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Virginia Senators snag $4 million for Alexandria housing and pre-k programs | ALXnow

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Virginia Senators snag  million for Alexandria housing and pre-k programs | ALXnow


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A rendering of the Ladrey High-Rise on Wythe Street (via ARHA)

New federal funding could be coming to Alexandria, particularly to programs boosting affordable housing and pre-k programs for low-income families.

The funding is in the Senate’s draft government funding bills, which just passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Two of the biggest items pertaining to Alexandria are related to benefitting low-income residents:

  • $2,000,000 for the Alexandria Redevelopment Housing Authority (ARHA) to support a project to construct 270 modern, affordable apartments for seniors and individuals with disabilities in Alexandria.
  • $2,000,000 for Hopkins House to create space to house economic security, early learning, and housing stability programs for low-income Virginians in Alexandria.

While the release from Kaine’s office doesn’t specify which project the ARHA funding will go to, ARHA is working on a 270-unit redevelopment of the Ladrey High Rise in Old Town North, which houses seniors and residents with disabilities.

Hopkins House, meanwhile, runs a day preschool academy in Old Town that provides education for children and families regardless of income.

Additional funding set aside for Alexandria includes:

  • $1,150,000 for the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia to support English proficiency to help Virginians in Arlington and Fairfax counties and Alexandria enter the workforce.
  • $419,000 for the City of Alexandria to renovate and create ADA accessibility to the Freedom House Museum. From 1828 to 1861, the site stood as a slave pen and center of the domestic slave trade in Alexandria and the U.S.
  • $405,000 for Survivor Ventures to help survivors of human trafficking enter or re-enter the workforce through paid employment opportunities with local small businesses in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William counties and Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, and Manassas.

  • Vernon Miles

    Vernon Miles is the ALXnow cofounder and editor. He’s covered Alexandria since 2014 and has been with Local News Now since 2018. When he’s not reporting, he can usually be found playing video games or Dungeons and Dragons with friends.




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Netflix casting Central Virginia singles for “Love on the Spectrum” after Danville man joins show

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Netflix casting Central Virginia singles for “Love on the Spectrum” after Danville man joins show


Netflix is searching for singles in Central Virginia to appear on its documentary-style dating series “Love on the Spectrum,” after a Danville man was cast for an upcoming season and producers are now looking to find his match.

The series follows adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating.

Monica Karavanic, executive director of The Arc of Southside in Danville, said the person cast has ties to her organization.

SEE ALSO: City leaders tour $100M Lynchburg CSO tunnel aimed at improving Lynchburg waterways

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“This show has been loved by millions internationally and so for it to come to Danville is pretty awesome and we’re just really excited and hoping to make it work,” Karavanic said.

Casting is focused on singles ages 25 to 40, of any gender, who live near Danville or Lynchburg and would be interested in going on a date with a man on the spectrum. Producers say the time commitment could be as little as half a day.

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For more information on how to apply, you’re asked to email: production@northernpictures.com.au

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Dry and seasonal weather expected in Virginia through the weekend

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Dry and seasonal weather expected in Virginia through the weekend


RICHMOND, Va. — Friday will be sunny and seasonably warm, with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s.

The pattern of cool nights and mild afternoons will continue through the weekend and through much of next week as upper-level flow continues to bring reinforcing mild and dry air out of eastern Canada.

Rain chances will be very limited over the next week, with only a slim chance with a frontal passage on Monday.

Stay With CBS 6, The Weather Authority.

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📱 Download the new and improved CBS 6 Weather App for iPhone and Android.

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107-year-old Virginia woman credits faith, family after escaping fire that destroyed home

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107-year-old Virginia woman credits faith, family after escaping fire that destroyed home


Ressie Keen, a 107-year-old Pittsylvania County woman, is safe after escaping a house fire that destroyed her more than 100-year-old home, leaving behind a yard filled with charred debris and scattered belongings.

Keen said she has no special secret to her longevity.

“I ain’t got no secret, just thanking the Lord to let me stay here to see 107,” she said.

Keen said she moved to the home decades ago and built a life there.

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“I’ve moved there in 1969, our first crop was made in 1970, and I been living there ever since,” she said.

The fire broke out in Keen’s bedroom on Thursday afternoon. Keen said she and her sitter got out as the fire grew.

“I don’t know what happened, only thing I knew to do was to get out of there. So me and my sitter we got out. She tried to put it out but she couldn’t,” Keen said.

SEE ALSO: Valley Link posts new transmission line path, schedules new community meetings

Pittsylvania County Fire Marshal Scott Hutcherson said investigators believe the fire started with an electrical issue.

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“We think we had an electric outlet failure, more or less; an adaptor on the outlet probably failed,” Hutcherson said. He said the fire spread quickly once it ignited nearby items. “It set the bed on fire and the clothes that was on top of it, the material on top of it, what’s pretty much what got the fire going. And then it easily spread to the second story.”

Keen’s son, Ronnie Keen, said the loss has been painful for the family.

“It was devastating real devastating, lot of memories lost. But I know those memories and emotions the things that were sentimental were still right here,” he said.

A family photo album was among the few items recovered. Pointing to one image, Ronnie Keen said, “That’s a picture of the house.”

He added that the album was badly damaged. “It’s so charred it’s kinda hard to open,” he said.

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Keen also held onto her favorite cast-iron pan.

“I knew this wasn’t going to get burnt up,” she said.

The home was considered a total loss, but the family said the most important thing is that Ressie Keen survived. She is now living with her son.

“I’m overjoyed that she’s here with us and she’s safe,” Ronnie Keen said.

Hutcherson said to prevent this, make sure that there is a smoke alarm in your home. He says you can reach out to the Pittsylvania County Public Safety office for a free installation of a smoke alarm.

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