Mount Vernon Local

Mount Vernon Local

Subscribe

Tease photo

When One Drink is No Longer Enough

Increase in alcohol consumption during COVID-19 worries some.

Just three months ago, her evening routine was simple. She made dinner for her 10- and 12-year old children, and after they’d taken showers and gone to bed, she settled onto the sofa in her family room with a book and a glass of wine.

Tease photo

Fairfax County’s Week in Coronavirus

Facemasks mandatory; outdoor seating in restaurants; retail stores start to open.

“Science shows that face coverings are an effective way to prevent transmission of the virus, but wearing them is also a sign of respect. This is about doing the right thing to protect the people around us and keep everyone safe,” said Gov. Ralph Northam.

Tease photo

George Floyd on Our Minds

While protests spread coast to coast, and local law enforcement condemn the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, data show that police use of force locally targets African Americans disproportionately.

Opinion: Commentary: Unemployment Crisis Throughout the Commonwealth

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that is not health-related remains the ongoing unemployment crisis throughout the Commonwealth.

Tease photo

Park Goers Take Advantage of Openings on Memorial Day Weekend

At parks along the Parkway, many enjoyed the sunshine as relief from the quarantine days.

Parks open in Mount Vernon

Tease photo

Organizing Boxes of Old Photos

The daunting project can be broken down into smaller tasks.

Stacks of boxes containing thousands of photographs line the walls of the basement in Alice Denson’s Fairfax home. For the past five years, the 73-year old mother and grandmother has promised herself and her family that she would begin the monumental task of sorting and organizing the photos.

Tease photo

Fairfax County’s Week in COVID-19

Northern Virginia will open into Phase 1 on Thursday, May 28.

OPENING NOW: Northern Virginia will open into Phase 1 on Thursday, May 28.

Opinion: Column: Time Will Have Been Told

In two days I will have completed four weeks on my low iodine diet (no chocolate, no salt, no dairy, no bread) with four days remaining until my one-night hospital admission and subsequent seven-day medical quarantine at home.

Reduced Budget For Fairfax County Public Schools

The Fairfax County School Board has approved the revised Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 21) budget. The budget, revised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced the previously recommended transfer increase from Fairfax County from $85.5 million to $7.3 million and includes a reduction of $4.8 million from the state. Along with other budget cuts, the total amount of the FY 21 budget was reduced by $67.0 million.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Local TraceX Team Develops Contact Tracing App

Since late February, our small team of UVA and Notre Dame students has been working on developing an early model of a bluetooth-based contact tracing app called TraceX.

Wakefield and Lorton Farmers Markets Scheduled to Open

Two more Fairfax County Farmers Markets will open next week. The Wakefield Market in Wakefield Park will open for the season on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, and the Lorton Market at the Lorton VRE parking lot will open on Sunday, May 31, 2020.

Tease photo

Neighborhood Health Holds Its First COVID-19 Free Community Testing Event in Arlandria

Neighborhood Health, a local non-profit community health center serving primarily low-income and uninsured populations, has just completed its first community COVID-19 testing day in the Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria, where 236 residents received free COVID-19 tests on Saturday, May 16.

Opinion: Commentary: Where Should the NVTA Spend $500 Million of Your Money?

Now is the time to help direct transportation funds to our community.

.

Opinion: Commentary: Don’t GO (Yet), But Still “Visit”

Just as I reported to you about our nonprofits and local small businesses, our many historic, cultural and arts sites in the Mount Vernon District are currently closed to visitors. Our favorite sites are using their time to create virtual experiences to engage their visitors in new ways and leading fundraising efforts to offset lost revenue.

Opinion: Commentary: Early Economic Impact of COVID-19

Virginia is gradually and cautiously opening up after the coronavirus lockdown. However, we must navigate a rough fiscal road ahead due to a precipitous drop in tax revenues due to the economic impact of this crisis.