Around Town

More than a dozen shops and salons will team up to offer specials in Alexandria’s first-ever beauty crawl.

The Old Town Beauty Crawl will run Friday, Sept. 25 to Sunday, Sep. 27 at participating businesses in Old Town. Shops and salons specializing in cosmetics, fragrance, skincare, haircare or beauty treatments will offer promotions and prizes throughout the three-day weekend.


Sponsored

When a loved one passes away, families often face difficult decisions about funeral arrangements, finances, and the distribution of property. One common question is whether having a will automatically means the estate must go through probate.

Not necessarily. Whether probate is required in Virginia depends largely on how the deceased person’s assets were owned and whether those assets have another method of transferring to heirs or beneficiaries.

Understanding when probate is required—and when it can be avoided—can help families navigate estate administration with greater confidence.

What Is Probate in Virginia?

Probate is the legal process used to administer certain assets belonging to a deceased person, or decedent. In Virginia, probate generally takes place through the circuit court in the city or county where the decedent lived.

When probate is necessary, the court recognizes the will, if there is one, and appoints a personal representative to handle the estate. The personal representative is responsible for identifying and collecting assets, addressing valid debts and taxes, and distributing the remaining property according to the will or Virginia’s intestacy laws.

Importantly, having a will does not automatically mean every asset must pass through probate. A will generally controls probate assets, while certain property passes directly to another person through ownership arrangements or beneficiary designations.

When Is Probate Required?

Probate is generally necessary when someone dies owning assets in their individual name that do not have another method of transferring ownership.

Examples can include:

  • Real estate owned solely by the decedent
  • Bank accounts without joint ownership or beneficiary designations
  • Vehicles, jewelry, collections, or other personal property owned individually

In these situations, probate may be necessary to give the personal representative authority to transfer or distribute the property.

When Is Probate Not Required?

Some assets can transfer automatically after death and therefore may not need to pass through probate.

Jointly owned property: Assets held jointly with rights of survivorship generally pass to the surviving owner.

Beneficiary-designated accounts: Life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and certain bank accounts can pass directly to the beneficiaries named on the account.

Revocable living trusts: Assets properly transferred into a revocable living trust generally avoid probate because the trust owns the property rather than the deceased individual.

Virginia also provides a simplified option for certain small estates. Under Va. Code § 64.2-601, qualifying personal property valued at $75,000 or less may be transferred using a small estate affidavit rather than a full probate proceeding, provided the statutory requirements are satisfied.

This simplified procedure applies to qualifying personal property, not real estate, and can be particularly useful when an estate consists of modest assets such as a bank account or vehicle.

What Happens When Probate Is Required?

When probate is necessary, the personal representative must complete several steps before the estate can be closed. These typically include identifying and valuing estate assets, filing the required inventory, addressing creditor claims and taxes, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.

Virginia also imposes deadlines for certain estate filings. The inventory generally must be filed within four months after qualification, while the first accounting is generally due within 16 months.

(more…)


News

A 29-year-old Alexandria man is being held without bond after being arrested last month for drug and firearm possession outside of his West End apartment.

After being tracked traveling from New York, the suspect was arrested in a vehicle outside his apartment building in the 2000 block of N. Beauregard Street on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Earlier in the month, an investigator with the Arlington County Police Department alerted the Alexandria Police Department that it was investigating claims that the suspect was pressing and selling kilograms of cocaine from apartments in Arlington and Alexandria, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.


Announcement

The Virginia Hurricanes Girls Basketball program is holding tryouts for its 3rd Grade and 5th Grade travel teams, competing in a full schedule this Fall and Winter season. Join a competitive, supportive program built to develop skilled, confident players on and off the court.

Registration is required at: https://www.virginiahurricanes.net/basketball/aau-teams


Around Town

Diners in Alexandria will have to look elsewhere to find the flavors of Uzbekistan and Russia.

Rus Uz closed at Alexandria’s Hoffman Town Center (210 Hoffman Street) on Aug. 31 at the lease end, owner Ismoil Rakhmatullaev told ALXnow. The Uzbek family-owned restaurant’s other locations remain open at 1000 N. Randolph Street #3a in Arlington and 2600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in D.C.


Event

NOTICe presents the 2nd Annual Alexandria Canal History Pub Crawl in Old Town North on Saturday September 19th from Noon til 4pm. Enjoy happy hour libations and hear stories of life & love on the historic canal in the 1800s at Gables Old Town North, St Elmo’s Coffee Pub, Hanks Oyster Bar, Royal Restaurant and T J Stones.


News

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On September 15, 1905, the Alexandria Union Station opened at cost of $62,000. New iron bridges over King Street and Commonwealth Avenues had been constructed a couple years earlier for the new station.” [Historic Alexandria]

Next Meeting on School Board Election Reforms Planned This Evening — The ad hoc committee’s discussion will focus on staggered terms and board size as well as the General Assembly city charter approval process for 2027 or 2030. [City of Alexandria/School Board]


News

Good Monday 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 14, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Rollover crash on Richmond Highway in Potomac Yard sends two to hospital (2138 views)
  2. Man arrested 6 years after allegedly stealing girlfriend’s rental car in Alexandria (835 views)
  3. Morning Notes for September 14, 2026 (525 views)
  4. Tree on power lines causes power outage for 2,500 in Arlandria, Arlington neighborhoods (496 views)
  5. Residential developments, outdoor stage and fine increase on City Council’s Sept. 19 docket (348 views)
  6. Alexandria’s Bastille Brasserie & Bar celebrates 20 years with exclusive anniversary dinner (321 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Tuesday’s forecast

Sunny with a high of around 79°F, light and variable winds shifting southeast around 6 mph in the morning. Tuesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to about 59°F. The southeast wind will be around 5 mph before becoming calm in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
– J.K. Rowling

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!


Around Town

Bon appétit! Bastille Brasserie & Bar (606 N. Fayette Street) is celebrating a milestone this Thursday, Sept. 17.

It’s the French restaurant’s 20th anniversary, and the evening features a one-night-only, $155 per-person four-course dinner with wine pairings. Chefs and owners Christophe and Michelle Poteaux opened the restaurant in 2006, and they’re calling the anniversary celebration “Icons at 20.”


News

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election in Alexandria will kick off Friday (Sept. 18) at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections.

The general election ballot will include races for Sen. Mark Warner’s (D-Va.) U.S. Senate seat and Rep. Don Beyer (D-8)’s 8th Congressional District seat. Three constitutional amendments — regarding reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights for former felons — are also on the ballot.


News

A Manassas man faces felony theft charges after allegedly taking his then-girlfriend’s rental car from a hotel in Alexandria more than six years ago.

The victim is a Canadian citizen and reported the incident to the Alexandria Police Department on July 7, 2020. The victim told police that she flew in the day before from Canada to see her boyfriend, who she’d met in January, according to a recently unsealed search warrant affidavit.