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“Some Alexandria citizens have already stepped up to say they will protect the tree, some even going so far as to say they will chain themselves to it,” notes the Change.org petition. “Let us show them our support and tell the city and school board NO to killing this tree.”

The tree was reportedly supposed to be cut down last week, but is still standing. ACPS did not respond to ALXnow’s calls for comment on the situation, and if it is possible to scuttle plans to cut it down.


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Mayor Reports COVID-19 Cases Increase by 14 — “Positive tests up 14 to 2,749 in the City 7-day Positivity Rate up to 5.9% 0 new hospitalizations Still safer at home, wash hands, wear masks and support our essential workers.” [Twitter]

Beyer Asks U.S. Park Police Chief to Implement Body Cameras After Lafayette Square Incident — “Beyer seeks commitment to body cam program funded/authorized by Congress from acting Chief Monahan given USPP’s transparency failures in the killing of Bijan Ghaisar. Monahan: USPP not ‘in a position to successfully implement, manage, and sustain a body-worn camera program.'” [Twitter]


News

Seven years to the day after he was shot in the head by a deranged cab driver in Old Town, former Alexandria Police officer Peter Laboy got his driver’s license.

The 17-year APD veteran spent years trying to legally drive again, and now after two years without any seizures and after passing all of his tests, the former motorcycle cop is back on the road and his license has no restrictions.


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Mayor Says Heroes Act Ignores Local Government — “The Heroes Act, adopted by the House of Representatives included $89.6M in funding for Alexandria, which nearly replaced the revenue we are projected to lose this year. The bill released in the Senate tonight doesn’t even mention local government. They cannot be serious.” [Twitter]

ACPS Hosting Reopening Chats Today — “School Board Representatives, Lorraine Johnson and Ashley Sanchez-Viafara (both seniors), to lead Student-focused Reopening Community Chats.” [ACPS]


News

Alexandria is advising residents to file a claim for flood damage after the Alexandria’s sewer system was backed up by a rush of water 30 times greater than what the city can accommodate in an intense storm last Thursday (July 23).

The most impacted areas were Del Ray, Old Town and Park Fairfax, the latter of which had water reaching to the level of car windows, according to the Alexandria Times.


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Students at T.C. Williams High School and city residents are placing a tarp over the school marquee every day to obscure the name until the school board votes to change it next spring.

“I don’t want to graduate from a school that is represented by a racist name,” T.C. rising senior Sarah Devendorf told ALXnow. “I don’t want to put it on my diploma, and it’s shameful because we are such a diverse liberal community.”


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Dozens of protestors demonstrated outside the Alexandria home of acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Sunday, and called for him to end actions against protestors throughout the country by federal agents.

“We live among the people who are wreaking havoc on this country,” one protestor said. “He goes out and commits these atrocities every day. He’s not elected. He’s not Senate confirmed. He is an acting appointee of Donald Trump… We will not be good Germans. We will not be the people who sat by and watched our neighbors commit these atrocities.”


News

An Alexandria resident in their 50s reportedly died from COVID-19 over the weekend, marking the first death from the virus this month and putting the total death count at 57.

There are now or have been 2,735 cases of the virus in Alexandria, which is an increase of 176 cases since last Monday, July 20, according to the Virginia Department of Health. It had been nearly a month since the last reported fatality on June 29, and cases in the city surpassed the 2,500 mark on July 16 with 21 new cases.


News

Survey Shows Discontent Among APD Officers — “A survey that the Times acquired from a former Alexandria Police Department officer revealed that several APD officers are unhappy with Police Chief Michael Brown and the culture of the department.” [AlexTimes]

Nearly 1K Families Supported in ALIVE! Food Distribution — “929 households were served at today’s ALIVE! Food Distribution! Thanks to all those from @Volalex, @AlexVASheriff, @AlexandriaVATES who helped in the hot weather today to supply groceries,(meat,eggs,produce and more) masks and hand sanitizer to people in need.” [Twitter]


News

Alexandria’s Parker-Gray High School might be gone, but a new effort is underway to make sure it isn’t forgotten. To commemorate the 100 year anniversary of city’s former Blacks-only high school, a memorial walkway has been planned to grace the Alexandria African-American Hall of Fame at the former school site — now at Charles Houston Recreation Center.

Supporters can buy bricks that will be placed in the walkway outside Charles Houston to memorialize the students, parents and teachers who attended the school until it closed in 1979. The bricks range in price from $100 to $225 and support the Capital Youth Empowerment Program.


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