News | ALXnow - Part 780

Virginia offers grants for small businesses bringing in new hires

Published August 10, 2021 at 9:40AM | Updated August 10, 2021 at 3:19PM

(Updated 3:15 p.m.) As part of an ongoing mission to help boost the city’s economic recovery, a Virginia program being administered locally by the Alexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Council offer to match signing bonuses for small, local businesses currently hiring new employees.

Liz Bolton, interim director of marketing and communications for the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, said the grants are available to any business with fewer than 100 employees in Arlington or Alexandria. The grant program provides matching grants of $500 to create a $1,000 bonus for the new W-2 employees who are paid $15 per hour or more.

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published August 10, 2021 at 5:00AM

A dog takes the back seat in the Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria. (staff photo by James Cullum)

School year starts at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School — “With a little uncertainty and a lot of hope, Alexandria enters a new chapter for its students.” [Zebra]

Brokerage firm KLMB chosen to find tenants for Landmark Mall — “The first phase of the 4.2 million-square-foot mixed-use redevelopment, to be anchored by a 1 million-square-foot Inova Health System hospital, isn’t slated to deliver until mid-2025. But KLNB and the development team, including Foulger-Pratt, Howard Hughes Corp. (NYSE: HHC), and Seritage Growth Properties (NYSE: SRG), have started working on a retail master plan to identify potential anchor tenants — which they hope will then help draw smaller shops and restaurants to the development.” [Washington Business Journal]

Alexandria opens up on details for new guaranteed basic income program

By Vernon Miles

Published August 9, 2021 at 3:40PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

One of the most high-profile uses of American Rescue Plan funding in Alexandria is the city’s foray into providing a guaranteed basic income for some of the city’s lowest-income residents. At a meeting today (Monday), leadership of the program shared new information about how the program will work.

Kate Garvey, director of the department of community and human service, outlined the basics of the program in a Zoom meeting today.

Alexandria updates COVID-19 guidance as cases increase

By Vernon Miles

Published August 9, 2021 at 2:15PM

With the city starting to see an upswing in COVID-19 cases, the city is updating some of it’s guidance for local residents and directing them to resources — like where to go if you lost that vaccination card that was frustratingly not wallet-sized.

Over the last few months, there’s been an average of 10-20 new COVID-19 cases reported daily; a far cry from the peaks of hundreds of new cases earlier this year but a noticable increase. There has been a total of 73 new cases per 100,000 persons for the last seven days, which is considered substantial transmission.

Alexandria Police say drug debt was behind West End murder

By James Cullum

Published August 9, 2021 at 1:00PM | Updated December 20, 2022 at 1:12PM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

More details have been released on the murder of a 23-year-old man in the West End last year, and the criminal organization the suspect was involved with that was brought down by the Alexandria Police Department.

The victim, Yousef Omar, was found shot multiple times on Saturday, November 7, 2020. He was in the driver’s seat of a 2016 silver Mercedes E350, and a firearm was found near his body, as well as numerous shell casings, indicating that he may have fired at his attacker.

Customers fraudulently charged $1,000 at West End trampoline park

By James Cullum

Published August 9, 2021 at 10:45AM

Police car lights (file photo)

Alexandria Police have identified a suspect allegedly responsible for the theft of two credit cards at the Get Air Trampoline Park at 340 S. Pickett Street in the West End.

An employee of the park, who has not been charged, admitted to police that he was working alone when he found two credit cards and then charged each $1,000 to his personal Cash App account.

Parker-Gray development asks for more density and less parking

By Vernon Miles

Published August 9, 2021 at 9:30AM

Proposed 805 N Columbus Street development (image via City of Alexandria)

A new five-story residential development in the Parker-Gray neighborhood is moving forward this fall.

The 805 Columbus Street development led by PT Blooms LLC is docketed for review at the Planning Commission on Oct. 5 with a handful of requested zoning modifications — like an increase to the maximum building height, an increase in density, and a parking reduction.

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published August 9, 2021 at 5:00AM

Missing man identified as car crash victim — “Jose Eduardo Gonzalez Calimayor has been located. He was identified as the driver who died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash in Prince George’s County on June 4, 2021.” [Alexandria Police]

Suspect arrested after murder near Hybla Valley — “A man is dead after a fatal shooting in Alexandria Saturday night. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is investigating a homicide that occurred at the 7400 block of Vernon Sq. Dr. in Alexandria.” [WDVN]

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published August 6, 2021 at 3:35PM

What a challenging week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.

Alexandria track star Noah Lyles won the bronze medal in the 200 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, garnering congratulations from around the country, including locally by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Mayor Justin Wilson. Also this week, Lyles’ mom and brother held a watch party at his alma mater, Alexandria City High School.

Five arrested after shots fired in Old Town North

By James Cullum

Published August 6, 2021 at 2:30PM

Five Alexandria men have been arrested and charged with attempted felonious assault by mob after a shots fired incident in Old Town North on July 21.

No one was injured in the incident, which occurred at around 6:35 p.m. in the 800 block of N. Henry Street in the Parker-Gray neighborhood. Multiple buildings were struck during the incident.

Former ACPS administrator Tammy Ignacio says experience matters in School Board bid

By James Cullum

Published August 6, 2021 at 1:05PM | Updated September 14, 2021 at 4:21PM

Former Alexandria City Public Schools administrator Tammy Ignacio says her 30-plus years of experience will help take up the slack since six of the nine members of the School Board aren’t seeking reelection.

“I am well aware of the complexities of running the school system,” Ignacio recently told ALXnow. “I’m excited for the work. I feel like I still have work to do. I think what I can bring to the table is expertise in living the life of an educator and as a parent in the school system.”