Alexandria Library is partnering with the Office of Historic Alexandria and D.C.-based think tank New America to create an immersive digital exhibit commemorating the historic 1939 civil rights sit-in at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library.
New America was awarded a two-year $250,000 grant for the project and plans to launch the exhibit in 2027.
Alexandria City Council has joined a growing number of local residents asking Fairfax County to deny a substation associated with data center development just outside city limits.
In a letter to the Fairfax County Planning Commission, City Council cited “the incompatibility of heavy industrial use” near densely populated Alexandria. The letter was sent by Mayor Alyia Gaskins on behalf of the entire City Council.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On August 5, 1774, Alexandria’s first volunteer fire company was established as the Friendship Fire Company. Initially the company was provided space in the Market Square area, but over time, several moves ensued as the needs of the company grew. In 1855 the company moved to a new firehouse built on South Alfred Street, with was a tall pointed steeple that could be seen from miles away. During the Civil War the firehouse was neglected, and by 1871, the impact of wind and weather on the steeple was so devastating that the building was closed and rebuilt. The steeple was removed and replaced by the lower cupola still in place today.” [Historic Alexandria]
Inova Alexandria Hospital Ranked Among Top in Va. — Alexandria’s hospital ranked on the new 2026-2027 Best Hospitals ranking from U.S. News and World Report. This year, the report added regional specialized rankings for cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, orthopedics and rehabilitation. [Patch]
Rep. Don Beyer has earned the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District in Tuesday’s primary election.
The congressman, who is seeking his seventh term, defeated four challengers — former Alexandria City Council Member Mo Seifeldein, fired State Department worker Michael Duffin, veteran and former CIA officer Adam Dunigan and military family advocate Lorena Bruner. The Associated Press called the race at 7:34 p.m. after polls closed.
Good Tuesday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Aug 4, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Expect showers and thunderstorms, especially before 3pm and again after 4pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high of 87°F. Winds will be light, becoming south at 5 to 7 mph, and there’s a 60% chance of precipitation, with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch possible. Wednesday night will have a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers until 2am, with a low around 74°F and a south wind at 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
– Marie Curie
Thanks for reading!
With just hours left until polls close, participation in the Democratic primary for Virginia’s 8th Congressional district is far outpacing turnout in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
As of 4 p.m., 10,772 ballots were cast citywide in the five-candidate Democratic primary, about 10.7% of the city’s 99,811 registered voters, according to figures released by the city’s general registrar. The numbers include 6,346 early and mail-in ballots, leaving the total number of in-person votes cast at just 4,426.
The floating kayak launch at Four Mile Run Park washed away from its moorings after heavy rainstorms over the weekend.
On Sunday afternoon (Aug. 2), a stabilizing cable that kept the kayak launch in place snapped after too much pressure during high tide from trees and other floating debris. City staff were at the park on Tuesday afternoon to close the walkway leading down to the vacant space. The launch is now resting underneath the Route 1 bridge, and caution tape and a construction sign have been erected to bar anyone from using the walkway.
Tenants facing eviction in Alexandria have a new resource available.
The city’s General District Court launched an eviction diversion program on July 1, giving residents being evicted three chances to pay back rent to their landlords.
The Alexandria Police Department is looking for the suspect behind an alleged attempted robbery involving the victim’s vehicle earlier in July.
Around 12:15 a.m. on Monday, July 13, APD was dispatched to the area of N. Henry Street and Pendleton Street in Old Town for a fight without weapons. The victim told police that he parked his white Toyota Corolla sedan and left it running with the hazard lights on and doors open to “conduct business” outside a dental office, and returned to his car to find an unknown man getting into it, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
A new Alexandria townhouse development was saluted July 29 for its creative development plan and focus on providing affordable homeownership opportunities.
Housing Alexandria’s Cardinal Path project at 4575 Seminary Road fills a key gap in the local housing market, making it a role model, according to the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On August 4, 1898, the City received a novel complaint, that perambulators were occupying too much space on the sidewalks of King Street, forcing pedestrians to zig-zig their way along the main commercial thoroughfare, while unperturbed mothers shopped in adjacent stores at their leisure. Though sympathetic to the complainant, legally there was little recourse to restrict the increasingly large baby carriages of the period. [Historic Alexandria]
It’s Election Day — Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the 8th Congressional District Democratic primary and U.S. Senate Republican primary. [ALXnow]
