On This Day in Alexandria History — “One August 26, 1948, the Alexandria Citizen’s Band was honored to win first prize in a competition held at the Virginia State Fireman’s Convention. The local band, a community organization comprising volunteer members who bring musical entertainment to Northern Virginia, Alexandria, and the DC Metro area, still plays a summer concert series annually at Alexandria’s Market Square and at community special events. The band was organized in 1912 and is one of the oldest community bands in the country.” [Historic Alexandria]
ICE Reveals 2 Alexandria Arrests in Regional Operation — “DHS named 10 of the 1,328 people it said were arrested. Two were arrested in Alexandria, according to the department, which did not say how many arrests were made in the city overall or in any other jurisdiction. The department said Angel Gabriel Ortiz-Hernandez, of Guatemala, has been arrested on charges of rape of a mentally incapacitated victim and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of an incapacitated victim. It listed no convictions for him. It said Rowan Andrew Brown, of Jamaica, has convictions for identity theft, kidnapping an adult and illegal re-entry, and has been arrested on a fraud allegation.” [Alexandria Brief]
Alexandria’s ‘Santa’ Mike Oliver Dies — “He delivered furniture to families making a fresh start. He helped collect food through the Alexandria Turkey Trot. He served as ALIVE!’s board president from 1993 to 1994. And every Christmas season, he gave children at the ALIVE! Child Development Center a visit from Santa. His Santa appearances extended to Market Square, Del Ray and North Ridge tree lightings, schools and community events. Oliver did not charge for them. Instead, he asked that any donation be directed to the ALIVE! Child Development Center.” [The Zebra]
City’s Job Fair Hosted Today — The job fair at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26 will involve hiring for city departments and resources for job seekers. [City of Alexandria]
Around the World Cultural Food Festival Needs Volunteers — Around the World Festival on Saturday, August 29 is seeking volunteers to staff the beverage tent, staff the kids tent, perform operations tasks and staff the information tent. [Volunteer Alexandria]
Affordable Homeownership Opportunity in Alexandria — “The City of Alexandria Office of Housing is marketing a resale-restricted condominium unit at 3927 Old Dominion Blvd, Alexandria Virginia, 22305. The two bedroom/one bath, 1,024 square foot unit is listed at a reduced price of $367,360 and is part of Old Dominion at Glebe Park neighborhood.” [Alexandria Office of Housing]
AFD and Volunteers to Install Smoke Alarms — AFD and the American Red Cross will host Sound the Alarm starting at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center. Volunteers will install smoke alarms in homes and share fire safety information. Training will be provided, as well as breakfast, snacks, lunch and water. [Alexandria Fire Department/Facebook]
Spanberger Order Responses to Federal Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP — “Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Executive Order 20 on Tuesday in what her administration says is an effort to protect healthcare coverage and food assistance for as many eligible Virginians as possible in response to President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill … Spanberger says the order outlines how the Commonwealth will respond to H.R.1 by preventing gaps in coverage, improving statewide coordination, promoting economic mobility and prioritizing affordability.” [Fox5DC]
Supreme Court Rules on Challenges to Trump Mail-In Voter Order — “The Supreme Court opened a path Monday for possible implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it remains unclear how much can be put in place before the fast-approaching midterm elections … The Supreme Court’s conservative majority didn’t decide the legality of Trump’s order, instead ruling that states who sued did not have the legal right to challenge it.” [The Associated Press]
Spotted Lanternfly Egg Laying Season Approaches — “Spotted lanternflies lay their egg masses beginning in the late summer and into the early winter, according to the Penn State Extension. Each egg mass has between 30 and 50 eggs. The egg masses are about 1.5 inches long and are a brown-gray color, looking similar to smears of mud. They’re found on trees – often high off the ground and on the undersides of branches.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Today will be mostly sunny with a high of around 88°F. Winds will be calm, shifting to the south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight, expect mostly cloudy skies with a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m.; the low will be around 71°F, with a south wind at 9 mph. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
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