Alexandria Bulletin Board Wednesday, Feb. 20
Alexandria bulletin board for February through June.

Expanding the First Aid Battlefield Toward Mental Health
Legislators to consider $2 million for Mental Health First Aid.
The idea of first aid dates back to Order of St. John, a medieval society of knights that offered training in how to treat common battlefield injuries.
Alexandria Bulletin Board February
Thursday/Feb. 7 Blood Drive. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Alexandria Chapter House, 123 N. Alfred St. Donate blood through the a.m.erican Red Cross. Visit redcrossblood.org or 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Bipartisan Team Seeks Compensation for Victims of Forced Sterilization
Effort would give $50,000 to survivors; estimated cost would be $73 million.
Nobody knows how many people are survivors of Virginia’s forced sterilization program, which targeted people with mental illness, mental retardation or epilepsy.
Column: Protect Yourself from the Flu
No doubt, you’ve heard the news stories about the severity of this year’s influenza season. The annual virus struck early this year across most of the country, according to tracking models compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and remains “widespread.”
Mental Health First Aid Seen as a Way to Identify Problems Early
Del. Rob Krupicka (D-45) leads effort to expand training for workers on the front lines.
In her role as a caseworker for Adult Protective Services, Wilma Roberts has seen it all.
Present Needing to be Accounted For
As a stage IV non-small cell lung cancer diagnosee/patient/survivor/anomaly, living long--whether prospering or not, is not the simple and presumptive proposition I had anticipated. No more do I anticipate living the same number of years and in the same relative good health that my parents (both deceased), experienced well into their 80s. Now, my life revolves around my oncologist and the CT Scans and lab work that precede our recurring appointments.

The Way We Were
A look back at 2012.
Dominated by a hard-fought City Council race and the ongoing battle over the waterfront, Alexandria citizens had no shortage of topics to debate over the last year.

Inova Dedicates Cancer Center
Facility named for supporters Joseph Viar Jr. and Bonnie Christ.
Inova Alexandria Hospital held a dedication ceremony Dec. 12 to officially name its cancer center in honor of longtime Alexandria residents Joseph Viar Jr. and Bonnie Christ in recognition of a $1.25 million Legacy of Life gift through Viar's estate.

Use of Food Stamps Skyrocketing in Northern Virginia
Program doubles in Arlington, triples in Fairfax and quadruples in Alexandria.
The use of food stamps is skyrocketing in Northern Virginia, and the spike isn’t just about the recession.

Racing for Superheroes
Event benefits local nonprofit organizations.
From children wearing superhero capes to costume-clad adults to tots in strollers, participants took to the streets of Arlington last month to raise money for charity as part of the fourth annual Acumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8K and One-Mile Fun Run.

City officials and Neighbors Look to Future After Coal-Fired Power Plant Shuts Down
Lines of communication are created to avoid mistakes of the waterfront plan.
Seeking to avoid the problems that emerged on the waterfront earlier this year, city officials have taken an early lead meeting with residents in North Old Town to start planning for the future of a now-shuttered coal-fired power plant.

Convoy of Hope Arrives
Hundreds of volunteers arrived early at Cora Kelly Recreation Center to set up for a day free of poverty for many area residents.

Alfred Street Baptist Church Hosts Health Fair
Screenings, demonstrations highlight annual event.
Hundreds of attendees turned out Sept. 29 for the 2012 Alfred Street Baptist Church Community Health Fair.
Column: TC Students Organize Against Breast Cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and students at T.C. Williams High School are gearing up to spread the word.