safety | ALXnow

Mayor pushes for state-level building safety reform after Florida disaster

Published July 12, 2021 at 9:45AM

Southern Towers (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Last week Mayor Justin Wilson shared information on building inspection requirements following the disaster in Florida, but now the city is also pushing for state-level reform on building inspections.

The city’s scope of implementing building code inspection requirements is bound by the Dillon Rule, which states that localities can only exercise powers expressly granted by the state. On July 8, Wilson sent a letter to Governor Ralph Northam urging him to start the legislative process toward overhauling the state’s barebones inspection requirements.

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Alexandria looks closer at Virginia building safety regulations after Florida condo collapse

By James Cullum

Published July 6, 2021 at 3:30PM

The Sherwood apartment building at Southern Towers in Alexandria's West End. (staff photo by James Cullum)

In the wake of the condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson says that Virginia needs to update its building safety regulations.

While calling the June 24 collapse of the 40-year-old building a rarity, Wilson tweeted that it has raised safety concerns since Alexandria has “most of the older high-rise residential buildings in Virginia.”

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Curfew Not Likely for Alexandria on Inauguration Day, No Known Threats Detected

By James Cullum

Published January 15, 2021 at 1:15PM

Alexandria Police are reporting no known threats to the city in the run up to the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Wednesday, Jan. 20, and the city is not planning to impose 6 p.m. curfew that night.

Mayor Justin Wilson told ALXnow that he sees no reason that a curfew will be necessary, as the Alexandria Police Department has been working closely with federal and regional law enforcement partners.

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Alexandria School Board Approves Memorandum of Understanding with Police Department

By James Cullum

Published November 2, 2020 at 1:30PM

The Alexandria School Board last Thursday approved a revised bi-annual memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Alexandria Police Department to provide school resource officers in the city’s public schools.

Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. also said that all Alexandria City Public Schools employees will get racial diversity training.

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City Warns Drivers to be Mindful of Increased Pedestrian Traffic This Weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published October 27, 2020 at 2:30PM

A pedestrian tries to cross Duke St. at N. Jordan St. (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria is asking local drivers to be particularly mindful of safe driving this week as children, who may not adhere as closely to regulations as adults, take to the streets to trick or treat.

While traditional trick or treating has been discouraged this year in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it’s still likely that this weekend will see a noticeable uptick of children on city streets. City Council declared this week as “Pedestrian Safety Awareness Week” in early October in light of the potential risk.

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Councilman Seifeldein: Police Review Board Proposal ‘Dead in the Water’

By James Cullum

Published September 8, 2020 at 11:30AM | Updated September 8, 2020 at 11:50AM

City Councilman Mo Seifeldein says that the community police review board proposal going before City Council tonight (Tuesday, September 8) is “dead in the water.”

The proposal from Council was approved unanimously in June, and does not give the review board the ability to independently investigate police misconduct and issue subpoenas if necessary. The request to include the authority was made by the NAACP, Tenants and Workers, and other local groups, Seifeldein said.

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Letter To The Editor: We Have Found the Courage to Redefine Ourselves

By ALXnow.com

Published April 30, 2020 at 5:45PM | Updated May 1, 2020 at 2:49AM

Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley at Inova Alexandria Hospital, April 28, 2020. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

The following Letter to the Editor was written by Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley.

Like every emergency, the Alexandria Fire Department approached this pandemic with the mindset that we will win the fight, no matter the circumstances – and that is NON-NEGOTIABLE. We have found the courage to redefine ourselves and think outside of the box to try new things in response to something we have never faced before.

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Water Tests Shows Elevated Levels of Lead at Local Middle Schools

By Vernon Miles

Published February 11, 2020 at 9:30AM

A survey of Alexandria City Public Schools’ drinking water sources has come back with relatively high levels of copper and lead in George Washington Middle School (1005 Mount Vernon Avenue).

Many of the schools had no outlets or very few that tested above action levels — amounts that require equipment replacement — for copper or lead. The EPA’s action levels for copper are 1.3 mg/L and much lower for lead, 0.015 mg/L. At T.C. Williams High School, 259 samples were collected and only four tested above actionable levels.

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AFD Responds to GW Parkway Crash at Dangerous Intersection

By ALXnow.com

Published January 31, 2020 at 3:35PM | Updated January 31, 2020 at 3:58PM

Crash on the GW Parkway at Belle View Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Several Alexandria Fire Department units responded as mutual aid to a crash on the GW Parkway in Fairfax County this afternoon.

The crash happened just before 1:30 p.m. at the GW Parkway intersection with Belle View Blvd. At least one of the victims was initially reported to trapped in their vehicle, potentially requiring extrication.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published January 14, 2020 at 8:00AM

APD Launches Safety Campaign for Officers — “Commuters often hear about the importance of safety on the road, but a new police program in Alexandria, Virginia, seeks to help officers keep themselves out of harm’s way on the road. Through its newly-launched, 12-month ‘Safety First — Every Shift, Every Call’ campaign, Alexandria police will provide officers with monthly safety tips throughout 2020 on topics like safe driving tactics, traffic stops and driving while fatigued.” [WTOP]

Drug Take-Back Day Coming Soon — “Alexandria encourages residents to safely dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications, including those prescribed by veterinarians, during National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. A special collection will take place on January 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., although medications may also be taken year-round to one of the permanent drop box locations.” [City of Alexandria]

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Seminary Road Facebook Group Unites Democrats and Republicans But Splits Community

By Vernon Miles

Published December 18, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 18, 2019 at 4:38PM

Seminary Road (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s rare for a Facebook group to be the topic of discussion at the City Council dais, but Alexandria Residents Against the Seminary Road Diet is no ordinary page.

The group started as a small forum for drivers and residents to express their frustration over the city’s change to a portion of Seminary Road — reducing vehicle travel lanes from four lanes to two, with a turn lane in between, to allow for greater pedestrian and bicycle space.