Author: Emily Leayman

Emily Leayman is the editor of ALXnow and contributes reporting to ARLnow and FFXnow. She was previously a field editor covering parts of Northern Virginia for Patch for more than eight years. A native of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, she lives in Northern Virginia.

Around Town

Adoptable pet of the week: Handsome Chino is a well-rounded companion

By Emily Leayman
Black dog with a green collar on a blue leash, looking up at the camera outdoors near a bench.
Adoptable Chino (via AWLA)

Meet Chino, a sweet young dog at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria in the market for a new home.

This handsome 3-year-old is reported to have good house manners and crate training, and he loves everyone he meets. He’d like to show off his smarts with the cues for sit, paw and down.

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News

State-backed solar installation program sees participation trickle up in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman
Workman on a pitched roof securing a large black solar panel against a clear blue sky.
Solar panel installation (via Bill Mead/Unsplash)

A solar panel installation program championed by Virginia’s governor is gaining traction in Alexandria and other areas of the state as homeowners look for ways to address rising electricity costs.

Switch Together, a bulk purchasing initiative to connect residents to solar installers, was recently expanded from Northern Virginia to other parts of the state. It was previously only open in Fairfax and Arlington counties, with Alexandria joining the roster last summer.

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News

Alexandria shoppers can skip the sales tax on certain back-to-school items this weekend

By Emily Leayman
Open case filled with colorful sticky notes, pens, and markers in a black organizer tray, ready for use.
School supplies (via Tim Gouw/Unsplash)

This weekend is the time to stock up on school supplies, clothing and emergency supplies at stores in Alexandria and across the state.

Virginia will hold its annual three-day sales tax holiday, from Friday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 9. During the three days, state and local option sales taxes are temporarily lifted on qualifying clothing, footwear and school supplies, as well as emergency preparedness products and some appliances. The tax exemption applies to in-store and online shopping.

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Mayor, Alexandria City Council ask Fairfax County to reject substation tied to data center

By Emily Leayman
Members of the Alexandria City Council at the Chamber ALX's annual City Council Breakfast at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town on May 14, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Council has joined a growing number of local residents asking Fairfax County to deny a substation associated with data center development just outside city limits.

In a letter to the Fairfax County Planning Commission, City Council cited “the incompatibility of heavy industrial use” near densely populated Alexandria. The letter was sent by Mayor Alyia Gaskins on behalf of the entire City Council.

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News

Rep. Don Beyer wins nomination in 8th Congressional District Democratic primary

By Emily Leayman
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) speaks at the Alexandria Democratic Committee’s Labor Day Picnic at The Garden Alexandria, 5380 Eisenhower Avenue, Sept. 1, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Rep. Don Beyer has earned the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District in Tuesday’s primary election.

The congressman, who is seeking his seventh term, defeated four challengers — former Alexandria City Council Member Mo Seifeldein, fired State Department worker Michael Duffin, veteran and former CIA officer Adam Dunigan and military family advocate Lorena Bruner. The Associated Press called the race at 7:34 p.m. after polls closed.

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Around Town

17 Old Town boutiques to cover entire sales tax for shoppers this weekend

By Emily Leayman
Split illustration: left shows a woman with shopping bags walking past pastel storefronts; right is a tax-free weekend promo reading NO TAX Friday–Sunday August 7–9.
Tax free weekend at participating boutiques in Old Town (via Old Town Boutique District)

As retailers across Virginia will have tax-free promotions on certain items during this weekend’s sales tax holiday, a group of Alexandria’s independent boutiques will cover the sales tax for their entire stores.

More than 15 Old Town Alexandria boutiques are participating in a tax-free shopping weekend Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9, covering the sales tax for customers on clothing, gifts, home decor and other items. The Old Town Boutique Community is hosting the event with support from the City of Alexandria to encourage support for local businesses during back-to-school shopping.

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News

Alexandria gears up for 2026 congressional primary elections Tuesday

By Emily Leayman
Voting at Charles Houston Recreation Center in Old Town on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria voters are headed to the polls Tuesday (Aug. 4) to cast their votes in Democratic and Republican primaries, which will determine nominees for the 2026 midterms.

Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters are not registered by party in Virginia, so they can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. As of Aug. 1, Alexandria has over 117,000 registered voters.

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Around Town

Adoptable pet of the week: Golden girl Charlotte will be your chill sidekick

By Emily Leayman
Brown adult dog with white muzzle wearing a red collar, standing on green grass in a park, on a leash.
Adoptable senior dog Charlotte (via AWLA)

If you’re in need of a mellow office assistant at your home, look no further than Charlotte.

Meet Charlotte, a 10-year-old golden girl who will be a reliable companion for strolls around the block or time lounging at home. According to an AWLA volunteer, the senior’s ideal day is moving from her dog bed to the couch and back with her human at her side.

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Around Town

Beats, Bites and Brews and Friendship Firehouse Festival lead the lineup of Alexandria’s weekend events

By Emily Leayman
2025 Friendship Firehouse Festival (courtesy of Office of Historic Alexandria)

July will turn into August this weekend as a packed lineup of events arrives in Alexandria.

Alexandrians may see aspiring witches and wizards around for several Harry Potter-themed events lined up for the weekend — the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum’s A Magical Apothecary tour and Lee-Fendall House’s Pop Culture Trivia: Harry Potter Edition. Both events are already sold out.

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News

Record participation set for Alexandria’s National Night Out with 54 sites

By Emily Leayman
2025 National Night Out in Alexandria (courtesy of the Alexandria Police Department)

National Night Out, an annual program that promotes community and law enforcement partnerships to combat crime, will get record participation from Alexandria this year.

The city will have 54 participating sites on Tuesday, Aug. 4, which is also the date of Democratic and Republican primary elections.

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Around Town

Old Town resident’s Velvet Wax & Beauty salon pays tribute to late mother

By Emily Leayman
Velvet Wax & Beauty founder Montie Green (via Velvet Wax & Beauty)

As Black Business Month approaches in August, Montie Green is reflecting back on her journey to open her Old Town business Velvet Wax & Beauty.

Green is a licensed cosmetologist and opened her first salon in Hampton ten years ago. The location at Old Town’s Crilley Warehouse (218 N. Lee Street, Suite 100) has been open for four years.

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