On This Day in Alexandria History — “On Dec. 16, 1766, George Washington was elected a Trustee of the Town of Alexandria. At the time, Washington was a young man of 34 years, but double the age he was when he first help lay out the plan for the city in 1749. Married and owner of the Mount Vernon estate by 1766, Washington was an established and socially prominent planter in Fairfax County, and on paper one of Virginia’s wealthiest citizens. But recognizing the importance of diversification, that year he started switching Mount Vernon’s main cash crop away from the exportation of tobacco to Britain to the production of wheat and other grain crops that could be grown, milled and sold within the American colonies.” [Historic Alexandria]
Fatal Monday Crash Near ALX Under Investigation — “One person has died and three other people were injured this morning (Monday) in a crash involving a taxi, a Metrobus and a van on Richmond Highway in Groveton. Police received multiple calls reporting a crash in the 6300 block of Richmond Highway shortly after 10 a.m., Fairfax County Police Department Capt. Jesse Katzman said in a media update around 1 p.m.” [FFXnow]
Del Ray Bar Crawl Fundraised $10K — “Together, we raised $10,000 for [ALIVE!], Alexandria’s largest, volunteer-driven nonprofit providing emergency food, housing assistance, utilities help, childcare, and furniture/housewares to over 20,000 of our neighbors per month.” [Del Ray Business Association]
Museum Shop Sale Tonight at Lyceum — “From books to ornaments to jewelry, find one-of-a-kind gifts at Historic Alexandria’s museum shops this holiday season. For those last-minute stocking stuffers, head to The Lyceum on Dec. 16 from 6-9 p.m. for 10% off all gifts!” [City of Alexandria]
Spanberger Talks Energy, Health Care at Forum — “Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger addressed the Virginia Press Association and contextualized key challenges she and legislators will face when she takes office in January. Addressing the state’s energy crisis is near the top of that list, as power demands ramp up largely due to the growth of high-powered data centers throughout the state.” [Virginia Mercury]
Winter Festivals Coming to NoVA — “If there’s one thing Virginia celebrates well, it’s the seasons. And Northern Virginia is full of winter festivals that offer ice skating, twinkling lights, lanterns, and delicious food and drink. Here are six options to put on your calendar to help you celebrate the winter season.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
WBJ Recounts Regional Layoffs in 2025 — “The economic story of the year in Greater Washington has, unfortunately, been mass layoffs — and it all starts with the federal government. Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, his administration fired or offered buyouts to tens of thousands of employees … At the same time, the government has slashed spending on everything not related to defense and border control, and those tens of billions of dollars in canceled contracts and cuts in funding for research and foreign aid have added up to thousands of lost jobs.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 37 degrees, accompanied by light and variable winds. The night will be mostly clear, with lows around 28 degrees, and a south wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]
