Founders Bank launched in the middle of the pandemic last year, and the D.C.-based bank is eyeing an expansion into Alexandria and Northern Virginia in the next several years.
That’s according to Founders Bank President Martin McCarthy, who told ALXnow that his tech-heavy brand is geared toward online-only banking.
Hotel expansions to increase meeting planning options in Alexandria — “Alexandria is continuing to expand its hotel offerings with an extensive multi-million dollar renovation of the Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria…The historic George Mason Hotel is set to undergo restoration in 2021 (and) will have two buildings located in Old Town, and will feature 141 hotel rooms, two restaurants, rooftop dining and outdoor dining. The Hilton Alexandria Mark Center will also begin a $10 million renovation starting in late November, with a target opening of the first week in January 2022.” [Previewmeetings.com]
ALIVE! resumes collecting food — “Community members are welcome to drop off purchased or collected food items at 801 S. Payne St. ALIVE! accepts donations on Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.” [Zebra]
The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch that will remain in effect until 9 p.m.
This is the second evening in a row of rough weather, as a brief storm knocked out power for thousands Wednesday night. Consequently, Dominion Energy is warning of potential outages tonight.
More details have been released on the armed carjacking on Tuesday night in the 500 block of Cameron Station Boulevard.
The suspect who was arrested “suffered a medical emergency” while being booked in jail and was taken to the hospital, according to police. He is reportedly in stable condition.
Brandon Byrd can actually cook.
In recognition of Juneteenth, last month the owner of Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats in Old Town partnered with Rachel Tracey of D.C.-based Historic America tours for their first Soul Food Saturday. So far, meals have included shrimp and grits and Jamaican jerk chicken.
Following new guidance from the Governor’s office and the CDC, the Torpedo Factory (105 N. Union Street) announced today that all visitors will be required to wear face masks.
The new requirement comes as Alexandria sees its first significant uptick in COVID-19 cases since May. The city issued new guidance recommending that even vaccinated residents begin wearing masks indoors again.
A new report from the Office of Historic Alexandria outlined the fascinating and tumultuous lives of the Black residents who carved out a life for themselves in the city after the Civil War — and whose home (506 N. Overlook Drive) could soon be faced with demolition and redevelopment.
There were a lot of unanswered questions and urban legends about the Hampshire Fractious house in North Ridge when redevelopment of the property started working through city bureaucracy, starting with approval of a plan to subdivide the property. Walt Whitman, for instance, was rumored to have worked at the house, but there’s no evidence to support this claim.
The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style, a celebration of eccentric mid-20th century vehicles, is scheduled to make a comeback this September.
The event started in 2019 and was a success, bringing thousands of visitors from the region to Old Town. The event, sponsored by Burke & Herbert Bank, was scheduled to make a comeback in 2020 but… you know. After several delays, the second annual Old Town Festival of Speed & Style is scheduled for Sept. 5 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
If she likes you, the only sound you’ll hear from Bagpipes the rabbit is some happy purring and humming.
The short-haired black rabbit is up for adoption with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
Man killed in Alexandria part of Fairfax County — “A man was found dead inside an Alexandria apartment building Wednesday night and police said detectives are investigating the death as a homicide. Fairfax County Police Sgt. Tara Gerhard with the Fairfax County Public Affairs Bureau said the shooting was reported just after 7 p.m. in 3100 block of Southgate Drive in Alexandria. Gerhard said a family member found the man with a gunshot wound to the upper body. When first responders arrived on the scene, medics pronounced him dead on the scene.” [WUSA9]
Help name new tunnel boring machine for Alexandria to build cleaner waterways — “Alexandria’s wastewater authority, is seeking the community’s input to name its 250-ton tunnel boring machine (TBM). The TBM, currently being manufactured in Schwanau, Germany, will bore through 100-foot-deep soil to construct the 12-foot-wide, 2-mile-long Waterfront Tunnel — ultimately preventing millions of gallons of combined sewage from polluting the Potomac River, Hooffs Run, and Hunting Creek.” [Zebra]
Without school resource officers and the next school year starting in less than a month, Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. has a plan to beef up security.
Hutchings and staff, on July 16, sent the School Board a three-page proposal acknowledging serious security implications, including “increased vulnerability at school sites, decreased deterrence of situations such as active threats to students, staff and visitors.”
