Around Town

17 Old Town boutiques to cover entire sales tax for shoppers this weekend

By Emily Leayman
Split illustration: left shows a woman with shopping bags walking past pastel storefronts; right is a tax-free weekend promo reading NO TAX Friday–Sunday August 7–9.
Tax free weekend at participating boutiques in Old Town (via Old Town Boutique District)

As retailers across Virginia will have tax-free promotions on certain items during this weekend’s sales tax holiday, a group of Alexandria’s independent boutiques will cover the sales tax for their entire stores.

More than 15 Old Town Alexandria boutiques are participating in a tax-free shopping weekend Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9, covering the sales tax for customers on clothing, gifts, home decor and other items. The Old Town Boutique Community is hosting the event with support from the City of Alexandria to encourage support for local businesses during back-to-school shopping.

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News

Here’s when the 2026-27 school year starts in Alexandria, and more key dates

By James Cullum
George Mason Elementary School Principal Christopher Finan with students on the first day of school, August 21, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The start of the 2026-27 school year is just around the corner in Alexandria.

The first day back for most Alexandria City Public Schools students is Monday, Aug. 24. That’s not the case for students and staff at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary, which started on July 27. Still, below are some important dates to be aware of, as the school system gets back into the swing of things.

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News

Alexandria gears up for 2026 congressional primary elections Tuesday

By Emily Leayman
Voting at Charles Houston Recreation Center in Old Town on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria voters are headed to the polls Tuesday (Aug. 4) to cast their votes in Democratic and Republican primaries, which will determine nominees for the 2026 midterms.

Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters are not registered by party in Virginia, so they can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. As of Aug. 1, Alexandria has over 117,000 registered voters.

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News

Amazon driver assaulted in attempted carjacking in Alexandria West

By James Cullum
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An Amazon delivery driver was the victim of an attempted carjacking in the city’s West End on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 2).

Around 4:15 p.m., an Amazon driver called 911 to report that a man pulled him out of his van and assaulted him in the 5000 block of Seminary Road. The victim said that the suspect was in a blue BMW with Virginia license plates and reportedly brandished a knife, according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches.

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News

Alexandria, regional unemployment totals still well above Biden-era figures

By Scott McCaffrey
Job interview (via Tim Gouw/Unsplash)

The number of Alexandria residents counted as unemployed in June was at the highest level since March and stood 36% higher than at the start of the second Trump administration, according to new state data.

A total of 95,925 city residents were employed in the civilian workforce, with 3,120 looking for work, resulting in a jobless rate of 3.1% in June.

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News

Morning Notes for August 3, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Thunderstorm rolling into Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On August 3, 1950, Alexandria residents began complaining about a bad taste in the local drinking water. Alexandria Water Company soon officials determined the cause to be chemicals that had been dumped into a storm sewer by men at Cameron Station, the U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Depot. The affected water had to be drained from the water company’s reservoir and the City’s water supply was impacted for a week.” [Historic Alexandria]

Plaque Honors George Washington Connection to Alexandria’s First Catholic Church — “The Basilica unveiled the plaque at 310 S. Royal St. to commemorate a historic 1788 gathering. During that dinner, Revolutionary War veteran Colonel John Fitzgerald proposed building a Catholic church in the city. Washington’s financial ledger entry on March 17, 1788, records the contribution toward St. Mary’s building fund.” [The Zebra]

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Weather

WEATHER ALERT: Flash Flood Warning issued for Alexandria amid rounds of downpours

By ALXnow.com
Person running for cover in the rain (staff photo by James Cullum)

A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for Alexandria and other parts of the D.C. region as several rounds of downpours pass through today (Sunday).

The National Weather Service issued the warning from 4:34 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., and a Flash Flood Watch continues until midnight. A Flash Flood Warning means forecasters anticipate flash flooding is happening or expected to soon begin.

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News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Jul 31, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Two children playing on a playground swing under a dark banner that reads 'ALXnow Daily Debrief for Jul 31, 2026'

Good Friday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jul 31, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Poll: The best bar in Alexandria (1240 views)
  2. Alexandria dog daycare owner sued for $585K two years after dog’s death (1131 views)
  3. Alexandria man charged with animal cruelty after allegedly throwing woman’s dog (738 views)
  4. Beats, Bites and Brews and Friendship Firehouse Festival lead the lineup of Alexandria’s weekend events (463 views)
  5. Morning Notes for July 31, 2026 (396 views)

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Alexandria officials and residents push back against planned data center near city limits (8522 views)
  2. Two men sentenced to combined 56 years in prison for rape and robbery at Alexandria hotel (3724 views)
  3. UPDATED: No injuries after Tuesday night house fire in Fairlington near city border (2927 views)
  4. JUST IN: Trespassing at vacant home leads to police presence in Old Town (2717 views)
  5. Man found guilty of reckless driving in 5-vehicle crash that killed woman in Alexandria (2496 views)
  6. Alexandria’s drinking water utility calls for voluntary water conservation amid drought (2430 views)
  7. Upgrades underway for permanent 200 block of King Street pedestrian zone (2326 views)
  8. Alexandria parking battle moves to Russell Road near Naomi L. Brooks Elementary (2097 views)
  9. Alexandria board OKs removing 20 Russell Road parking spaces, seeks solution for ACPS staff (1915 views)
  10. Dream Chaser’s Coffee reopens in Eisenhower West after abrupt closure (1874 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 91°F. The wind will be light from the south, increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning, with possible gusts up to 20 mph. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dipping to about 74°F and a southeast wind around 10 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!

News

Alexandria dog daycare owner sued for $585K two years after dog’s death

By James Cullum
Exterior of a light purple-brick building with two large banners advertising a dog store and services; a white door is centered on the wall, with a sidewalk and a streetlamp to the right and a purple car in the background.
Your Dog's Best Friends at 2000 Richmond Highway (via Google Maps)

The owner of a dog that died after being abused at an award-winning dog daycare in Del Ray has sued the business owner for $585,000.

Earlier this month, Andrew Cheslock filed a civil suit against Paul Haire, the owner of Your Dog’s Best Friends (2000 Richmond Highway). It’s been two years since Cheslock’s 14-month-old golden retriever Abigail died after being strangled by Kevin Malik Sanders, a former groomer who pleaded guilty to one count of felony animal cruelty and four misdemeanor counts of animal abuse. Cheslock’s suit was filed soon after Sanders surrendered to authorities to serve a two-year prison sentence.

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