Even though Alexandria Little Leaguers won’t be knocking the covers off baseballs this season, their organization has raised $15,850 so that local nonprofits can provide emergency food assistance in the city.
Alexandria Little League raised the money in a GoFundMe campaign, and funds were divided between ALIVE! and Feed The Fight Alexandria, which gives food to local hospitals. The organization also received some help from a local church.
Another local organization has called for the City of Alexandria to do more to help Arlandrians disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hispanic Alexandrians comprise only 17% of the city population but are leading in positive tests for coronavirus at 553 cases — nearly half of Alexandria’s 1,240 total cases. A breakdown of confirmed cases by zip code also showed Arlandria, Potomac Yard, and Potomac West as the highest concentration of cases in Alexandria.
After extensive pressure from local leaders, from a congressman to a county board, Gov. Ralph Northam amended a plan to lift coronavirus-related restrictions on Northern Virginia until May 29 at the soonest.
“We are pleased that the Governor is ensuring that we have the public health protections in place before we proceed to Phase 1,” said Mayor Justin Wilson. “That will ensure that our easing of restrictions will be permanent.”
A 34-year-old Fairfax County man has been arrested and charged with statutory burglary after an April crime spree in Alexandria.
Alton Thodos, 34, who lives in the Alexandria part of Fairfax County, was arrested on April 27, for committing four burglaries from gas stations in Del Ray and Old Town at night. He is accused of stealing more than $45,000 worth of items.
There are now 1,240 cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, an increase of 16 new or probable case since yesterday.
No new deaths have been announced and there have been 30 fatalities due to the virus in the city. Additionally, the city’s Hispanic population leads with positive cases at 553 and four reported deaths.
Northam Says Northern Virginia Will Ease Restrictions More Slowly — “Northam said that more information about ‘how this will work’ for Northern Virginia localities will be released on Wednesday.” [Reston Now]
Metro Phased Reopening Plan Includes Face Mask Requirement for Riders — “In the first phase, trains will run every 20 minutes and buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. Service will ramp up slowly from there. All riders will need to wear masks to board a bus or train in the WMATA system. (Right now, that’s just a recommendation and request, according to Metro’s website.)” [Alexandria Living]
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is interested in receiving more federal CARES Act funding, as the transit system has seen a 90% reduction in ridership and the transit system may not return to full functionality until next year, WMATA Board Chair Paul Smedberg told ALXnow.
On Saturday, WMATA unveiled a multi-phased COVID-19 recovery plan Monday, and it says that service may not fully resume until next year.
The Office of Historic Alexandria is closed, as are many historic locations around Alexandria, but the office is nonetheless offering digital tours of those facilities for those stuck at home and looking to scratch that local history itch.
Two of the current focuses for the Office of Historic Alexandria are American Civil War hospitals and profiles related to the Lee-Fendall House. Both are offered through Vamonde, a travel website that offers a platform to post information about localities.
In a memo to City Council, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) laid out the path to recovery for Alexandria businesses as the city prepares to sift through the economic wreckage left in the wake of COVID-19
In a series of short term and longer-term phases, AEDP President and CEO Stephanie Landrum laid out a number of things the city can do to help support businesses in the city struggle to hold on through the pandemic.
As the Arlandria community struggles with the highest infection rate in Alexandria, Casa Chirilagua is asking for donations to help low-income families.
The city’s Hispanic population is largely located in Arlandria and leads with positive cases at 533 and four reported deaths.
Northern Virginia Congressman Don Beyer believes that Governor Ralph Northam’s phased plan to start reopen Virginia is premature for Alexandria, and also heavily criticized the Trump administrations response to the coronavirus in a recent interview with ALXnow.
“The disgrace here is we’re so many months behind the curve on testing availability, on PPE availability,” Beyer said. “We weren’t ready as a country and still don’t have a coordinated national response.”
