Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, partly sunny skies, and a high around 68. Breezy conditions will prevail, featuring a west wind at 14-24 mph and gusts up to 43 mph; there’s a 40% chance of precipitation. Friday night will see scattered showers, mainly before 2am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low near 52. The breeze will continue with a west wind at 21 mph and gusts reaching 39 mph, accompanied by a 30% chance of precipitation.
🚨 You need to know
Like Rodney Dangerfield, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) is going back to school.
Patch reported that the 73-year-old Congressman enrolled at George Mason University to get a Master’s Degree in artificial intelligence.
Does it pose an existential threat? Beyer says no.
“I tend to be an AI optimist,” Beyer said after taking a recent class. “We can’t even imagine how different our lives will be in five years, 10 years, 20 years, because of AI. … There won’t be robots with red eyes coming after us any time soon. But there are other deeper existential risks that we need to pay attention to.”
📈 Thursday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Apr 11, 2024.
- Mayoral candidates say Alexandrians lost trust in public officials because of failed Potomac Yard arena deal (1023 views)
- Alexandria police investigating white supremacist fliers posted in Potomac Yard (923 views)
- What’s Up in Alexandria This Weekend: Del Ray Dog Fest, Spring Garden Market, Spring Oysterfest, and more! (460 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today and this weekend in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- 9:00 am Friday: 2024 Spring Garden Market at River Farm
- 8:30 am Saturday: MVCS Big Flea in the Neighborhood
- 9:00 am Saturday: 2024 Spring Garden Market at River Farm
- 👉 9:00 am Saturday: Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market
- 12:00 pm Saturday: The “Grandest Congress”: The French and Indian War in Alexandria
- 8:00 pm Saturday: LIVE Comedy Game Show with the Auxiliary Improv
Updated at 8:45 p.m. The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the posting of racist fliers in the Potomac Yard neighborhood of the city.
Four fliers were discovered posted in the 2100 block of Potomac Avenue on March 15, according to a resident who provided photos and information to ALXnow.
The resident notified the city of the “graffiti” via Alex311, and the fliers were subsequently removed from a light post and electrical box near Potomac Yard Park.
One of the fliers read in bold letters, “Strong families make strong nations,” a slogan used in fliers attributed to the white nationalist group Patriot Front.
Another flier is more explicit, reading: “Reclaim America: Patriot Front.”
ALXnow received word of more fliers and stickers posted around the area in February and March, and they were taken down by a longtime resident.
The group was formed after the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which found that more than 1,600 fliers attributed to the group have been found in Virginia alone.
APD said that no suspects have been identified, and posting hate speech and fliers is not a crime in Virginia.
According to the Anti-Defamation League:
- Patriot Front is a white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them, and no one else.
- Patriot Front justifies its ideology of hate and intolerance under the guise of preserving the ethnic and cultural origins of its members’ European ancestors.
- Patriot Front spreads its hateful propaganda via the internet and by distributing banners, fliers, posters, and stickers.
- Since 2019, Patriot Front has been responsible for the vast majority of white supremacist propaganda distributed in the United States.
- One of the United States’ most visible white supremacist groups, Patriot Front participates in localized “flash demonstrations” across the nation.
- While claiming loyalty to America as a nation, Patriot Front seeks to form a new state, one that advocates for the “descendants of its creators,” namely white men.
Alexandria’s Old Town and Del Ray neighborhoods were last peppered with racist fliers in 2017.
The Alexandria Police Department has identified the motorcyclist who died after crashing into a DASH bus on Tuesday night as 23-year-old city resident Kaden Olson.
The DASH bus driver was alone on the bus at the time of the crash, and announced it via dispatch at 5:07 p.m. He reported that the motorcyclist was speeding past the bus as it was turning onto N. Ripley Street.
The bus driver reported via dispatch that the motorcyclist was not moving. Minutes later, Olson was declared dead at the scene. Traffic was shut down in both directions of Duke Street and N. Ripley Street while APD investigated the crash.
The bus driver was not charged.
Traffic reopened at 10:40 p.m., police said.
According to APD:
The preliminary investigation of the APD Crash Investigation Unit has determined the DASH bus was traveling eastbound on Duke Street and making a left turn onto northbound N. Ripley Street when the motorcycle traveling westbound on Duke Street broadsided the bus.
Duke Street was closed in the area as the investigation proceeded and the scene was cleared, and streets were reopened near 10:40 p.m. The bus driver was not charged.
APD is asking for the community’s support in the investigation. If you have photos or videos from the incident, please use the links below to the community evidence portal by uploading materials there.
https://alexandriapdva.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/busmotorcyclecrash
If you witnessed this incident of have information that could support the investigation, please call APD Detective Wesley Vitale at 703-746-6178 or [email protected].
A 47-year-old Alexandria man was charged with forcible sodomy and attempted rape against a woman in her Old Town apartment on Sunday.
The Alexandria Police Department said that the victim knows the suspect, but did not go further except to say that Antuan Bostick was arrested at around 8:10 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, after a neighbor called 911. The neighbor told the dispatcher that she could hear the victim screaming for help for up to five minutes.
Bostick is being held without bond and goes to court for the offenses on May 10. He was also charged in March with driving while intoxicated. He has also been found guilty for a number of drug and alcohol convictions back to 2018, according to court records.
Alexandria’s Department of Emergency Communications got the 911 call at 8:03 p.m., officers were dispatched at 8:06 p.m. and arrived at the scene at 8:10 p.m., according to APD. No weapon was found at the scene, and police said that the investigation remains active.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault and would like to talk or needs resources, contact the Alexandria Sexual Assault Hotline at 703-683-7273, where a trained advocate is available 24 hours a day.
There is a moderate police presence in the 800 block of N Pitt St. as officers investigate a sexual assault. One suspect is in custody.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 8, 2024
A motorcyclist is dead after crashing into a DASH Bus early this evening on Duke Street in Alexandria’s Landmark area.
A DASH bus driver announced via dispatch that the crash occurred at 5:07 p.m. He reported that the motorcyclist was speeding past the bus as it was turning onto N. Ripley Street.
The bus driver reported via dispatch that the motorcyclist was not moving. Minutes later, the motorcyclist was declared dead at the scene.
Duke Street from Paxton to South Walker Streets has been closed for several hours as the Alexandria Police Department’s crash reconstruction unit is investigating the incident.
The identity of the motorcyclist has not been released.
Traffic alert: Both directions of Duke at Paxton & Duke at Walker are shut down due to a fatal crash involving a motorcyclist and a bus. No injuries reported related to the bus. Investigators will be on-scene for several hours.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 9, 2024
⚠️Service Alert: Due to police activity, both directions of Duke St from Paxton to S. Walker are currently shut down. Bus Lines 30 & 32 are on detour and Line 35 is experiencing delays. For more information, visit https://t.co/9QRbAJaPLE⚠️
— DASH Bus (@DASHBus) April 10, 2024
A four-year-old student with autism walked away from Jefferson-Houston Elementary School in Old Town last month and was found barefoot in the middle the street by a school bus driver near the King Street Metro station.
A number of school officials were consequently placed on administrative leave by Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt.
The incident occurred after school on Tuesday, March 19. Brianna Davis-Suggs took an Uber to pick up her daughter, Riley, and was told at the door that a teacher was getting her. Moments later, Davis-Suggs overheard on a walkie-talkie that a student in the school was missing.
It didn’t occur to Davis-Suggs that they were talking about Riley.
“All I remember is when they told me she was missing that I was crying so bad,” Davis-Suggs said. “I’m very upset. But at the same time, I’m just very grateful to still be able to say my daughter’s here.”
Davis-Suggs said that a school bus driver saw the Pre-K student in the middle of the tunnel near the entrance of the King Street Metro station at King Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Riley walked less than a half mile from the school to where she was found.
Davis-Suggs says that a bus monitor lured her daughter out of the street and into the bus with a lollipop.
“Your average child shouldn’t just take candy or anything from a stranger that they don’t know,” Davis-Suggs said. “I’m happy it was good people that actually found her. But at the same time, it’s just a scary, and the school should definitely know a lot of different things about her by now.”
An Alexandria Police Department dispatch confirmed that the child was found minutes after school let out at around 2:18 p.m.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said in a letter to parents that she placed a number of administrative staff at the school on administrative leave, including the head of school and academic principal.
“Several employees, including administrative staff, have been placed on administrative leave this week,” Kay-Wyatt wrote. “In the interim, I have placed some new administrative and support staff at Jefferson-Houston while this matter is being investigated.”
Riley hasn’t gone back to school at Jefferson-Houston since.
Davis-Suggs, 22, also attended Jefferson-Houston Elementary School. As for her own child, she says she later met with school administrators who wanted her to bring Riley back to school. While she has no plans to sue the school system, she’s now looking for a new school for her daughter.
“As of right now, I really just want my daughter to be in a better school, and I want her to get the resources she needs,” Davis-Suggs said. “I Still don’t know the exact best option to go about it right now because I’m very upset.”
D.C. News Now was first to report on this story.
Kay-Wyatt’s full statement to parents after the incident is below:
Dear Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB Families and Staff,
I am writing to share an important update with families and staff about a student safety concern and some leadership changes at Jefferson-Houston. You may be aware that a young Jefferson-Houston student left school grounds and was unsupervised for a portion of the afternoon on March, 19, 2024. This is deeply concerning for me as an educator and as a parent. Families should feel confident that their children are safe in our schools, and I want you all to know that this matter is being taken seriously, and that further changes will be forthcoming. Several employees, including administrative staff, have been placed on administrative leave this week. In the interim, I have placed some new administrative and support staff at Jefferson-Houston while this matter is being investigated.
Specifically, Ms. PreeAnn Johnson will serve as acting head of schools at Jefferson-Houston. Ms. Johnson is the retired principal from James K. Polk Elementary School and has been serving in a variety of administrative roles at Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) since her retirement. Currently, she has been serving as transition administrator at Alexandria City High School – King Street Campus. In addition, Ms. Julia Neufer is going to be the acting academic principal. Ms. Neufer is currently serving as the division STEM coordinator & elementary math instructional specialist. Both will assume these roles on Thursday, April 11, 2024 and will continue until further notice.
We understand that these changes can be concerning for some staff and families given the immediacy. Our team is here to support the Jefferson-Houston school community as we take these matters very seriously.
We will provide you with further updates in regard to future leadership adjustments as that information becomes available. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to support the students and staff with these new assignments.
For any questions regarding this update, please send an email to [email protected]. Please keep in mind that any questions related to personnel matters are unable to be addressed.
I am confident that Ms. Johnson and Ms. Neufer will serve the Jefferson-Houston community well and support the school in keeping on track as we work to finish out the school year strong.
Sincerely,
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt
Superintendent
An adult male was shot in the leg after an altercation in the Landmark area early Sunday morning, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
No arrests have been made, and police are still investigating the incident. APD received more than 10 calls for service at around 12:45 p.m., with witnesses telling police that they observed a shootout between two parties in the 200 block of S. Reynolds Street. Police were told that the suspects fled in two vehicles traveling in separate directions, according to the police scanner.
Multiple bullet casings were found in the street, according to the police scanner.
After the incident, the man who was shot was driven or drove himself to MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
According to APD:
On Sunday, April 7, at approximately 12:44 a.m. Alexandria Police officers responded to the report of shots fired, a weapons violation, in the 200 block of South Reynolds Street. Once on scene, officers located evidence of shots having been fired but did not locate any injured parties. It was reported by witnesses that an altercation among a large group of people led to shots being exchanged.
During the investigation, it was determined that an adult male with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound was injured in the incident and received medical treatment in an area hospital. No arrests have been made at this time. This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should call Alexandria Police Detective Brattelli at 703-746- 6699.
Officers have concluded their on-site investigation in the 200 block of S. Reynolds St. after a weapons violation. One victim went to the hospital on their own and has non life threatening injuries.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 7, 2024
The Alexandria Police Department released a D.C. man after put on a harness and got stuck on the Seminary Road Bridge that runs across Interstate 395 on Sunday.
APD and the Alexandria Fire Department responded to a psychiatric emergency at around 8:15 a.m., and found the 62-year-old man with a harness wrapped around his waist and “strapped to the bridge,” police said in a dispatch.
After being unable to locate air bags or mattresses, AFD found a 24-foot-tall ladder, which the man used to climb down to N. Van Dorn Street, according to dispatches.
The entire incident was over by 8:40 a.m. and resulted in Virginia State Police and APD shutting down the northbound Seminary Road exit, as well as a portion of N. Van Dorn Street.
The man reportedly told police that he was trying to “retrieve personal property when he got stuck.” He was released after safely reaching the ground, according to APD.
APD did not release any other information on the man with the harness.
Police and fire crews have reopened lanes of the I-395 N ramp from Seminary Rd. above N Van Dorn St after they worked to free a subject who harnessed himself to the bridge and attempted to lower himself down to retrieve personal property when he got stuck. There are no injuries.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 7, 2024
Here's the scene from the 8a hour as fire, EMS, and police dealt with the man who harnessed himself to the bridge at Seminary Rd. This was westbound over N. Van Dorn at the I-395N ramp. The traffic-cam video doesn't show the person, but thanks to all who alerted me to the… https://t.co/k9CljTve29 pic.twitter.com/T4gCeY8Jvu
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) April 7, 2024
Planet Fitness in Alexandria’s West End was evacuated early Saturday evening (April 6), adding to a growing number of similar threats made at locations around the country.
The Alexandria Police Department was alerted at around 6 p.m. of a bomb threat made via email, according to the APD scanner. Police said in one dispatch that an employee reported that the alleged threat was sent in an email at 4:06 p.m.
The building was evacuated for more than an hour, and reopened at around 8 p.m. Doyle’s Outpost, which is an arcade located next door to the gym, was also evacuated and didn’t reopen. Doyle’s Outpost had a staff of more than 15 people who ended up getting sent home early on Saturday night.
“We had multiple birthday parties going on,” Doyle’s Outpost manager Natise Ragland said. “I didn’t want to raise a panic, so I calmly told the adults that there was some sort of situation and that the police were asking us all to evacuate. Everyone paid their tabs and then we put their food in to-go containers and evacuated.”
There have been more than a dozen bomb threats made at Planet Fitness locations around the country after an Alaska woman’s membership was revoked at a location in Fairbanks last month. The member took photos and video of a transgender woman shaving in the women’s locker room, and then posted the images and videos online. The woman’s membership was revoked for violating Planet Fitness’s policy of taking pictures and video in locker rooms, and the gym defended its gender identity non-discrimination policy.
The issue has since gone viral, prompting online activists to protest the cancellation of the woman’s membership.
There’s a moderate police presence in the 4000 block of Kenmore Ave. as officers investigate a bomb threat. Officers have cleared the area as necessary during the search of the area. An update will be issued as necessary. pic.twitter.com/LOAPOlxjLJ
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 6, 2024
The mother of the child who brought a gun to Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy in Old Town last month has been arrested and charged with allowing access of firearms to children.
The child went to school (530 S. St. Asaph Street) on March 1 with the wrong backpack and discovered the handgun in the bag and reported it to their teacher.
Police deemed the incident accidental on the part of the student, and said that the student’s parents fully cooperated. After a “comprehensive investigation,” the child’s mother, 31-year-old Alexa Dickens, was arrested and charged, according to an APD press release.
Allowing access of firearms to children is a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a up to a $2,500 fine. Dickens’ court date has not been released.
Update to Investigation: The mother of the Lyles-Crouch student was charged and arrested today. pic.twitter.com/CPmhSecKZ0
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) April 5, 2024
