Alexandria Brief: Man Charged with Murder
Alexandria Police have charged a suspect in connection with the homicide of Melaku Abraha, who died on April 1, from injuries sustained during a robbery that occurred in the 200 block of South Alfred Street on March 28.
Alexandria Brief: Man Indicted in Park Murder
On April 11, the Grand Jury for the City of Alexandria handed down a two-count indictment against Reinaldo Mauricio Portillo Membrano, alleging that Portillo Membrano murdered Jose Luis Perez Ferman in Beverly Park on or about Nov. 8, 2015.
Alexandria Business: Teaism Goes Cold
By the end of April, healthy food restaurant Teaism will close.
After four years as part of the first wave of the North Old Town renaissance, the Teaism Restaurant on on N St. Asaph Street will close on April 24.
Inside the Alexandria Police Department: Evidence
An occasional series, drawn from the Alexandria Citizen’s Police Academy.
The Alexandria Citizens’ Police Academy is a 10-week course hosted by the Alexandria Police Department (APD) to offer citizens a better understanding of how the department works. Throughout the course, participants sit in on emergency calls and ride along with police officers on patrol.
Alexandria: Robbery Ends in Murder
Local grandfather remembered as pillar of community.
Melaku Abraha loved walking. It was his favorite way to explore Alexandria, and family and neighbors in particular remember his frequent walks near his home on South Alfred Street. On March 28, at around 9:33 p.m., he was found conscious but badly injured just a block from his home. A robbery and assault left Abraha with serious head injuries. He was hospitalized, but his condition continued to deteriorate and four days later he died.
Alexandria: Obamas Celebrate Easter
... at Alfred Street Baptist Church.
For the second year in a row, the White House’s First Family celebrated Easter on Sunday morning with members and visitors of Alfred Street Baptist Church (ASBC) in Alexandria.
Alexandria Snapshot: A Tasty Thank You
Owner Rob Krupicka sent Sugar Shack donuts to the nurses at Georgetown University Hospital as a thank you for their care of Alexandria resident Mary Wadland, fourth from left, who underwent an emergency liver transplant Feb. 25 following an excessive dose of acetaminophen. Wadland remains in the hospital but is expected to return to her Del Ray home soon. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with expenses while she recuperates. See www.gofundme.com/marywadland.
Alexandria Snapshot: Welcome
Mayor Allison Silberberg, center, and members of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce were on hand March 31 as Long and Foster welcomed Victoria KilCullen and Christie’s Real Estate to their firm. Kilcullen will launch the Christie’s line, a division of Long and Foster Luxury brand, in Alexandria and cover the Northern Virginia region. Shown at the March 31 reception at Principle Gallery are: Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, Christie’s International senior vice president Kathleen Coumou, Chamber of Commerce CEO Joe Haggerty, Silberberg, Long and Foster President Boomer Foster, Kilcullen, Councilwoman Del Pepper and Chamber of Commerce Vice President Shari Simmans.
First Responders Honored at 38th Annual Valor Awards
‘Ready for All Emergencies’
Technician Ryland Chapman and Lieutenant Lawrence Mullin with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were preparing to return home from a deployment with Virginia Task Force 1 to earthquake-rocked Kathmandu, Nepal when another quake sent them back out for duty.
Lawmakers Wrap-up Richmond Legislative Session
Unspent TANF grant money, prisoner rights among social issues discussed.
On average, low income families in Virginia who are eligible and sign up for funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant receive $269 monthly and are cut off after five years. But lawmakers say there’s a lot more unexpended money available in the federal grant that, if it remains unused, could one day be taken back.
Alexandria: Transitway Plan Branches Out
Council approves West End Transitway after argument over tree canopy.
If all goes as planned, implementation is still four years away, but the West End Transitway took a step forward at the March 29 meeting with the City Council unanimously voting in support of guidance for the planning of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route between the Van Dorn Metro Station and the Pentagon.
Alexandria: Former Deputy Fire Chief Dies
Michael Conner dies at 68.
Each October during National Fire Prevention Week, a solemn ceremony takes place at Ivy Hill Cemetery where a Roll Call of the Fallen is taken to honor firefighters who have given their lives protecting the citizens of Alexandria. This year’s ceremony will take on new meaning when the toll of a bell rings out for Michael Conner, the former deputy fire chief whose recruit class first dedicated Ivy Hill’s Circle of Honor in 1970.
Sex Trafficking Young Victims in Northern Virginia
Federal funds for gang task force expire April 1.
The first article in an occasional series on human sexual trafficking in Northern Virginia.
Alexandria Snapshot: Generation to Generation Gala
Senior Services of Alexandria hosted its annual Generation to Generation Gala March 12 at the Hilton Mark Center Alexandria. The 2016 honorees included Sue Goodhart and Allison Goodhart DuShuttle, and Kitty, Mike, Kirby and Keely Porterfield. H. Arthur Sauer was awarded with SSA’s first Special Service Award. For more information about SSA’s programs and services go to seniorservicesalex.org.
Alexandria Brief: King Street Park Revitalized
Beverley Park isn’t the only Alexandria Park looking at major redevelopment. The park at the end of King Street, appropriately named “King Street Park,” could be seeing a temporary boost before Waterfront redevelopment transforms the area. Currently the site hosts a small anchor monument and a bench, but expansion into two nearby sites could turn the park into the missing link between the northern and southern parts of the Alexandria waterfront.