Port City Dispatches: Potomac Yard Metro, Huge Blaze No Accident, Police Chase, Wales Alley and Medal of Honor

Here are some of this week's important, interesting and fun stories concerning Alexandria and its people.

From the City of Alexandria Patch sites:

Obstacles Remain for Alexandria's Preferred Potomac Yard Metro Stop — By Drew Hansen, Del Ray Patch

Deputy City Manager Mark Jinks says Alexandria is “closer than it has ever been” to finalizing a plan for a Potomac Yard Metro station but several obstacles must be cleared before the shovel hits the soil.

Specifically, project planners are dealing with issues related to constructing Alternative B, what is seen as the city and developers’ preferred build option for the station. Those include an encroachment onto National Park Service land and a scenic easement in the north end of the Potomac Greens neighborhood.

Fire Marshals: Labor Day Warehouse Blaze Not an Accident — By Drew Hansen, Del Ray Patch

Alexandria fire marshals say the six-alarm warehouse fire that sent a huge plume of smoke above the city on Labor Day was not accidental.

Alexandria Fire Chief Adam Thiel said Tuesday evening the investigation determined the blaze was “incendiary” in nature and that the incident did not fit the legal definition of arson.   

A person of interest has been identified and the case has been forwarded to the Commonwealth’s Attorney office for further action.

Three in Custody Following Police Chase Out of Old Town — By Drew Hansen, Old Town Alexandria Patch

Three people are in police custody following a police chase out of Old Town Saturday night that sent two people to the hospital.

The chase spurred from an incident that occurred shortly after 11 p.m. in the King Street corridor where a police officer attempted to pull over a suspicious vehicle, police spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt said.

 “They didn’t want to get pulled over, so they tried to ram the cruiser,” Hildebrandt said. “They didn’t hit the cruiser, but they managed to get by. The officer went after.”

Man Found Guilty in Killing of Lenny Harris — By Drew Hansen, Del Ray Patch

Tyrone Lewis was convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday in the 2011 shooting of Alexandria community activist Lenny Harris.

Prosecutors said Lewis and two other men mistakenly thought Harris, a Del Ray resident, was a wealthy man.

According to testimony, the three men kidnapped Harris and later shot him in the back of the head as he begged for his life.

Alexandria School Board Supports Lawsuit Opposing Governor's School Takeover Law — By Drew Hansen, Old Town Alexandria Patch

The Alexandria School Board unanimously voted Thursday to support a lawsuit being pursued by the Virginia School Boards Association and the Norfolk City School Board challenging the constitutionality of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s school takeover law.

The board adopted a resolution that states the Opportunity Educational Institution legislation “usurps the role of local school boards in supervising and managing the public schools of the Commonwealth.” The resolution does not commit any monetary support to the lawsuit.

9/11 Remembered in Alexandria — By Drew Hansen, Old Town Alexandria Patch

Alexandria paused to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Wednesday with a morning ceremony at Market Square in Old Town.

The event featured remarks from Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne, Police Chief Earl Cook, Fire Chief Adam Thiel and a Return to Quarters ceremony honoring those who lost their lives 12 years ago.

Police With Few Leads in Myrtle Street Armed Robbery, Sexual Assault Case — By Drew Hansen, Del Ray Patch

Alexandria police remain vexed byan armed robbery and sexual assault that occurred more than a month ago on E. Myrtle Street in the city’s Rosemont neighborhood.

Capt. Scott Ogden of the Alexandria Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Section said this week there hasn’t been a good lead in the case.   

Patterson's Attorney: Dawkins May Have Been Using and Dealing Drugs — By Drew Hansen, Del Ray Patch

An attorney representing Craig Patterson, the Arlington County sheriff’s deputy facing murder charges in the shooting death of Alexandria resident Julian Dawkins, alleged Monday that Dawkins may have been using and dealing drugs, according to WUSA 9.

Patterson, who was indicted on murder and gun charges in August, was denied bond for a third time in Monday’s court hearing. A trial date was set for Dec. 9.

Megan Thomas, Patterson’s attorney, successfully argued for the release of all police reports concerning Dawkins.

Making a Splash at Potomac Yard — By Drew Hansen, Del Ray Patch

Planners of the new Potomac Yard Park, a 21-acre linear space on the eastern edge of the new Potomac Yard development, began testing one of the park’s main features on Thursday.

The interactive fountain will send jets of water into the air for youngsters and the young at heart to play in similar to fountains at Epcot Center near Orlando, Fla., or Landsdowne Resort in Leesburg.

From elsewhere

Alexandria's Wales Alley Fight Back In State Supreme Court — By Michael Lee Pope, WAMU

City leaders in Alexandria are back at the Virginia Supreme Court again, this time in a case against the Old Dominion Boat Club.

At the heart of the case is a 1789 deed that establishes a private right to a 30-foot easement — a right that lawyers for the Boat Club say applies to members, who use the alley to move their boats to a launch.

I-95 Drivers Get to Compare Travel Times — By Robert Thompson, The Washington Post

Morning commuters on northbound Interstate 95 now pass by a sign displaying the travel times to the Pentagon in the regular lanes versus the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes. Since the new sign almost always will show a time savings for those who choose the carpool lanes, the Virginia Department of Transportation hopes it will inspire solo commuters to pick up at least two passengers for the trip north.

Murder Conviction ‘Bittersweet’ for Lenny Harris’ Friends — By Erich Wagner, Alexandria Times

A Prince George’s man accused of the 2011 abduction and killing of local activist Lenny Harris was convicted of all charges Tuesday, including first-degree murder.

After about three hours of deliberations Tuesday morning, a Prince George’s County circuit court jury found 28-year-old Tyrone Lewis, of Fort Washington, guilty on a slew of charges, including murder, robbery and kidnapping. He is scheduled for sentencing November. 

For Fallen Heroes: Post 24 Hosts Newest Medal of Honor Recipient — By Jeanne Theismann, Alexandria Gazette-Packet

The Medal of Honor is the U.S.’s highest military honor, awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. On Aug. 26, Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter became one of only 79 living recipients of the award during a whirlwind day that began at the White House and ended at American Legion Post 24 in Alexandria.

“It’s an honor and privilege to have a Medal of Honor recipient at our Post,” said Commander Jim Glassman at a private dinner welcoming Carter, his family and members of his unit to the historic Old Town American Legion building. “We not only welcome Sgt. Carter but also his fellow soldiers whose bravery during the Battle of Kamdesh kept the outpost from being overtaken.”

School Board Approves New Central Office Building — AlexandriaNew.Org

Last night, the Alexandria City School Board approved a recommendation to consolidate the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Central Office and relocate it to 1340 Braddock Place. The Board authorized Acting Superintendent Margaret Walsh to execute a 15-year lease agreement with Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT) in order to occupy the premises in June 2014.

How a Bank Building Became a Hotel and Civil War Hospital — Alexandria Times

The Bank of Alexandria was founded in 1792 and spent fourteen years in the old Duvall’s Tavern building at 305 Cameron St. In 1807, the bank moved to a new building at the corner of Cameron and North Fairfax streets — at the time the intersection of the Port City’s two primary roadways.

A year after construction, Capt. Henry Massie apparently referred to the stateliness of the new structure in a description of Alexandria’s appearance: “The buildings are chiefly of brick, some of them very stately and elegant. The banks are kept in houses quite magnificent.”