On This Day in Alexandria History — “On September 9, 1891, a large fire erupted at the southeast corner of Wythe and St. Asaph Streets, in one of the buildings operated as part of Portner’s Brewery, a massive beer and ale bottling and storage complex extending across several blocks bound by Washington, Pitt, Wythe and Pendleton Streets. The brewery was started in 1864 from humble beginnings out of the small grocery store operated by Robert Portner, a German-born immigrant who rose to become one of Alexandria’s most prominent citizens. By 1890, Portner’s business produced over 60,000 barrels of his special brews named Vienna Cabinet and Tivoli and was one of Northern Virginia’s largest employers.” [Historic Alexandria]
Goats Descend on All Veterans Park — “The City’s new four-legged landscaping crew has arrived! This hard-working crew of goats and sheep will be on site at All Veterans Park for a 5-to-10-day pilot project. They will be snacking on invasive kudzu, garlic mustard, and multiflora rose along Holmes Run.” [City of Alexandria/Facebook]
Stevie Wonder Spotted at Alexandria Church — “Worshippers at one of Alexandria’s most historic churches received a star-studded Sunday surprise: Stevie Wonder was in the house. The 25-time Grammy winner attended worship at Alfred Street Baptist Church on Sunday, Sept. 6, according to photographs and public social-media posts from the church community.” [The Zebra]
Firefighter Appreciation Month Spotlight at AFD — “September is Firefighter Appreciation Month! Our Hazmat Team recently completed annual chlorine leak training, practicing hands-on scenarios with the Chlorine Institute Cylinder Emergency Kit ‘A’ while wearing Level A PPE. Prepared today, ready for tomorrow.” [Alexandria Fire Department/X]
National Innovation Quarter Appoints First CEO — “The National Innovation Quarter named Michael Manuccia as its first chief executive Tuesday, filling the top job at the innovation district that spans National Landing and Potomac Yard along the Alexandria-Arlington border.” [Alexandria Brief]
How Much D.C. Area Homeowners Overpay for Mortgages — “New data from Bankrate shows many homebuyers are overpaying for their mortgage. At least 83% of homebuyers in the 10 most populated metro areas are adding at least $4,400 a year to their mortgage costs. The DMV comes in 4th on the list of biggest cities overpaying for their mortgages by thousands of dollars.” [WJLA]
I-395 Bridge to D.C. Getting Renovations in 2027 — “The construction firm Skanska has been awarded a $114 million design-build contract to conduct renovations and upgrades on the bridge connecting Arlington and D.C. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, Skanska said in a press release.” [ARLnow]
Smithsonian Leader to Depart Role — “It still comes as the Trump administration has increased pressure on the institution, including saying in an August 28 letter that federal agencies may stop working with the Smithsonian if its leadership does not change. The letter cited an earlier report that accused the Smithsonian of moving ‘toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country.'” [CNN]
New Legal Notice — ABC application for restaurant wine, beer, mixed beverages on/off-premises. [Public Notices]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny weather with a high near 88 degrees and a south wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 72 degrees. A southwest wind will continue at about 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]
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