A 53-year-old Alexandria man is being held without bond after a woman was abducted and repeatedly raped in a West End apartment.
The incident occurred on the evening of Thursday, May 12.
Parts of Seminary Road were shut down last night and early this morning after what police are investigating as a single-vehicle crash following a possible road rage incident near Inova Alexandria Hospital.
Police said there were gunshots reported during the road rage incident. Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett told ALXnow that the car that crashed was reportedly the victim of the road rage incident and swerved off the road to avoid gunshots.
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.
Former Sheriff launches scholarship — “Support ACHS Graduates by giving to the Dana Lawhorne Scholarship” [Scholarship Fund of Alexandria]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 89 and low of 74. Sunrise at 5:46 am and sunset at 8:29 pm. [Weather.gov]
Local handcrafted shop Made in ALX has been a staple of local pop-up markets but it will soon be getting a permanent home in Old Town North.
The local artist collective announced in a release that a retail store and workshop will open at 533 Montgomery Street next month. The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, with preview shopping days on Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
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Woodson High School
9525 Main Street
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
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Northern Virginia Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) cordially invites you to attend and support our upcoming World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) for Road Traffic Victims.
World Day of Remembrance is an annual event where we honor those whose lives were prematurely ended after being struck by a person driving. This year is particularly painful and sad as we think about the recent death of a 13-year-old Frost middle school student who was struck and killed by a person driving a truck on Pickett Road. We will also honor the nearly 30 other people (as of today’s date) who have been killed on Northern Virginia streets while, walking, biking, or rolling since last year’s day of remembrance.
As part of a yearly look at the city’s long-term plans, city staff says plans for the West End are in dire need of an update.
A memo prepared by Director of Planning Karl Moritz said the city’s West End plans are out of date by a couple decades. The memo is part of a plan update scheduled for review at the Tuesday, June 7 Planning Commission meeting (Item 7).
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Jack Kilby is nearly out of fliers. There’s been a stack of them sitting on a barstool in front of his home recording studio in Del Ray for the last couple weeks promoting an upcoming outdoor concert in his back yard this Saturday night.
On Saturday, June 4, Crab Shack Live at 211 E Oxford Avenue is offering dinner, drinks and live music from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be three 45 minute sets featuring Sam C. Jones and the Sinners, Eliza Harrison Smith and Micah Robinson. There’s a $20 cover for music lovers ages 21 and over, and it’s $15 for everyone else.
May has been the second worst month for new Covid cases this year, with 2,900 cases reported. That’s a 94% increase over the 1,488 cases reported last month.
As of Tuesday (May 31), the total number of reported cases reached 34,505, with 189 deaths, according to the Virginia Department of Health. That’s an increase of 741 cases since this time last week, with the seven-day average of new cases now at 105.9, down from 199.4 last week, but still higher than the 78.6 at the beginning of the month.
Alexandria City High School (ACHS) will have a modified schedule this week as the school’s community reels from the killing of a student last week at a nearby shopping center.
Principal Peter Balas said in a message to the community that the school will have virtual asynchronous learning and SOL exams. ACHS staff will be in classrooms providing virtual instruction and will be available to proctor exams and be available to any student in need of social-emotional support or socialization.
PlantHouse opens in Old Town — “PlantHouse will open at 921 N St. Asaph St. and will offer premium houseplants and ceramics, plus the opportunity to build a terrarium in their do-it-yourself and workshop space.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
It’s Tuesday — Humid throughout the day. High of 91 and low of 72. Sunrise at 5:47 am and sunset at 8:28 pm. [Weather.gov]