A 76-year-old Alexandria woman who went missing Saturday afternoon has been found safe, police said.
Bernise Simpkin was located at 11:18 p.m. Saturday, according to the Alexandria Police Department. She had been missing for nearly nine hours after last being seen around 2:45 p.m. in the North Old Town area.
Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Saturday, Aug. 9, the 221st day of 2025. There are 144 days left in the year.
On this day in 1974, a day after his resignation as President of the United States, Richard Nixon departed from the White House for his home at San Clemente, California. According to Historic Alexandria, Vice President Gerald R. Ford, who lived on Crown View Drive in Alexandria, was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States. After taking the oath of office, President Ford spoke to the nation in a television address, declaring, “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.”
We made it to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s a look at this week’s top stories.
Our most-read post is on a proposal to open a 24-hour Mexican restaurant in the city’s Del Ray neighborhood. The effort is facing some pushback from neighbors wary of potential crime and safety issues. In July, Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita officially announced in a special use permit application that it wants to open at 529 E. Howell Avenue, the former home to Bark Social. It would be the fourth restaurant for the local chain, and while the restaurant won’t serve alcohol, outside patio hours would be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, according to the application. The inside area is proposed to be open 24 hours a day.
A Maryland man who says an Alexandria K-9 officer injured him during his 2023 arrest has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against that officer’s handler and former Alexandria Police Chief Don Hayes.
William Kyle III claims to be the victim of excessive force by police after he was pulled over on July 15, 2023, near a northbound entrance to Interstate 495. Kyle alleges the actions of Alexandria Police Department officer Matthew Wilson and K-9 officer Ares resulted in what he describes as a “severe and permanent” injury to his right shoulder. It was inflicted after Kyle was handcuffed and in police custody, according to the civil complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared Saturday, Aug. 9, as the Commonwealth’s inaugural “Day of Play,” a statewide initiative designed to encourage families to step away from screens and engage in outdoor activities to support youth mental health.
The celebration is part of Youngkin’s broader “Reclaiming Childhood” initiative, launched through Executive Order 43 in November 2024 following a youth mental health summit. The initiative aims to reduce screen time among young people by 25% in 2025 and promote face-to-face social connections.
Room service, playtime, and Dog TV are just a few of the amenities that a luxury pet hotel franchise wants to bring to 2836 Duke Street.
The owners of a K9 Resorts franchise recently filed a special use permit request to open their doggie daycare and hotel at 2836 Duke Street. The 8,800-square-foot space is the former longtime home of Burke & Herbert Bank, which closed in 2023.
Captain Monica Lisle retired from the Alexandria Police Department this week after 23½ years of service, marking the end of a groundbreaking career that saw her become the first woman to lead the department’s Criminal Investigations Section.
The retirement comes just one day after ALXnow reported that Captain Courtney Ballantine retired from APD last month after 25 years to join Georgetown University Police as deputy chief.
Participants in Alexandria’s Summer Youth Employment Program got a pleasant surprise at their closing ceremony on Thursday — free Dell laptops from Comcast.
The program, which started on June 30 and pays $12.41 per hour, recognized nearly 100 students Thursday night (Aug. 7) at the Virginia Tech Innovation campus. Katrina Ashmore, chief of the city’s Workforce Development Center, said that the program is more than just a summer job.
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities’ Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying […]
A man died Friday morning after jumping from a 15th-floor balcony while FBI agents were attempting to serve a criminal arrest warrant at the Alexander Apartments on King Street.
Federal investigators from the FBI’s Washington Field Office were executing a court-authorized criminal arrest warrant around 6 a.m. when the man went out a window onto the balcony and jumped from the 15-story balcony, according to an FBI statement released Friday afternoon.
Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Friday, Aug. 8, the 220th day of 2025. There are 145 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83 degrees. East wind 6 to 10 mph. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 64 degrees. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
