Tuesday morning notes: Filling the boot, church honored, college footballers shine

Firefighters from Penn Daw station 11 collect donations at the Belle View Shopping Center on Sunday as part of the annual “Fill the Boot” campaign benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Firefighters fill the boot

Firefighters from stations around the Richmond Highway area spent the Labor Day weekend — including a rainy Saturday — collecting donations for the annual “Fill the Boot” campaign.  All of the Fill the Boot money typically goes to the Greater Washington Muscular Dystrophy Association, but this year the department will be donating $50,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

As of Monday morning firefighters around the county had collected more than $424,000, not too far behind last year’s total haul of $521,509, which was the most ever by a department in the U.S. and Canada.

Church presented with honor

State Sen. Scott Surovell presented a commending resolution to Good Shepherd Catholic Church on Monday at the parish’s annual International Festival. The resolution, which was passed in the Virginia General Assembly in 2015 and can be read here, recognized the church for 50 years of service to the Mount Vernon and Richmond Highway community. Father Tom Ferguson, Good Shepherd’s pastor, accepted the commendation on behalf of the church.

View pictures on Surovell’s Facebook page. 

Walmart renovation complete

The Kings Crossing Walmart at 6303 Richmond Highway recently underwent a renovation, and celebrated its grand reopening last week. The newly remodeled store now features wider aisles, an upgraded electronics section and a new shoe department. As part of the reopening, the store donated $5,500 grants to Bryant Alternative High School, West Potomac High School and the Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce.  

Read more on AlexandriaNews.org.

College football standouts

Local athletes playing college football got off to a strong start this weekend. De’Mornay Pierson-El, a 2014 West Potomac graduate, scored a receiving touchdown in Nebraska’s victory against Arkansas State on Saturday. Pierson-El, a senior, finished with two catches for 20 yards and two rushes for 23 yards. 

Josh McGrigg, a 2016 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, had a good day returning kickoffs for the Villanova in its opening day win against Lehigh. McGrigg, a redshirt freshman, averaged 26 yards per return on four returns in the 38-35 victory. 

Wires undergrounded in Waynewood area

Dominion energy recently finished a project to move power lines underground on Conover Place in the Waynewood area (see map). The project, which only spanned two blocks, is part of a strategic plan to underground wires in areas that frequently require repairs after big storms. Dominion also has plans to underground lines on part of Mount Vernon Memorial Highway near Grist Mill Park, according to the Alexandria Gazette.

Read more at the Alexandria Gazette.