Establishment Wins Democratic Primary
State senators beat out first-time candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Two first-time candidates had a hard time beating back the establishment this week, as two state senators won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor and attorney general Tuesday night.
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.
Tea Party Ticket
Republican convention selects conservative slate of candidates for November.
Perhaps the biggest sign that the Tea Party has taken control of the Republican Party of Virginia was the yellow Gadsden flag emblem that appeared on placards distributed by supporters of Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, who was one of seven candidates vying to be the nominee for lieutenant governor last weekend at a raucous convention in Richmond. Davis, who represented Fairfax County for a decade in the General Assembly, has a reputation as being a moderate.
Will Arlington Food Trucks Be Able to Park Longer Than Two Hours or After 8 p.m.?
County officials to consider creation of vending zones that would allow more flexibility.
It's shortly after 1 p.m. on a beautiful spring day in Rosslyn.
Two Hour Vendors: Arlington County Doubles Time Allowed for Food Trucks
One-hour restriction spiked; expanding vending zones is next on the menu.
Every hour, food-truck vendor Amir Mohammed would have to shut down his propane tank, and get behind the wheel of Baba's Big Bite food truck to find a new parking space.
Federal Money for Streetcars Derailed; Arlington Leaders Vow to Press Ahead Anyway
Critics call for independent cost-benefit analysis; county manager refuses to answer questions.
Plans for Arlington officials to receive federal money for a proposed $250 million streetcar line have been derailed, although county leaders say they are pressing ahead anyway.
Massive Resistance from an Eyewitness
Civil rights pioneer explains segregation to diverse group of students.
As the students assembled in a conference room at Campbell Elementary School, it was clear that the Rev. James M. Kilby had his work cut out for him. How would a 71-year-old civil rights pioneer explain massive resistance to this diverse crowd of students — a group that included not only whites and blacks but also Hispanics and Indians?
Massive Resistance in Warren County Explained to Diverse Arlington Crowd
Civil rights pioneer explains segregation to fourth-grade students.
As the students assembled in a conference room at Campbell Elementary School, it was clear that the Rev. James M. Kilby had his work cut out for him.
Debate About Public-Private Partnerships Will Have Lasting Consequences in Arlington
Second bid not required by guidelines adopted by Arlington County Board members last year.
Arlington County will make "best efforts to promote robust competition" and "strive to have more than one proposal" under consideration for the public-private partnership to construct a streetcar on Columbia Pike.
Competition For Streetcars?
Debate about public-private partnerships will have lasting consequences in Arlington.
Arlington County will make "best efforts to promote robust competition" and "strive to have more than one proposal" under consideration for the public-private partnership to construct a streetcar on Columbia Pike. But opponents fear that guidelines, approved after a contentious County Board meeting last year, do not require competition.
Arlington Streetcar: Desire or Disaster?
County residents are divided on the value of installing streetcars on Columbia Pike.
The $250 million Arlington streetcar is moving full speed ahead, with federal officials on the verge of announcing whether or not the project will be partially funded by Uncle Sam.
Governor Approves Conditional Budget for Medicaid Expansion
Vote-swapping operation traded transportation votes for Medicaid money.
Half a million uninsured Virginians may be eligible for Medicaid under an agreement now being worked out in Richmond — a deal in which Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell agreed to include Medicaid expansion as part of the budget if Senate Democrats supported a transportation package.
Arlington County to Reconsider Financial Commitment to Artisphere
A new sphere of influence at the government-owned arts center.
The future of Artisphere will be either a masterpiece or a dud — opening up the Rosslyn space to an uncertain future.
Alexandria Police Shield Information on Officer-Involved Shooting
Law-enforcement officials use exemption to withhold incident report.
Why did Alexandria police officers kill Taft Sellars?
Development Money At Issue As Arlington Prepares For Fiscal Year 2014
Residents say the county is too willing to accept density at their expense.
Hold your wallets. It’s that time of year again.
Expanding the First Aid Battlefield Toward Mental Health
Legislators to consider $2 million for Mental Health First Aid.
The idea of first aid dates back to Order of St. John, a medieval society of knights that offered training in how to treat common battlefield injuries.
Huntington Residents Remain Unprotected in the Face of Flooding
$30 million floodwall is at least two years away.
Fairfax County voters may have approved a $30 million floodwall for Huntington, but neighbors in this working-class neighborhood don’t seem particularly satisfied.
Week in Alexandria
Two properties at the heart of Alexandria’s controversial waterfront plan went on the market this week, opening a new chapter in the ongoing saga about redevelopment in Old Town.
Public Information Comes at a Price in Arlington
Billing system includes $30 charge for six-line summary of secret investigation.
Want a booking photo in a high profile case? Prepare to pay $24.
Coming for the Guns: Confiscating Firearms During Mental Health Evaluations
Alexandria delegate wants to expand police powers to confiscate guns of the detained.
Imagine the scenario: Sheriff’s deputies arrive at a home to issue a temporary detention order against an individual.
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.
Bipartisan Team Seeks Compensation for Victims of Forced Sterilization
Effort would give $50,000 to survivors; estimated cost would be $73 million.
Nobody knows how many people are survivors of Virginia’s forced sterilization program, which targeted people with mental illness, mental retardation or epilepsy.
Four Northern Virginia Senators Targeted
Redistricting effort puts Fairfax County seats in the spotlight.
Four Northern Virginia state Senators are targets of a Republican-led effort to draw new districts — Sen. George Barker (D-39), Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37), Sen. Toddy Puller (D-36) and Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34). Democrats say the redistricting effort is a cynical attempt to take advantage of the absence of Sen. Henry Marsh (D-16), a prominent civil rights veteran, who was in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration on Monday. But state Sen. John Watkins (R-10) of Powhatan defended the effort as a way to create a sixth majority black Senate district in Southside. It passed the Senate on a 20-to-19 vote.
Making Schools Safer
Two Northern Virginia Democrats take part in panel to consider school security.
Do Virginia schools need more guns? That question is at the heart of a debate that’s now reaching a fever pitch in the commonwealth, especially after a man with a Bushmaster assault rifle blasted his way into a Connecticut elementary school and killed 20 children and six adults before killing himself. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell responded to the tragedy by creating a School Safety Task Force, which is considering a proposal for every school in Virginia to have an armed school resource officer.
Revoking Recess
Health advisory committee to consider policy of withholding recess as punishment.
Should students be punished by having their recess time revoked?
Health Advisory Committee to Consider Policy of Withholding Recess as Punishment
Should the last-resort punishment be scuttled?
Should students be punished by having their recess time revoked?
Toxic Politics: Northern Virginia Delegation Split on Uranium Mining
Issue pits economic development against environmental concerns.
Northern Virginia may be hundreds of miles away from the Southside community where a family business is seeking to overturn a longstanding ban on uranium mining in Virginia.
In Session
With the fresh tragedy of Newtown, Conn., haunting the Virginia General Assembly, the issue of gun control is certain to be one of the most emotional topics on the docket.
Northern Virginia Democrat Takes Aim at the Gun Show Loophole
Arlington delegates wants to require background checks for all private firearms sales.
Legislators will be dueling over guns this year at the Capitol, with gun-rights advocates set to oppose efforts to close Virginia’s gun-show loophole.
Mental Health First Aid Seen as a Way to Identify Problems Early
Del. Rob Krupicka (D-45) leads effort to expand training for workers on the front lines.
In her role as a caseworker for Adult Protective Services, Wilma Roberts has seen it all.
Should Virginia’s Governor Be Able to Run for Reelection?
Longstanding ban on second consecutive term to be reconsidered this year.
Virginia is the only state that limits its governor to a single, four-year term, a vestige of the distrust Americans had for executive power during the American Revolution. Now, more than two centuries later, the commonwealth may finally be ready to ditch the longstanding term limit and allow Virginia’s governor to run for reelection.
Competition Not Required for Public-Private Partnerships
Arlington County Board approves guidelines for transportation projects.
Over the objections of several citizens and one of its own members, the Arlington County Board approved new guidelines for public-private partnerships to build transportation projects last week.
Legislators Are Not Gun Shy About Responding to Connecticut Shooting
Should access to guns be limited or expanded?
Last year's mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut has already prompted a heated debate about gun control in Virginia, where the upcoming session of the General Assembly is likely to feature a number of bills on both sides of the issue.
Neighbors Trump County Officials in Public Art Selection
Cherrydale and Maywood selected public art as part of development process.
Neighbors don’t usually get to select public art for their neighborhood, but few neighborhoods have the rich history and active civic associations of Cherrydale and Maywood.
Use of Food Stamps Skyrocketing in Northern Virginia
Program doubles in Arlington, triples in Fairfax and quadruples in Alexandria.
The use of food stamps is skyrocketing in Northern Virginia, and the spike isn’t just about the recession.
Shackled and Secret: Legislators Consider Availability of Documents on Pregnant Inmates
Should jails be able to suppress information from the public?
Virginia already has a reputation for tightly controlling the availability of law-enforcement documents. Now that reputation may be re-affirmed in the upcoming General Assembly session, when the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association will oppose efforts to share documents about when and how pregnant inmates are restrained.
Uranium Money Spreads Across Virginia in Radioactive Debate
Upcoming General Assembly session to feature effort to lift ban on uranium mining.
The uranium deposits under the farmlands of Pittsylvania County are miles away from Northern Virginia, but the debate about what happens there is shaping up to be one of the hottest issues of the upcoming General Assembly session.
Reevesland for Sale? County Board to Consider Selling Historic Property
Last working dairy farm in Arlington may go on the auction block.
Arlington County Board members are about to consider selling Reevesland, the county’s last dairy farm.
Redrawing the Elementary School Poverty Map in Arlington
Adding two new elementary schools could create opportunity for more diversity.
When Linley Mancilla was preparing to send her child to elementary school, she looked at the boundary map and examined the demographics. Then she considered her options. Ultimately, she decided against sending her child to the local neighborhood school, Carlin Springs Elementary.
Voters to Determine Fate of Amendment to Limit Use of Eminent Domain
Measure will allow property owners to seek damages for loss of profits and access.
Nowhere is the debate about eminent domain more intense than the foot of King Street in Alexandria, where city officials threatened to take land owned by the Old Dominion Boat Club using the power of eminent domain for flood mitigation.
The Passover Amendment: Should Legislators Meet on Religious Holidays?
Former Del. David Englin (D-45) was behind amendment now before voters.
Every year, the Virginia General Assembly convenes several weeks after the session to react to the governor’s vetoes.
Arlington Election Officials Prepare for Record Breaking Number of Absentee Ballots
Last two presidential cycles have seen dramatic spike in absentee voting.
Election officials in Arlington are predicting another record-breaking turnout for absentee ballots, which have been dramatically increasing in recent years.
Freshman Arlington County Board Member Faces Two Opponents in November
Streetcar debate dominates discussion this election cycle.
It’s only been about seven months since voters in Arlington chose longtime School Board member Libby Garvey to fill the unexpired term vacated by Barbara Favola, who was elected to the Virginia state Senate last year.
Return of the Arlington Planetarium: Facility to Reopen After Existential Crisis
It looks like something from space, a Neo-Brutal landmark that descended next to Washington-Lee High School.
Trio of Challengers on the Ballot to Challenge Moran This November
Republican, Independent Green and independent offer a variety of options for voters.
A trio of challengers will oppose longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) this November, although the Northern Virginia district is solidly blue and not considered competitive.
Buchanan Gardens Reopens as Dedicated Affordable Housing on Columbia Pike
Uncertainty is over for hundreds of low-income residents in rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.
As Pedro Gonzales walks up the stairs to his second-floor apartment at Buchanan Gardens, he beams with pride.
On the Campaign Trail
With six weeks to go before Election Day, it’s starting to look like Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille will not be debating former Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald — at least not in a debate that doesn’t include all 12 of the City Council candidates.
On the Campaign Trail
Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell may not have received the vice presidential nomination, but he got a great consolation prize this week — a prime-time speaking slot this year at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
Rob Krupicka Wins Special Election In Landslide Victory
Councilman wins every precinct in special election for 45th District of House of Delegates.
Back in 2003, a former AOL executive named Rob Krupicka launched his campaign for Alexandria City Council at Fireflies — a popular Del Ray restaurant a stone’s throw from the Krupicka house on East Nelson Avenue.
Capital BikeShare To Expand
County officials are considering 42 potential locations for 30 new stations.
By next spring, Arlington residents will have 30 new BikeShare stations to choose from — expanding the existing program of 44 stations dramatically and reaching beyond the Metro corridors for the first time.