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Reforming the Police
Lawmakers consider sweeping set of proposals to change policing in Virginia.
Only a few hours into a special session of the General Assembly earlier this week, members of a Senate panel passed a sweeping bill on policing reform that does everything from banning no-knock warrants and limiting chokeholds to creating use-of-force standards and requiring de-escalation training.
Pay to Play or Legitimate Representation in Virginia?
Senator’s consulting business takes center stage in primary campaign.
Is two-term Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31) a rising star, poised to become chairwoman of a Senate committee if Democrats seize control of the Senate? Or is she an opportunist capitalizing on insider influence for personal gain? That’s a question for voters this June in a primary that pits Favola against challenger Nicole Merlene, who says Favola’s consulting business is the embodiment of everything that’s wrong about Virginia politics.
Arlington County Board Considers New Housing Grants
Expanded program would help increasing number of people in poverty.
For Arlington’s poorest residents, the recession is far from over.
Arlington Superintendent Suggests Raising Class Sizes to Balance Budget
$493.8 million spending plan represents a 4 percent increase over last year’s budget.
With Arlington’s classrooms bursting at the seams, school officials say there’s no end in sight.
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.
Last-Minute Budgeting As City Council Members Negotiate Final Budget Agreement
Elected officials consider everything from extending library hours to increasing salaries.
Hold your wallet. The Alexandria City Council is putting the final touches on the budget for fiscal year 2013, and the long list of priorities could mean more taxes.
A More Perfect Union? Council to Consider Drastic Changes to Old Town Street
Automobiles, bicyclists and pedestrians to share the road.
Union Street was the city’s first waterfront plan, a public works project funded by wealthy landowners to extend the city east into the river in the 1780s.
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.
Block by Block, 1940s Concentrated Public Housing in Alexandria is Being Demolished
All the units will be replaced, but will scattered-site housing work?
For more than half a century, the Parker Gray neighborhood has been home to blocks of public housing.
Hunger Rising
Applications for food stamps skyrocket in Alexandria as local economy tanks.
Recent weeks have seen a dramatic spike in the number of people in Alexandria with no resources to put food on the table for their families, leading to a skyrocketing number of applications for food stamps as unemployment numbers climb and people in Alexandria suddenly find themselves in an awkward position — asking for help from the government just to buy groceries. Officials at the Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services say applications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have more than tripled since February, before the novel coronavirus pandemic prompted Gov. Ralph Northam to issue a stay-at-home order and shut down most of Alexandria’s economy.
High Time for Legalization?
Advocates call on the governor to legalize marijuana as soon as possible.
The debate over legalizing marijuana is about to light up, putting Gov. Ralph Northam at the center of a budding controversy. At issue is a question of timing. Should he agree with lawmakers that legalization should wait until New Years Day 2024, giving the commonwealth enough time to stand up the new Cannabis Control Authority? Or should he amend the bill the General Assembly put on his desk to legalize weed now to prevent communities of color from being overpoliced in the interim?
Connecting the Unconnected
Less than 3 percent of broadband spending to help low-income people gain internet access
About 15 percent of Alexandria students did not have access to the internet when the pandemic began last year, a statistic that reveals how many households in Alexandria are locked out of the modern economy.
Arlington Launches New Pilot to Clean Stormwater Runoff in Medians
Patrick Henry Drive is the first project; many will follow in coming months.
Drivers along Patrick Henry Drive can see the Arlington County’s latest attempt at combating pollution from stormwater runoff.
Developer Moves Forward with Plans to Redevelop Waterfront Property
Carr Hospitality seeks approval for concept even though zoning has yet to be approved.
One of the ghosts haunting the Alexandria waterfront is Samuel Cummings, international arms dealer who owned a warehouse now at the center of a controversial redevelopment proposal.
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Commercial Property in Arlington
Was instability in property values caused by the Pentagon?
When the market tanked, Arlington’s residential market remained flat when the rest of the country was in freefall.
Smoking Opinion
Attorney general’s legal opinion casts doubt over the city’s proposed smoking ban.
Smoking Opinion
Arlington Real-Estate Assessments Grow Six Percent
County leaders describe local economy as resilient and stable.
A decade ago, when the real-estate market was going gangbusters, the Arlington real-estate market regularly saw double-digit increases.
Horse Stable Could Be Closed to Protect Cemetery and Historic Plantation
Widening debate on Richmond Highway creates dilemma for Federal Highway Administration.
The hill where Woodlawn Baptist Church graveyard is located offers a commanding view of an area in the midst of drastic change.
Protecting Paychecks
Restaurants, lawyers and consultants in Alexandria receive millions in forgivable loans.
Restaurants in Alexandria received the biggest chunk of federal cash from the Paycheck Protection Program, landing more than 200 forgivable loans and saving about 4,000 jobs, according to new data released from the Small Business Administration. Lawyers, consultants and home health care workers also scored big, landing hundreds of loans and saving thousands of jobs. Ultimately, businesses in Alexandria received more than 3,000 loans and preserved more than 35,000 jobs.
Alexandria City Council Issues 90-Day Eminent Domain Ultimatum to Boat Club
Six-to-one vote sets deadline for city officials and boat club to compromise or else.
In the clearest threat yet that members of the Alexandria City Council are willing to use the power of eminent domain to take land owned by the Old Dominion Boat Club,