Arrest made in murder of Alexandria student — “A Virginia State University student turned himself in to law enforcement Friday night following a Dec. 5 shooting that killed Daniel Wharton, a fellow VSU student from Alexandria.” [WTOP]
11-year-old Alexandria ice skater has eyes set on Olympics — “A local ice skater who recently won a national championship has her eyes set on the Olympics.” [Fox 5]
(Updated on Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.) An adult female was seriously injured Saturday night (Dec. 11) after being hit by a car in Arlandria.
The incident occurred at around 6:40 p.m. at Four Mile Road near Old Dominion Boulevard, Alexandria Police told ALXnow.
Before the pandemic, I ran a Reddit forum that brought people together for local happy hours. It became a great outlet for an in-person social life: you could get out, get to know people nearby, and have a familiar group to spend time with. I enjoyed being the person who helped make that happen.
Getting people together became harder after the pandemic. Friends moved away, had kids, or settled into different routines, and organizing a night out took more effort. I still wanted that camaraderie, but having people to invite didn’t necessarily mean we could get something on the calendar.
I’m in my late 30s and live in Old Town. About a year ago, I joined Choros, a local membership community that helps guys build friendships through small-group activities. Since then, I’ve been to close to 50 hangouts, and it’s given me a regular group of guys to do things with around Alexandria and beyond.
I host board game nights and help host a monthly happy hour at the Commodore in Old Town. I’ve done escape rooms on King Street, trivia, food festivals in Del Ray, movie discussions, and Dungeons & Dragons (which can be especially tricky to get going as an adult with a busy schedule). Having that variety means I can find something that fits my mood and schedule, and there are usually familiar faces when I get there.
One of my favorite things, though, is getting on my bike, picking a destination, and making a day of it. Through Choros, I’ve found a consistent crew to ride with almost every month. That’s the kind of thing I wanted more of: people who enjoy the same stuff and make time to get out and do it together.
I still like hosting and bringing people together. What makes Choros useful is having a community to draw from, so every plan doesn’t depend on the same few friends being available. Other guys suggest and host things too, which gives me plenty of opportunities to join something without organizing it myself.
Over time, seeing the same guys at different activities builds familiarity. You have conversations to pick back up and another reason to make plans together. That’s how it’s become a circle of friends for me.
If you’re in Alexandria, check out Choros and come to one of our monthly happy hours at the Commodore. I’d be happy to meet a few more neighbors, whether you’re into board games, bike rides, or just getting out for a drink. There’s plenty happening here, along with activities throughout the rest of the D.C. area.
It’s been a rough couple of days for Alexandria City High School.
The school lost its varsity boys basketball coach yesterday when he resigned. He was suspended earlier in the week after a brawl during a game with Wakefield. Threats against the school were investigated earlier this week, and today the Minnie Howard campus was locked down following a bomb threat.
At its October general membership meeting, the NAACP Alexandria Branch 7043 Nominating Committee presented its slate for the 2027–2028 term and named John Hopkins-Gillispie as its nominee for Branch President.
Hopkins-Gillispie is a life member of the branch. He has chaired the Freedom Fund Dinner for the past two years, and this year’s dinner raised more than $40,000 for the branch. He serves on the Legal Redress Committee, reviewing discrimination complaints brought to the branch. He has provided input on issues from the Alexandria Police Department’s hate crimes policy to the proposed Edsall Road data center. He also represents the branch as co-chair of the host committee for the 2027 Virginia State Conference convention.
No injuries were reported after numerous gunshots were reported to Alexandria Police early Thursday night.
Police reported a heavy presence in the 700 block of N. Van Dorn Street at 5:39 p.m.
It's that time again – The November 14 Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market!
Saturday, November 14
9am-2pm
Updated 1:15 p.m. — ACHS King Street Campus has returned to normal operating status and Alexandria Police have finished their sweep of the Minnie Howard campus.
12/10/21, 12:50 p.m. APD threat assessment completed & ACHS King St campus back to normal operating status & normal student schedule
Over the last decade, Alexandria’s jail has been getting a little less crowded.
Since 2011, the average population at the William Truesdale Adult Detention has generally trended downward. Even pre-COVID there was an 18% population decrease since 2011, which only became more pronounced during the pandemic. In 2011, the average daily population in the Alexandria jail was 430. In 2019 it was 352. This year it’s 277.
Update at 12:20 p.m. — The Minnie Howard campus is being evacuated as police investigate a bomb threat against the school.
Both Alexandria City High School’s main campus and the Minnie Howard campus are on lockdown after threats made on social media.
(Updated on Dec. 23) Florence King, a 2018 Alexandria Living Legend and 2021 City Council candidate, has died.
King, who was in her early 70s, died at her Alexandria home on Thursday morning, Dec. 9, after a brief illness, according to friends. The news was a surprise to many city leaders, activists and friends.
ACHS basketball coach resigns — “Alexandria City varsity boys’ basketball coach Darryl Prue said he resigned from his position Thursday morning following an in-game incident Tuesday night in which he went into the crowd to confront heckling fans at Wakefield High in Arlington.” [Washington Post]
French bakery ‘Fresh Baguette’ crossing the river into Old Town Alexandria — “Fresh Baguette bakery will be opening its fourth location — and first in Alexandria — at 1101 King St. in early 2022. The French bakery has stores in Bethesda, Rockville and Georgetown.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Revolutionary Fitness, the strength and longevity training studio for people over 50 at 215 N. Payne St., is opening 5 spots in its members-only year-end challenge.
Every year, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s knocks people off track. Workouts get skipped, schedules fill up, and the plan becomes “I’ll start in January.”
