News | ALXnow - Part 690

Child struck and injured in crash outside Jefferson Houston Elementary School

Published March 29, 2022 at 3:45PM | Updated March 30, 2022 at 4:01PM

200 block of North West Street, image via Google Maps

Update on 3/30/22 — The Alexandria Police Department said the driver was a 78-year-old local resident whose vehicle left the roadway and struck a 9-year-old girl on the sidewalk. Both driver and pedestrian were taken to Fairfax Hospital. The pedestrian had serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the driver was treated for minor injuries.

Earlier: A child was struck and seriously injured at an intersection just outside of Jefferson Houston Elementary School (200 block of North West Street).

Man taken into custody after threatening to shoot up Alexandria courthouse in murder/suicide

By James Cullum

Published March 29, 2022 at 2:15PM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse at 520 King Street in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

A Washington D.C. man was placed under an emergency substantial risk order on March 16 after allegedly threatening to shoot up the Alexandria Courthouse (520 King Street).

Police found the man outside of the courthouse in his red Jeep Cherokee, after his ex-girlfriend called police and said that he was having a mental health crisis, according to a search warrant affidavit. The woman told police that her ex was triggered after being threatened by a woman with a knife the previous day.

NOVA cancels classes at Alexandria campus after bomb threat

By Vernon Miles

Published March 29, 2022 at 1:00PM

The Northern Virginia Community College has canceled classes at its Alexandria campus after a bomb threat.

The campus was shut down at 8 a.m. this morning, and all classes were canceled by 11:30 a.m. with all campus facilities being closed.

D.C. man arrested after assault by mob in West End

By James Cullum

Published March 29, 2022 at 10:45AM

An Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

One person was arrested after an assault by mob in the West End on Saturday night (March 26).

Police reported that at around 9:20 p.m., police responded to a group of people fighting on a basketball court at in the 5600 Block of Sanger Avenue. No weapons were reported at the event, and the victim refused medical treatment after receiving minor injuries.

Planning Commission poised to push forward King Street pedestrian closure

By Vernon Miles

Published March 29, 2022 at 9:45AM

Rendering of the unit block of King Street with street closure (via City of Alexandria)

New city documents outline plans to close the end of King Street until at least November.

The closure of the unit block of King Street — the very end by the waterfront — to vehicle traffic is docketed for review at a Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, April 7.

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published March 29, 2022 at 5:00AM

Old Town townhouse dubbed “hottest vacation rental” — “Tucked away on a quiet street in historic Alexandria, Virginia sits the Liberty House, a restored 162-year-old townhouse that was just dubbed the hottest vacation rental in the U.S.” [CNBC]

It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 45 and low of 25. Sunrise at 6:58 am and sunset at 7:30 pm. [Weather.gov]

Leave your trash cans out, collection delayed today

By Brandi Bottalico

Published March 28, 2022 at 3:30PM

Taking out the trash in Old Town (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Trash pickup and yard waste collection has been delayed today (Monday) due to staffing shortages and will resume tomorrow, according to the city.

“Trash and yard waste will continue to be collected but collection schedules and efficiency will be impacted,” a city alert states.

Lecture this week to examine impacts of Virginia Theological Seminary’s reparations program

By Vernon Miles

Published March 28, 2022 at 2:50PM

Virginia Theological Seminary (staff photo by James Cullum)

Nearly three years after Alexandria’s Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) launched a program to create reparations and research related to Black Americans enslaved or compelled to work at the school, a new lecture program this week is scheduled to look at what kind of progress has been made on that front.

On Wednesday, March 30, the Alexandria Historical Society, the Alexandria Black History Museum and the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project are hosting a virtual lecture to examine what that program has accomplished since it launched in September 2019.

Alexandria surpasses 30,000 cases of COVID-19

By James Cullum

Published March 28, 2022 at 1:00PM

With just 80 reported cases of COVID-19 over the last week, Alexandria has surpassed 30,000 total cases since the onset of the pandemic.

As of Friday (March 25), there have been 30,026 reported cases of Covid in the city, according to the Alexandria Health Department. The number of deaths remains at 185, and the seven-day average of cases is now 17.

New mixed-use development, and potential dance space, coming to Old Town North

By Vernon Miles

Published March 28, 2022 at 11:00AM

Rendering of 901 North Pitt Street development from N Montgomery Street, image via City of Alexandria

Just caddy corner to where an office building is getting a new restaurant space, another developer is coming forward with plans to redevelop 901 N Pitt Street into an eight-story mixed-use building.

At an April 7 meeting (Item 9), the Planning Commission is scheduled to review the development’s development special use permit. The 901 N Pitt Street development is proposed by the somewhat unimaginatively named 901 N. Pitt Street, LLC, which the application says is a mix of The Oliver Carr Company and Carr Holdings II LLC.

Landmark Mall Transit Center closed for construction ahead of mall demolition

By Brandi Bottalico

Published March 28, 2022 at 9:30AM

A DASH bus pulls into Landmark Mall (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Landmark Mall Transit Center will be closed for about a week starting tomorrow (Tuesday) for construction as the facility serving DASH and Metrobus is relocated ahead of the mall’s demolition this spring.

DASH sent out a notice that the transit center would close Tuesday, March 29, for about one week, meaning DASH Line 30, 32 and 35 buses will not stop at Landmark Mall. It wasn’t yet known whether the transit center will reopen at the relocated spot in front of the former Macy’s, or if that relocation would happen at a later date.