On This Day in Alexandria History — “In July 1865, with the American Civil War officially over, Union troops began withdrawing from Alexandria, ending their four-year occupation of the city. On July 7 the War department abolished the position of military governor, as Gov. John Slough requested to be relieved so that he could leave Virginia to assume command of a territorial governorship in Colorado. With his departure, the Military District of Alexandria was dismantled, and city management returned to civilian control. Although the city witnessed no major battles during the Civil War, its strategic location made it a transportation, warehouse, medical and troop center throughout the war. and it was the longest occupied city in the nation. When the war over, the city was in tatters, its once prosperous economy in ruins, and population vastly diminished from pre-war levels.” [Historic Alexandria]
City Council Meetings on Pause Until Fall — “While we’re on recess for July and August, it means that the legislative meetings and public hearings that we have in order to pass laws and keep our city moving forward, those are on pause, but the day-to-day operations of departments like fire, parks and rec, police, Department of Community and Human Services, all of that still keeps moving as if it’s business as usual. The other thing you should know about recess is that many of our boards and commissions also take a recess.” [Mayor Alyia Gaskins/Bluesky]
N. Va. Leaders Wary of Using New Sales Tax Authority — “Under the biennial state budget adopted in Richmond late last month, Northern Virginia localities now have the power to hold voter referendums to increase sales taxes by up to 1%, with the extra funding going to transportation, education or a combination … At the NVTC meeting, Alexandria City Council member Canek Aguirre said a hodgepodge of local government responses to the new taxing authority would not benefit the region. He urged efforts in coming months to come up with a singular strategy — perhaps with multiple localities holding concurrent referendums — to show legislators the local region is willing to address the funding issue locally.” [FFXnow]
866K Riders Sets New July 4 Record for Metro — “Thank you for choosing America’s Metro System to celebrate the 4th! 🎆 We loved seeing so many of you riding with us to the National Mall and celebrations throughout the region. Shout out to our team for moving RECORD-BREAKING crowds safely and getting everyone home at the end of the night.” [WMATA/Bluesky]
Virginia Tech President Search to Replace Tim Sands — “Virginia Tech’s Presidential Search Committee will hold a public listening session at its Alexandria campus later this month, giving D.C.-area members of the university community a chance to weigh in on the search for the institution’s next leader.” [Alexandria Brief]
Marketing Agency Celebrates 20 Years in Alexandria — “With the George Washington Masonic National Memorial rising in the background, clients, colleagues, friends and family gathered on a rooftop in Alexandria recently to celebrate a major milestone for KME.digital, the Alexandria-based digital marketing agency marking two decades in business—and looking ahead to its next chapter.” [The Zebra]
Spotlight on Virginia as Data Center Capital — “Demand for internet access and electronic storage has grown alongside digital technology itself. At the center of that growth are the energy infrastructure and data centers that governments and companies began developing in Northern Virginia in the late 20th century. Today, the region houses the world’s largest concentration of data centers, making Virginia the nation’s digital capital.” [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Tuesday — Expect patchy fog before 10am, then partly sunny skies with a high near 85°F and light northeast winds at 3 to 5 mph. There’s a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. In the evening, showers and thunderstorms are likely before 3am, continuing with a chance of showers and a low around 70°F, with northeast winds around 6 mph. Precipitation likelihood is 80%, with rainfall between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. [NWS]
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