Roughly 122 years after his murder, Black teenager Benjamin Thomas is being memorialized this week on the anniversary of his death at the hands of a white lynch mob.
Thomas, one of two recorded victims of lynching in Alexandria, was killed on Aug. 8, 1899. He was 16 years old.
There are still a number of available volunteer opportunities in Alexandria this summer.
“We need hundreds of people per week,” Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken told ALXnow. “More people are in need now than ever.”
Alexandria’s COVID-19 uptick continues to gain steam, as there have been 118 new cases reported in the last week, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
There were also 204 new cases reported in the month of July, a 343% increase over June, which only saw 43 new cases.
Mayor recommends residents try out slaughterhouse — “Excited to say hello to the DC Poultry Market on Colvin Street this afternoon. They’re now open and it’s wonderful to have a source for fresh, local, free-range chicken in our City. They’re open 7 days a week. Check them out!” [Facebook]
DASH unveils new 40-foot-long electric buses — “The Alexandria Transit Company DASH is committed to transitioning to an entire fleet of zero emissions vehicles. Today they moved closer to that goal with the debut of three new battery-powered electric buses.” [Zebra]
What an absorbing week in Alexandria.
Just as the ball gets rolling with reopening and loosened restrictions, the pandemic rears its ugly head. With coronavirus transmission levels climbing, Alexandria is once again recommending that residents go back to wearing face masks indoors.
A new state grant could help fund the city’s expensive, state-mandated RiverRenew project and offset some of the sewer rate increases for Alexandrians.
According to a press release, Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew) — which runs the RiverRenew project — has been recommended to receive a $50 million grant to support construction on the project. The RiverRenew project is an overhaul of the city’s combined sewer system in Old Town that results in millions of gallons of sewage flowing into the Potomac River ever year.
As it was with the decision to reopen schools, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is a little behind its neighbors in deciding whether or not faculty and students will be required to wear face masks when school restarts next month.
In Fairfax County and Arlington County School Boards have both announced that masks will be required in classrooms when school starts.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Will Nichols, the retiring general manager of St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub in Del Ray. Nichols has been a constant presence in the community since being hired in 1998, and the campaign has so far raised $5,675 out of a $10,000 goal.
The fundraiser was organized by the Del Ray Business Association.
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.
