News | ALXnow - Part 965

Morning Notes

Published May 1, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated May 1, 2020 at 10:48AM

Tenants & Workers United Rent Protest Today at 4:30 p.m. — “Join our Caravan or take Action from home this Friday at 4:30PM. The caravan will be from 5pm and will go though Arlandria-Chirilagua to send the message to FREEZE RENTS in VIRGINIA. Don’t have a car?? You can take action from your window/balcony by: Wearing Red or swinging any red cloth; Make a sign with a message to the property managers to cancel rent; Make noise with your pots & pans! Take pictures or videos and use #CANCELRENTVA on social media.” [Facebook]

Inova Nurse Recruitment Team Gives Thanks With Photo Collage — “Our Inova Careers Nursing Recruitment team wanted to show support to our frontline workers who are making an incredible sacrifice to keep us all safe!” [Facebook]

Letter To The Editor: We Have Found the Courage to Redefine Ourselves

By ALXnow.com

Published April 30, 2020 at 5:45PM | Updated May 1, 2020 at 2:49AM

Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley at Inova Alexandria Hospital, April 28, 2020. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

The following Letter to the Editor was written by Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley.

Like every emergency, the Alexandria Fire Department approached this pandemic with the mindset that we will win the fight, no matter the circumstances – and that is NON-NEGOTIABLE. We have found the courage to redefine ourselves and think outside of the box to try new things in response to something we have never faced before.

Most Alexandria Boards and Commissions Won’t Meet Until Late Summer

By Vernon Miles

Published April 30, 2020 at 4:35PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

The City of Alexandria will go another few months before the members of its numerous boards and commissions will set eyes on each other.

At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, City Manager Mark Jinks laid out a calendar that partially pushes back in-person meetings to June or later. While the Council will continue to meet in May, Jinks encouraged most other boards and advisory committees to cancel their meetings.

Continued Unemployment Claims Increase 23% in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 30, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated April 30, 2020 at 5:54PM

The number of continued claims for unemployment rose by 23% in Alexandria for the week ending April 25 over the previous week ending April 18.

There were 4,881 continued claims for unemployment benefits in Alexandria for week ending April 25, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. The new figure is an increase of 1,132 continued claims over the week ending April 18, when there was a total of 3,749 continued claims in the city.

ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund Raises $777K, Local Nonprofits Get Most of it

By James Cullum

Published April 30, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated April 30, 2020 at 5:00PM

Food at ALIVE! (Photo via ALIVE!/Facebook)

The ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund has raised more than $777,000 from 780 donors, and has given away $619,000 to 67 nonprofits in and around Alexandria.

“There is nothing like the power of collective action, when we all take a small step that can add up to something really big,”ACT for Alexandria Executive Director Heather Peeler told ALXnow.

City Council Passes ‘Hunker Down’ Budget With ‘Dreams Deferred’

By Vernon Miles

Published April 30, 2020 at 11:40AM

At the end of an exhausting emergency budget cycle, the City Council praised the work of staff for throwing together a $753.3 million fiscal year 2021 operating budget that fills a steep funding shortfall without curtailing city services.

In a 45 minute Zoom meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the budget with little discussion, following a week without any additions or deletions.

COVID-19 Update: Cases Jump to 754, No New Deaths

By James Cullum

Published April 30, 2020 at 10:15AM | Updated April 30, 2020 at 11:54AM

A woman is tested for COVID-19 at a Neighborhood Health testing facility outside Casa Chirilagua in Arlandria (Staff photo by James Cullum)

There are now 754 cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, an increase of 54 cases since yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

That is the largest jump in new or probable cases since the first case was announced in the city on March 11. No additional deaths were reported. The city broke the 700 case mark yesterday.

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published April 30, 2020 at 9:00AM

T.C. Senior Wins $40K Scholarship — “What does it feel like to get a SURPRISE ZOOM CALL from U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Lisa Collis, and daughters Gillian, Eliza & Madison…telling you that you are the first recipient of the Collis Warner Family Scholarship worth $40,000? Just ask T.C. Williams High School Senior Foziya Mohammed! Mohammed received the call this afternoon…’I am shocked and excited! I was nervous I thought this was a call about some kind of problem with my scholarship application. I’m not nervous anymore! Thank you so much. I would tell all of the younger students at T.C. that hard work pays off!'” [Facebook]

Police Respond to Domestic Violence Service Call — “The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a weapon violation in the 1400 block of South Highview Lane. A helicopter is assisting and expect police activity in the area.” [Twitter]

Bellies & Babies Owner Reinvents Herself, Stays Upbeat During Pandemic

By James Cullum

Published April 29, 2020 at 5:40PM | Updated April 29, 2020 at 5:56PM

Lee Raynes, owner of the Bellies & Babies consignment shop on Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Lee Raynes says she’s got this one. There’s no dampening of her spirits, because the new owner of Bellies & Babies is on a spiritual journey and the pandemic is just a bus stop.

Raynes bought the Del Ray consignment shop from owner Dawn Luepke last fall and took over at the beginning of the year. She had two months of a mild winter’s worth of business before COVID-19 effectively shut down foot traffic along Mount Vernon Avenue and limited the number of customers she could let into the shop.

Alexandria Department Heads Lay Out Dire Needs, Recovery Path for City Services

By Vernon Miles

Published April 29, 2020 at 4:35PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

The City Council is figuring out who in Alexandria needs the most assistance through the coronavirus pandemic — and how to get them aid.

City Manager Mark Jinks is expecting roughly $20 million in federal assistance, all of which must be allocated to new programs not in previous budgets and must be spent this year. In a Tuesday night meeting, Council discussed grants and funding needs with various department heads, starting with some of the most basic necessities.

Alexandria is Putting Homeless Families in Hotel Rooms During COVID-19

By James Cullum

Published April 29, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated April 29, 2020 at 10:34PM

Alexandria is putting many of the city’s homeless in hotel rooms for the foreseeable future.

“While many of our hotels are suffering significant losses of their own, they have been willing to partner with the City to assist in the response,” Mayor Justin Wilson told ALXnow. “To ensure that our homeless populations can maintain safe social distancing, these hotel partnerships have been critical.”