Around Town

Lorelai is looking for a new home.

The 67-pound, two-year-old pup with a reddish-brown coat also likes to take her stuffed animals on walks, according to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Lorelai came to AWLA’s shelter at 4101 Eisenhower Avenue as a stray.


News

The Alexandria City School Board honored the school system’s 2026 Principal and Teacher of the Year during its meeting last night (Thursday).

This year’s accolades were bestowed to Jeanette Vinson, principal of George Washington Middle School, and Deedra Robinson, an educator at Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School. The School Board celebrated their dedication while recognizing teachers of the year from every public school in Alexandria.


News

Alexandria will host a pre-construction meeting on Monday (May 11) ahead of several months of planned construction on a section of Route 1 in Old Town.

The city says that its South Patrick Street Median Improvement Project will “improve pedestrian safety and improve connectivity between the Southwest Quadrant neighborhood and Old Town Alexandria east of South Patrick Street (US Route 1).” The project, totaling nearly $4.3 million, is expected to break ground on June 1 and wrap up in late January 2027, according to a meeting description.


News

Plans for a roof deck in an Old Town office-to-apartment conversion project need to be canceled, according to paperwork recently filed with the city.

The building’s owner wants to convert the 1970s-era office building at 720 N. St. Asaph Street into a 12-unit multifamily apartment building with ground-level commercial space. Previous plans also called for a roof deck, which the current building would not be able to support, according to a special use permit amendment application.


News

Incoming City Councilwoman Sandy Marks’ swearing-in is scheduled next week, creating Alexandria’s first woman-majority council in the city’s 277-year history.

Marks will be sworn into office before City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, May 12, at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive), following her special election win on April 21. Marks’ entry will signal the seven-member council’s first-ever woman majority, which includes Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley and Councilwoman Jacinta Greene.


Around Town

Two local businesses in Del Ray plan to cut the ribbon on their spaces later this month, celebrating new spots that have opened over the past few months.

The Del Ray Business Association will host ribbon cuttings at Lifestyle & Performance Fitness (202 E. Custis Avenue) and the Department of Beer and Wine (2805 Mount Vernon Avenue) on Saturday, May 16.


Around Town

Well Ray, Del Ray’s annual wellness festival, has been canceled this year as its organizers go back to the drawing board.

Previous festivals, which were held in June, closed down a large section of Mount Vernon Avenue and featured dozens of vendors practicing outdoor yoga, boxing, meditation, chiropractic assessments, nutrition counseling and more. This year would have marked the event’s 10-year anniversary.


Around Town

The 19th annual Alexandria Community Cookout series launches today (Thursday), bringing weekly events with free food, activities and giveaways across the city.

More than 50 city agencies and nonprofits are participating in the weekly cookouts, which are expected to reach thousands of Alexandria residents this spring and summer. The first cookout, delayed by yesterday’s weather, will take place on its rain date today at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center from 6-7:30 p.m.


Around Town

There are a variety of activities and events to take part in with loved ones this Mother’s Day weekend.

From themed bouquet making and painting to historical tours and live music, there’s something in store for all kinds of interests. Here’s the latest going on in the Port City from Friday, May 8, through Mother’s Day this Sunday, May 10.


News

The Alexandria Police Department honored its fallen officers in an annual wreath laying ceremony today (May 6).

The wreath laying is part of Alexandria Police Week, which included a memorial church service this morning. There will also be a wreath-laying at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 7, at Waterfront Park in Old Town.


News

Alexandria City School Board Chair Michelle Rief says the school system will have to look toward its own resources, and not the city, to fill a $5.6 million funding gap.

In a blog post last week, Rief addressed City Council’s decision to not fill the $5.6 million gap the school system needs to fund its proposed $12.7 million collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Council approved the city’s $979.1 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget on April 29, after some councilmembers expressed surprise that the proposed CBA was not part of a multi-year agreement.


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