On This Day in Alexandria History — “On February 20, 1755 General Edward Braddock arrived at Hampton, Virginia to command British forces against New France in the American colonies. Less than two months later, on April 15 he met with five colonial governors at the Congress of Alexandria, held at the home of John Carlyle. Braddock had hoped to raise funding from the colonies to finance the French and Indian War, but was rebuffed in his efforts by the governors, who demanded that the United Kingdom honor its past promises of financial support. The meeting was one of the first instances of tension over taxation between the Americans colonies and Britain.” [Historic Alexandria]
Firehouse Primary Tomorrow, Online Voting Available — “The Alexandria Democratic Committee will hold an unassembled caucus, also known as a firehouse primary, [for Alexandria City Council] on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM.” Voting will be available at Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library, Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center or online, for voters who register by 5 p.m. today (Friday). [Alexandria Democratic Committee]
Court Halts April Redistricting — “A Tazewell County Circuit Court judge on Thursday granted an emergency injunction blocking what Republicans call an unlawful April 21 redistricting referendum while the case is heard in court. Chief Judge Jack Hurley issued a temporary restraining order barring state and local election officials from moving forward with the planned vote.” [Virginia Mercury]
New Black Photography Exhibit Unveiling — “Join us to learn about the life and work of Elrich Murphy, a prolific photographer whose work captured African American life in Alexandria like no other. See the photos on display, and enjoy a presentation from local author, historian, and genealogist Char McCargo Bah. She will be joined by Elrich Murphy’s daughter, Rita Harris.” [City of Alexandria]
Boeing Leaving Crystal City — “Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security headquarters is leaving Crystal City after nine years. The aerospace and defense company announced the move [to St. Louis] Wednesday, citing a desire to be ‘present and engaged with teammates who are designing, producing and delivering vital defense and space products and capabilities.'” [ARLnow]
Spanberger Delivering Dem Response to State of the Union — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the official Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week, congressional leaders announced Thursday, elevating the first-term governor to one of her party’s most prominent national platforms.” [Virginia Mercury]
Theogony: ACHS Students Protest ICE — “More than 200 students from Alexandria City High School walked out of their sixth period class Friday, Feb. 6 in protest of recent controversial actions taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) … “’We speak up because silence helps injustice,” said the lead student organizer, who asked to remain anonymous. ‘Human rights have no borders.'” [Theogony]
Men Sentenced For Airbag Thefts — “Three men have been sentenced to prison over a conspiracy to steal hundreds of airbags across Northern Virginia. Alexandria resident Adisorn Damrongchai and Chinese national Yuchen Zhang were found guilty of nabbing airbags in Virginia and selling them to a third conspirator, Severn, Md., resident Keith William Smith, beginning in August 2022. ” [ARLnow]
It’s Friday — Expect rain mainly before 10am, accompanied by areas of fog lasting until noon, with the day’s high temperature reaching around 57°F. The east wind, blowing at 5-8 mph, will shift to southwest in the afternoon; there is a 90% chance of precipitation, potentially amounting to less than a tenth of an inch of new rain. As for Friday night, skies will be mostly clear and the low temperature will be around 40°F, with a west wind of 6-8 mph. [NWS]
