On This Day in Alexandria History — “On September 2, 1790, the Virginia General Assembly approved the creation of an Alexandria Lottery to raise funds for the paving of streets within the expanding town of Alexandria. Since its founding in 1749, the town had tried a number of low-cost ways to eliminate muddy conditions on local streets that were a constant nuisance to townspeople and at times even prevented passage along King Street in the swampy areas between North Pitt and St. Asaph Streets. Using slave and itinerant workers, and even Hessian soldiers over the years had only modest success installing the round cobblestones in the street grid, and raising taxes to the level needed for the work program would have been a huge burden on residents of the young town.” [Historic Alexandria]
Alexandria Resident Killed in Md. I-270 Crash — “The deceased are identified as Musammat Shamima Begum, 46, and Areebah Jahin, 23, of Burke and Alexandria, Virginia. Begum and Jahin were mother and daughter and were passengers in a Toyota Camry involved in the crash. The driver and a juvenile passenger of the Toyota, a 62-year-old male and an 8-year-old female, were transported by ambulance to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries.” [Maryland State Police]
Law Limiting Local ICE Agreements Paused — “U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne issued the preliminary injunction on Monday as part of a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice. The federal 287(g) program allows ICE to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies, giving designated officers certain immigration enforcement powers under federal supervision.” [13 News Now]
School Board Chair Provides Update on Superintendent Search — “Over the next several weeks, the School Board will interview selected candidates and carefully consider their experience, leadership qualities and ability to meet the needs of our students, staff, families and broader Alexandria community. As we move through this phase, I want to reiterate that the candidate selection and interview process is confidential. The identities of candidates will not be shared publicly.” [Board Chair Christopher Harris/ACPS School Board]
Libertarian Candidate Joins Race to Challenge Rep. Beyer — “Shelly Arnoldi understands the uphill battle for anyone taking on Beyer in a district that, in recent years, has been a Democratic political fortress. However, she says her effort to unseat him will bring important issues into the local political discussion.” [ARLnow]
Confederate Memorial Removal Coincides with Alexandria Lynching Remembrance — “On Aug. 28, 1899, hundreds of Black residents of Alexandria, Virginia, gathered at Shiloh Baptist Church after a white mob lynched 16-year-old Benjamin Thomas. On Friday night, August 28, 2026, exactly 127 years later, I sat inside the same church as Alexandria gathered there again. The same day, about 100 miles south, workers in Richmond were removing three Confederate memorials from Capitol Square, statues honoring Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, former Virginia governor and Confederate general William “Extra Billy” Smith, and Confederate physician Hunter Holmes McGuire.” [Virginia Mercury]
Invasive Species Management Begins in Alexandria Parks — “The City of Alexandria is continuing its efforts to protect and restore natural areas in our parks. Beginning in August, the City has authorized Environmental Quality Resources, LLC (EQR) to conduct invasive species management in parks and natural areas throughout Alexandria.” [Alexandria RPCA]
AWLA Records 138 Adoptions in August — Among the adopted pets were the pets of the week featured in ALXnow — Kira, Batman, Chino and Charlotte. ‘Thank you to everyone who opened their hearts to a shelter animal in need this past month, especially as we faced critical capacity,’ AWLA said. [Animal Welfare League of Alexandria/Facebook]
Alexandria City Academy Seeks Participants — “Applications are now open for the Alexandria City Academy, a seven-week civic leadership course designed to cultivate informed, connected, and actively engaged residents who can serve as collaborative partners in advancing City priorities. Applications are due by Friday, September 18 at 11:59 p.m.” [City of Alexandria]
Elementary School Liaison Program Resumes in New School Year — “Each Alexandria City Public Schools elementary school is assigned a deputy who, in addition to their regular duties and assignments, spends time at their school to help students, faculty, staff, and parents become familiar with the deputy and foster positive engagement in the school environment. Deputies focus on building relationships with students and school employees by joining kids at lunchtime, taking part in school activities like career day and reading events, greeting students at arrival or dismissal, and simply providing a regular presence.” [Alexandria Sheriff’s Office]
National Preparedness Month Recognized in Alexandria — “September is National Preparedness Month, and you can take steps to prepare yourself, your family, your friends, and your community for risks you might face. Find resources at alexandriava.gov/EmergencyManagement and stay up to date during an incident at alexandriava.gov/Alert.” [City of Alexandria/Bluesky]
Volunteers Sought for Book Sale Later in September — “The Friends of the Beatley Central Library is hosting its Annual Fall Book Sale and needs assistance all of September with various tasks.” [Volunteer Alexandria]
Alexandria Library Remembers Dolly Parton — “Join us in celebrating the life and legacy of musician, philanthropist, and lover of books, Dolly Parton, with a screening of Steel Magnolias on Friday at 2 PM at Burke Branch Library. Or, check out a book from one of our displays at our branches. 🦋” [Alexandria Library/Bluesky]
Section of National Mall to Be Closed For Months — “A large portion of the grass along the National Mall will be closed to the public for months for turf restoration work, authorities say. Closures stretching for about a mile between 3rd and 14th streets start Tuesday and are set to continue through Jan. 24, 2027, the National Park Service (NPS) said.” [NBC Washington]
It’s Wednesday — The weather will be mostly sunny with a high near 91°F and light, variable winds becoming easterly at about 6 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will bring a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with mostly cloudy skies and a low around 75°F. Southeast winds will blow at 5 to 8 mph. [NWS]
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