News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Sep 25, 2026

By ALXnow.com
ALX now logo with the headline 'Daily Debrief for Sep 25, 2026' over a twilight urban scene with trees and a distant tower.

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 — Sep 25, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Poll: The best restaurant for a fancy dinner in Alexandria (1220 views)
  2. First 100 customers to get a year of free coffee at Dunkin’ reopening in Alexandria (1090 views)
  3. Alexandria Fall Art Festival and new Old Town Beauty Crawl top weekend events (476 views)

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

  1. Potomac Yard restaurant staff recount fighting off attempted robber with grill scraper (4908 views)
  2. APD: Attempted robbery suspect left blood trail, was found under his mother’s bed (3408 views)
  3. Alexandria residents demand City Council drop Flock cameras over privacy fears (2253 views)
  4. Washington Commanders players visit Alexandria school, pack bags of free food for students (1958 views)
  5. Feds accuse Alexandria-based computer forensics firm leaders of hiding Russian ownership (1917 views)
  6. Alexandria STEM standout heads to GMU after award-winning high school career (1866 views)
  7. Alexandria man held without bond after alleged abduction, robbery of girlfriend (1843 views)
  8. March starting in Alexandria to rally for Virginia data center moratorium (1631 views)
  9. JUST IN: Metro seeks developer proposals for Braddock Road station (1625 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

Rain is likely this afternoon, with increasing clouds and a high of 68°F. Expect breezy conditions, with north winds at 14 to 20 mph and gusts up to 28 mph. The chance of rain is 60%, with less than a tenth of an inch expected. Rain is also likely in the evening until around 8 PM, with cloudy skies and a low of 57°F. North winds will be around 11 mph, with a 60% chance of precipitation and similar rain amounts expected. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
– Alan Kay

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!

News

Interim CEO of ARHA sets ambitious agenda in bid to restore integrity

By James Cullum
Man in a suit speaks into a handheld microphone at a community event in a gym, with volunteers at tables and laptops in the background.
ARHA interim CEO Roy Priest speaks at a resident meeting at Charles Houston Recreation Center, Sept. 24, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Despite constant maintenance issues, Ronesha Parker says that she and her daughter are literally breathing easier.

Earlier this summer, Parker and her neighbors living in Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties on S. 28th Street were temporarily moved into hotels while maintenance crews fixed mold and other longstanding issues. In August, Parker and her daughter were moved to another property on W. Braddock Road.

Go to Interim CEO of ARHA sets ambitious agenda in bid to restore integrity Read more
Around Town

First 100 customers to get a year of free coffee at Dunkin’ reopening in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Dunkin' Donuts storefront with pink awning, brick exterior, and cars parked outside on a sunny day.
Dunkin’ at 504-D S. Van Dorn Street in Alexandria’s West End (via Google Maps)

The first 100 customers at the recently renovated Dunkin’ in the Van Dorn Station Shopping Center this Saturday (Sept. 26) will get free coffee for a year, the franchise announced.

The 2,000-square-foot doughnut shop at 504-D S. Van Dorn Street closed last month, and just got its interior remodeled and parking lot repaved. The shop will host its grand reopening on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. The ribbon cutting will be held at 9:45 a.m. and feature an appearance by Dunkin’s mascot Sprinkles. Free giveaways and samples will also be provided to customers.

Go to First 100 customers to get a year of free coffee at Dunkin’ reopening in Alexandria Read more
Around Town

Alexandria Fall Art Festival and new Old Town Beauty Crawl top weekend events

By Emily Leayman
The 100 block of King Street in Old Town (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

September is already approaching its end, and fall events are ramping up around Alexandria.

Some of the month’s biggest events are taking place this weekend — the returning Alexandria Fall Art Festival in Carlyle and sold-out 84th Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour in Old Town. Other highlights include the new Old Town Beauty Crawl, Alexandria Film Festival’s premiere of “Ask E. Jean,” the Friends of Beatley Central Library book sale, Wilderness Kids Alexandria Music Festival and an event with “The Silver Linings Playbook” author Matthew Quick.

Go to Alexandria Fall Art Festival and new Old Town Beauty Crawl top weekend events Read more
Event

A Distant Mirror: The Twilight of the Gothic Era & Dawn of the Renaissance

Medieval-style illustration of a crowned woman in brown, standing, while four women in red and orange gowns play string instruments outdoors under a starry blue sky, with decorative border.

Event location

St George's Episcopal Church

915 N. Oakland St

Arlington, Virginia 22203

Add to Calendar

Featuring both voice and instrumental performance on vielle, lute, gittern, harp, recorder, douçaine, and bagpipe, the program will include works by, among others, Johannes Ciconia, Trebor, Johannes Senleches, Solage, Guillaume de Machaut, Guillaume Dufay, and Gilles Binchois, rousing dance music from medieval Florence and finely wrought instrumental arrangements from the Faenza codex and the Buxheim Organ book.

Go to A Distant Mirror: The Twilight of the Gothic Era & Dawn of the Renaissance Read more
Opinion

Poll: The best restaurant for a fancy dinner in Alexandria

By ALXnow.com
Elegant restaurant table set for dinner with wine glasses, plates, and folded napkins; ALX now Choice badge on the right.

Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply looking to splurge, Alexandria’s fine dining restaurants are known for high-quality offerings, ambiance and attentive staff. From traditional steakhouses to elevated specialty cuisines, there is no shortage of options diners can find without leaving the city.

Here are the nominees for “Best Restaurant for a Fancy Dinner in Alexandria” as part of our returning ALXnow Readers’ Choice awards.

Did we miss your go-to restaurant? Write them in!

Voting will close in two weeks.

Voting for the Best Neighborhood in Alexandria is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.

Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Preschool/Daycare in Alexandria. The results are now official:

1. Washington St. UMC Preschool

2. Discovery Time Learning Center

3. Hopkins House – Helen Day Preschool Academy

Around Town

Jewelry store gorjana files paperwork to open on King Street

By James Cullum
Storefront with gold 'garjana' sign and round logo above a glass-walled entry; warm, inviting interior visible inside.
Rendering of proposed changes to 726 King Street (via City of Alexandria)

A California-based jewelry store has filed paperwork to open a location at 726 King Street.

There are more than 130 gorjana jewelry stores across the country, the nearest located in Tysons Corner, D.C. and Bethesda, Md. The company is asking Alexandria’s Board of Architectural Review to approve its certificate of appropriateness at its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Go to Jewelry store gorjana files paperwork to open on King Street Read more
News

Morning Notes for September 25, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Urban street with trees lining both sides, brick apartment building on the right, and a tall tower in the distance under a clear blue sky.
View of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial from Carlyle (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Traffic and Parking Board to Consider New Proposal for Russell Road Monday — “The Traffic and Parking Board will hold its next public hearing on Monday, September 28 at 7 p.m. Docket materials have been posted for the upcoming meeting. At the public hearing, members of the public can weigh in on parking changes on Russell Road, Dawes Avenue, and Old Dominion Boulevard, and three proposed curb cuts among other topics. This Traffic and Parking Board meeting will be held in person at 2900-B Business Center Drive and virtually via Zoom.” [City of Alexandria]

Street Flooding Reported During Coastal Flood Warning — “Old Town Alexandria saw flooding along the Potomac River early Thursday morning, as abnormally high tides led to water covering some streets on the riverfront. Streets on the Strand and the end of King Street were covered in inches of water blocks inland from the river’s edge. As of Thursday, no flooding into businesses or buildings was reported, but parks and some roads were affected.” [NBC Washington]

Go to Morning Notes for September 25, 2026 Read more
News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Sep 24, 2026

By ALXnow.com
ALXnow Daily Debrief banner with the date Sep 24, 2026 over a mural on an urban street

Good Thursday 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 — Sep 24, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. WEATHER ALERT: Water could approach buildings during Alexandria’s Coastal Flood Warning (832 views)
  2. JUST IN: Metro seeks developer proposals for Braddock Road station (807 views)
  3. Feds accuse Alexandria-based computer forensics firm leaders of hiding Russian ownership (747 views)
  4. Morning Notes for September 24, 2026 (473 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Friday’s forecast

It will be mostly sunny with a high of around 72°F. Expect a north wind at 11 to 14 mph, with gusts reaching up to 23 mph. Overnight, the weather will be mostly clear with a low of about 56°F, and the north wind will continue at 10 to 13 mph, with gusts up to 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
– George Bernard Shaw

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

News

Asbestos removal drains $3M from Alexandria City Hall renovation budget

By James Cullum
Brick municipal building with a tall white steeple under renovation; construction barriers line the street in front of a fenced site.
City Hall renovations (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s City Hall renovation faced a major challenge this summer with the removal of additional asbestos, city staff told City Council on Tuesday (Sept. 22).

Contractors working on the massive renovation project spent 10 weeks and more than $3 million in reserve funds to demolish and safely remove an entire section of asbestos-contaminated wall facing King Street that was installed in the 1960s.

Go to Asbestos removal drains $3M from Alexandria City Hall renovation budget Read more
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