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

Founding Farmers plans on-site distillery at Alexandria location

By Emily Leayman
Founding Farmers restaurant storefront in a multi-story building with outdoor seating and yellow umbrellas on a city sidewalk
Founding Farmers at 461 Swann Avenue (via Google Maps)

The popular D.C.-area restaurant Founding Farmers is preparing to bring an on-site distillery to its Alexandria location.

The Founding Farmers Alexandria location at 461 Swann Avenue plans to operate a distillery, according to a license application filed with Virginia ABC. The farmer-owned restaurant group is pursuing similar plans at its Tysons and Reston locations.

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News

Alexandria teen’s Eagle Scout project focuses on teaching kids to protect waterways

By Emily Leayman
Young woman in a tan Scout uniform standing in a sunlit forest, arms crossed, patches visible on the shirt.
Eagle Scout candidate and rising St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes senior Charlotte Barnes (courtesy of Charlotte Barnes)

When 17-year-old Charlotte Barnes observes the stormwater system, she understands it’s not just rainwater flowing underground but something that affects local waterways.

That thought inspired the rising St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes high school senior to make waterway health the focus of her Eagle Scout service project. Barnes created The River Rescue: A Coloring Book, a free educational resource to help elementary-aged children understand how litter on neighborhood streets can get into local streams, rivers, the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.

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Civil rights discussion to headline annual remembrance event for teen lynched in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman
Sign marking the lynching of Benjamin Thomas (image via City of Alexandria)

An NAACP official will be the keynote speaker of Alexandria’s annual remembrance event for one of its two documented lynching victims in city history.

The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project will host the “Civil Rights in Uncertain Times” conversation with Myesha Braden, deputy general counsel for the NAACP, from 7-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28 at Shiloh Baptist Church (1401 Jamieson Avenue). Braden, a Tulane Law graduate, has worked on civil rights and has served in positions at the Department of Justice and in the nonprofit sector.

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Alexandria seeks resident input into next legislative agenda for 2027 General Assembly

By Emily Leayman
Virginia State Capitol in Richmond (staff photo)

The City of Alexandria is asking residents if and how it should change its legislative priorities for the next Virginia General Assembly session in 2027.

Because Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, localities can only use authority specifically granted by the General Assembly through a state law or city charter. The city sends requests to state lawmakers each year through its Legislative Agenda.

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Police and fire presence at ACHS Minnie Howard Campus planned for emergency drill

By Emily Leayman
Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

Residents shouldn’t be alarmed when they see an increased police and fire presence at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus later this week.

The Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria City Public Schools and other emergency partners will hold an incident response drill at the campus (3775 W. Braddock Road) Thursday (Aug. 13). Expect police, fire and EMS vehicles and personnel to be in the area between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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T&ES director recommends Russell Road alternative after board approves parking removals

By Emily Leayman
Map showing Naomi Brooks school location along a vertical blue line between West Myrtle Street and West Maple Street, with a graduation cap icon marking the site.
Proposed area to remove on-street parking along Russell Road in Alexandria’s Rosemont/North Ridge neighborhoods (via City of Alexandria)

After the Traffic and Parking Board approved the removal of 20 parking spaces on Russell Road near Naomi L. Brooks Elementary in July, the director of Alexandria’s Transportation and Environmental Services is proposing a different option.

First reported by Alexandria Brief, T&ES director Leah Riley proposed Alternative C, which she says will minimize parking impacts while prioritizing pedestrian safety, neighborhood concerns and the Traffic and Parking Board’s request for more parking to accommodate school staff.

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Around Town

Tax-free shopping and Port to Port Festival lead off Alexandria’s weekend events

By Emily Leayman
Crowded outdoor beer festival with row of vendor tents and people sampling drinks near Port City Brewing.
Port to Port Beer Festival (via Port City Brewing Company)

Beer lovers and shoppers alike will find things to keep them busy this weekend in Alexandria.

If you want to sample beers from different places, Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Co. is gathering breweries from around the country for its Port to Port Beer Festival. Shoppers will have extra reason to head out on the town between Virginia’s sales tax holiday and Old Town Boutiques’ special Tax-Free Weekend promotion.

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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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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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