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Deputy Faces Murder Charges
Craig Patterson sat stonefaced in a green jumpsuit as his voice boomed from speakers in the courtroom. Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Sengel pressed a few buttons on his laptop computer, and the 911 call began playing a key piece of evidence in the case against the 44-year-old Arlington County sheriff's deputy who shot and killed Julian Dawkins, a 22-year-old Alexandria man.
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.
Beauregard Waiting Game: Half the Affordable Housing Units Are a Decade Away
Supporters of the plan praise set-aside units; opponents fear complacency and inaction.
For the thousands of people who live in low-slung garden apartments on the West End, the future is an ever-present worry.
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.
Alexandria School Board Considers Budget as Search Continues for Superintendent
Interim leader proposes spending priorities for a system in transition.
Alexandria City Public Schools is in a state of flux. School Board members are conducting a national search for the next superintendent as students are flooding into the city's classrooms. Meanwhile, interim superintendent Alvin Crawley is proposing a 3.3 percent increase over last year's budget, adding $8 million to the existing $235 million operating budget.
Commemorating Hidden History in Arlington and Alexandria
Local 'Green Book' locations may soon be designated historic sites.
Green Book
Local Governments Enjoy Record Spending
Bucking national trend, local governments here expand while others are contracting.
As local governments across America are laying off firefighters and teachers, governments in Northern Virginia are experiencing record levels of spending and an all-time-high number of employees.
Allen Declares War on Unions
Former governor goes on the offensive against organized labor.
Hoping to capitalize on anti-union sentiment in Virginia this year, Republican George Allen is giving labor issues a starring role in his bid to recapture the Senate seat he lost to Jim Webb in 2006.
Spreading the Wealth on the Campaign Trail for Alexandria City Council
Wide disparity in fundraising numbers for council candidates.
In the first three months of the year, first-time candidate Sean Holihan raised more money than any of his competitors in the campaign for cash this political season.
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.
Arlington Voters to Determine Fate of Capital-Improvement Projects This November
From a new aquatics center to paving roads, bond initiatives tend to be popular.
It’s been more than 20 years since a bond referendum failed in Arlington, an indication of how popular the spending items are with voters in the county.
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.
Jim Moran: The $15 Million Congressman
During his years in Congress, Moran raised and spent about $1 million each campaign cycle.
One of the first things that happened after U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) announced he would not be running for reelection this year was that he cancelled a fundraising event.
Drawing the Line
How much should cities and counties be divided among lawmakers?
For Mason Cook of the Middleridge neighborhood in Fairfax County, the problem of gerrymandering can be understood in an afternoon commute. During a public hearing of the Virginia Redistricting Commission this week, he explained that if he were to drive from his house to his grocery store and then drop off a package at his post office, he would have gone through three different House of Delegates districts. "We hear a lot of talk about voter suppression. These kinds of congressional districts are all about voter suppression, and they make the congressional elections totally meaningless." — Bill Millhouser of Fairfax County
The Pandemic Election
Virginia voters support Biden, Warner and a new redistricting commission.
Twenty years ago, Virginia was a red state. Republicans scored Virginia's electoral votes in every presidential election since LBJ was reelected in 1964. Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats. The Grand Old Party had all the statewide offices, a majority of the congressional delegation and both chambers of the General Assembly. That was the environment when Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, ran for governor and lieutenant governor.
A Beacon of Things to Come on Richmond Highway
Mixed-use development may signal a sea change on Richmond Highway.
It’s the highest spot in Fairfax County, and it may also be a fulcrum for Richmond Highway.
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?
Education Issues Take Center Stage
Constituents tell lawmakers to increase teacher pay; ERA, $15 minimum wage and more.
Teachers deserve a pay raise, and Virginia desperately needs to hire more school counselors. These were two of the most prevalent concerns voiced by constituents to members of the Fairfax County legislative delegation, the largest in the Virginia General Assembly.
Ethicist on the Bench
Prosecutor of bad lawyers to take a seat on the Alexandria Circuit Court
Prosecuting unethical lawyers is not a great way to win friends and influence people. Yet somehow Kathleen Uston has been able to figure out a way to trade her job as assistant bar counsel at the Virginia State Bar for a seat on the Alexandria Circuit Court. She'll be installed on the court next week, the culmination of a career that has given Uston an inside look at some of the worst lawyering in Virginia while also giving her a special insight into the role ethics plays in the law. — Yvonne Weight Callahan
Green Summer
Alexandria delegation works with the governor to legalize marijuana on July 1.
Alexandria is about to become the capital of marijuana in Virginia. The city's legislative delegation is at the center of an effort poised to legalize weed this summer, years ahead of an agreement that was struck behind closed doors at the end of the General Assembly session in February.