News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Oct 23, 2026

By ALXnow.com

Good Friday evening, Alexandria. Here’s a look back at today’s most-read stories and a look ahead to tomorrow.

📈 Today’s most-read stories

  1. Poll: The best pizza places in Alexandria (1,295 views)
  2. Alexandria leaders say proposal to merge local bus services is ‘problematic’
  3. Del Ray Halloween Parade returns for weekend of spooky events in Alexandria

🕗 More from today

Everything else we published today, Oct 23, 2026.

📣 Announcements

Alexandria Fitness Studio for People Over 50 Closes Fall Into Fitness Program in 11 Days
Revolutionary Fitness, the semi-private strength and longevity studio at 215 N. Payne St. in… [Announcement]

Army Navy Game Day 5k and 10k Run, sponsored by the Washington, D.C. Foreign Area Officers Association
Attention all runners, joggers, and Army Navy fans! Come join us on Saturday, 12 December 2026… [Announcement]

📅 Upcoming events

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

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

⭐ Featured events

🎭 Halloween Improv Comedy Show with the Auxiliary
Oct 24: Join the Auxiliary Improv for a night of Halloween-themed comedy in Old Town, Alexandria VA! [Event]

CatRad Halloween Eve!
Oct 30: Join us for our second annual CatRad Halloween Eve! A night of ghoulish fun, spooky treats… [Event]

Imperium Open House: Discover a Smarter Way to Get Stronger
Nov 1: Explore a different approach to strength training at Imperium’s free open house in Old Town Alexandria. [Event]

Dialogue for Democracy
Nov 3: Dialogue for Democracy invites high school students from across the DMV to George Mason University. [Event]

How Retirement Communities Work – A Free Workshop
Nov 4: Interested in learning about how Continuing Care Retirement Communities work, but don’t know where to start? Join us on 11/4 to learn more! [Event]

Submit events, announcements, or home listings to ALXnow.

🌤️ Weather update

Today: Alexandria saw a high of 64° at 2:00 p.m. (3° below normal), a low of 48° at 5:55 a.m., no rain and a peak gust of 16 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Northeast wind 1 to 5 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 65. Northeast wind 1 to 6 mph.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Friday’s sunset

The photo above is from the City of Alexandria’s marina webcam.

Thanks for reading!

Around Town

Del Ray Halloween Parade returns for weekend of spooky events in Alexandria

By Angela Woolsey
The Del Ray Halloween Parade on Oct. 26, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Spooky season will be in full swing throughout Alexandria this weekend.

Led by the return of Del Ray’s popular Halloween parade for its 30th year, the next few days will also bring Old Town’s annual trick-or-treat event, an exploration of 18th-century mourning at Carlyle House, and even themed improv comedy shows and fitness crawls.

Go to Del Ray Halloween Parade returns for weekend of spooky events in Alexandria Read more
Sponsored

Best movers in Alexandria, VA? Inside 495 Movers’ 17-year run

By Sponsor
Image from Best movers in Alexandria, VA? Inside 495 Movers’ 17-year run
Blue moving truck parked in a suburban driveway with a ramp extended, boxes visible inside as it’s being loaded. Green trees and houses line the street.
Image from Best movers in Alexandria, VA? Inside 495 Movers’ 17-year run
TV Dismounting
Mover wearing a blue hoodie carries a large cardboard box up a stairwell surrounded by fragile-glass boxes labeled for packing.
Image from Best movers in Alexandria, VA? Inside 495 Movers’ 17-year run
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Among the movers serving Alexandria, VA, 495 Movers stands out for a simple reason: its local hourly rate includes packing materials, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and protection for floors, walls, and elevators. The company has been in business since 2009 and has completed more than 20,000 moves, a number that keeps climbing.

Anyone who has hired movers in the DC area knows the familiar pattern. A low hourly rate wins the call. Then the invoice arrives with a charge for boxes, a charge for taking the bed apart, a fee for the stairs, and another for the elevator. By the end, the number on the bill has little to do with the number in the ad. 495 Movers was built to avoid that.

495 Movers at a glance

  • In business since: 2009 (17 years)
  • Moves completed: more than 20,000, local and long-distance
  • Licensed in: Virginia
  • Serves: Alexandria and the rest of the DMV
  • Local hourly rate includes: packing materials, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and home protection on every move
  • No separate fees for: stairs or elevators
  • Also offers: junk removal, custom crating, and self-storage
  • Reputation: 4.7 stars across nearly 1,000 Google reviews

Who is 495 Movers?

495 Movers is a full-service moving company serving Alexandria and the rest of the DMV, founded in 2009 by people who had worked as movers for several other companies first. They wanted to do it differently.

“We wanted to take a different approach, offering a simple, honest, and transparent approach for the customer,” said Moti Kachlon, co-owner at 495 Movers. For local moves, that meant building the most common extras into the hourly rate. Seventeen years and more than 20,000 moves later, the company is still growing.

What makes moving in Alexandria different?

Alexandria is a hard place to move. A truck on an Old Town block gets watched by neighbors, property managers, and a family wondering whether the sofa will make the turn on a staircase built long before sofas got this big.

Old Town’s rowhouses have narrow staircases and tight turns, which is why large furniture often has to come apart to get out. Del Ray’s bungalows and rowhouses have basements that hold more than anyone remembers. And condo and apartment buildings in Carlyle, Potomac Yard, and the West End often require movers to carry a certificate of insurance and book the elevator, with building managers who care a great deal about scuffed hallways. The street adds its own complications, from cobblestones to limited curb space.

That’s the context for how 495 Movers prices its work.

What does 495 Movers include in its hourly rate?

For local moves, the rate covers four things that many movers bill separately:

  • Packing materials. Boxes, tape, paper, and wrap are provided at no additional cost, whether a move needs a few or a few hundred.
  • Furniture disassembly and reassembly. Beds, tables, desks, sectionals, and wardrobes are taken apart, moved, and put back together at the new home. In an Old Town rowhouse, that’s often the only way a dresser gets down the stairs.

    (more…)

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News

Alexandria appoints D.C.’s 911 chief as emergency communications director

By James Cullum
Heather McGaffin has been hired as Alexandria's director of the Department of Emergency and Customer Communications (via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria has hired Heather McGaffin as director of its Department of Emergency and Customer Communications.

McGaffin, who worked most recently as the director of the District of Columbia’s Office of Unified Communications, will officially succeed the retiring Renee Gordon on Jan. 4, 2027, according to the city.

Go to Alexandria appoints D.C.’s 911 chief as emergency communications director Read more
News

Family of man who died in APD custody sues city, officers

By James Cullum
The Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

The family of a 32-year-old man who died in Alexandria Police Department custody last summer has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and the officers involved in his arrest.

The family of Allan Tucker II is asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for relief against the City of Alexandria and two officers involved in his arrest and death on Aug. 15, 2025.

Go to Family of man who died in APD custody sues city, officers Read more
Opinion

Poll: The best pizza places in Alexandria

By ALXnow.com
Pizza chef hands off a freshly topped pizza to be served, with two pizzas on a wooden counter and a circular 'Reader ALX now Choice' badge on the right.

For this week’s Readers’ Choice poll, ALXnow is revisiting the question of the best pizza restaurant in Alexandria after readers picked Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap in 2025. In addition to serving up delicious, fresh-out-of-the-oven slices, local pizzerias often become essential gathering spots that help shape the character of neighborhoods throughout the city.

Here are the nominees for Best pizza places in Alexandria as part of our ALXnow Readers’ Choice awards. Did we miss your favorite spot? Write it in!

Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Voting for Best veterinarian in Alexandria is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 11:59 p.m.

Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best places to hike in Alexandria. The full results are now official:

  1. 🥇 Mount Vernon Trail — 56 votes
  2. 🥈 Winkler Botanical Preserve — 37 votes
  3. 🥉 Dora Kelley Nature Park — 19 votes
  4. Jones Point Park — 15 votes
  5. Fort Ward Park — 14 votes

From regional facilities like the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail to local gems like the Dora Kelley Nature Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Alexandria offers a variety of opportunities for both casual and seasoned hikers to stretch their legs despite its relatively small, compact footprint.

A total of 189 votes were cast.

See every ALXnow Readers’ Choice winner, past and present, here.

News

Alexandria leaders say proposal to merge local bus services is ‘problematic’

By Scott McCaffrey
Front view of a blue city bus with DASHBUS.COM on its sign, stopped on a street beside a walkway and wooden railing, trees in the background
A DASH bus driver leaves the Braddock Road Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria leaders have joined counterparts from across the region in voicing reservations about a proposed consolidation of local bus systems in Northern Virginia.

If enacted, the proposal would roll Alexandria’s DASH system into a broader future operation spanning two counties and two cities that would have a service area totaling about 450 square miles and a population of more than 1.5 million.

Go to Alexandria leaders say proposal to merge local bus services is ‘problematic’ Read more
News

Morning Notes for October 23, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Boats docked at the Old Town waterfront (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Hydrofoil Ferry Talks Revived — “There have long been talks about running ferries on the Potomac and Anacostia, but concerns like costs and feasibility previously waylaid plans … Officials last week presented an early feasibility study envisioning a commuter service using hydrofoil ferries,” with Old Town Alexandria among the potential stops. [Axios DC]

Ground Breaks on Second Heritage Building — “Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners broke ground Tuesday on the second apartment building at The Heritage at Old Town, a 288-unit project at 535 S. Alfred St. that the developer says will be finished in 2029.” Construction on the project’s first building, which will deliver 310 apartments, began in June 2025. [Alexandria Brief]

Maintenance to Affect Duke and King Streets — “Two upcoming maintenance projects beginning the week of October 26 near the railroad tracks along Duke Street and King Street are expected to result in limited traffic impacts to the area. Bridge maintenance work will take place on the deck of the Duke Street bridge over the CSX railroad tracks beginning the week of October 26th.” Virginia Railway Express is also planning track maintenance starting Oct. 28. [City of Alexandria]

State Legislators Consider Building Reforms — “Every three years, Virginia updates its building code, requirements for new construction that account for safety standards and energy efficiency. As the state readies for its next update cycle in 2027, some lawmakers are flagging a series of reforms they argue can help increase housing supply and address affordability issues.” [Virginia Mercury]

Local Man Sentenced for Drug Ring — “Three more men have been sentenced in connection with a drug and prostitution ring operated out of a hotel in Dumfries. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, two men were sentenced on Wednesday in connection with the Red Carpet Inn’s third-floor drug den,” while a third man from Alexandria was sentenced to over 15 years in prison on Sept. 18. [Patch]

Alexandria Business Leaders Recognized — “The Washington Business Journal released its annual ‘Power’ list Tuesday, a list of the region’s most influential business leader with a twist this year, increasing the number from its usual 100 to a list of 250 in honor of the sesquicentennial. Alexandria is well represented. Here’s a look at the leaders who work in Alexandria or have strong ties to the city.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

It’s Friday — Sunny with a high near 63 and northeast winds around 6 to 8 mph. Friday night will be clear, with a low around 40 and a light northeast wind. [NWS]

No time to read? Now you can listen to your local news. Subscribe to the ALXnow Daily Update on Apple, Spotify or Amazon.

News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Oct 22, 2026

By ALXnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Alexandria. Here’s a look back at today’s most-read stories and a look ahead to tomorrow.

📈 Today’s most-read stories

  1. Pedestrian taken to hospital after crash yesterday in Old Town (1,845 views)
  2. Health food cafe to celebrate grand opening in Carlyle tomorrow
  3. New Freedom House Museum exhibit explores legacy of freed man who enslaved family

🕗 More from today

Everything else we published today, Oct 22, 2026.

📣 Announcements

Alexandria Fitness Studio for People Over 50 Closes Fall Into Fitness Program in 11 Days
Revolutionary Fitness, the semi-private strength and longevity studio at 215 N. Payne St. in… [Announcement]

Army Navy Game Day 5k and 10k Run, sponsored by the Washington, D.C. Foreign Area Officers Association
Attention all runners, joggers, and Army Navy fans! Come join us on Saturday, 12 December 2026… [Announcement]

📅 Upcoming events

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

⭐ Featured events

🎭 Halloween Improv Comedy Show with the Auxiliary
Oct 24: Join the Auxiliary Improv for a night of Halloween-themed comedy in Old Town, Alexandria VA! [Event]

CatRad Halloween Eve!
Oct 30: Join us for our second annual CatRad Halloween Eve! A night of ghoulish fun, spooky treats… [Event]

Imperium Open House: Discover a Smarter Way to Get Stronger
Nov 1: Explore a different approach to strength training at Imperium’s free open house in Old Town Alexandria. [Event]

Dialogue for Democracy
Nov 3: Dialogue for Democracy invites high school students from across the DMV to George Mason University. [Event]

How Retirement Communities Work – A Free Workshop
Nov 4: Interested in learning about how Continuing Care Retirement Communities work, but don’t know where to start? Join us on 11/4 to learn more! [Event]

Submit events, announcements, or home listings to ALXnow.

🌤️ Weather update

Today: Alexandria saw a high of 59° at 8:25 p.m. (8° below normal), a low of 45° at 7:35 a.m. and no rain.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 47. North wind around 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Northeast wind around 9 mph.

About 753 Dominion customers are without power.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thursday’s sunset

The photo above is from the City of Alexandria’s marina webcam.

Thanks for reading!

News

Prescription Drug Take Back Day returns to Alexandria this Saturday

By Angela Woolsey
Assorted pills, capsules, and tablets in various colors and shapes scattered together.
Mix of pills and medications (Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash)

The Alexandria Police Department’s headquarters and other sites in the city will once again participate in National Prescription Take Back Day, which is returning to communities across the country this Saturday (Oct. 24).

Led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the initiative encourages people to clean out their medicine cabinets and safely dispose of unneeded prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Go to Prescription Drug Take Back Day returns to Alexandria this Saturday Read more
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