The Inova Alexandria Hospital replacement and a new hospital to the south in Fairfax County remain on schedule for opening in late 2028 — potentially on the same day.
Meeting the timetable will be good news for the region’s economy, Inova Health System CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones said at a June 16 roundtable of Fairfax County’s Council for Economic Opportunity, a group of government and business leaders looking at high-level economic, development and technology trends. Jones called health care “the job engine and in many ways economic engine” of Northern Virginia.
Michael Duffin, a fired State Department worker from Alexandria who is running for Congress, appeared on “The Daily Show” Tuesday to discuss federal workforce reductions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Duffin, who lives in the West End with his wife and two children, was one of more than 1,300 federal workers fired by the State Department in July 2025. The Democrat running in the 8th Congressional District joined Maryland congressional candidates Alexis Goldstein and Tracy Starr and New York candidate Alissa Ellman in “The Daily Show” segment on fired federal workers’ campaigns.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On June 18, 1812, President James Madison declared war on England, in response to years of British harassment of American trading ships on the Atlantic, impressment of American seamen into British service, armed support of Native Americans and a possible Indian Confederacy in the Midwest, and aspirations to expand American territory into Canada. Thus began the War of 1812, considered by some to be America’s “Second War of Independence.” Although Alexandrians were quick to recognize the threat to their city and the nearby national capital, Secretary of War John Armstrong largely dismissed their concerns and financial offers to reinforce security in the Potomac River region. Two years later, Alexandrians found themselves in the crosshairs of the escalating conflict, and their premonition of defeat by a Naval force proved all too accurate.” [Historic Alexandria]
Early Voting Opens for Aug. 4 Primaries — “Early voting is set to begin Thursday, June 18 for 2026 congressional primary elections in Alexandria, according to the city’s Office of Voter Registration and Elections. The elections on Aug. 4 will include a Democratic primary for U.S. House of Representatives in the 8th Congressional District and a Republican primary to decide who will run against Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) for U.S. Senate.” [ALXnow]
Good Wednesday 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 — Jun 17, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
- King Street closure for VRE work at Alexandria Union Station to begin tomorrow (852 views)
- Former Hotel AKA Alexandria in Old Town North rebranded as The Satire (725 views)
- 11 students earn high school diplomas at Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center (536 views)
- Morning Notes for June 17, 2026 (358 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
🌦️ Thursday’s forecast
Expect a high of 94°F and partly sunny skies, with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 PM. It will be breezy with south winds at 13-20 mph, gusting to 34 mph. Thursday night, there is a slight 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly before 3 AM, with a low of 69°F and west winds at 5-10 mph, gusting to 20 mph. On Juneteenth, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 84°F, and northwest winds at 7-11 mph, gusting to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
– Oscar Wilde
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading!
Alexandria, VA – In recognition of World Pride Month, the City of Alexandria welcomes back the Annual LGBTQIA+ Pride fair on June 27 from 2 to 6 p.m. at John Carlyle Square Park (300 John Carlyle Street), sponsored by the City of Alexandria, Del Ray Community Partnership, Inova Pride, Kindred Tree Healing Center, and VEG ER for Pets.
Join neighbors, friends, and allies for an afternoon of music, creativity, and community. Enjoy emcee Rayceen Pendarvis, inspiring words from Alexandria leaders, live performances by the Funicular Project, line-dancing, and DJ Thunderbunny. Express yourself at the mobile art lab, grab a bite from local food vendors, and explore more than 100 Pride affirming programs, organizations, and businesses from across Alexandria. Families are invited to experience Drag Story Hour, celebrating imagination, joy, and the freedom to be your authentic self.
After invalidating the officer elections for the local Alexandria teachers union, the Virginia Education Association has set a timeline for new elections that it will oversee later this month.
VEA President Carol Bauer informed Education Association of Alexandria (EAA) members of the new election timeline in an email on June 12. VEA’s decision to reject EAA’s union officer elections came after the elections were postponed from May 18 to May 21, and candidate for EAA president David Paladin-Fernandez was disqualified less than 12 hours before the elections.
Eleven residents at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center in Alexandria’s West End marked a significant milestone as they were presented with their high school diplomas today (Wednesday).
The graduation event was attended by family members, NVJDC residents and staff, as well as City Councilwoman Sandy Marks and Alexandria City School Board Chair Michelle Rief. The jail’s state-operated school is managed by Alexandria City Public Schools, which provides licensed staff to teach 10-to-18-year-old children brought in from across Alexandria, Arlington County and the city of Falls Church.
As Hotel AKA Alexandria transitions to the Autograph Collection Hotels by Marriott today (Wednesday), the Old Town North hotel has been renamed The Satire.
The Satire, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, features new branding and management as well as Marriott rewards benefits for hotel guests. The hotel is managed by Concord Hospitality and will remain under Electra America Hospitality’s ownership.
Alexandria will soon be training its 2,000 city employees on how to use artificial intelligence in local government.
The city recently announced a new partnership with InnovateUS to train city employees on AI tools, including data compilation and management. The two-part on-demand AI training series is designed to help employees “build confidence and competency in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence,” a city spokesperson told ALXnow.
A road closure and pedestrian detour for a Virginia Railway Express rail project around Alexandria Union Station (110 Callahan Drive) will resume starting tomorrow (Thursday).
King Street will be closed between Russell Road and Daingerfield Road starting 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18 until around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 24. Commonwealth Avenue will remain open with an alternating single lane directed by flaggers. Sunset Drive will remain open. A detour is available via Callahan Drive, Duke Street and Diagonal Road.
