ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Hundreds of people greeted the midnight arrival of the French frigate Hermione in Old Town Alexandria early Wednesday morning. People on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge cheered and clapped, people ran long the bulkhead at Jones Point Park, lined Founders Park and crowded Old Town’s City Dock as the tall ship was pulled alongside the pier next to The Chart House. The Hermione (Pronounced: ERR-me-ohn) is an almost exact replica of the tall ship that brought the Marquis de Lafayette to inform George Washington in 1780 that the French would give full aid to help the colonies win the American Revolution. The Hermione, a replica of the 18th Century frigate that helped to turn the tide of the American Revolution, anchored in Old Town in midnight Wednesday. (Courtesy WTOP/Kristi King) When Lafayette told Washington the news a tear ran down the general’s cheek, according to the American Friends of the Hermione-Lafayette. A period costume sentry now patrols the ship’s deck, and you can get onboard, too. A limited number of free tickets for timed tours will be distributed at 8:30 a.m. each day at the dock. Earlier, a noon distribution time had been announced, but due to demand, tickets are only available at 8:30 a.m. Hermione tours at the Alexandria Marina: • Wednesday from 11 a.m. — 4 p.m. • Thursday from 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. • Friday from 9 a.m. — 7 p.m. The Hermione will be in Alexandria only through Friday, June 12 and will be celebrated with related activities, displays and historic re-enactors on the pier. Find additional ticket information here.
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Sterling man charged in fentanyl case linked to Park View High School overdoses, sheriff says
A Sterling, Virginia, man has been arrested and charged in a fentanyl distribution investigation that the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said is connected to overdoses involving Park View High School students.
The sheriff's office said Isaac Melendez-Carranza, 31, was charged with two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of sale of drugs near certain properties.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office told WTOP that Melendez-Carranza is in the U.S. illegally and that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement "has placed a detainer on him."
Investigators with the Drug and Gang Unit identified Melendez-Carranza as a suspected dealer connected to overdoses involving Park View High School students in May, according to the sheriff's office.
