Author: ALXnow.com

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]

How Alexandria Pursued Gas Leaf Blower Ban without State Law — “[Former Attorney General Jason] Miyares, a Republican, acknowledged that the General Assembly had voted down legislation giving local governments express authority to regulate leaf blowers, but cited case law in rejecting any inference of legislative intent from those outcomes as speculative. Alexandria, he concluded, was clearly within its rights to ban the equipment. Alexandria used that green light to amend its noise ordinance in May of 2025 and begin an 18-month phaseout of gas leaf blowers. A full prohibition is set to take effect on November 17, 2026.” [Virginia Mercury]

Acting Superintendent on Biggest Challenge of This School Year — “With the reality of maintaining a variety of rising costs, including healthcare premiums and other operating variables, the school division is expecting another challenging budget year. While maintaining our focus on supporting students, staff and our schools, investing in recruitment and retention remains critical to ensuring ACPS can continue to attract and retain the talented educators and staff who serve our students each day.” [WTOP]

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On August 24 and 25, 1874, about 50 teachers and other interested parties attended the Teachers’ Institute at the Peabody School building at King and Alfred streets. The superintendent of Alexandria’s schools addressed the audience as did educators from Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, speaking on topics such as ‘The Teaching of History’ and ‘School Hygiene.'” [Historic Alexandria]

First Day of School Today at ACPS — Monday, Aug. 24 marks the start of the school year for Alexandria City Public Schools students. ACPS has a back to school guide with information for the 2026-2027 school year. [ACPS]

On This Day in Alexandria History — Becoming the trademark tactic of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the first sit-in occurred well before the era of social unrest that would characterize the decade of the 1960s. Prior to the famous Woolworth counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, five courageous African-American youths staged the first deliberate and planned sit-in at the Alexandria “public” Library on August 21, 1939 … Although this first act of defiance against the system of Jim Crow did not garner the media attention, this was the first step towards the City of Alexandria seriously considering a colored branch for its African-American citizens and facing the issue of accessibility, however unequal, for all of its citizens.” [Historic Alexandria]

Testing of Speed Cameras Happening Today — “The City of Alexandria will test school zone flashers and camera systems on Friday, August 21 ahead of the first day of school for ACPS next week. Residents may see the flashers in operation during normal weekday hours as part of the test. No citations will be issued during the testing period … School zone speed camera enforcement will resume on Monday, August 24, the first day of school for the majority of Alexandria City Public Schools.” [Alexandria T&ES]

On This Day in Alexandria History — “The advance on Alexandria from a British fleet in August 1814 was planned to draw the attention away from a planned attack on Washington from the north. But starting on August 20, Captain James Gordon’s ships were delayed for days, repeatedly grounding on the shoals of the Potomac. By the time the fleet reached Fort Washington (then called Fort Warburton), the attack and burning of the nation’s capital had already occurred a week earlier. After the self-destruction of the Maryland fort by American forces, Gordon soon turned his attention to Alexandria. Realizing the predicament of the now defenseless town, the town’s Common Council quickly decided not to oppose a British attack. On a Sunday morning, Mayor Charles Simms and an entourage rowed southward towards the advancing fleet, waving a white flag and requesting terms of surrender to prevent the destruction of the town. Due to its being the Sabbath, Gordon sent the officials back to Alexandria, with instructions to wait until the following day. By morning, his ships had arrived, with guns directed at the small frame houses of the town.” [Historic Alexandria]

Result of Mayor’s Back to School Hair Salon — “[Tuesday’s] Back to School Hair Salon 📚✏️ helped an incredible 3️⃣7️⃣ girls prepare for the first day of school! I’m so grateful the stylists who dedicated their time & our sponsors who helped make this event possible. Nothing but smiles all day long.” [Mayor Alyia Gaskins/X]

Dorothy Moran, Former Rep. Jim Moran’s Daughter, Dies — “Dorothy Kathleen Moran, an artist and poet whose remarkable survival from childhood brain cancer drew national attention, died peacefully Tuesday, Aug. 11, at her family’s home in Passapatanzy, Virginia … She was the daughter of former U.S. Rep. James P. ‘Jim’ Moran, a Virginia Democrat who represented Northern Virginia’s 8th Congressional District from 1991 until 2015.” [The Zebra]

Rep. Beyer on N. Va. ICE Encounters — “My office has received reports of several other ICE encounters in Northern Virginia in the past 10 days that featured unjustified violence or apparently warrantless detention. The pattern that emerges in the descriptions is of ICE agents stopping people outside or on the street, asking for ID, and often responding with violence when their orders are questioned, regardless of whether those orders violate individuals’ rights. In the case of Carolina Molina, ICE agents were filmed pointing a gun at a citizen because she verbally challenged and filmed them, activities which are protected by the First Amendment. I look forward to meeting with Ms. Molina soon to hear her perspective on these events and discuss next steps.” [Rep. Don Beyer news release]