Saturday, May 25, 2013
Virginia's hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday begins Saturday.
Virginia is offering a sales-tax holiday on certain goods that can be used during natural disasters such as hurricanes. Virginia’s hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday runs Saturday, May 25 through Friday, May 31. The holiday exempts 22 categories of smaller items, including batteries, flashlights, bottled water, tarps, duct tape, cell-phone chargers, smoke detectors, and first aid kits. As long as each item costs $60 or less, it is exempt from sales and use tax. Portable generators and inverters priced at $1,000 or less are also exempt during the holiday. For a full list of tax-exempt products, answers to frequently asked questions, and guidelines for consumers and retailers, visit www.tax.virginia.gov. More on the 2013 hurricane …
Friday, May 24, 2013
City government will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day
All Alexandria City government offices will be closed on Monday, May 27, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. The following information was provided by the City of Alexandria: Health Facilities — The Alexandria Health Department (4480 King St.), the Flora Krause Casey Health Center (1200 N. Howard St.) and the Teen Wellness Center at T.C. Williams High School (3330 King St.) will be closed Monday. Hotlines — All emergency hotlines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including the child protective services hotline, 703-746-5800, the domestic violence hotline,703-746-4911, the emergency services for mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline, 703-746-3401, and the sexual assault hotline, 703-683-7273. Libraries — All …
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Alexandria City Public Schools officials hope new building will help spur turnaround at struggling school.
Alexandria officials broke ground on a new Jefferson-Houston School on Cameron Street on Tuesday, in what Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Morton Sherman believes will be “a new chapter” for the struggling school and its surrounding community. City Council approved a $44-million proposal to rebuild Jefferson-Houston School in December 2012. The new school is expected to open in fall 2014. “I think that the whole design of the old school was old school,” said School Board member Ronnie Campbell. “When we looked at the cost of renovating, redesigning the exterior of the building as well as the interior of the building, it only made sense to start fresh and start new.” ACPS cited rising maintenance costs, student population …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor said Tuesday he has nothing to "apologize for." Alexandria Mayor Euille called some Jackson comments "divisive and hateful."
Virginia’s Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, E.W. Jackson, says he's not sorry for controversial remarks he’s made in the past about women’s rights and the Ku Klux Klan, which African-American leaders in the Democratic Party on Wednesday called "hateful rhetoric." Jackson has drawn fire for comments he made in a 2012 Youtube “message to black Christians.” "The Democrat Party has created an unholy alliance between certain so-called civil rights leaders and Planned Parenthood, which has killed unborn black babies by the tens of millions,” Jackson said in the video. “Planned Parenthood has been far more lethal to black lives than the KKK ever was. And the Democrat Party and the black civil rights allies are partners in this genocide…
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Democratic leaders and gay advocates are slamming the Virginia Republican Party's ticket — Ken Cuccinelli for governor and E.W. Jackson for lieutenant governor. Do you agree with them?
Democratic Party Chair of Virginia Charniele Herring, state Sen. Adam Ebbin and gay-rights advocate James Parrish held a teleconference Tuesday afternoon lambasting the “dangerous and hateful attacks on gay and lesbian Virginians that Republican candidates Ken Cuccinelli and E.W. Jackson have made a centerpiece of their careers.” Herring asked why an employer would want to bring business to the commonwealth when gubernatorial candidate Cuccinelli and lieutenant governor candidate Jackson “demonize” gay employees. “It’s damaging to our commonwealth’s reputation as an inclusive place to live,” she said. Jackson has labeled gay people perverted and “frankly very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally,” according to the …
Bill would streamline the military-to-civilian licensing process for certain occupations.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-8th, Ill.) visited American Legion Post 24 in Old Town Tuesday to discuss the Troop Talent Act, a bill designed to streamline the military-to-civilian licensing process for certain occupations. “It’s the right thing to do for those who served,” said Kaine, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November and serves on the Armed Forces committee. “And it helps our economy.” Kaine and Duckworth, a Purple Heart recipient from the Iraq War and first-time congresswoman, both spoke of the difficulty veterans face when transitioning back to civilian and professional life. Often the training some soldiers receive is not accredited in the private sector. The unemployment rate for veterans …
Two new city efforts are designed to foster small business procurement opportunities and smooth out the permit process.
The City of Alexandria has launched two new initiatives seeking to support local, small businesses. “Small business is the lifeblood of the community,” City Manager Rashad Young said at an event last week hosted by the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association. The first initiative will provide outreach and assistance to emerging and new small firms, with a special focus on expanding procurement opportunities for small, minority, women-owned and Alexandria-based businesses. The effort will be based in the City Manager’s Office and is overseen by the city manager’s special assistant, Rose Boyd. It will develop an outreach program promoting such businesses in the city’s procurement process. A second initiative located in the city’s Permit…
Monday, May 20, 2013
Ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday behind current school building.
Alexandria is breaking ground on its new Jefferson-Houston School at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 at 1501 Cameron Street and the public is invited to attend the event. City Council approved a $44-million proposal to rebuild Jefferson-Houston School in December 2012. Alexandria City Public Schools cited rising maintenance costs, student population growth and a need for modern learning facilities as reasons to rebuild the struggling school, which serves pre-K through 8th grade and has been marked as one of six chronically failing schools in Virginia. Governor Bob McDonnell plans to create a body in July that would have the ability to intervene in the state’s lowest performing schools. Neighborhoods including Old Town, Del Ray and the new Potomac …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Attorney general gets the nomination for governor.
Virginia Republican Party delegates officially nominated Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to run for governor at its state convention Saturday in Richmond. See: VA GOP Nominates Ken Cuccinelli for Governor's Race The full text of Cuccinelli’s speech runs below: I think you now have a better sense of why I’m one of the luckiest guys in Virginia. I want to thank my wife, Teiro - who is such a great advocate for me and our shared principles - and my children who have stood by me every step of the way. I also want to thank my mother and father for being here today and providing great examples for me over the years. Wherever you are from in Virginia, Teiro and I are thankful you are here and we are humbled by your support. With today being …
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Cuccinelli formally received the nomination Saturday at the Virginia Republican Convention.
Virginia Republican Party delegates officially nominated Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to run for governor at its state convention Saturday in Richmond. Cuccinelli, 44, essentially locked down the Republican nomination in November 2012, when outgoing Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced he wouldn’t be seeking the nomination. Bolling cited party officials’ vote to change the nominating method from a primary election to a convention as the main reason for withdrawing his hat. "I see a Commonwealth where our people once again lead in liberty and opportunity," Cuccinelli said in his address. "Where striving to achieve is respected, even when we fall short, and it’s celebrated when we succeed. I see a Commonwealth where we restrain our debt so we …
Mark Eisenhour
4:58 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event. We appreciate the support, encouragement and constructive feedback we have received at community meetings, civic association meetings and literally hundreds of committee meetings held over the last couple of years. The final result will reflect the effort and input of everyone who has taken the time to participate in this important project… more ›