On This Day in Alexandria History — “On June 22, 1937, the Alexandria City Council appropriated $2,500 to construct a baseball field at the old Almshouse property at Monroe Street and U.S. Route 1. The 18th century Almshouse, built to house indigent Alexandrians, had been auctioned off by the city several years earlier for a boarding house, but returned to city ownership when the new owner’s finances reversed during the Great Depression … Some forty years later the ballfield was named in honor of developer Eugene Simpson who was a great supporter of Alexandria youth athletic programs. The new ball field proved immensely popular, and today is known as Simpson Field.” [Historic Alexandria]

State Budget Deal Reached — “After months of debate and an increasingly fraught battle over how to tax and regulate data centers, Virginia budget negotiators announced Friday evening that they’d reached a deal featuring a new energy consumption tax for the industry that’s expected to generate $1.2 billion over the biennium. The new plan also includes 4% raises for teachers each year, and roughly $285 million for health insurance from the state marketplace and food assistance funding for low-income families. It will also give localities authority to impose a 1% sales tax for school construction and renovation, if they choose.” [Virginia Mercury]