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Union of Pedestrians: Waterfront Plan Prompts Changes to Union Street

Union Street to become 'shared street.'

The first signs of change from the waterfront plan are about to sweep through Old Town, adding features city officials believe will make the thoroughfare more friendly to pedestrians who will walk along the redeveloped properties.

Alexandria: Will Carluccio's Beat Site’s Jinx?

Long-shuttered landmark at 100 King has storied past.

The jinx of 100 King St. dates back to the Corn Exchange, the ill-fated original purpose of the building. When grain merchants failed, the soaring 25-foot ceilings were used as retail space to sell groceries and feedstuffs. Ground-floor retail space was reserved for Diamond tires in the 1920s. Since that time, the building has business after business open and close. More recent years have seen the landmark building boarded up and seemingly abandoned. Now London-based Carluccio's is hoping to break the curse of 100 King, opening its first American location here in Old Town.

Alexandria: On the Road Again

Longtime director heads back to sunny Florida.

When Rich Baier came to Alexandria in 2000, the city had few bike lanes and no BikeShare. Monroe Avenue Bridge was a twisted jag that created gridlock on Jefferson Davis Highway. The idea of dedicated lanes for transit would have seemed alien. Now the longtime director of the Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services is stepping down to take a position as director of public works for Sumpter County, Fla.

Brink Takes Administration Job

Longtime delegate to become deputy commissioner for aging services.

When asked about his new job as deputy commissioner for aging services in Virginia, longtime Del. Bob Brink (D-48) says he has a personal interest in the topic — one that's becoming more pressing every day.

Party-Line Vote Protects Child Labor at Tobacco Farms in Virginia

Republican-led House panel kills effort to craft new protections for kids in unrecorded vote.

In an unrecorded party-line vote, House Republicans killed a bill that would have cracked down on child labor at tobacco farms in Virginia.

Virginia Lawmakers Play Whack-A-Mole with Predatory Lenders

Senate panel takes action limiting one kind of high-interest loan, leaving loophole for another.

By this time next year, high-interest lenders may be prohibited from making consumer finance loans — at least ones they find profitable at 200 percent interest. So that loophole may be closed by the end of the General Assembly session. But it seems likely lawmakers will leave Richmond this year creating no restrictions on open-end lines of credit, raising concern among some that lawmakers are playing a game of whack-a-mole.

Lawmakers Consider Effort to Increase Salary for Next Gunston Hall Director

Next museum leader could pull down more than $88,000 a year.

George Mason was one of the wealthiest Founding Fathers, and now the Virginia General Assembly may be moving to increase the salary of the director of the house where he once lived. Gunston Hall has been in a state of flux since the previous director was finally removed from office after more than a year of calls for his resignation.

Sheriff's Deputy Charged with Raping Inmate

Prosecutor says he forcibly raped inmate using an ink pen as a weapon.

Deputies at the Alexandria Sheriff's Office say Bryant Duane Pegues was a quiet man, someone who got his work done and did not draw much attention to himself since he was hired in 2007.

Protesting the Vote

Alexandria officials say City Hall is not open for business during a public hearing.

Is City Hall open for business during a public hearing? Alexandria officials say no, but that could be a matter litigated in the Alexandria Circuit Court.

Arlington County to Create New Group Homes in Wake of Federal Settlement

Local jurisdictions scrambling to adjust to closing of training centers.

Ever since a federal judge issued a ruling earlier this year to close Virginia’s training centers, members of the Arlington Community Services Board have been struggling to figure out what’s next. Right now, there are more questions than answers. And time is running out.

Northern Virginia Supports Day to Serve

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), a coalition of 14 counties, cities and towns that work together on regional issues, passed a unanimous resolution endorsing Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell’s call to participate in the 2013 Day to Serve.

Democrats Seize Control of Northern Virginia

Region once had its own brand of Republicanism; now that seems almost extinct.

The loss of two-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (D-10) means Republicans are down to one lone elected official in Northern Virginia, Del. Tim Hugo (R-40). The blue wave that started last year unseating Republicans like Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67) and Del. Bob Marshall (R-13) continued this year, when state Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-10) was able to flip a seat that had been in Republican hands since a young military lawyer named Frank Wolf beat incumbent Democrat Joe Fisher back in 1980.

Moderate Republican Challenges Democratic Whip

First-time candidate challenges key figure in House Democratic caucus leadership.

Until this year, three-term Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49) has never had a Republican opponent.

Civilian Oversight

City Council members to consider creating citizen board to investigate police

Last spring, disparities in law enforcement created a groundswell of support for a new civilian review board in Alexandria, a group that could investigate excessive use of force and abuse of authority. Since that time, the General Assembly passed a new law giving these kinds of bodies authority to subpoena documents and witnesses as well as make binding disciplinary determinations. Now members of the City Council are about to consider several options for what kind of civilian review board they want to create.

Convention Done, Primary Ahead

Republicans get a head start in the general election; Democrats still fighting each other

The way Democrats talk about Donald Trump, you'd think he was on the ballot in 2021. And in many ways, he is. The former president may be out of the White House and kicked off of social media, but he's still eager to see himself as a kingmaker.

Following the Money from High-Interest Lenders to Virginia Lawmakers

Campaign cash helps undermine efforts to create consumer protections.

Recent years have seen increased scrutiny of high-interest lenders, businesses that offer a variety of loans at interest rates that often exceed 300 percent. Now campaign finance disclosures show the industry is spreading its influence across the political spectrum with about $800,000 in political contributions this election cycle according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.

Challenging the Troublemaker

Leader of Democratic resistance challenged by independent who vows to be less antagonistic.

No member of the Democratic minority is as politically combative as Del. Marcus Simon (D-53). Simon’s independent challenger says he says he would take a less confrontational tone.

Metro Improvements Six Years in the Making

$50 million project was delayed by global financial crisis.

The high-speed elevators and new mezzanine at the Rosslyn Metro station were six years in the planning, a process that was delayed when developer JBG Properties was unable to move forward with a development that was supposed to be constructed concurrently. But when the global financial crisis dried up funding for the development, Arlington leaders decided to press forward anyway. Now commuters at one of Virginia's highest ridership stations in the system have three new high-speed, high-capacity elevators, a new fare mezzanine, a separate set of gates, a separate manned kiosk and a new emergency stairwell. "This project has a huge life-safety benefit, not only for the 36,000 people who use the station today everyone on the Orange Line and Blue Line and future Silver Line in that it enables us to get emergency response teams down into the station," said Dennis Leach, deputy director of Transportation and Development. "It also allows for an orderly evacuation in the event of an emergency either in the station itself or in the tunnel under the river."

Battleground Northern Virginia

What role will the region play in the election?

For many years, Northern Virginia has been written off by both parties as a Democratic stronghold — a place where Republicans simply try to cut their losses while they focus on the rest of the commonwealth. But this election cycle may be different. All three of the gubernatorial candidates are from Fairfax County. And recent statewide candidates have not been able to win without picking off selected jurisdictions in Northern Virginia. "As you look at Northern Virginia that's further from Washington, you see a more Republican area — Prince William, western Fairfax, Fauquier," said Stephen Farnsworth, professor at University of Mary Washington. "That's where the real action is in Northern Virginia politics." As Election Day draws closer and television becomes a virtual battlefield for attention, a real battle is brewing on the ground here in Northern Virginia. Candidates and their advisors are looking at the path to victory back in 2009 for Republican Bob McDonnell, who won Prince William County, Fairfax County and Fauquier County. Although this race is likely to be closer than 2009, the importance of Northern Virginia is looming larger than ever.

Moderate Mutiny

With the sluggish economy at the forefront of voters’ minds this year, former Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine hopes to put fiscal issues at the top of his campaign to fill the seat vacated by Democratic U.S. Sen. Jim Webb. In an interview on Thursday, Jan. 19, Kaine said he hopes to promote a "talent economy" in Washington. It’s a reality the former governor says has become evident in the last few decades, when Virginia moved from being one of the lowest median income states to being one of the wealthiest.

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