Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
🌤 Today’s weather: Clear throughout the day. High of 48 and low of 38.
☔ Tomorrow: Possible light rain in the afternoon. High of 49 and low of 37. Sunrise at 7:26 am and sunset at 5:12 pm.
News
This week, Alexandria streets were under the microscope as the city eyes changes both in their design and their names.
Five years after adopting Vision Zero, the city’ total number of crashes has continued to trend downward, but the number of crashes resulting in severe injuries or death has remained consistent.
While the city has had some success with pedestrian zones on King Street, city staff say less retail and sloping conditions could make it harder to add a similar zone along the 200 block.
Many residents have welcomed the pedestrian zones that the city added to the 100 and unit blocks of King Street, according to a survey. Motivated by this early support, Chris Ziemann, transportation division chief, said the city is focusing on improving the now-permanent pedestrian zones at the 100 block of King Street and the unit block — the block closest to the waterfront.
Meet the distinguished Kipper who is up for adoption with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
This 9-year-old is a gray and white short-haired cat who enjoys napping. While a big fan of napping, when he’s awake you’ll have the privilege of seeing his brilliant, startling green eyes. And he also has amazingly soft fur, according to AWLA spokesperson Gina Hardter.
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
☔ Today’s weather: Possible light rain in the morning. High of 64 and low of 34.
⛅ Tomorrow: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 41 and low of 32. Sunrise at 7:27 am and sunset at 5:09 pm.
Daniel Pearson from the Philadelphia Inquirer recently took his city to task for high traffic fatalities despite a Vision Zero pledge — a commitment by localities to get their pedestrian deaths down to zero. But Philadelphia isn’t alone: many cities vocally promoting Vision Zero plans, many of those cities are faced with continually increasing traffic fatalities.
So, with 2022 in the rearview mirror: how do Alexandria’s crash statistics measure up against the “vision zero” goals?
A 24-year-old Fairfax County man faces assault and battery charges after allegedly breaking into an apartment near Fort Ward early Monday morning, according to Alexandria Police.
The incident, which police describe as domestic in nature, occurred at around 12:30 a.m. in an apartment in the 2500 block of N. Van Dorn Street. The suspect allegedly breached the apartment and assaulted the victim, who did not go to the hospital. Police did not say what was stolen from the apartment.
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Beyond the usual mixed-use development topics planned for the immense power plant in Old Town North, there are two other critical issues up for review at a meeting later this month: how the development will handle the rampant contamination at the site and a look at plans for new open space.
Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) have scheduled a community meeting to discuss the remediation and open space plans on Monday, Jan. 30, at 6:30 p.m. The developer will stream the meeting online, but attendees can join in person at ALX Community (201 N Union Street).
Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
☔ Today’s weather: Rain in the evening and overnight. High of 63 and low of 51.
☔ Tomorrow: Light rain in the morning. High of 63 and low of 40. Sunrise at 7:27 am and sunset at 5:08 pm.
At a City Council meeting last night (Tuesday), Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson unveiled the next stage of plans to ramp up the renaming of streets that honor Confederate leaders, the Washington Post first reported.
While the city has renamed the Alexandria portion of Jefferson Davis Highway and removed the Appomattox statue, streets honoring Confederate leaders like the “Gray Ghost” John Singleton Mosby or Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest still exist around the city.
Two Manassas men arrested in November for allegedly stealing air bags in Arlington are also suspected of committing 11 similar acts in Alexandria, according to police.
The 43-year-old and 25-year-old suspects were arrested on Nov. 13 in Arlington and charged in connection with three airbag thefts committed that day. The suspects are also accused of 11 similar incidents in Alexandria between Aug. 25 and Oct. 31, 2022, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.