Old Town Food Pantry Meets Increasing Need — “The Diocese of Arlington’s annual report indicates 25,677 meals were served at Christ House in 2025, up about 25 percent from the previous year. John Croft, the director of Christ House, told Patch that an average 60 guests are coming in for meals, along with about 14 men served in Christ House’s transitional housing.” [Patch]
New VA Law Limits Teens’ Social Media Usage — “A new Virginia law that goes into effect Jan. 1 requires social media companies to limit kids’ usage to one hour each day … A group that lobbies on behalf of social media companies is trying to stop the law. The group is called NetChoice and it filed a lawsuit in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia just last month.” [NBC4 Washington]
Nats Scorekeeper from ALX Says Farewell — “For most fans at a Washington Nationals game, the scoreboard is simply there—quietly updating balls, strikes, outs, and runs in real time. Few ever think about the person behind it. For nearly two decades, that responsibility belonged to Keith Staples, a local baseball devotee whose steady hand and watchful eye became part of the game itself … Staples’ time behind the scoreboard has come to an end—not by choice, but as part of the Nationals’ transition to automated systems.” [The Zebra]
Winter Restaurant Week Returns This Month — “Want to check out some of Alexandria’s restaurants you haven’t had time to try in the new year? More than 80 restaurants are participating this year in Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week … [which] will take place Friday, Jan. 23 – Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
DMV Launches New Highway Safety Grant System — “Beginning in February, applicants seeking federal highway safety grants administered by the DMV’s Highway Safety Office will use a new digital platform called eGrants, which replaces what the agency described as a largely manual, paper-heavy process … Grants start at $5,000, and DMV is inviting a wide range of Virginia-based organizations to apply, including law enforcement agencies, nonprofit groups, state and local government agencies, and colleges and universities.” [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Friday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of around 41 degrees. In the afternoon, calm winds will shift to northwest at approximately 6 mph. During Friday night, expect mostly cloudy skies and a low temperature of around 26 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]
