News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Aug 21, 2026

By ALXnow.com
ALXnow Daily Debrief header over a downtown sidewalk with pedestrians and storefronts in the background.

Good Friday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Aug 21, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Herd of goats recruited to tackle invasive plants in an Alexandria park (3288 views)
  2. Morning Notes for August 21, 2026 (575 views)
  3. Poll: The best live music venue in Alexandria (443 views)

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Alexandria teen pleads not guilty in manslaughter trial over fatal Potomac Yard Metro chase (6395 views)
  2. JUST IN: Thousands without power along Quaker Lane in Alexandria (6340 views)
  3. Elderly Alexandria woman loses $77K in scam involving multiple impersonators (6245 views)
  4. Van Metre buys land for 110 townhomes at Alexandria’s WestEnd development (5027 views)
  5. National Symphony Orchestra to utilize Alexandria venue amid Kennedy Center shutdown plans (3795 views)
  6. Long-awaited splash pad to open in Del Ray in early September, city says (3077 views)
  7. Alexandria teen found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in man’s death after Potomac Yard Metro chase (2902 views)
  8. Horror and sci-fi bookstore Long Dark House to hold grand opening in early September (2428 views)
  9. Developer wants Prince Street office conversion project to wrap by summer 2027 (1516 views)
  10. Alexandria’s Hypergoat Coffee Roasters is expanding with a second location in Del Ray (1504 views)
  11. Residents pack Beatley Library forum on Plaza 500 data center plans near Alexandria (1305 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

⛈️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 pm, followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms until 5 pm, with areas of fog in the morning. The high will be near 79°F with east winds at 3 to 7 mph. Rainfall could reach a quarter to half an inch, and there is an 80% chance of precipitation. Saturday night will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms from 8 pm to 11 pm, then isolated showers, with mostly cloudy skies and a low around 68°F. Winds will be light and variable, with a 50% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
– Wayne Gretzky

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!

AT&T gives away 115 refurbished laptops at Potomac Yard store

By James Cullum
Man hands a blue reusable tote bag to a woman at a community event booth under a tent with balloons and a laptop on the table.
A laptop giveaway at AT&T at 3725-C Richmond Highway, Aug. 20, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Just in time for school, AT&T gave away 115 free refurbished laptops to students and families at its Potomac Yard location in Alexandria on Thursday (Aug. 20).

With a waitlist of more than 7,000 people, the 115 recipients were pre-selected via lottery. The event was the last of 10 distributions across the country this summer.

Go to AT&T gives away 115 refurbished laptops at Potomac Yard store Read more

Herd of goats recruited to tackle invasive plants in an Alexandria park

By Emily Leayman
Two goats with white and brown coats gaze upward toward the camera in a sunlit, bokeh-filled background.
Goats (via Bailey Mahon/Unsplash)

In a developed city like Alexandria, residents may soon be surprised to find four-legged landscapers wandering a West End park.

Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities is launching a pilot program to bring 35 to 40 goats to All Veterans Park (4725 Duke Street). Starting Sept. 8, the herd of goats will be brought to graze on invasive plants on the slopes of the park. The invasive plants being targeted in the pilot program are kudzu, garlic mustard and multiflora rose.

Go to Herd of goats recruited to tackle invasive plants in an Alexandria park Read more

Del Ray’s Bagel Uprising to compete with world’s best at the New York BagelFest

By James Cullum
Outdoor cafe courtyard with long picnic tables and red umbrellas, string lights, and a colorful mural of a raised fist on a building wall under a blue sky.
Bagel Uprising at 2307A Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)

Bagel Uprising is on a roll.

This Nov. 15, the Del Ray-based bagel shop will be participating with more than 25 of the top bagel shops around the country in the coveted New York BagelFest, the world’s premier bagel-making competition. After Bagel Uprising’s application last year to participate in the international festival and competition was denied, co-owner Chad Breckinridge says it’s an honor to be featured in the competition alongside Dallas-based Starship Bagel, New York City’s Utopia Bagels and Spain’s Si Si Bagels.

Go to Del Ray’s Bagel Uprising to compete with world’s best at the New York BagelFest Read more

Morning Notes for August 21, 2026

By ALXnow.com
A group of young children walking in a line on a brick sidewalk, supervised by two adults beside storefronts on a city street during the day.
Tots out for a walk on King Street in Old Town (courtesy of George Brazier)

On This Day in Alexandria History — Becoming the trademark tactic of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the first sit-in occurred well before the era of social unrest that would characterize the decade of the 1960s. Prior to the famous Woolworth counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, five courageous African-American youths staged the first deliberate and planned sit-in at the Alexandria “public” Library on August 21, 1939 … Although this first act of defiance against the system of Jim Crow did not garner the media attention, this was the first step towards the City of Alexandria seriously considering a colored branch for its African-American citizens and facing the issue of accessibility, however unequal, for all of its citizens.” [Historic Alexandria]

Testing of Speed Cameras Happening Today — “The City of Alexandria will test school zone flashers and camera systems on Friday, August 21 ahead of the first day of school for ACPS next week. Residents may see the flashers in operation during normal weekday hours as part of the test. No citations will be issued during the testing period … School zone speed camera enforcement will resume on Monday, August 24, the first day of school for the majority of Alexandria City Public Schools.” [Alexandria T&ES]

Go to Morning Notes for August 21, 2026 Read more

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Aug 20, 2026

By ALXnow.com
ALXnow Daily Debrief banner on a sunlit street scene with houses and trees; overlay reads 'Daily Debrief for Aug 20, 2026'

Good Thursday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Aug 20, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Alexandria teen found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in man’s death after Potomac Yard Metro chase (1132 views)
  2. Long-awaited splash pad to open in Del Ray in early September, city says (863 views)
  3. UPDATE: Tornado Watch added to severe storm outlook in Alexandria (702 views)
  4. Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar travels on Metro from King Street station this morning (671 views)
  5. Crooked Run Fermentation opening taproom in Del Ray Aug. 28 (483 views)
  6. Morning Notes for August 20, 2026 (462 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

⛅️ Friday’s forecast

It will be mostly sunny with a high of 82°F, with a north wind turning east in the afternoon at about 6 mph. Friday night brings increasing clouds and a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially after 2 a.m., with a low around 69°F and light east winds. Rainfall could range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with possibly more during thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
– Nelson Mandela

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

Long-awaited splash pad to open in Del Ray in early September, city says

By James Cullum
Small, single-story gray building with a front porch, flanked by benches and decorative metal panels in a fenced park area.
The Colasanto Interactive Fountain at 2700 Mount Vernon Avenue (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria intends to open a long-awaited spray park in Del Ray early next month.

The Del Ray Gateway/Colasanto Interactive Fountain will open the week of Sept. 7, with operations continuing through October, the city told ALXnow in an email. The park is located at the triangle-shaped park at the corners of Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues.

Go to Long-awaited splash pad to open in Del Ray in early September, city says Read more

Three ACPS naming ceremonies scheduled for September and October

By Emily Leayman
The Parker-Gray Stadium Field at Alexandria City High School King Street Campus (via ACPS)

Three Alexandria City Public Schools facilities that the School Board voted to rename will be dedicated in the next two months.

The Alexandria City School Board voted in December 2025 to name Keith Burns Field at Alexandria City High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium after a 1990 T.C. Williams High School graduate who had an NFL career. The athletic field complex at the high school’s Minnie Howard Campus will be named after the late Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley, and a media center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School will be named after Jean Reid, who taught at various ACPS schools.

Go to Three ACPS naming ceremonies scheduled for September and October Read more

Alexandria teen found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in man’s death after Potomac Yard Metro chase

By James Cullum
Suspected fare evaders captured chasing a man, who tried to elude them by jumping onto the tracks of the Potomac Yard Metro station before being struck by a train (via MTPD)

A 19-year Alexandria woman has been found guilty by a jury to charges related to the death of a man who was struck by a train last September at the Potomac Yard Metro station.

Jamaya Ann Burch was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and assault and battery for her actions on Sept. 22, 2025 leading to the death of 40-year-old James Halley Lynt. The jury found that Burch and her then-girlfriend attacked Lynt at the Metro station, leading to him trying to escape by jumping down from the station platform and getting struck by a train.

Go to Alexandria teen found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in man’s death after Potomac Yard Metro chase Read more

Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar travels on Metro from King Street station this morning

By Emily Leayman
A sign for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is seen on the National Mall, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

An IndyCar in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will be making its way from the King Street Metro station in Alexandria this morning (Aug. 20).

Metro said the IndyCar will make its way through the Yellow Line between the King Street Metro and D.C.’s Mount Vernon Square. The trip will happen between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., and there will be brief stops at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and L’Enfant Plaza stations. A return trip from Mount Vernon Square is expected to end by 12 p.m.

Go to Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar travels on Metro from King Street station this morning Read more

Alexandria nonprofits receive support from regional Builders for Babies diaper drive

By Emily Leayman
The 2026 Builders for Babies diaper drive (via HomeAid National Capital Region)

Alexandria nonprofits were among the 52 nonprofit recipients of nearly 1.3 million diapers and wipes from HomeAid National Capital Region’s latest donation drive.

HomeAid, which builds housing and programming space for nonprofits serving the homeless, organized the 2026 Builders for Babies diaper drive to benefit organizations serving families in the D.C. region and Richmond. Builders, trade partners, suppliers, community collection sites and donors helped HomeAid distribute a record 1,292,097 diapers.

Go to Alexandria nonprofits receive support from regional Builders for Babies diaper drive Read more
View More Stories