Virtual-Only School Year Start, Highway Renaming Sought: Patch PM

Here are the share-worthy stories from Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia Patches to talk about tonight:

Superintendent Calls For Delayed Start To Arlington School Year

Arlington Public Schools' top official is calling for a delay in the start of the 2020-21 school year. He also wants to begin the year with virtual instruction to lower the risk of spreading COVID-19, the disease associated with the new coronavirus, to students, staff, and teachers.

• Manassas Schools To Begin Year With 100-Percent Distance Learning

Fredericksburg Urges Virginia To Rename Jefferson Davis Highway

The Fredericksburg City Council adopted a resolution Tuesday urging the Virginia General Assembly, during its special session in August, to remove the Jefferson Davis Highway name from U.S. Route 1 statewide and replace it with a name that is more inclusive and not connected to the Confederacy.

No High School Football In Virginia This Fall Due To Coronavirus

High school football and other high-contact sports will not be played in Virginia this fall due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus, according to the Virginia High School League. Plans are under review, however, that could shift the football season to spring 2021.

Vienna Panel Of Workers, Residents Describes Black Experience

A panel held by Town Manager Mercury Payton Tuesday night started a conversation on the Black experience in Vienna. Several Town of Vienna workers and residents who are Black participated in the discussion.

DC Mayor To Extend Coronavirus Public Health Emergency To October

Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday she was going to extend the District's public health emergency due to expire on July 24. She originally declared the emergency on March 11 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

1K New Virginia Coronavirus Cases, Positive Rate Above 7 Percent

An additional 1,084 coronavirus cases were reported in Virginia Wednesday, as the Hampton Roads region emerges as the state's epicenter in place of Northern Virginia. The latest cumulative totals are 73,527 cases, 6,905 hospitalizations, and 1,992 deaths.

Also Worth a Look

• Virtual Activities Planned For Jane Austen Film Festival
• Additional Funding For Fairfax Small Business Grants Approved
• Alexandria Police Department's 150th Anniversary Recognized
• 3 Residents Safe After House Fire In Falls Church
• LCSO Charges 2 Men In Killing Of Winchester Man
• 19-Year-Old Man Dies From Gunshot Wound In Woodbridge: Police
• ATF, FBI Add To Reward Money Offered In Davon McNeal Shooting
• Old Town North Development To Include Arts Walk
• 3 Bank Robberies Under Investigation By DC Police
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: No Additional Deaths; 17 New Cases
• Murder Charge Filed Against Southeast Man: Police
• Smokecraft Modern Barbecue Coming To Clarendon July 31
• 9-1-1 Review Aims To Refocus Police Efforts On Public Safety
• Leesburg To Award $1M In Coronavirus Grants To Nonprofit Groups
• Burke Lake Park Trail To Remain Open During Repairs
• Suspect Sought After Annandale Shooting

Across America

• Coronavirus Data To Be Sent To Trump, Bypassing CDC
• Walmart Sets Mask Mandate At Stores Nationwide
• Teachers, Parents Raise Concerns About MCPS' Back-To-School Plan
• Box Hill Pizzeria Owner: 'Racists Are Not Welcome Here'
• Comet Neowise: How To See The Brightest Comet In 23 Years