News

Fundraiser established for family of the ACHS student who died this week

By Vernon Miles
GoFundMe for ACHS student Yonathan Isaí Vasquez Méndez (image via GoFundMe)

(Updated 11:10 a.m.) After the death of Alexandria City High School student Yonathan Isaí Vasquez Méndez earlier this week, friends and family are raising funds to help cover funeral expenses and other costs.

While no cause of death has been officially announced, scanner traffic at the time indicated first responders were administering Narcan and later that day, the City of Alexandria issued a warning about fentanyl-laced drugs after “two recent suspected drug overdoses involving school-aged youth,” the Alexandria Times first reported.

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ACHS’ Theogony editors look back at a year of student journalism and activism

By Vernon Miles
2023 Theogony Editors. Front Row L to R: Zoe Sermons, James Libresco, Ermila Mazariegos, Casey Donahue. Back Row L to R: Chloe Yokitis and Yahney-Marie Sangare

With the 2022-2023 school year coming to a close next month, it’s been another banner year for Alexandria City High School (ACHS) student newspaper Theogony.

In recent years the student newspaper has been at the forefront of stories about ACHS, from breaking the story about former Superintendent Gregory Hutchins Jr. sending one of his children to a private school rather than ACHS to publishing a study about phosphorus levels in nearby Taylor Run.

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Mount Vernon Avenue closed near George Washington Middle School due to gas leak

By Vernon Miles
Police blocking off traffic at E. Braddock Road and Mount Vernon Avenue for a gas leak (staff photo by James Cullum)

A gas leak across from George Washington Middle School has shut down traffic along Mount Vernon Avenue.

Alexandria Fire Department spokesperson Raytevia Evans said there was a report of a gas leak on the 700 block of Mount Vernon Avenue. Scanner traffic indicated that the incident started around 1:30 p.m.

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Brothers want Tex-Mex restaurant ‘Dos Hermanos’ to open in Del Ray in June

By James Cullum
Wilmer and Elmer Cruz Villatoro in front of their restaurant Dos Hermanos at 1603 Commonwealth Avenue in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)

The brothers behind the new Dos Hermanos Tex Mex restaurant in Del Ray want to open by this summer.

On April 1, Wilmer and Elmer Cruz Villatoro signed a 10-year lease for the 4,000-square-foot space at 1603 Commonwealth Avenue. The interior renovations are nearly finished, with bright red and yellow walls adorned by colorful sombreros and prints of Mexican paintings.

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Notes: Alexandria partners with Prince George’s County after casino robbery

By ALXnow.com
Looking east toward National Harbor from Waterfront Park in Old Town (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!

🌥 Today’s weather: Overcast. Cool. High of 61 and low of 45.
🌥 Tomorrow: Overcast. Cool. High of 61 and low of 44. Sunrise at 6:07 am and sunset at 8:02 pm.

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JUST IN: ACPS to announce new superintendent on Thursday

By James Cullum
ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The permanent superintendent of Alexandria City Public  Schools will be announced by the School Board on Thursday night, ACPS announced today.

While their identity has not been revealed, the successful candidate was chosen after a national search that started last November in consultation with Nebraska-based McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C Executive Recruitment and Development, according to ACPS.

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New tool maps out income and racial inequality across Alexandria

By Vernon Miles
Alexandria's census tracts coded by the Equity Index Map. Areas of deeper purple represent places with higher levels of disparity (image via City of Alexandria)

The City of Alexandria has a new tool that highlights areas where income levels vary significantly by racial and ethnic groups.

The new Equity Index Map map isn’t a chart of levels of poverty across Alexandria, as some of the wealthiest and poorest communities across Alexandria have low levels of disparity. Instead, it highlights census tracts where race and indicators of economic inequality are closely linked.

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Upcoming free tour explores the hidden history of Alexandria’s Parker-Gray neighborhood

By Vernon Miles
Parker-Gray School (photo via City of Alexandria)

While Alexandria is known for its history, an upcoming free tour later this month will take locals into the underexplored stories of the city’s Parker-Gray neighborhood.

Parker-Gray native Michael Johnson, who recently won the Alexandria Historical Society’s T. Michael Miller award for his work raising awareness of issues with the Douglass Memorial Cemetery, is hosting a tour of the neighborhood on Saturday, May 20, from 10-11 a.m. Johnson will be accompanied by an 80-year-old Parker-Gray resident who can help tell some stories from the neighborhood’s history.

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Torpedo Factory to host LGBTQ-focused ‘Pride Prom’ next month

By Vernon Miles
The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

A local organization that cares for the mental health of local LGBTQ teens is hosting its second annual Pride Prom — a prom event focused on making queer teens feel safe.

Safe Space NOVA is hosting Pride Prom at The Torpedo Factory (105 N Union Street) on June 16 from 7-11 p.m.

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