News | ALXnow - Part 928

First Lady Northam, Officials Promote Safe Tourism Amid Pandemic in Alexandria

Published July 23, 2020 at 10:30AM | Updated July 23, 2020 at 1:02PM

First Lady of Virginia Pamela Northam talks about tourism at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town on Thursday

Tourism in Alexandria isn’t what it used to be. With local economies devastated by the pandemic, First Lady of Virginia Pamela Northam visited Alexandria on Wednesday (July 22) to promote safe tourism and congratulate the city on winning a $10,000 grant for its Great Walks program.

“In 2018, Virginia tourists spent more than $26 billion here, and this put 235,000 people to work and contributed $1.8 billion in local and state tax revenue,” Northam told a small audience in the Torpedo Factory Art Center. “This year, however, our tourism and hospitality industries have been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.”

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published July 23, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated July 23, 2020 at 10:31AM

View of the U.S. Capitol from Rivergate City Park along the Potomac River in Alexandria. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Longtime Beverly Hills Resident Marilyn Whitehurst Dies — “Sweet, beautiful, kind, funny, and thoughtful with your contagious laugh, charming and unforgettable Southern accent, and always a twinkle in your eye, you will be dearly missed by all, Marilyn. Loved all the times you and the other Saints mom came to the Vineyard. Rest In Peace my dear friend.” [Facebook]

COVID-19 Cases Increase by 36 — “Positive tests up 36 to 2,618 in the City… Still safer at home, wash hands, wear masks and support our essential workers.” [Twitter]

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued for Alexandria Until 7 p.m.

By ALXnow.com

Published July 22, 2020 at 4:05PM | Updated July 22, 2020 at 4:29PM

Updated 4:25 p.m. — Alexandria is also experiencing widespread power outages, with an estimated 4,928 residents in the area currently without power.

Alexandria is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 7 p.m., as a strong storm is bearing down on the area.

Old Town Cocktail Lounge King’s Ransom Reopens With Local Cocktail Classes

By Vernon Miles

Published July 22, 2020 at 3:15PM

King’s Ransom — an Old Town cocktail lounge in a spot many locals may remember as the speakeasy PX — had the distinct misfortune of opening in mid-February, scarcely a month before a global pandemic would shut down nearly every business in Alexandria.

The restaurant at 728 King Street is back, however, and has announced a series of new social distancing-friendly activities, including a series of cocktail classes.

Local Groups Ask Governor to Add Funds to Rent and Mortgage Relief Plan

By James Cullum

Published July 22, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated July 22, 2020 at 2:17PM

Alexandria-based New Virginia Majority and Tenants & Workers United on Wednesday continued their push for increased funding for Virginia’s Rent and Mortgage Relief Program.

Thomas Assefa, the organizing director for New Virginia Majority, said that tens of thousands of Virginians will be evicted from their homes. New Virginia Majority is requesting that the Governor increase funding for the rent and mortgage relief plan to the tune of $1 billion. The organizations also say that the governor can use his authority to stop evictions.

Lyceum to Host Revolutionary War Zoom Lecture Tomorrow

By Vernon Miles

Published July 22, 2020 at 11:45AM

If quarantine has you pining for the days of attending history lectures in Old Town, or if the new filmed version of Hamilton has put you in a revolutionary war mood, the recently reopened Lyceum (201 S. Washington Street) has a digital alternative planned tomorrow.

From 7-8:30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday), the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum is planning to history lecture with local author John Maass about the Battle of Guilford Court House. The lecture will be hosted on Zoom. Tickets are $6 with a code to the chat sent on purchase.

ACPS Still Undecided on Schools Reopening in the Fall

By Vernon Miles

Published July 22, 2020 at 10:30AM | Updated July 22, 2020 at 10:54AM

ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

With Fairfax and Arlington’s school systems both announcing that they will be going fully digital in the fall, many parents are turning their attention to Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) to see if they’ll follow suite.

Superintendent Gregory Hutchings’ answer: ACPS still doesn’t know.

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published July 22, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated July 22, 2020 at 9:37AM

City Official Dies in Car Crash — “The City of Alexandria is devastated by the loss of Robert Bloom, Public Safety Systems Administrator in the Department of Emergency and Customer Communications (DECC), in a vehicle crash on the morning of July 20, 2020.” [City of Alexandria]

Alexandria Man Dies in D.C. Shooting — “Homicide detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the fatal shooting of an Alexandria man that occurred Sunday night in the Shipley area of the city, according to a police release… MPD identified the decedent as Rayfone Gassaway, 37, of Alexandria, Virginia.” [Patch]

Percent Positivity for Coronavirus Trending Down Once Again

By Vernon Miles

Published July 21, 2020 at 5:30PM

The City of Alexandria is back on the right track for the percentage of positive coronavirus testing, at least for now.

Percent positive — or the number people with a positive test result out of all those tested — is one of the more reliable ways of assessing the spread of the virus and the reach of testing, according to John Hopkins University. As the state began to consider reopening, a prolonged decrease in new cases was cited as one of the requirements for reopening.

As More Alexandrians Take Up Cycling, City Sees Slight Uptick in Bicycle Crashes

By Vernon Miles

Published July 21, 2020 at 4:30PM

More Alexandrians are hitting the trails and roads around the city on bicycles — one of the safest forms of outdoor exercise amid the coronavirus pandemic — but the city has started to see a slight increase in bicycle crashes over the last few months as well.

Sarah Godfrey, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, said that May, June, and July have all had more crashes in 2020 than in 2021, though for May and July that has only been by one. According to data provided by the Alexandria Police Department:

Alexandria Senior Care Facility Partners With UMDGC to Offer Degrees for Staff and Families

By Vernon Miles

Published July 21, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated July 22, 2020 at 9:30AM

Residents and staff at Goodwin House in Alexandria gather in a vigil for George Floyd (photo courtesy Goodwin House)

Updated 9:30 p.m. — A UMDGC representative noted that the program is available for staff, not for residents. The article and headline have been updated

Alexandria senior care facility Goodwin House — a non-profit organization offering housing for seniors — has announced a new partnership with the University of Maryland Global Campus that will allow staff and their families access to affordable college degrees.