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

Professional ensemble The Thirteen to begin season with debut at Alexandria venue

By Emily Leayman
Conductor directs a large mixed choir in formal wear, standing in a semicircle on a wooden stage with sheet music books.
(courtesy of The Thirteen)

A professional choir and orchestra hopes to hit the right note as it debuts at an Alexandria venue this week.

The Thirteen will open its fifteenth season, titled “In Our Time,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall (4915 E. Campus Drive). The same show will follow in D.C. and Bethesda, Md. on Saturday, Oct. 17 and Sunday, Oct. 18, respectively.

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News

UPDATED: Most outages restored after over 2,200 lose power in West End

By Emily Leayman
Map of the Lincolnia area showing hazard zones around the I-395 interchange with overlapping orange and yellow polygons and safety icons marking alerts or warnings below the highway junctions.
Power outages in the West End on Oct. 12, 2026 (via Dominion Energy)

Dominion Energy customers in Alexandria’s West End were experiencing outages Monday afternoon.

According to Dominion Energy’s outage map, more than 2,200 customers lost power in the city as of 3 p.m. Most outages were concentrated in neighborhoods along Duke Street, Edsall Road and Interstate 395, extending into Fairfax County. The majority were resolved by 4:15 p.m.

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News

‘Thriller’ flash mob to take over lower King Street in Old Town

By Emily Leayman
200 block of King Street (staff photo by James Cullum)

On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 17, onlookers on lower King Street might feel like they’ve been transported into a Michael Jackson music video.

Coldwell Banker Realty real estate agents Barb Scheeler and Rachel Knapp are coordinating a “Thriller” Zombie Flash Mob in the unit block of King Street in Old Town, at 5 p.m. Saturday. Scheeler and Knapp told ALXnow there are about 100 dancers signed up to participate, and hundreds of spectators are expected to attend with the dancers.

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News

Red light cameras, bike lanes among proposals for West End intersections

By Emily Leayman
Busy urban intersection with several cars waiting at a cross street, modern glass buildings in the background including a tall Hilton hotel on the right.
Seminary Road and Mark Center Avenue intersection (via Google Maps)

Red light cameras, bike lanes, new sidewalks and pedestrian islands are some of the changes proposed for several West End high-crash intersections the city identified.

The city identified the seven high-crash intersections during a 2022 crash analysis and received federal funding to perform safety audits and develop concept designs.

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News

Goodwin Living breaks ground on new 257-unit senior housing development in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman
Modern residential complex featuring tall glass-and-stone buildings with balconies and a landscaped courtyard.
Rendering of Goodwin House Seminary Road (courtesy of Goodwin Living)

Additional senior living units from a locally-based operator are coming to Alexandria’s West End.

Goodwin Living broke ground Wednesday (Oct. 7) on the $360 million Goodwin House Seminary Road at N. Beauregard Street and Seminary Road. Mayor Alyia Gaskins and City Council Members Sandy Marks and Abdel Elnoubi joined Goodwin Living and Clark Construction leaders for the groundbreaking.

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Around Town

Old Town Oyster Week, Paws in the Park lead packed weekend of Alexandria events

By Emily Leayman
Couple walking two small dogs in blue coats at a busy outdoor market with white tents in a sunny park.
Paws in the Park (via Duane Rogers for AWLA)

It’s shaping up to be another busy October weekend in Alexandria.

There are plenty of festivals going on, including the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s Paws in the Park with its largest Rescue Row yet. For those looking for a shucking good time, Old Town Oyster Week returns starting with an oyster shucking competition.

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News

JUST IN: Jharrett Bryantt appointed as next ACPS superintendent

By Emily Leayman
Man in a suit speaks in a live video webinar; teal-to-navy gradient background with the 'Nurture Educate Inspire' logo.
Jharrett Bryantt was appointed as the next ACPS superintendent (via Alexandria City School Board meeting)

The Alexandria City School Board voted tonight (Oct. 8) to appoint the school division’s next superintendent.

Jharrett Bryantt, superintendent of the Anchorage School District in Alaska, will become Alexandria City Public Schools’ superintendent, effective Feb. 1, 2027. The School Board announced the appointment following a closed session at its meeting.

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Around Town

Fall festival returns Oct. 18 to highlight Alexandria’s Ethiopian community

By Emily Leayman
Diverse crowd dancing in a park at a daytime cultural festival, wearing colorful outfits with tents in the background.
A past Ethiopian Fall Festival in Alexandria (courtesy of the Ethiopian Community Support and Advocacy Center)

The Ethiopian community in Alexandria will share its food and culture at a returning fall festival next weekend.

The Ethiopian Community Support and Advocacy Center will host the sixth annual Ethiopian Fall Festival from 1-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Chinquapin Park (3210 King Street). Ethiopian families and local residents alike are invited to the festival to celebrate Ethiopian heritage and share culture, traditions, food, music, dance and art with the community.

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News

Indigenous Peoples’ Day brings schedule changes in Alexandria Oct. 12

By Emily Leayman
Escalators at the King St-Old Town Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, recognized on the federal Columbus Day holiday, will bring an array of closures and schedule changes to Alexandria.

The holiday falls on Monday, Oct. 12, which will mean a three-day weekend for some employees and students. The City of Alexandria has recognized the holiday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day since 2019 and has shared the history of Indigenous peoples in the city on its website.

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News

Multiple drawbridge openings set for next two days on Woodrow Wilson Bridge

By Emily Leayman
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge at sunset (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Late-night drivers on the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) will encounter some delays over the next two nights on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

The drawbridge will open at 11 p.m. tonight (Oct. 7) to let the Sweet Pea pass through, according to the City of Alexandria. The opening is expected to take 15 to 20 minutes. The bridge had last opened for the Sweet Pea to pass on Oct. 1.

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Around Town

Why a healthcare worker traded a career in hospitals for business ownership in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman
Smiling woman in a black zip-up jacket with a Fitness Together logo, standing against a light gray wall.
Nicole Batts, owner of Fitness Together Alexandria (courtesy of Nicole Batts)

After years of treating patients with preventable chronic illnesses, Nicole Batts wanted to leave the healthcare industry and help people get healthy before reaching the hospital.

Batts took over ownership of Old Town’s Fitness Together Alexandria (300 N Washington Street, Suite 106) in 2019. That comes after working in nursing in the surgical intensive care unit at Washington Hospital Center, the emergency room at Inova Loudoun Hospital and nursing manager of the clinical cardiac rehab program at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

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