Breakfast links: After a long quarantine winter, officials fear people will risk crowding to see the cherry blossoms
Cherry Blossom Festival, 2019 by angela n. licensed under Creative Commons.
DC may close off cherry blossom hotspots again
DC officials are warning residents and tourists against gathering in crowds to see the cherry blossoms in early April. The mayor’s office and the National Park Service are considering closing off the Tidal Basin and Hains Point to keep people away. (Matt Blitz / DCist)
Virginia restores voting rights for those released from prison
Governor Ralph Northam announced a new policy to automatically restore the right to vote, serve on a jury, or run for office to people convicted of felonies after they serve their sentence and are released from prison. It will immediately restore voting right to 69,000 Virginians. (Victoria Chamberlin / DCist)
A mass vaccine site in MoCo? Officials might have spoken too soon
Yesterday Montgomery County officials announced a new mass vaccination site at Montgomery College in Germantown, but Gov. Larry Hogan said the announcement was premature, since the site isn’t confirmed yet and planning won’t be finished until next week. (Briana Adhikusuma / Bethesda Beat)
Arlington considers keeping some virtual learning
Arlington Public Schools is considering developing a permanent virtual or hybrid learning program for middle and high school students who learn better online starting in the 2022-23 school year. (Jo DeVoe / ARLnow)
Fairfax schools will be “near normal” in fall
Fairfax County plans to have students come to school in person five days a week in the fall with reduced social distancing measures that will keep students three feet apart. The school system may extend virtual learning for students who must stay home for medical reasons. (Hannah Natanson / Post)
Homes could be coming to an Alexandria parking lot
The Alexandria City Council has approved a plan to build 139 townhomes on what is now a parking lot at 4901 Eisenhower Avenue, next to the Victory Center. (Vernon Miles / ALXnow)
Maryland wants to update education bills for COVID-19
The Maryland General Assembly overrode the governor’s veto last month to pass the Blueprint for Education bill to increase school funding. Now legislators are trying to pass an emergency add-on to extend the bill’s timeline for a year and add funding for digital devices, summer programs and behavioral health. (Elizabeth Shwe / Maryland Matters)
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