Alexandria Tied to Tracks When it Comes to Norfolk Southern

City Council has many questions and little recourse when it comes to railroad company's request to expand operations.

Alexandria City Council members lamented Norfolk Southern's request to double the number of rail cars offloaded per day at its ethanol transloading facility in the West End at Tuesday night’s meeting at City Hall. Earlier this year, Norfolk Southern filed for a permit with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to increase offloading from the current 14 rail cars to 30 cars per day. Increased emissions under the plan mean Norfolk Southern needs an air quality permit to expand the scale of operations at the facility at 1000 S. Van Dorn St. Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday expressing its opposition to the issuance of a permit because of “increased air emissions” and requesting an informational meeting and separate …

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Editor's Notebook

Photo of the Week: Alexandria Remembers Sept. 11

Market Square hosted a remembrance ceremony on Tuesday.

Alexandria remembered Sept. 11, 2001 on Tuesday with a ceremony in Market Square. Mayor Bill Euille, Undersheriff Tony Davis, Police Chief Earl Cook and Fire Chief Adam Thiel all spoke at the event. The most poignant remarks came from Thiel, who said the loss of hundreds of first-responders that day took on new meaning for him this year after the Alexandria Fire Department lost paramedic Joshua Weismann in the line of duty in February. “Until we had our own tragic loss, I had no idea what it’s like,” Thiel said. “I have a renewed empathy.” This shot was taken with an iPhone on the south side of the Market Square fountain. The jets were turned off for the ceremony, so I was able to get a clean view of attendees sitting on the north end of …

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City Hosts September 11 Remembrance Ceremony

Event will be held Tuesday evening in Market Square.

Alexandria will host a 9-11 remembrance ceremony on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Market Square. The purpose of the commemoration is to remember those who died, and pay tribute to those in the community and in uniform "who responded on 9-11 without fear, acted without hesitation and gave their lives to save others," according to a statement by the city. The ceremony will feature remarks from Mayor Bill Euille, Alexandria Undersheriff Tony Davis, Police Chief Earl Cook, and Fire Chief Adam Thiel. The tribute includes the “Return to Quarters” bell-ringing ceremony and a musical tribute. After the tribute, Alexandria City Council will begin its regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting at 7 p.m. in City Hall.

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Updated: Alexandria Paramedic Dies

Joshua Weissman, 33, was a seven-year veteran of the Alexandria Fire Department.

Alexandria Fire Department paramedic Joshua Weissman, who fell approximately 20 to 30 feet from an Interstate 395 overpass in Arlington County on Wednesday night while responding to a car fire, was pronounced dead at 4:25 p.m. Thursday at Washington Hospital Center. Wiessman, 33 of Bristow, was a seven-year veteran of the Alexandria Fire Department. He was married with no children. At a press conference on Thursday evening, Alexandria Fire Chief Adam Thiel said Weissman suffered a “severe head injury” falling into Four Mile Creek near where I-395 connects with South Glebe Road. The incident remains under investigation by the Alexandria Fire Department and the Virginia State Police. Thiel said funeral arrangements are pending. A city …

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