Alexandria News Briefs 

Help Stamp Out Hunger with ALIVE!

Can you help on the evening of Saturday, May 11th with the Stamp Out Hunger food drive? ALIVE! is looking for volunteers to meet at key post offices to load food donations into the ALIVE! trucks when letter carrier return from their postal routes. 

The 32nd annual NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the second Saturday of May. On May 11, 2024, local letter carriers will be collecting non-perishable food items to help those in need right here in Alexandria.

Leave non-perishable food donations by your mailbox no later than 9 a.m. on May 11. Local letter carriers will collect the food on their normal route, and food gathered here will be donated to ALIVE! 

Sign up online for specific times and locations at: https://www.alive-inc.org/we-need-volunteers-alexandria-va/

Early Voting Begins May 3 

June 18, 2024 is Election Day for dual Primary Elections, and early voting begins this week.

On May 3 early voting will begin for the June 18, 2024, Dual Primary Election in the City of Alexandria. The ballot will include contests for either the Democratic nominations for Mayor and City Council or Republican nomination for United States Senate. 

In a Dual Primary Election, qualified voters may vote in either Primary, but not both. They must indicate their choice to the Pollbook officer and may not be challenged on their choice.

All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to vote by mail or in person. 

VOTING IN PERSON

The deadline to vote early is Saturday, June 15, at 5 p.m. In-person early voting hours are:

Office of Voter Registration & Elections (132 N. Royal St., Suite 100)

* Opens for early voting on Friday, May 3, 2024

* Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

* Closed Monday, May 27, 2024, Memorial Day

Additional and Extended Hours:

* Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

* Sunday, June 9, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

* Monday, June 10, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

* Tuesday, June 11, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

* Wednesday, June 12, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

* Thursday, June 13, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

* Saturday, June 15, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

VOTING BY MAIL

Applications to request a mail-in ballot must be received in the Office of Voter Registration & Elections by 5 p.m., Friday, June 7. Access an application in one of the following ways: 

* By visiting vote.elections.virginia.gov to submit an application online.

* By downloading the application available on the City’s Elections webpage.

* By calling Voter Registration & Elections at 703.746.4050 to request that an application is mailed to you.

Completed ballots must be either returned to the Office of Voter Registration & Elections by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, or postmarked by June 18 and received in the office by noon on Friday, June 21. To vote in person, an application is not required. Applications should not be submitted before voting in person.

BALLOT DROP BOXES

Ballot drop boxes will be available at all polling places on June 18, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. A secure outdoor drop box, under video surveillance, is available in front of the Office of Voter Registration & Elections, 24 hours a day, through June 18 at 7 p.m.

REGISTERING TO VOTE

The deadline for the normal registration period for the June 18, 2024, Dual Primary Election is May 28. The Same Day Registration period begins May 29 and runs through Primary Election Day, June 18, 2024. Visit vote.elections.virginia.gov to register, check registration status, or update an existing registration. 

Visit alexandriava.gov/Elections for complete election information, including voter registration requirements, sample ballots, precinct maps and ID requirements.

For more information, contact the Office of Voter Registration & Elections at voters@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4050.

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact angela.turner@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4050, Virginia Relay 711

Alexandria Begins Air Quality Action Days Program May 1

    When is it safe to breathe outside?
  

The City of Alexandria’s Transportation & Environmental Services Department will begin its “Air Quality Action Days” program today, May 1. This program is designed to increase awareness about the health and environmental dangers of ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter, known as smog.

From May through September, residents may use several options to access regional air quality forecasts for the following day. Air quality for the next day will be categorized as maroon, purple, red, orange, yellow or green.  Residents can watch for “Air Quality Action Day” notifications on the City of Alexandria’s Air Quality website or the City homepage when forecasts are orange or above. They may also sign up for daily notices through Clean Air Partners EnviroFlash program.

Residents can help improve and protect air quality by taking voluntary actions when at or above a Code Orange Day is forecasted, including:

* Replace driving with walking, biking, or using mass transit

* Avoid mowing lawns with gas-powered mowers

* Put off any painting until cooler weather

* Avoid the use of aerosol products

* Avoid idling unnecessarily and refuel cars after 7 p.m.

* Spread the word and alert neighbors and community members about the day’s air quality warning.           

Contact the T&ES Office of Environmental Quality at 703-746-4065 if you have questions about the Air Quality Action Days program. For more information about Air Quality Action Days notifications, visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/AirQuality 

National Fentanyl Awareness Day, May 7 

Join the City of Alexandria’s Opioid Treatment Program in support of the third annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day to raise awareness about fentanyl-laced illicit drugs, ways that residents can prevent substance misuse, and treatment resources to manage substance use disorders.

The event, May 7 at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center Café (4850 Mark Center Dr.), from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature demonstrations, treatment information, health resources, free distribution of Narcan overdose medication and test strips for fentanyl and other drugs, and light refreshments.

In 2022, more than 73,000 people died from a fentanyl overdose in the US, double the number of deaths from three years prior. Fentanyl-involved deaths are fastest growing among 14 to 23-year-olds.

Fentanyl is found in fake pills and many street drugs with users unaware that their drugs contain a potent opioid. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, four out of ten pills with illicit fentanyl tested in their labs contain a potentially lethal dose.

The Opioid Work Group and the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA) encourage residents to spread lifesaving information about fentanyl and to prevent medication misuse by:

* Raising awareness about only taking medication prescribed by a doctor or purchased at a pharmacy. 

* Sharing information about the dangers associated with fentanyl in fake pills and street drugs.

* Exploring resources available for parents and other caring adults to initiate conversations with youth.

* Disposing of unused or expired medication via one of several safe options for disposal.

* Accessing free locking medication boxes to secure medication. 

* Getting free Narcan.

The City’s Department of Community and Human Services provides access to treatment for people dealing with any substance misuse. Call 703.746.3636 (Virginia Relay 711) 24 hours a day. For help stopping the use of heroin or other opioids, call the Opioid Treatment Program  703.746.3610. Always call 911 if you suspect someone is overdosing.  

Visit alexandriava.gov/Opioids for more information. Visit alexandriava.gov/SAPCA to learn about ways to prevent youth substance misuse.

Man Found on N. Henry Street Identified

The Alexandria Police Department continues to investigate the death of a man found in the 900 block of N. Henry Street, on April 22, 2024. The Chief Medical Examiner has positively identified the decedent as 54-year-old John Andreadakis, with no permanent address. Currently, investigators await the findings of the Chief Medical Examiner as forensic medical tests are conducted to determine the cause and manner of death. 

If anyone has information that could be helpful in this investigation, please call the APD non-emergency line at 703-746-4444. 

Police Await Medical Examiner to Identify Man Found in River

The Alexandria Police Department continues to investigate the death of a man found in the river in the 4100 block of Mount Vernon Avenue, near Four Mile Run Park on Wednesday, April 24.   

Currently, investigators await the findings of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the decedent’s identity and cause of death; no identification was found on his person.  

Preliminary autopsy results have determined there were no obvious signs of trauma. 

This death is not related to the incident that occurred on N. Henry on Monday.  

If anyone has information that could be helpful in this investigation, please call the APD non-emergency line at 703-746-4444.

Community Services Board Public Hearing May 9

The Alexandria Community Services Board (CSB) is holding a public hearing to receive comments on the needs of Alexandrians with mental health conditions, developmental and intellectual disabilities or substance use dependency.

The hearing will be held Thursday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. at 4850 Mark Center Drive, Room 1301, the new location of the Department of Community and Human Services. Free parking is available.  Please proceed to the lobby for hearing room information.

See the proposed FY24-25 Performance Contract at alexandriava.gov/DCHS. This contract provides for the funding of services offered directly or contractually by the CSB in a manner that ensures accountability and quality of care for clients participating in services. The contract also implements the mission of supporting individuals by promoting recovery, self-determination and wellness in all aspects of life.

For further information, to sign up to speak or to send in comments, contact Celestine Chew at 703.746.3335 or email celestine.chew@alexandriava.gov.

The CSB is a group of 12 volunteers appointed by the City Council to oversee publicly funded services for Alexandrians with a mental health condition, developmental or intellectual disabilities or a substance use dependency. CSB policies and programs are implemented and managed by the City’s Department of Community and Human Services.