Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Expect intermittent showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, with a 70% chance of precipitation and possible rainfall amounts between a quarter to half an inch. Temperatures will reach a high near 79, accompanied by a south wind of 5-15 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. Conditions will improve Thursday night with a 30% chance of precipitation, mostly before 8pm, followed by clearing skies and a low around 67 with a west wind of 6-10 mph.
🚨 You need to know
A recent NPR story profiled the difficult journey of a family from their home in Afghanistan to Mexico and finally to Alexandria.
The profile tells the story of Shafi Amani, his wife Frista, and their 3-year-old daughter Yousra. The family fled Afghanistan a little over a year ago and, as they traveled into Pakistan, Yousra had a stroke. The stroke left her legs limp and she is unable to speak or chew food, surviving on a plastic feeding tube.
The Amani family was able to secure a tourist visa to go to Mexico to get her proper medical treatment, but he said Mexico City was unsafe and didn’t have the medical facilities Yousra needed. The family paid to be smuggled into the United States. The family was caught by U.S. Border Control. After some moving from an immigration camp, then to San Diego so Yousra could be treated at a children’s hospital, the group came to Northern Virginia.
Yousra is now receiving treatment at Children’s National Hospital in D.C. and receiving support from Alexandria’s Christ Church. The family is now living in an Alexandria apartment financed by donations.
📈 Wednesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Aug 9, 2023.
- Notes: Man shot in Potomac Yard Shopping Center was wanted on attempted murder charges (1099 views)
- The Alexandria Treatment Court wants more participants (448 views)
- Alexandria Library remains a closed book on the cause of ongoing tech problems (420 views)
- Alexandria’s big waterfront flood mitigation projects to move forward early next year (406 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.