News | ALXnow - Part 971

Morning Notes

Published April 20, 2020 at 9:00AM

ACPS Adjusts Hours for Grab & Go Meals — Beginning on Monday, April 20, meals will be available 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Cora Kelly School, Francis C. Hammond Middle School, Jefferson Houston School, T.C. Williams High School and William Ramsay Elementary School. [Twitter]

Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Nearing $50K Goal — “Thanks to the generosity of the Alexandria community, the Scholarship Fund awards approximately $1 million in scholarships to T.C. Williams graduates each year. Most of our scholarships range from $12,000 to $20,000 over four years and can often mean the difference between a student being able to afford college, or simply staying home. Thank YOU for Giving.” [Scholarship Fund]

Alexandria Resident Dies of COVID-19, Cases Climb to 383

By James Cullum

Published April 19, 2020 at 8:25PM

Patients exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms are tested in this tent at Inova Alexandria Hospital (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Another Alexandria resident has died of COVID-19, bringing the number of fatalities to eight, and there are also 29 new cases in the city, according to a city announcement.

There are now 383 cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, including the eight fatalities.

33 New Cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, Total Now 354

By James Cullum

Published April 18, 2020 at 2:10PM

Alexandria now has 354 new cases of COVID-19, an increase of 33 cases since yesterday, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

There are no reports of additional fatalities, and so far seven people have died from the virus in the city.

Alexandria Now Has 321 Cases of COVID-19

By James Cullum

Published April 17, 2020 at 9:20PM

There are now 321 cases of COVID-19 in Alexandria, an increase of 18 cases since yesterday.

There were no COVID-19-related deaths in the city today, and the number of fatalities is still at seven.

ACPS: All Secondary Students Will Have Internet Access and Laptops by Monday

By James Cullum

Published April 17, 2020 at 5:15PM | Updated April 17, 2020 at 8:41PM

Students learning at home during the COVID-19 shutdown (Photo via ACPS/Facebook)

As of Monday, Alexandria City Public Schools will have issued more than 1,200 mobile hotspots to families without internet access and more than 12,000 Chromebook laptop computers to students to keep them learning throughout the COVID-19 shut down until the end of the year.

Making sure that students have access to their teachers and modified curriculums has been an unprecedented logistical puzzle that took a lot of work for ACPS Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Hoover and her team to accomplish.

Nearly 7,000 Alexandrians Have Filed for Unemployment During the Pandemic

By James Cullum

Published April 17, 2020 at 4:30PM

There have been nearly 7,000 unemployment claims in Alexandria since the COVID-19 pandemic forced much of the city to shut down, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

There were 1,895 jobless claims in Alexandria for the week ending April 11 — a reduction from last week, but still a stark contrast to the 33 claims filed on March 14. The numbers shot up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and on March 21 there were 797 jobless claims, followed by 1,683 claims on March 28, and 2,578 claims on April 4. All together there have been 6,986 unemployment filings in the city.

Life in Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Under Quarantine

By Vernon Miles

Published April 17, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated April 17, 2020 at 5:54PM

ARHA properties in Old Town, Alexandria. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Update 5:45 p.m. — ARHA CEO Keith Pettigrew said the organization has not evicted any residents, but has issued warnings aimed at preserving the vulnerable populations in ARHA communities.

“What we’re dealing with is a silent killer,” Pettigrew said. “We’re trying to keep people safe. It’s all about health and safety. The black community is the most vulnerable community. We’re not trying to be harsh, we’re trying to save lives.”

Improvements Planned for Baseball Field and Skate Park Near Police Headquarters

By Vernon Miles

Published April 17, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated April 17, 2020 at 2:35PM

Planned improvements for Schuyler Hamilton Skate Park and Luckett Field (via City of Alexandria)

A suite of new improvements could be coming to the Schuyler Hamilton Skate Park and Luckett Field just off Duke Street at 3540 Wheeler Avenue.

The Planning Commission is docketed to review the new safety improvements at the park at the June 2 meeting.

COVID-19 Leaving City With $1 Million Affordable Housing Funding Loss in New Budget

By Vernon Miles

Published April 17, 2020 at 11:30AM

Tying affordable housing funding to meals tax seemed like a safe bet in 2018, but with restaurants facing a dramatic loss in revenue due to coronavirus, affordable housing is out $1 million in the new budget.

According to the budget:

Mayor Talks Testing, the City Budget and More in COVID-19 Update in Weekly Town Hall

By James Cullum

Published April 17, 2020 at 10:35AM

A testing update, the deferral of school construction projects and the impact of COVID-19 on Alexandria’s real estate market were just a few of the topics discussed last night (Thursday) in Mayor Justin Wilson’s weekly virtual town hall.

Wilson reported that there are currently 24 people with COVID-19 in the Alexandria Hospital, and that the nearly 300 other patients are recuperating at home or elsewhere. He also said that the hospital system will be able to handle the current rate of infection.

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published April 17, 2020 at 9:00AM

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

Victory Center Property Sold to Townhouse Developer — “Winchester Homes plans to build 138 townhouses ranging from 1,700 SF to 2,600 SF on the site. Winchester has built over 20,000 residential units across the Mid-Atlantic, including six communities that have opened in the last year. The deal comes after the Alexandria City Council in May approved a rezoning of the site’s 7-acre eastern parking lot that allows for a mix of uses. Two weeks later, Stonebridge acquired the property from PGIM Real Estate for $43M.” [Bisnow]

Alexandria Woman Arrested for Breaking Quarantine in Hawaii — “Kauai police arrested 31-year-old Desiree Marvin of Alexandria and 36-year-old Hawaii resident Adam Schwarze after they ignored orders to immediately self-quarantine.” [Alex Times]