World champion sprinter Noah Lyles will give the keynote address at the T.C. Williams class of 2020 graduation on Saturday, June 13.
Lyles, a 2016 T.C. graduate and Olympic hopeful, will congratulate his fellow Titans in a virtual ceremony that will be featured on ACPS-TV Channel 71, Facebook Live and on its website.
There has been another COVID-19 fatality in Alexandria, as the death toll from the virus now stands at 48. There were also two new reported cases, which is the smallest daily increase since March, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The latest fatality was a woman in her 60s. The death is the first since June 9, when two coronavirus-related fatalities were reported.
A 49-year-old Alexandria tow truck driver was killed on Monday night as he responded to a disabled vehicle on Interstate 495, according to Virginia State Police.
Derrick A. Marbury was responding to a disabled vehicle on I-495 southbound when a 2015 Ford Edge was rear-ended by a 2013 Honda Pilot. The Honda went off the road and hit the tow truck, and Marbury reportedly ran out of the way and was struck and killed by a 2015 Mercedes-Benz M35.
As Alexandria enters into the second phase of reopening its economy, ALIVE! is expanding its free food distributions for families in need. The nonprofit has given out hundreds of thousands of pounds of food during the pandemic.
“This is not over, people are still food insecure,” ALIVE! Executive Director Jennifer Ayers told ALXnow. “The food insecurity is real. People are still without jobs. We gave out 110,000 pounds of food in April and 127,000 pounds of food in May. Our normal monthly average is about 30,000 pounds, so we are giving away a lot of food.”
Few things outside of the Seminary Road diet can rile the public comment portion of an Alexandria City Council meeting like proposed gun control legislation.
At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, the Council unanimously approved moving forward with a sweeping ban on firearms on or near city property — including parks — or on streets near permitted events.
ACT for Alexandria Calls COVID-19 a Racial Issue, Sends $900K to Nonprofits — “To work towards a community where all Alexandrians have an equal chance of living prosperous, fulfilling lives, we must work together to address systemic racism. That is a tall order. But together we can make a difference. Your support of the ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund is an important step. That support allows our community to better respond to the needs of our neighbors facing overwhelming challenges.” [ACT for Alexandria]
Beyer Finds Fault in Indicted Fairfax County Police Officer — “This officer’s actions were unjustified, and he failed his oath to protect and serve. Body-worn camera footage clearly shows he escalated the situation with unnecessary violence against an unarmed black man.” [Twitter]
There are 10 more cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, bringing the total number of cases to 2,125, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
No new fatalities were reported and the number of deaths remains at 47. The most recent deaths were a man and woman in their 70s and 80s.
The Alexandria City Council unanimously agreed last night (Tuesday) that the city should Endorse a resolution condemning systemic racism and establish a community police review board. That vote was preceded by hours of heated debate on Council over red tape.
Some members were concerned that a new community police review board — which would investigate alleged abuses and use of force — would overlap with the City’s Human Rights Commission, the body which currently investigates instances where force is used.
Alexandria Police are investigating an assault that put an Alexandria minor with non-life-threatening injuries on June 3 in the Del Ray/Rosemont area.
The incident, which was first reported by the Alexandria Times, occurred at around 10 p.m. in the area of Russell Road and Rosecrest Avenue. The victim was jumped by two suspects while walking home from a friend’s house, according to Alexandria Police spokesman Lt. Courtney Ballantine.
During a City Council meeting last night, the city moved to settle on a discrimination case involving the Alexandria Fire Department reprimanding and disciplining a captain requesting medical leave to handle a disability.
Last December, EMS Captain Michael Cahill — who has worked for the Alexandria Fire Department since 1994 — filed a lawsuit against the city alleging that he faced discrimination and retaliation as a disabled person requesting medical leave.
The Alexandria Police Department released a statement on the use of force on Tuesday evening on its use of force policies and accountability.
In its online list of Frequently Asked Questions, the department states that the use of force should only be used as a last resort that “should be avoided when possible, even when legally justified.”
