For Katie Waynick, like many Del Ray residents, it’s been a pretty depressing week.
Waynick runs DrainALX, a social media campaign with a Twitter following that surged to over 600 followers this weekend, and was bombarded this weekend with pictures and videos from friends and neighbors with homes flooded and pipes overflowing.
The pandemic turned education on its head, and the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium just launched a new fundraiser to expand its virtual one-on-one offerings to kindergarteners and first graders.
“This has been a trying time as the lack of in-school classes has put more rising first graders farther behind than ever,” said ATC Board Chair Frank Stiff. “Despite the challenges, tutors and staff have stayed true to our mission, and the students have benefitted.”
Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne is fed up and says the city’s stormwater management is a disaster. On Sunday, Lawhorne said he was helping a neighbor in Del Ray pump water out of his basement until 4 a.m.
“It’s the same summer repeated over and over again,” Lawhorne told ALXnow. “I’ve got basement damage and my shed in the back is destroyed. Whenever we get a big storm you’ll see two-to-three feet of water rushing into the back alley and our house gets engulfed with floodwater. It’s not sanitary.”
There are a bunch of available volunteer opportunities in Alexandria this summer.
“We need hundreds of people per week,” Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken told ALXnow. “More people are in need now than ever.”
Missing man found safe in West End — “Mr. Robert Johnson has been found. Thank you for helping get the word out.” [Twitter]
New Census data shows surge of Latino residents — “The last 10 years have marked a dramatic shift in the demographic makeup of the United States, with a marked shrinkage of the white population and the rapid growth of the Hispanic/Latino community, according to 2020 Census data. These changes were reflected in the City of Alexandria, where the share of the white population decreased by 3,001 people (-3.5 percent) since 2010, while the Hispanic/Latino population grew by 6,848 people (30.4 percent). The Asian population grew by 2,922 people (34.7 percent), and Black/African American population grew by 1,412 (4.6 percent).” [Patch]
(Updated 7:15 p.m.) The Alexandria Fire Department responded to 21 weather-related calls for service in the massive thunderstorm early Sunday morning, including three rescues that saved several people.
Two of the rescues were in Alexandria — one vehicle on N. Quaker Lane and a stalled vehicle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, AFD senior public information officer Raytevia Evans told ALXnow.
A Flash Flood Warning is in effect until 8:15 p.m. in Alexandria, just days after massive flooding throughout the city. A Flash Flood Watch was issued earlier today and was previously in effect until 3 p.m.
The National Weather Service warned of “Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.”
A vaccine mandate for Alexandria government employees will be ready for implementation by this fall, according to Mayor Justin Wilson.
“The policy is being finalized in place right now and should be in place in the September/October timeframe,” Wilson told ALXnow. “This will likely not come before Council as this is in the City Manager’s purview. Although he is of course keeping us up to date.”
One of the most brought up terms in Alexandria development discussions is Development Special Use Permit — or DSUP — but despite being one of the building blocks for city planning is also one of the more confusing aspects of development.
Karl Moritz, Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Alexandria, said a DSUP is a type of permit that comes up whenever a development could be seen as having a substantial impact on the neighborhood around it.
The School Board will determine this week whether to make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for all Alexandria City Public Schools staffers.
COVID-19 numbers are on the rise in Alexandria, and unvaccinated people make up a majority of new cases, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
A 33-year-old Alexandria man was arrested Saturday afternoon (August 14) after a barricade situation in a Landmark area apartment.
Alhaji Kamara was arrested for threatening law enforcement, and is being held on an emergency custody order at Inova Alexandria Hospital, according to Alexandria Police.
