Around Town

Following a health inspection at an Old Town juice shop earlier this month, a community petition has launched to allow the business owner’s emotional support animal inside the establishment.

The recent Change.org petition focuses on a recent city investigation into a complaint about dogs inside Zen Press Juice. That includes owner JuAnn Wong’s emotional support dog, Coco, who previously made frequent visits to the shop at 806 King Street.


News

City Council last week made a few changes to a review board’s conditional approval of the upcoming City Hall and Market Square project.

On Jan. 13, City Council considered an appeal of the Board of Architectural Review’s approved certificate of appropriateness with conditions for the City Hall and Market Square project on Nov. 19, 2025. The Council voted to remove the review board’s recommendation to maintain decorative chimneys on the south-facing side of City Hall, as well as colonial-style windows at the center entrance pavilion.


News

Outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin doesn’t have many regrets as he prepares to leave office. But he named the inability to get an Alexandria arena deal done in 2024 as one lost opportunity.

The Washington Capitals and Wizards arena would have gone in Potomac Yard as part of an entertainment district. But in March 2024, the City of Alexandria announced that the proposal wouldn’t be moving forward.


News

The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed the state’s first flu-related pediatric death this season, as public health officials across Virginia continue to monitor increased flu activity.

Health officials yesterday (Thursday) said a preschool-aged child — between newborn age and 4 years old — died from flu-related complications. The child was from Virginia’s Eastern Region, which largely covers the Tidewater and Eastern Shore areas. The health department is not releasing additional information about the child to protect the family’s privacy.


News

Alexandria’s top prosecutor is declining to bring criminal charges against officers involved in the Alexandria Police Department’s in-custody death of a Woodbridge man last summer.

Officers involved in the Aug. 15, 2025 death of Allan F. Tucker, II, will not be charged, Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter announced this afternoon (Thursday), following investigations by the medical examiner and Northern Virginia’s Critical Incident Review Team.


News

Alexandria’s Natural Resources Division is introducing new leadership and a slate of upcoming community engagements in 2026.

The city has hired Raychel Frye and Katrina Napora as new natural resource managers, it announced yesterday (Wednesday), with Oscar Mendoza continuing to oversee the division as chief. Under the new leadership, Natural Resources will have a “renewed focus on education, stewardship, and community engagement.”


News

The city of Alexandria could take a step closer to choosing a new operator for the Torpedo Factory Art Center, following last night’s City Council meeting (Tuesday).

City Council voted to advance to public hearing and final vote an agreement for an operator to lease, manage and operate the historic arts facility at 105 N. Union Street. The public hearing and final vote are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24.


News

Alexandria City Council unanimously approved a roadmap for Alexandria’s economic future last night (Tuesday) as the city tries to strengthen its economic competitiveness.

The ALX Forward framework will shape how the city pursues economic growth, from development to business recruitment and retention. It details strategies like leveraging economic opportunities in Old Town North, Eisenhower East, the West End, and Potomac Yard; retaining local businesses; attracting industries like artificial intelligence and strengthening support for entrepreneurs.


Around Town

Foodies will have two opportunities to score dining deals from restaurants across Alexandria in the coming weeks.

In Alexandria, 11 eateries plan to offer prix-fixe menu deals through the Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week, which returns Monday, Jan. 19 through Sunday, Jan. 25. Hosted biannually in the winter and summer by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, the week features multi-course meal deals at participating D.C.-area restaurants.


Around Town

The hand-painted designs of Del Ray-based Ella Bella will soon be in the hands of people from around Virginia attending Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s inauguration market.

Ella Bella Flourish Fearlessly is one of two businesses from the D.C. area invited to participate in the Made in Virginia Market in Richmond on Friday, along with Occoquan’s Hello Jackson Home Fragrance Co. Spanberger will make remarks at the market to kick off a weekend of inauguration festivities.


News

Wegmans has declined to say whether its Alexandria store uses facial recognition technology, after the supermarket chain shared that some of its locations employ the security measure.

Cameras with facial recognition technology have been set up “in a small fraction of our stores located in communities that exhibit an elevated risk,” Wegmans said in a statement. Spokesperson Marcie Rivera declined to comment on the chain’s Carlyle location at 150 Stovall Street and other Northern Virginia locations.


View More Stories