Bar Crawl Connects Friends, Ovechkin Goal Festivities: NoVA Good News

VIRGINIA — This week's good news stories in Virginia include a group of friends who get together each year to catch up and reminisce with a bar crawl through Vienna, Fort Belvoir Hospital's first baby of 2023, and Alex Ovechkin celebrating his goal-scoring milestone with 800 students from Arlington Public Schools.

Plus, read about a Springfield man who won $1 million in the Virginia Lottery's New Year's game; check out new restaurants in Fairfax City, Old Town Alexandria and Del Ray; and learn about the first electric rail line in Herndon, 110 years before a Metro station finally arrived in the town.

Here are some of this week's good news headlines:

Bar Crawl Over Holidays Keeps Vienna Friends Connected In Hometown

After graduating from James Madison High School in 2013, a group of friends went their separate ways at college while remaining close. Today, they live everywhere, from Northern Virginia and New York to California and Seattle. But the group of friends reconvenes each year to catch up and reminisce with a holiday tradition: a bar crawl through Vienna.

One Of DC Region's First Babies Of 2023 Born At Fort Belvoir Hospital

It didn't take long after midnight on New Year's for Fort Belvoir Community Hospital to welcome its first baby of 2023. The hospital's first baby, a girl named Jerrise Jenesis Majesty Smith, was born at 12:26 a.m. She was born to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kerry Smith and his wife, Jerrise Smith. The infant is 5 pounds, 10 ounces and 20 inches long.

Pathway Homes Location Near Mount Vernon Gets New Roof For Holidays

Every year, DryHome Roofing and Siding offers a no-cost new roof installation for a deserving person or organization. This year's recipient was nonprofit Pathway Homes, which got a new roof on one of its homes near Mount Vernon in Fairfax County. The home selected for the free roof is a home that serves adults with mental health challenges. Pathway Homes provides housing and support services to adults with mental illnesses.

Ovechkin To Host 800 Arlington Students To Celebrate Goal Milestone

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will host more than 800 children from Arlington Public School at the Capitals practice on Friday, Jan. 13 to celebrate Ovechkin moving into second on the all-time NHL goals list. Fourth and fifth-grade students from five Arlington schools will be in invited to attend the Capitals practice at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Ballston.

Awards, Honors and Prizes

• Springfield Man Wins $1M Top Prize In New Year's Millionaire Raffle
• Arlington Delegate Receives 2022 Equality Award For LGBTQ Advocacy
• McLean High School Student Selected as Senate Youth Program Delegate
• Mount Vernon Local Heroes Distribute Food To People In Need
• 31 Law Enforcement Officers In Alexandria Graduate From Academy

New Restaurants

• Marco's Pizza Soft Launches Fairfax City Store For Delivery, Carryout
• Thompson Italian Opens Second Location In Old Town Alexandria
• Italian Restaurant Rosemarino D'Italia To Make Return In Del Ray

A Few More Good News Stories:

• NoVA's Kitchen Of Purpose Awarded $80K Grant By Bank Of America
• West Falls Church Home Was Shown On HGTV House Hunters
• Remembering Herndon's History: From Rail To Metrorail
• New American Family Care Clinic Opening In Burke In January
• Burlington Signs Lease To Open New Store At Springfield Town Center