News

Alexandria government drops mask requirement — “Starting on June 15, fully vaccinated visitors and employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear a mask or practice physical distancing in City of Alexandria government facilities. Individuals who wish to wear a mask or practice physical distancing may continue to do so. Those who have not been fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask and maintain six feet of physical distancing in city government facilities.” [Patch]

Captain Gregory’s eyes expansion — “The popular spot is expanding, looking to add about a dozen more seats… They’ll make use of unused kitchen space and likely complete the additional space by the fall.” [Alexandria Living]


News

Alexandria’s history with slavery makes Juneteenth a particularly important holiday.

June 19 recognizes the emancipation of slaves in the United States, and the date is expected to soon be a federal holiday, even though Alexandria has recognized it since 2019.


News

Alexandria Police combed the West End for the missing 44-year-old man with severe intellectual disabilities.

Police said that Edwards was last seen at around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night in the 600 block of Shilling Street, which is near the Van Dorn Metro station. A police helicopter was also used to try and locate him.


News

The Twig donates $150K to Inova Alexandria Hospital — “During their annual luncheon Tuesday morning, The Twig (Together We Ignite Giving), the junior auxiliary unit for Inova Alexandria Hospital, presented a $150,000 check to the institution as part of its $1 million pledge to renovate the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.” [Zebra]

Amazon and Metro announce $125M plan to make 1,000 affordable housing units near Metro stations — “This represents another return on the region’s extraordinary investment in mass transit, as the partnership with Amazon will accelerate transit-oriented development, grow ridership, and keep our region competitive with other global economic centers,” said Metro Board Chair Paul Smedberg. “Amazon is stepping up to the plate with an unprecedented commitment to affordable housing in the National Capital Region.” [WMATA]


News

The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra will officially return to in-person performances with an hour-long program at Alexandria’s 272nd birthday celebration on Saturday, July 10, on the waterfront.

“We’re really excited to be there for the community,” Melinda Kernc, ASOs director of development and marketing, confirmed to ALXnow. “We did what we could during COVID, and now to meet in person is really exciting.”


News

A pair of Alexandria track and field athletes are asking for help to get to The Outdoor Nationals next month.

T.C. Williams Titans David Coles and Joshua Peterson will compete in the Triple Jump on July 1 at the Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, which is also where the U.S. Olympic track and field trials are being conducted this month.


News

Stomping Ground has won the people’s hearts, and their cheddar blue corn grits with a pork ragu did the trick. The Del Ray restaurant took home top honors by winning the people’s choice in the 12th annual Taste of Del Ray.

“We were blown away by the culinary creativity of our restaurants,” said Taste of Del Ray chair Karen Johnson.  “But, more than anything, we were so overwhelmed by the support of the community, even though we couldn’t hold our traditional in-person event.  This was a difficult year for restaurants, and the neighborhood really came out to celebrate the talented chefs in Del Ray.”


News

Alexandria Hospital President Dr. Rina Bansal asks residents to get vaccinated — “A healthy person can get COVID and survive, and if you have already had it, you may still have the antibodies to keep you safe for a period of time. But what about your community? It may not be readily apparent that a family member, friend or neighbor has an underlying health condition that puts them at higher risk for hospitalization or even death from COVID-19. Your choice to not be vaccinated isn’t just putting you at risk, it can impact so many others around you.” [ALXnow]

Historic Building that inspired ‘Mercy Street’ to be private residence, museum offices — “The building was converted into the Mansion House Hotel and served as a Union Hospital during the Civil War. Green and the hospital were depicted in the TV drama series “Mercy Street,” which aired on PBS from 2016-2017. NOVA Parks has owned the property since 1970, using it as office space and leasing the rest of the space to other companies. In 2019, NOVA Parks announced that it was marketing the sale or lease of the building.” [Alexandria Living]


News

Grocery delivery chain Foxtrot is coming to a prime location in Old Town.

The Washington Business Journal first reported that Douglas Development Corp. arranged the lease for the 4,500 square-foot two-story building at 701 King Street. This will be the third Foxtrot store in the region, and could open as soon as eight months from now, Matthew Jemal, senior vice president at Douglas Development Corp. told ALXnow.


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