Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Abolish the Death Penalty
On behalf of the Virginia Justice and Witness Action Network (of the Central Atlantic Conference, United Church of Christ), we write to urge support for legislation to abolish the death penalty in Virginia.
Opinion: Column: Progress, I Guess?
I received in the mail today what, in the sales/marketing world, we'd call a "pre-approach" letter.
Fighting Hunger in Reston Neighborhoods
Fairfax County’s Stuff the Bus rolls into action.
“The Wheels on the Bus” is a classic children's song that tells the story of a little bus going "All 'round the town."
Opinion: Commentary: Putting Just Into Justice
Under current Virginia law a person who steals something of value less than $1,000 can be punished by up to 12 months in jail with fines up to $2,500 along with any restitution that might be owed.
Regional Travel Survey Shows Benefits of Walkable, Transit-Oriented Places
Coalition for Smarter Grown shares Council of Government’s report highlights on walkable, transit-oriented places like Alexandria and Arlington.
Biking and Walking: “Among the key findings of the survey has been the growth in biking and walking in the core jurisdictions of DC, Arlington, and Alexandria. It has also indicated that activity centers with a focused mix of jobs and housing also have higher rates of walking and biking,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
Opinion: Commentary: In Virginia: Vaccines & COVID Recovery
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH), health care professionals, and Virginia’s Medical Reserve Corps continue to work overtime to care for those afflicted with COVID-19.

Tightening Criteria for Entering into Gang Database
Gang Task Force use of DataWalk under scrutiny
On Oct. 2, 2018, Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force selected DataWalk as their analytical platform to support its fight against gangs according to a headline on BUSINESS WIRE.

Fully Baked
Alexandria senator leads effort to legalize marijuana in Virginia.
The so-called "war on drugs" was a failure, locking up generations of Black men and tearing Black families apart. Now lawmakers in Richmond are finally coming around to realizing the damage that the prohibition against marijuana caused in minority communities. Last year members of the General Assembly approved legislation decriminalizing marijuana. This year, they may be on the verge of legalizing recreational use of marijuana — ending the failed war on drugs and adopting new equity measures to address some of the damage it caused.
Opinion: Column: Reoriented
Or to quote my high school baseball coach: "Reorientated."

Sorority Sisters Celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris
Joy, tears and hope about this historic moment in history
Wearing their sorority’s signature strand of pearls and clothing in shades of pink and green, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority members Martha Coleman and Shirley Dickerson Taylor were filled with awe and jubilation as they watched their sorority sister and fellow Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alum Kamala Harris, sworn in as Vice President of the United States.

Questioning Racially-Biased Gang Database
Activists: Residents can be entered into GangNet merely for living in neighborhoods where gang activity takes place.
With no recourse for review, a nebulous definition of gang membership led an activist, an immigration advocate, and a Virginia legislator to fight for change.
Opinion: Editorial: We Still Need Your Help
Thank you to hundreds who have supported us financially, and with warm words of encouragement
In 2009, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and after a year-long journey of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, I have been fine.

The First Shots to Knock Out COVID-19 in Reston
Fellowship Square’s seniors inoculated
Lake Anne Fellowship House residents Steve McAvoy, 71, and Jin Liu, 84, of Reston were among the first of seven hundred anxious older adults at one of the three senior affordable housing communities operated by Fellowship House in Reston and Woodbridge who were inoculated last week against COVID-19.

A Year Like No Other in Reston
Reston real estate market comparison: 2020 to 2019 to 2010
The first year of the decade has been a year like none other, and the Reston real estate market annual review is no exception.
Opinion: Commentary: Changing Images of Virginia
On the east side of Capitol Square near the Executive Mansion in Richmond is the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial featuring 16-year-old Barbara Johns who led the student walkout that resulted in a civil rights case before the Supreme Court as part of Brown v. Board of Education that found racially-segregated schools to be unconstitutional.