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It’s been an intense week in Alexandria. Here’s a look at our top stories.

Our most-read story is on a woman found dead outside her apartment during an eviction process on Wednesday, Aug. 19. The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office reported on social media that deputies were conducting an eviction at an apartment at 400 Madison Street at around 9 a.m., when they found the adult woman dead outside the building. The woman’s identity and the circumstances surrounding her death have not been released.


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A social media influencer and food enthusiast recently visited a West End eatery, and the video has garnered over 16,000 views.

In July, Clive Ibuzugbe (known as Big Groove) visited Zaytoun Halal Grill at 5418 Duke Street in Alexandria’s West End and posted a video of himself receiving a large order of fried chicken, dancing, and then combining the chicken breast with a double-decker cheeseburger. Ibuzugbe then leans back and shouts, “Shark bite!” and takes a large bite. See the video below.


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How much is Grandma’s old brooch worth? You can find out next month, as antique appraisals are coming to Del Ray.

On Thursday, Sept. 4, experts in American furniture, rare books, autographs, and clothing will be on hand from 6 to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of Del Ray Psych and Wellness (1900 Mount Vernon Avenue).


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The owner of the former Vulcan Materials property near the Van Dorn Metro station is looking to sell, as a new hotel, retail, hundreds of new homes, and a park are being built on the site.

Last year, the city approved a plan to redevelop the site into an 11-story, 256-room hotel with 4,500 square feet of retail space, 323 new townhomes and condos, and a 4.4-acre park.  The development promised to be “the most vibrant, new residential development that this area has seen in several years,” according to marketing materials released by Maryland-based Cohn Property Group (CPG) and first reported by the Washington Business Journal.


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Developer JBG Smith will soon discuss an updated proposal to build a mix of multifamily, townhome and committed affordable housing across from the Potomac Yard Metro station.

Next Wednesday (Aug. 27), the Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee (PYDAC) will review updated plans for Landbays G and H (see rendering above),


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The deadline is Friday, Aug. 22, for the public to vote for one of three proposed designs for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s upcoming 8000-series rail fleet.

Voting on the three exterior design options opened on Aug. 18 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday. The winning concept will be announced in a week, according to Metro. The new trains feature “safe and spacious connected cars” with space for wheelchairs, scooters, and bikes, and additional seating. The “fleet of the future” is expected to go into service in 2027.


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A pedestrian suffered minor injuries Thursday morning after a driver struck them with their car at a busy Old Town intersection, Alexandria police said.

The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. at King Street and Fairfax Street, near City Hall. The adult male pedestrian was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.


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An upcoming pub crawl in Old Town North will teach participants a little bit of Alexandria history.

On Saturday, Sept. 13, the North Old Town Independent Citizens Association (NOTICe) is hosting Canal Watering Holes: Alexandria Canal History and Pub Crawl. Tickets for the event, which runs from 1 to 4 p.m., cost $35 for individuals and $60 for couples.


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A program teaching Afghan youth living in Alexandria has expanded to a West End school and is seeking tutors for the 2025-26 school year.

Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NoVA RAFT) launched in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The nonprofit has helped move refugees into new homes and taught English to hundreds of children and adults at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue). NoVA RAFT now needs tutors after announcing a “dynamic partnership” with the Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Centerstudent leaders at Alexandria City High School, and George Mason University’s Afghan Refugee Mentorship Program to provide tutoring at Francis C. Hammond Middle School (4646 Seminary Road).


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Alexandria Poet Laureate Cristi Donoso says that her future work will focus on the immigrant experience in the city.

Donoso has lived in Alexandria for more than a decade and has so far written four poems as poet laureate. Her work, which includes the city’s birthday poem that she read onstage to thousands last month, can be seen on the Office of the Arts website and her personal website.


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A member of the Alexandria City Council has called for an immediate investigation into how Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) CEO Erik Johnson lived in a public housing property with his family in Old Town.

Johnson confirmed Wednesday that he moved into a property on Cook Street in July and is in the process of moving out. Johnson said that he was alerted that it was an issue by an ARHA Board member. Johnson was hired a year ago and started work in Sept. 2024.


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