Updated at 3 p.m. There was sadness, relief, and also great happiness at Alexandria City High School’s graduation on Saturday (June 4)
Nearly 800 ACHS seniors walked the stage to receive their diplomas for the first in-person, indoor graduation in three years. The event was held at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena.
Alexandria police say they have a male in custody after a fatal shooting in the West End early this morning.
Bassett said the call for shots fired came in at 1:56 a.m. at 1400 N. Beauregard Street, part of the Brookdale at Mark Center neighborhood in the West End.
Affordable housing planned for former car dealership — “Community Housing Partners is proposing replacing the now-empty Land Rover dealership near the intersection of Duke Street and Telegraph Road with affordable housing.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 80 and low of 62. Sunrise at 5:45 am and sunset at 8:32 pm. [Weather.gov]
Updated at 3 p.m. on June 6: A family member of Luis Mejia Hernandez walked the stage and received a standing ovation from the students, staff and families in attendance at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena.
Guillermo Romero took took the diploma for his nephew, kissed it and raised it to the sky.
Last week’s murder of an Alexandria City High School student was still the top story this week, with one teenager arrested on Wednesday and charged with murder.
Also this week: Dominion Energy also said that widespread undergrounding in Alexandria would be too expensive despite calls from city leaders to look into it more.
Alexandria City High School seniors will celebrate their graduation in-person this Saturday (June 4) at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena.
Due to the pandemic, last year’s graduation was held outdoors in Chinquapin Park — right next door to ACHS. In 2020, the ceremony was completely virtual. The graduation has otherwise been held at GMU.
The Alexandria Police Department is beset by morale issues, according to a report obtained by ALXnow.
In the 2021 APD Organizational Assessment — an annual anonymous survey conducted by the department — 173 department staffers (out of 421 total staff) self-reported their wellbeing as employees.
Judy Guse-Noritake was a presence in Alexandria civic activism for decades; a lung cancer diagnosis in 2018 did little to slow that down until her death at 68 on Wednesday.
Guse-Noritake was a regular at many city commissions and hearings, where she advocated for better park space in Alexandria and better amenities for mixed-income communities. Judy Guse-Noritake was particularly impactful in shaping civic discourse in the Braddock and Old Town North neighborhoods, helping to found the Braddock Metro Citizens’ Coalition.
School Board talks safety after stabbing — “The topic of gun violence and the tragic stabbing of a student in Alexandria City both part of the discussion for the Alexandria City School Board.” [ABC7]
It’s Friday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 77 and low of 65. Sunrise at 5:46 am and sunset at 8:31 pm. [Weather.gov]
Updated at 7:45 p.m. — A short-staffed Alexandria Police Department is reducing its services to the community, the department announced on Wednesday (June 2).
Police will no longer respond to calls for service that fall under another agency’s responsibility or respond to old crime scenes that show no danger to the public.
(Updated 3:40 p.m.) Keep an eye on the skies: Alexandria is under a severe thunderstorm watch and a flash flood warning.
“The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Alexandria,” the city said in a release. “Avoid small streams and do not drive through water on roadways.”
