A sushi bar coming to Tysons later this year is making a guest appearance as a pop-up in Arlandria this Saturday.

Roll Bär is scheduled to take over local bar Hops N Shine (3410 Mt Vernon Avenue) from 1-6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22. The event will showcase items from the upcoming Roll Bär menu, like hand-rolled sushi.


The sun was shining on Alexandria on Monday, Feb. 17. The annual George Washington Birthday parade was accompanied by 50+ degree weather, and went off without a hitch.

The parade, which has a nearly a one-mile route through Old Town, finished off a long weekend of activity that included the George Washington Birthnight Ball at Gadsby’s Tavern.


Still No Motive for Student Accused of Double Homicide — “George Ivan Maertens Aramayo said police have not told him why his daughter, 19, and Bianda, 21, were killed. He is not familiar with Mohamed Aly, the 18-year-old from Alexandria who is facing two first-degree murder charges. Aly attended T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, where friends say he was a strong student and athlete hoping to play college football.” [Washington Post]

APD Testing Electric Parking Enforcement Vehicle — “APD’s Parking Enforcement Unit conducted a test of an electric GO-4 vehicle today. Pictured is Parking Enforcement Officer Ms. Fuller, who has operated the GO-4 type vehicle for the last 23 years.” [Twitter]


The crossing guards at Mount Vernon Community School are in love and they’re getting married.

Every school morning and afternoon, Essie Tarpley and Kalil Mason-Alphanso work their respective sections on opposite sides of the Del Ray elementary school. Each will high-five students, parents and teachers braving the early morning street crossings. Lately those early morning greetings have been congratulatory.


He is up for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (4101 Eisenhower Avenue). Gina Hardter, the spokesperson for the AWLA, said Franklin is an intelligent dog who can sit and shake among his tricks.

“He’ll show off his special ‘Smile’ for a treat,” Hardter said. “He’s a big cuddler, and he’s happy to show all his new friends that any lap is just the right size for him.”


After more than 50 years since he joined the Alexandria Fire Department, Gerald Wanzer finally made lieutenant.

The 75-year-old native Alexandrian was the second African American to join the department, and on Thursday he was presented with an honorary lieutenant helmet and badge by Fire Chief Corey Smedley.


It’s Valentine’s Day and if you’re stumped on what to do for a date, fret not, because several businesses in Old Town have some ideas.

ALXnow went around a few blocks of King Street to some of the city’s more romantic shops to get ideas for how to spice up an Old Town date. Here’s what we found:


Online drama over Alexandria’s governance has led to some harsh online messages from residents about city staff and elected officials. But Wayne Hulehan, the co-founder and administrator of the Beverley Hills ListServ, is not having it.

Members of the listserv, of which there are 2,200, have of late been going on extended rants about the mayor and city manager, including some name calling. After multiple requests to crack down on the unneighborly discourse, this past weekend Hulehan changed the rules for the forum he created 17 years ago. Subscribers can discuss the issues, but personal attacks are not allowed, including those against city officials.


T.C. Football Coach Steps Down — “James Longerbeam stepped down as head coach of the T.C. Williams High School football team on Feb. 3. Longerbeam has served as head coach since 2016, when he moved from Panama City, Florida to Alexandria to take the position. He cited his father’s recent passing and his mother’s dementia as reasons for his decision in a Facebook post.” [Alexandria Times]

Local Doctor Helps the Homeless — “Dr. William Mazzella has a message for the homeless living on the streets of Alexandria, Virginia. ‘I have the medicines,’ Mazzella said. ‘I have the bandages, the training, and I’m here to help you if you will have me…’ He has formed a nonprofit called MedStreet, which is accepting donations and seeking volunteers to help continue his work and help more people.” [WTOP]


(Updated at 7 p.m.) A T.C. Williams student was arrested at the school today (Thursday) and charged in the killing of two people on a rural Virginia Highway, NBC 4 first reported.

Ntombo Joel Bianda, 21, of Alexandria, and Ayanna Munne Maertens Griffin, 19, of Germantown, Maryland, were found shot to death along Route 58 in southern Virginia over the weekend.


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