Alexandria Reckoning
Police launch formal inquiry into why Black people make up majority of arrests.
Black people are 23 percent of the population in Alexandria, and yet most arrests in the city are of African Americans. Most cases when police use force are against Black people. Most drug arrests are of Black people. And almost half of the inmates at the Alexandria jail are Black people.
Appetite: Not Ready for Indoor Dining? Eat Al Fresco Here in Alexandria
Here on the precipice of Virginia’s Phase 3 of reopening, most of Alexandria’s restaurants are back to business as usual – within the scope of a major pandemic, that is.
Plans for Old Mount Vernon High School
Virtual meeting puts educational uses on the forefront for the 1939 building.
Old Mount Vernon High School plans.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Alexandria Police Department Has a Systemic Racism Problem
The Alexandria Police Department is one of the most professional and respected law enforcement agencies in the country. And yes, the Alexandria Police Department does have a systemic racism problem within it. The two can be synonymous.
Opinion: Column: Mourning, Afternoon and Evening
We had to euthanize Biscuit, our oldest cat, on Saturday, June 20th. He would have been 14 on September 20th.
Marijuana Decriminalized July 1 in Virginia
Will decriminalization of marijuana stop inequitable treatment for communities of color?
Who is more likely to be charged, asked Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw. An executive of a defense contractor smoking marijuana on his deck overlooking woods in Clifton or Great Falls, or the Black teen or young adult walking down Route One in Mount Vernon, or on a street in the Annandale or Culmore sections of Fairfax County?
Using Holistic Practices
How Yoga and Meditation can help ease anxiety over racial injustice.
Before the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent stay-at-home orders, Kesha Davis’s weekday evening routine included picking up her fifteen-year-old son at a bus stop in Old Town Alexandria.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: A Different Way of Looking at the Data
The Gazette reports that “African Americans are often targets of strong-arm tactics” by the Alexandria Police Department, and that disproportionate growth of the Department’s budget over the last 20 years has “led many to question the allocation of public resources.” (“Disproportionate Use of Force”, June 11, 2020.)
Engin Artemel Dies at 81
Former Alexandria Director of Planning spearheaded waterfront development.
The story is one of family legend. When Engin Artemel first arrived in the United States from Istanbul, Turkey, he had $20 in his pocket and virtually no English in his vocabulary.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Black Lives Matter
The people of our nation are being attacked by the very system that is required by law to help them, serve them, and protect them from crimes against them.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Terminate Local Agreements with Park Police
As you know, on Monday, June 1, 2020, the United States Park Police (USPP) used tear gas on citizens at Lafayette Square who were peacefully exercising their constitutional rights prior to any curfew.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: It’s Time to Rename Pickett Street
In 1953, the Alexandria City Council renamed more than 30 streets for Confederate military leaders after it annexed a portion of Fairfax County.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Police End Barricade Peacefully
On June 4, police were alerted to a person in distress in an apartment building in Potomac Yard that ended without incident thanks to a professional, measured, well-trained response from the officers of the Alexandria Police and Sheriff’s Departments, as well as assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Removal of Statue Denies City’s History
I am writing to comment on the removal of the iconic Confederate Soldier statue at the intersection of South Washington Street and Prince Street in Old Town, Alexandria.
Alexandria City Council Prohibits Firearms on City Property
Following a public hearing June 20, the Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance prohibiting firearms and ammunition in City facilities, parks and areas requiring special event permits.
Black, Male and Arrested in Alexandria
Alexandria’s war on drugs hits black males hardest.
According to the Alexandria Police Department, 64 percent of people arrested in Alexandria for drug arrests last year were African American. Almost half of those arrests were Black males.
Appetite: On the Menu: Goings-On in Alexandria Restaurants
From permanent restaurant closures to a focus on private parties to wholesalers becoming direct-to-consumer distributors, the pandemic has brought with it quite a few changes to the area’s food-and-drink landscape.
Opinion: Commentary: Terminate Memoranda of Understanding with US Park Police
As you know, on Monday, June 1, 2020, the United States Park Police (USPP) used tear gas on citizens at Lafayette Square who were peacefully exercising their constitutional rights prior to any curfew.
Opinion: Column: Masking My True Feelings
For those of us living in states where mask-wearing is mostly mandatory (indoors: yes, outdoors: not nearly as much), it is very easy to hide one's emotions.
Seniors Join Protests for Racial Injustice
Remembering the past to inform the future.
Long before there was a Black Lives Matter movement and smart phones that captured police brutality on video, and long before throngs of people filled streets around the world to protest racial injustice, there were smaller crowds of pioneers fighting to tear down barriers imposed by Jim Crow laws.