The ambitious Encyclopedia Virginia, a project that aims to catalog and document the state’s history in a way that’s accessible to the general public, has featured four local sites on its catalog of historic spots with virtual tours.
Each of the locations have interior views with 360 degree views and the ability to move around as one would on Google Maps.
Even as Alexandria City Public Schools is preparing for an online start to the school year at T.C. Williams High School, nearby private school started in-person classes again today (Wednesday).
Bishop Ireton High School (201 Cambridge Road) is a private Catholic high school that is reopening today with a mix of in-person classes and online participation.
The pool tables are gone, there’s no dancing and everything is spread out, but singing karaoke at the Rock It Grill is still going strong with some new additional safety features.
“Our regular Rock It customers are beyond wonderful,” said owner Laura Seiss. “As far as employees that are back, everybody who wanted to work is working.”
Old Town hotel The Alexandrian (480 King Street) is planning to kick off a new restaurant concept in the building’s central courtyard.
The new restaurant, King & Rye, features a menu centered around southern cuisine and whiskey.
The “Modern Rock Camp” at School of Rock Alexandria (3260 Duke Street) has plexiglass screens, and on a recent August afternoon the band “Horses Ate My Dad” broke their long silence and played a virtual gig.
The kids were safe distances apart and played with face masks.
Alexandria is in the slow grind of recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Cases are still trickling in with the occasional local outbreak, like the one at Kidane Mehret Church last week.
It’s also been a slow recovery for businesses, who face lower levels of consumer spending and have been struggling to adapt. The unemployment rate is gradually improving but is still significantly higher than it was pre-pandemic.
Alexandria Woman Finds Missing $100K Lottery Ticket — “Four months ago she purchased a ticket using some of her favorite numbers, 2-14-15-17-21, and matched all five winning numbers on March 1, but she only just discovered that fact when she cleaned out her purse recently.” [Zebra]
Beyer Says Economic Warning Signs Troublesome — “It’s been a month since Senate Republicans cruelly allowed Americans’ enhanced unemployment benefits to expire amid a pandemic and economic crisis. Don’t be fooled by the stock market: millions of families are experiencing deep hardship. Warning signs for the economy abound.” [Twitter]
Despite the odds, Alexandria’s Workforce Development Center’s Youth Employment Services has finished up another year with higher-than-usual participation.
It was a tough summer to run a workforce development program. Alongside the global pandemic, Alexandria faced record-high unemployment and a slow recovery for local businesses. But center Director Daniel Mekibib said the program put together options for in-person employment and virtual participation in job training.
ALIVE! is hosting three free food distributions this week in Alexandria, and the nonprofit is offering shelf stable groceries, produce and eggs for hungry families.
“People are encouraged to drive through,” the city said in a release. “Walks-ups should maintain 6 feet social distance, wear a face mask and bring carts or reusable bags to carry food home.”
While a moratorium on evictions is temporarily back in place, state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) has proposed legislation that could give residents more of a chance to avoid them in the long term.
“This bill is a win-win and will stem the potential tide of evictions in Virginia,” Ebbin said on social media, “and has consensus support from tenants and landlords alike.”
With vehicle thefts on the rise, Alexandria Police are investigating a violent carjacking in the West End that injured two men and led to a car chase and crash in Fairfax County.
The incident occurred on July 25 around 5 p.m. Two men parked their cars at their homes in the 300 block of South Whiting Street. The two cars, a black 2014 Toyota Camry and a black 2012 Chevrolet Impala were parked at S. Whiting Street (facing Stevenson Avenue) and their owners were unloading them. The engines were left running with the keys inside and were unlocked, according to police.
