"next to normal"

Turnover at City Hall

As the era of Justin Wilson draws to a close, what comes next?

The era of Mayor Justin Wilson is drawing to a dramatic finish, creating an open seat for mayor at City Hall for the first time in 20 years.

Voters to Determine Direction of City

Republican Annetta Catchings challenges incumbent Democrat Justin Wilson for mayor.

The race for mayor comes down to a simple question: Are Alexandria voters happy with the direction of the city or not?

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.

Zoned Out

City Council to determine future of single-family housing in Alexandria.

"We need to apply strict scrutiny on the zoning provisions we have and ensure that they do not have a disparate impact, particularly to ensure that some of the provisions are not segregating our communities." — Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson

The Scottish Walk in Alexandria

Scottish Walk

Model Silence

Alexandria School Board members face decision on rights of transgender students.

Alexandria School Board members aren't saying much about how they plan to respond to a controversial new model policy from the Virginia Department of Education, which denies the ability of students to decide which pronouns and names they prefer at school.

Two Independents, One Republican Face Six Democrats in Alexandria

Voters will have six votes for six seats.

Back in May 2009, an independent and a Republican were able to knock off two incumbent members of the Alexandria City Council in an extremely low turnout election where only 12 percent of voters showed up to the polls. A few weeks later, the lame duck council ditched the idea of having May elections in favor of moving the election to November, when turnout is much larger and Democrats tend to perform better.

Divided Government in an Off-Off Year

Democrats want to take the House; Republicans want to take the Senate.

"I think there's a sense that people want one house to check the other. They don't want total control in both Houses." — Former Gov. Doug Wilder

Following the Money

Alexandria delegation pulls in almost $3 million despite lack of competition.

“The amount of money is fascinating, although I’m not sure what it says about our current state of democracy.” — Brian Moran, former Alexandria delegate who served as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus

Casting a Ballot

Recent changes to voting make casting a ballot easier than ever.

Fear-mongering Fail

New poll shows Virginians feel safe after criminal justice reforms.

Poll on Crime

Virginia at a Crossroads

Voters to determine direction of state government.

Two years ago, Democrats seized control of the General Assembly for the first time in a generation. Now Republicans are hoping this is their moment to "Take Back Virginia," the name of a recent rally in support of the GOP statewide ticket that featured a call-in appearance from former President Donald Trump, who used the opportunity to repeat baseless claims about widespread election fraud.

Drop-Box Election

Pandemic protocols rewrite rules on voting.

When absentee ballots are distributed in the next two weeks, voters will have a new option to exercise their franchise: a drop box, which will be installed outside the Registrar’s office on North Royal Street.

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.

Two Detectives Assigned to Investigate Rosemont Crime Wave

Theft from vehicles has become an alarming trend; police encourage residents to lock doors.

Lock your doors. That’s the message from the Alexandria Police Department, which is currently engaged in an effort to address a growing trend of thefts from vehicles in the Rosemont neighborhood.

Dedicated Debate

City Council to consider removing traffic lanes from Duke Street.

Duke Street

Alexandria Ditches Jim Crow Zoning

Unanimous vote on City Council eliminates single-family housing.

zoning

Al Fresco Pandemic

Restaurants eye parking lots and sidewalks as potential outdoor dining spots.

In normal times, the parking lot behind the Del Ray Cafe gives the restaurant a competitive advantage. Drivers can turn off East Howell Avenue and pull into one of the dozen spaces behind the 1925 house that’s been repurposed into a thriving restaurant. These days, the parking lot is giving the restaurant a different competitive advantage, one that nobody saw coming a few months ago.

Alexandria Police Narrow Scope of Murder Investigations

Homicide detectives now calling Charles Severance "primary focus."

When Linda Robra first met Charles Severance at a Dulles Hilton swing dance in 2011, she could not have known that the man she came to know as "Charlie" would turn her life upside down.

All results / Stories / Michael Lee Pope

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