Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Isolated showers between noon and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Widespread haze. Areas of smoke before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. At night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Widespread haze before 1am. Patchy smoke between 8pm and 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
🚨 You need to know
While air quality was terrible this week in Alexandria, a new report from Greater Greater Washington offered an optimistic look at how far the region has come since “Code Red” days were commonplace.
This week, the wildfires caused by massive forest fires in Canada sent a cloud of smoke across the whole region. Years ago, however, the culprit was smog.
The Greater Greater Washington report noted that smog has virtually disappeared from D.C. and many other American cities over the past few decades.
How did we get smog to virtually disappear? In no small part it’s due to successful government regulation of cars.
The biggest change over the past two decades has been in emissions from cars. New ones pollute much less than old ones. Partly that’s thanks to hybrid and electric cars, but it’s also partly thanks to cleaner internal combustion engines. EPA Vehicle Emissions Standards force car-makers to build cleaner cars over time.
There are plenty of loopholes, and reducing smog isn’t the same as reducing climate-change-causing carbon, so there remains a long way to go, but a lot has been achieved.
For D.C. specifically, the report pointed to a big change in Alexandria.
“Locally, the 2012 closure of a big coal power plant in Alexandria lines right up with the single most sudden decline in bad air days,” the Greater Greater Washington report said. “It was a big deal.”
“Locally, the 2012 closure of a big coal power plant in Alexandria lines right up with the single most sudden decline in bad air days. It was a big deal.”
Great piece from @ggwash https://t.co/xEKhng6MYW
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) June 9, 2023
📈 Thursday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Jun 8, 2023.
- Village Brahaus in Old Town is being rebranded (2541 views)
- Man robbed of cash at gunpoint early yesterday morning in Del Ray (2079 views)
- Alexandria City Public Schools announce new precautions due to smoke (1983 views)
- Village Brahaus in Old Town is being rebranded (427 views)
🐦 Tweets of note
For those asking about the SW DC shooting, so far one victim found in the 200 blk K St SW. They are looking for others injured…
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) June 7, 2023
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today and this weekend in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- 8:00 pm Saturday: “The Nacirema Society”, by Pearl Cleage
Recent Stories
Police continue to investigate two suspicious deaths in Alexandria this week — one in the Braddock neighborhood and another at Four Mile Run. Telemundo reported the victim found in Four…
The body of the man found at Four Mile Run Park on Tuesday has been identified as Kevin Isaías of El Salvador by Telemundo 44, though police won’t confirm the…
A race through Old Town this weekend will cause some road closures on Saturday and Sunday. The PNC Parkway Classic is scheduled for Sunday, April 28. The city said in…
Medians, reduced crossing distances and curb extensions are just a few of the roadway changes being proposed for four intersections with Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria. The preferred design options…
For many remote workers, a messy home is distracting.
You’re getting pulled into meetings, and your unread emails keep ticking up. But you can’t focus because pet hair tumbleweeds keep floating across the floor, your desk has a fine layer of dust and you keep your video off in meetings so no one sees the chaos behind you.
It’s no secret a dirty home is distracting and even adds stress to your life. And who has the energy to clean after work? That’s why it’s smart to enlist the help of professionals, like Well-Paid Maids.
Monarch Montessori School is now enrolling infants, toddlers and three year-olds for its full-time Montessori program. We offer a seamless enrollment process which involves submitting an application for review, paying the enrollment fee and submitting the remaining enrollment materials before your proposed start date.
At Monarch Montessori School, we aim to provide an authentic Montessori learning experience. At our Alexandria location, we currently have 8 openings in our Primary classroom (ages 3-6), and 6 openings in our Toddler classroom. Additionally, there are 3 infant openings at this time.
Our first floor space is an open concept. Infants and toddlers share the same large classroom. Children ages 3-6 are in two classrooms on our second floor. Each classroom has one lead and assistant guide. We offer a year-round program, with intermittent breaks for Spring Break and Winter Break.
Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Annual Gala & Auction
Do good while having a good time at the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria’s 38th Annual Gala and Auction at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. The fun begins with a 2-hour open bar reception while mingling with 499 other Alexandrians who
