News | ALXnow - Part 960

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats Plans to Open Late This Summer in Old Town

Published June 9, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated June 9, 2020 at 8:43PM

Brandon Byrd, owner of Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats in Old Town. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

There’s almost nothing as tempting as the sound of The Temptations coming from Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats on a hot day in Old Town. On a recent Saturday, though, owner Brandon Byrd kept the music running in his frozen custard truck after selling out for the day.

Incidentally, customers can expect to find Goodies outside the 1930s-era ice house at 200 Commerce Street every Saturday until he formally opens the brick and mortar for business in August. Their schedule is posted on the store’s Instagram page.

T.C. Williams High School Renaming Question Resurfaces in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published June 9, 2020 at 3:15PM

After the long-awaited removal of the confederate Appomattox statue at Prince and Washington Streets, some in Alexandria are turning their attention back to a long-simmering discussion about whether T.C. Williams High School should be renamed.

It’s no secret that Thomas Chambliss Williams, the superintendent of Alexandria schools from the ’30s to the ’60s, was an ardent segregationist who fought against uniting black and white students in the school system. Williams notably fired a black employee who participated in an NAACP lawsuit against the city, though he claimed race had nothing to do with the decision, according to Zebra.

Two More COVID-19 Deaths in Alexandria, 13 More Cases

By James Cullum

Published June 9, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated June 10, 2020 at 5:08PM

Two more Alexandrians in their 70s and 80s have died from COVID-19 and there are 13 more cases since yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

The recent fatalities are a man and a woman, according to VDH health data, and the death toll in Alexandria now stands at 47, with 2,115 reported cases. It is not clear how many residents have fully recovered from the virus.

Man Wounded in Late Night Old Town Shooting, No Arrests

By James Cullum

Published June 9, 2020 at 11:35AM

An Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria man was shot late Monday night in the 700 block of North Fayette Street. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and drove himself to the hospital, according to Alexandria Police spokesman Lt. Courtney Ballantine.

“There were a couple of cars that got damaged and hit with bullets holes damaged,” Ballantine told ALXnow. “The male subject took himself to Alexandria Hospital with a gunshot wound that was non-life-threatening.”

City Council to Consider Community Police Review Board and Condemn Systemic Racism

By James Cullum

Published June 9, 2020 at 10:15AM | Updated June 9, 2020 at 10:39AM

The Alexandria City Council will consider a resolution tonight (Tuesday) establishing a community police review board and condemning systemic racism.

Councilman Mo Seifeldein, who drafted the resolution, says he has support from his colleagues and that he envisions the board to have independent authority to review and investigate police misconduct and empower the community and law enforcement members to come forward with concerns without fear of retaliation.

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published June 9, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated June 9, 2020 at 4:47PM

Goodies Frozen Custard and Treats at 200 Commerce Street in Old Town by the end of the summer. The busines is formally opening in August, and has a truck for customers on Saturdays. Read more in our story later today. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Governor Announces Moratorium on Rent Evictions — “The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia has granted my request for a temporary moratorium on all eviction proceedings in the Commonwealth through June 28–this action will help keep thousands of Virginia families in their homes amid the ongoing public health crisis.” [Facebook]

Alexandria’s Noah Lyles Reaching National Stardom — “Lyles, who turned 22 last week, might be on the cusp of his own full bloom, from track and field’s next big thing to the face of the sport in America.” [Washington Post]

Alexandria Police to Take Another Look at Body Cameras

By Vernon Miles

Published June 8, 2020 at 5:30PM | Updated March 15, 2024 at 2:38PM

It’s been five years since the Alexandria Police Department started making widespread plans to outfit police with body-worn cameras with little progress, but that could change soon.

Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Open for Renewal Scholarships Until July 15, Donations Needed

By James Cullum

Published June 8, 2020 at 4:40PM

The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria has set its deadline for renewal scholarships for July 15, and the nonprofit currently needs donations after its annual gala was canceled due to COVID-19.

“The economic impacts our families are going to continue to be felt in the coming days, weeks and months, but we feel like it’s really important to still be there for the kids,” Beth Lovain, executive director of the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, told ALXnow. “They have hopes and dreams, and the proper education will make a difference in not only their futures, but for the futures of their families.”

Alexandria Crime Activity Up 12% Over Last Year

By James Cullum

Published June 8, 2020 at 3:20PM | Updated September 2, 2020 at 10:33AM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated at 4:30 p.m. on June 9) Alexandria Police say that more than half of the crime increases in ALXnow’s recent report are attributable to larcenies from vehicles during the pandemic and 36 incidents at the Target store at 3101 Richmond Highway.

“The 80% increase in larcenies at Target year-to-date (45 in 2019 vs. 81 in 2020) is because the store significantly increased their loss prevention staff in January 2020,” Alexandria Police spokesman Lt. Courtney Ballantine told ALXnow. “This has helped identify more shoplifters, but it does not necessarily represent an increase in shoplifting.

Old Town Property Once Owned by George Washington For Sale at $4.1 Million

By Vernon Miles

Published June 8, 2020 at 2:10PM

A property once owned in part by George Washington, and recently turned into a shrine to the first president, is now on sale for $4.1 million.

The building’s history is more Washington-adjacent, with neighboring home 508 Cameron Street being Washington’s townhome (though the building there today is a reconstruction). The 5,132 square-foot home as 506 Cameron Street’s Washington claim comes from the kitchen, which was reportedly the site of an out-house kitchen at the original Washington property.

ACPS Emphasizes Flexibility in Upcoming Summer School Program

By Vernon Miles

Published June 8, 2020 at 11:45AM

Students learning at home during the COVID-19 shutdown (Photo via ACPS/Facebook)

After some initial confusion on whether students would be required to participate in the upcoming summer school program, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) clarified in a School Board meeting last Friday that the summer learning program is “expected but not mandatory.”

School officials said they hoped to clear the air and emphasize the flexibility of the program. Gerald Mann, executive director of elementary and secondary instruction, said families traveling over the summer or students who tend to not wake up in the morning over summer can still be accommodated in the new schedule.