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

Del Ray resident’s hand-painted designs will be featured at Spanberger inauguration market

By Emily Leayman
Alexandria-based business Ella Bella (courtesy of Ella Bella)

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.

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News

Wegmans declines to confirm use of facial recognition technology at Alexandria store

By Emily Leayman
Wegmans in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

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.

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Around Town

‘Five-star dive bar’ from D.C. plans new location at former Mystic BBQ & Grill in Old Town

By Emily Leayman
The Commodore, a neighborhood pub in D.C.'s Dupont Circle, will open a second location in Old Town Alexandria. (Courtesy of The Commodore)

A popular pub in D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood is expanding across the river to Old Town, bringing its self-described “five-star dive bar” approach.

The Commodore is planning a second location at 220 N. Lee Street, owners Rob Van de Graaff and Steve Kim announced yesterday (Thursday). The pub will replace Mystic BBQ & Grill, which closed in late November, after about a year and a half in business. Before Mystic, the space hosted Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ.

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News

ACPS to consider prohibiting second jobs for administrators after employee’s dismissal

By Emily Leayman
The Alexandria City School Board will meet on Jan. 8. (via Alexandria City School Board)

After a now-fired Alexandria City Public Schools administrator was found with a second job, the Alexandria City School Board is considering updates to its second job policy.

On Thursday, the School Board will review a policy update for employees' additional jobs beyond their school district employment. The proposed addition calls for no second jobs for ACPS chiefs, executive directors or directors unless the superintendent gives approval. It would apply for second jobs with an average of 10 hours per week for at least a month.

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