A 40-year-old Alexandria man is in jail for alleged cocaine possession and pointing a gun at his neighbor.
Devonte Burgess was arrested at his home in the Mayflower Square apartments in the 5900 block of Quantrell Avenue on the evening of April 8. He was charged with possession of cocaine, weapon possession by a felon and brandishing a weapon.
The City Council reviewed a substantially cut-back $753.3 million fiscal year 2021 operating budget at its meeting Tuesday night, and are now working through a months-long process that must be approved by April 29.
There were few budget surprises at the meeting, as the information was presented last week. The budget is 5.8% lower than the $800 million operating budget Jinks proposed before the COVID-19 pandemic, and includes $46.6 million in cuts to the operating budget and $140.6 million in the capital budget.
The Spring2ACTion fundraiser for the city’s nonprofits is off to a strong start, with more than $500,000 raised from early giving, according to ACT for Alexandria CEO Heather Peeler.
“This year we are asking every donor as part of the checkout process to make an additional gift to the ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund,” Peeler said. “So far, that has raised more than $15,000.”
Goodhart Group Buys Alexandria Hospital Staff 100 Meals From Mason Social — “Our General Manager, Mark delivered 100 meals to Alexandria Hospital this evening on behalf of @thegoodhartgroup. We love partnering with our community to help support each other during this time of uncertainty.” [Facebook]
GoFundMe Campaign Started for Business Owner With Cancer — “I can’t go anywhere, and I’m riddled with anxiety with everything going on. As you can imagine it’s extra tough to get supplies. Especially with the things I need, supplies are cleared and simple things like hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves are hard to come by.” [Zebra]
Two more Alexandrians have died of COVID-19, the city announced on Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to four.
There are also seven new positive cases of the virus, putting the total at 248 in the city (including the four fatalities). The city’s health department is not releasing any information on the fatalities unless there is “a public health need to do so.”
Virginia Tech has released drawings of what its first of three academic buildings will look like.
“This project is a bellwether for what we are trying to achieve through our new campus, creating a place that provides the space and environment to foster collaboration and the creation of bold new ideas,” said Lance Collins, the incoming vice president and executive director of the Innovation Campus, said in a statement.
Former Virginia Senator John W. Warner has agreed to let the Tall Ship Providence Foundation to use his name for its recently approved visitor center complex.
“As the only Secretary of the Navy to serve in the Navy and Marine Corps, combined with his 30-years of service in the Senate, we are thrilled to recognize his contributions to our country,” Clair S. Sassin, the foundation’s executive director, said in an email.
Due to Gov. Ralph Northam’s stay at home order, school registration dates in Alexandria are being pushed back.
The most immediate impact is registration for kindergarten. The start date for 2020-2021 kindergarten registration is now May 15, a month later than originally planned.
Carpenter’s Shelter opened a 40-person temporary safety shelter at the Charles Houston Recreation Center on Monday, and up to 40 chronically homeless people will be sleeping on mats on the basketball court.
The Carpenter’s Shelter David’s Place/winter shelter is now closed for the season and does not provide the same space for distancing as Charles Houston (901 Wythe Street).
Fewer arrests, calls for service and inmates in the Alexandria Jail are just a few of the changes the city is contending with as it tries to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Alexandria Police have seen a 42% reduction in calls for service and a 91% decrease in traffic stops since the Governor announced his stay at home order on March 30.
Councilman Canek Aguirre is docketed at tonight’s City Council meeting to introduce a resolution calling for state and federal officials to put a potential moratorium on rents and mortgages and to suspend the reporting of negative credit information by credit bureaus to protect people’s credit scores.
Aguirre said in a press release that the aim of the resolution is protect renters, homeowners, small businesses, and landlords struggling to make ends meet.
