In the wake of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez, the Alexandria City Council is taking an active role in reducing violence in schools, according to a Council memo that will be discussed tonight (June 13).
Up for discussion is the creation of “a citywide, multi-year plan with clear objectives, activities, agency roles and contributions, and performance metrics” by this September, as well as a youth safety and violence prevention summit by the end of July.
The City of Alexandria could be turning to state funding to try to mitigate the impacts of a pair of upcoming Metro closures.
At the same time, city staff wrote in a memo that it’s increasingly apparent the city’s DASH bus network doesn’t have the manpower to support additional bus routes making up for the loss of Metro service.
June is tracking to be one of the worst months this year for new Covid cases in Alexandria.
As of Monday (June 13), reported cases reached 35,638 — with 597 new cases since this time last week, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
After twenty years in Pentagon Row, family-owned leatherworking shop Best Foot Forward is moving to the Bradlee Shopping Center in Alexandria early next month.
Victoria Lopez, operations manager at Best Foot Forward and daughter of the shop’s founder Wilfred Lopez, said they are planning on moving to the new Bradlee location sometime in early July.
Magnolia’s on King to reopen — “Magnolia’s on King will be reopening at Magnolia (Comfort Cuisine), the restaurant’s chef announced.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
It’s Monday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 85 and low of 72. Sunrise at 5:44 am and sunset at 8:36 pm. [Weather.gov]
It’s been a busy week in Alexandria.
Just two weeks after an Alexandria City High School student was killed during a brawl at the Bradlee Shopping Center, there was another murder in the City’s West End. Enoc Cruz Villafuerte, 22, was arrested at the scene of a shooting in a West End apartment complex and was later charged with the murder of his brother, Jonathan Cruz Villafuerte.
(Updated 5 p.m.) Next week, the City Council will review a set of new parking rates (Item 19) for Old Town that aim to push drivers off the street and into the city’s underutilized garages.
The new ordinance would expand the area of Old Town where drivers who don’t have residential or guest permits must pay by phone to park. The current rate in those zones is currently $1.75 per hour, but the new ordinance would allow the Director of Transportation and Environmental Services to set a rate of up to $5 per hour.
Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. resigned abruptly on Friday morning (June 10).
Hutchings’ resignation comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the school division, following a closed-door session asking the School Board to not talk with the media and about the fatal stabbing death of a student.
Drivers along Duke Street in the West End should expect lane closures starting tonight and continuing intermittently through Friday, June 24.
The closures are connected to work on the Duke Street bridge over I-395 near Lincolnia. Planned improvements for the bridge include replacing the concrete bridge deck and beams, upgrading the westbound sidewalk to a shared-use path and widening the eastbound sidewalk.
Victorian townhouse in Old Town for sale — “One of the “Four Sisters” Victorian townhouses is listed for sale in Old Town Alexandria…” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 79 and low of 62. Sunrise at 5:44 am and sunset at 8:35 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated 6/14) A pair of new affordable housing projects are headed to the City Council for financing.
Both of the new developments will have just under 100 units; all locked in at various levels of affordability.
