Around Town

Eight months after opening on Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray, Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar will hold a ribbon cutting today (Thursday).

The Asian fusion restaurant serving Japanese sushi and Thai street food, the restaurant at 1909 Mount Vernon Avenue had a soft opening last October. The ribbon cutting will be held at 4 p.m. and will be attended by business leaders from the Del Ray Business Association.


Around Town

Just in time for summer, Del Ray burger joint Holy Cow gave away a milkshake concoction earlier this month to customers who could catch a water balloon thrown from the roof of the business.

Restaurant staff recently channeled their inner David Letterman as a way to promote their monthly cereal-based milkshake series. This month’s milkshake is the Golden Graham, made of Golden Grahams cereal with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and mini marshmallows.


News

As outgoing Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt takes an unexpected leave, the School Board has designated three administrators to handle her duties.

School Board Chair Michelle Rief announced in an email to ACPS families and staff that Kay-Wyatt is going on leave due “to a matter that arose unexpectedly.” On Tuesday night (June 23), the School Board appointed ACPS Chief of Staff Grace Taylor, Chief Accountability Officer Clinton Page and Chief Academic Officer Pierrette Finney as designees of the division superintendent.


News

The Alexandria Police Department today (Wednesday) released body camera footage from a fatal shooting of a homicide suspect in the city’s West End last month.

Police Chief Tarrick McGuire also publicly disclosed the names of the victim as 27-year-old Emily Ramirez and the suspect, her boyfriend, 38-year-old Hector Amaya. According to APD, Amaya allegedly shot Ramirez multiple times with a handgun before charging at police and being shot and killed by two APD officers. McGuire characterized the incident as a domestic violence situation and described Ramirez as a T.C. Williams High School graduate and beloved Alexandrian.


News

RiverRenew, the largest infrastructure project in Alexandria’s history, is coming online on Wednesday, July 1.

John Hill, chair of AlexRenew‘s board of directors, said that replacing Old Town’s 19th century combined sewer system with a tunnel system and sewer infrastructure has been a “gargantuan” task. The wastewater project will divert approximately 120 million gallons of raw sewage from flowing into the Potomac River every year.


Around Town

The Dog Store on Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray will shut down on Saturday, June 27, its owner said on social media.

Shop owner Paul Haire said that the shop is closing due to “circumstances beyond our control.” The 2301 Mount Vernon Avenue location remains open for in-store sales through June 27. After that, it will temporarily move from 2301 Mount Vernon Avenue to Haire’s dog boarding facility Your Dog’s Best Friends at 2000 Richmond Highway. The business will continue to offer online ordering with free delivery.


News

Alexandria’s independent policing auditor has concluded Alexandria Police Department officers violated performance standards and body camera directives when they transported Allan Tucker II, who died in their custody in the sally port of the city jail.

That’s according to a report Independent Police Auditor Ameratu Kamara released Monday (June 22). Kamara found that the officer who arrested Tucker at an apartment complex in the city’s West End on Aug. 15, 2025, disregarded the 32-year-old Tucker’s multiple requests to be taken to the hospital, even as they drove past Inova Alexandria Hospital.


Around Town

Alexandria leaders were on hand Tuesday morning to cut the ribbon at Del Ray’s newest restaurant, Little Birdie.

After months of interior renovations, Matt Sloan and Eric Brannon opened the doors to their newest venture at 1504B Mount Vernon Avenue. Brannon and Sloan also own Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar (1501 Mount Vernon Avenue), which opened in 2022 across the street and is a finalist for a regional RAMMY Award. Sloan is a former managing partner of Alexandria Restaurant Partners, which owns The Majestic, Mia’s Italian Kitchen, Ada’s on the River and numerous other Alexandria restaurants.


News

The Alexandria-based Tall Ship Providence Foundation is suspending its educational and tour programs on the Potomac River, effective Friday, June 26, the organization announced today (Monday).

The decision, which was recently made by the nonprofit’s board, means Tall Ship Providence will be sold if significant funding is not found, the organization’s Executive Director Kathy Seifert told ALXnow. As it stands, the bar at the floating pier at Waterfront Park will stay open to pay for upkeep of the ship, which Seifert says will stay docked in Alexandria until the end of the summer.


News

The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge will have a drawbridge opening briefly tonight (Monday) to allow for the passage of yacht race participants.

The drawbridge is scheduled to open at 10 p.m. to allow for passage of vessels participating in the 40,000-nautical-mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the city announced. The bridge opening is expected to last 15 to 20 minutes.


News

Seven years after being given a date by the city to clear out of Alexandria’s West End, Virginia Paving Company is asking for a five-year extension.

Asphalt production operations have been at the 11-acre site at 5601 Courtney Avenue since 1960. The proposal would extend the mandated sunset date for asphalt plant operations from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2032, according to planning documents.


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