorating Hidden History in Arlington and Alexandria
Local 'Green Book' locations may soon be designated historic sites.
Green Book
Red Flags, Confiscated Guns
Police across Virginia use new law to disarm people courts determine to be dangerous.
Since Virginia's new red-flag law was signed by the Gov. Ralph Northam last year, according to data from the Virginia State Police, law enforcement officials across Virginia have issued 170 emergency substantial risk orders to temporarily confiscate firearms from people courts have determined could be dangerous. That includes 32 in Fairfax County, six in Arlington and five in Alexandria. Police officers and sheriffs deputies have also used the law in so-called "Second Amendment sanctuaries," including 13 risk orders in Virginia Beach and seven in Hanover County.
Privacy Advocates Urge Veto
Opponents of facial recognition technology call on governor to reject social-media dragnet.
Police departments across Virginia may soon have the ability to use billions of images scraped from social-media sites like Facebook and Instagram to track down suspects, a development that is concerning to critics who say the technology is invasive and a violation of privacy. The governor is now considering the bill, and critics are urging him to veto it or amend it to require a warrant.
Financing the Rampage
Economic toll of gun violence is more than $14 billion a year for Virginia.
All those school security measures to harden your local elementary school add up. So do trips to the emergency room and the multiple surgeries needed to address gunshot wounds. While the human tragedy of gun violence often grabs headlines, the economic toll continues to mount with each mass shooting. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, the annual cost to Virginia is more than $14 billion a year.
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