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Living the Dream
Living the Dream
By the time 15-year-old Justin Cox was finished reciting the “I Have A Dream” speech from memory Monday afternoon, Jan. 15, at City Hall, several in the audience were holding back tears
Democrats Shut Out of Power in Senate
Even if Democrats win in two special elections, control over committees is unlikely.
Don't expect Democrats to take control over state Senate committees anytime soon, even if the party manages to hold both of the seats where special elections are now underway.
Federal Prosecutors Uncover Schoolyard Prostitution Ring in Suburban Fairfax County
U.S. Attorney: Underground Gangster Crips led prostitution ring that spanned Northern Virginia.
The high school girls were threatened with violence if they attempted to leave. They were sexually exploited by customers of the sex trafficking operation as well as the men who ran the prostitution ring.
Down the Drain in Alexandria
State slashes funds to fix city’s combined sewer system.
Alexandria’s plan to fix its raw sewage problem may be going down the drain, at least this year. Leaders in the House and Senate money committees slashed $20 million out of the budget that was supposed to help the city fix its antiquated combined sewer system, which floods the Potomac River with raw sewage whenever there is as little as 0.03 inches of rain.
Week in Alexandria
This election year will be like none other in the city’s long history, as the City Council election will take place in November for the first time. It will also feature a special election to fill a vacant seat in the House of Representatives in which a City Council member will be on the ballot.
Baby Bust
Declining birth rates lead to shrinking Kindergarten enrollments.
Declining birth rates and the pandemic have conspired to send Alexandria's Kindergarten enrollment down 17 percent since 2018, a trend that school officials say will have a long-term influence on how the division operates and plans for the future. Some of the decline is driven by the pandemic as parents opted for private schools or kept their children in daycare rather than enroll them. But the long-term forecast for schools will be shaped one birth at a time.
Stakes Are High in Virginia Budget Standoff
Lawmakers flee Capitol, where partisan gridlock reigns.
The budget standoff in Richmond could have drastic consequences in Northern Virginia, where every service from education to transportation is on the line.
On the Campaign Trail
Turnout for Tuesday's primary was abysmally low, with only 140,000 participating in the voting.
Marijuana Is Now Legal
The long strange trip from a failed war on drugs to social equity licenses
Smoke 'em if you've got 'em because pot is now legal in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Beacon of Groveton May Be a Sign of Things to Come on Richmond Highway
High-end rental units and ground-level retail will be a first-of-its-kind on the corridor.
When the high-end residential units at the Heights at Groveton open next month, Richmond Highway will begin a new chapter in its long history.
Hen-Pecked Arlington Officials to Consider New Rules for Urban Agriculture
Should neighbors have to consent to backyard chickens?
Arlington County Board members are about to either lay an egg or be considered chicken.
Food Truck Amuse-Bouche
Draft regulations would allow food trucks to 15 city parks and recreation centers.
Think Alexandria is about to be overrun by food trucks? Think again. Draft regulations now under consideration by the Parks and Recreation Commission would limit the pilot program for food trucks to parks and recreation centers that have 10 or more parking spaces. Only three would be allowed at one place at a time, and they would be limited to vending for four hours at a time. The parking lots must be paved, and the spaces must be designated. Although the city has more than 100 parks and recreation centers, only 15 sites would qualify under the draft regulations now under consideration. The Alexandria City Council is expected to review the recommendation next week. Food trucks could start vending as early as July 1.
Beacon for the Future
Urban development may be a sign of things to come on Richmond Highway.
When the high-end residential units at the Heights at Groveton open next month, Richmond Highway will begin a new chapter in its long history.
Arlington Urban Agriculture Task Force Chickens Out
Panel members fail to reach consensus; submit three separate reports.
The Urban Agriculture Task Force laid an egg.
Week in Alexandria
The budget standoff in Richmond could have dramatic consequences in Alexandria, where every service from education services to transportation funding is on the line.
Council Notebook
They fought like cats and dogs. They pounded their fists of the dais at City Hall. On several occasions, they raised their voices at each other.
Council Notebook
Saying Goodbye
Saying Goodbye They fought like cats and dogs. They pounded their fists of the dais at City Hall. On several occasions, they raised their voices at each other.
House Seat Shuffle
Former CIA branch chief J.D. Maddox to face Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker.
In Richmond, the 45th House District is known as a cursed seat because of its dizzying turnover. After the retirement of longtime Del. Marian Van Landingham (D-45) in 2006, the district has blazed through three delegates in rapid succession. Now the seat is open once again after the incumbent, former radio talk show host Mark Levine, lost the primary when his name appeared on the ballot twice because he was trying to simultaneously win reelection to the House while also snagging the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.
Third Suspect Charged in Lenny Harris Murder Investigation
Maryland police say this is the final suspect in the case.
In Maryland, police have arrested a third suspect in the murder of civic activist Lenny Harris, whose body was discovered last week at the bottom of a 25-foot well.
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