Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Wednesday, Aug. 13, the 225th day of 2025. There are 140 days left in the year.
⛈️ Today’s weather: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 40%.
Former Alexandria City Councilman Mohamed “Mo” Seifeldein announced Tuesday to reporters that he will seek the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, challenging five-term incumbent Rep. Don Beyer and positioning himself as a voice for economic change.
Seifeldein, 41, made the announcement during a press call, framing his campaign around what he calls the need for “moral clarity” and leaders who have experienced daily struggles.
After a wedding, graduation, or significant event, wouldn’t it be nice if folks could upload their phone pictures and videos to a single gallery?
Alexandria-based entrepreneur Elizabeth Kukla did just that. In the spring of 2021, Kukla’s cousin was getting married. As a gift to the happy couple, Kukla designed a card based on the wedding invitations and printed out cards with QR codes to be placed on the guest tables for the reception. Guests who scanned the code uploaded their favorite pictures to one place, and a week later, the bride’s younger sister reached out and asked for the same services at her own nuptials that summer. With that, SnapSpaces was born.
Alexandria City Public Schools will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the beloved football film “Remember the Titans” with a special celebration at Alexandria City High School on Sept. 19.
The ticketed evening event promises “special guests, fun surprises, and a whole lot of Titan pride,” according to a school district announcement. Activities will include a student pep rally, Titan tailgate, and a tribute to the 1971 Titans team that inspired the Disney film.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins hosted her third annual back-to-school salon event on Tuesday, Aug. 12, providing free professional hairstyling, backpacks, and food to girls living in Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties across the city.
The event, held at Iye’s Beauty Salon, located at 4600 Duke Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., served between 15 and 20 girls, ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade, as well as one young man.
Alexandria is seeking feedback on its 15-year plan to address affordable housing issues. Once approved, the Housing 2040 Master Plan will provide City Council and staff with clear goals, strategies, and direction on the city’s housing plans. The city is hosting an open house this Monday (Sept. 8) to get feedback on Housing 2040 draft recommendations for landlord-tenant rights and resources, and homeownership programs in the city. The event will be held at the Minnie Howard Campus of Alexandria City High School (3775 W. Braddock Road) from 6 to 7 p.m., and registration is encouraged.
The current master plan is set to expire in 2025. The new plan will require a 2024 housing needs assessment from the city, and input from residents to “establish new housing affordability goals and examine housing policies, programs, and tools to support all Alexandria residents and workers,” according to the city.
A 35-year-old Dumfries man faces multiple charges related to a shooting last month at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive) in Alexandria’s West End.
The July 10 shooting was the result of an argument in a TikTok livestream between Aria and the male victim, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. Samir Ahmad Aria was charged with reckless handling of a firearm, shooting in a public place without injury, and pointing/brandishing a firearm — all Class 1 misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine.
A man being held without bond in the Alexandria jail faces robbery charges for allegedly walking into convenience stores in Alexandria and Fairfax County with a hammer or tire iron and stealing cigarettes from behind the counters.
Anthony Nyreki Edwards, of no fixed address, goes to court Friday, Aug. 15 on two counts of felony robbery with a weapon. He was arrested on April 30 and has been linked to numerous incidents, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit:
Construction crews will install a tower crane on Monday, Aug. 18, at The Heritage at Old Town redevelopment project, marking another significant milestone in the multiphase apartment complex that broke ground in June.
Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners announced the crane installation will take place Aug. 18 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours possible under permit if needed. The work will affect parking and traffic along the 500-534 block of South Alfred Street.
Good Tuesday, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Tuesday, Aug. 12, the 224th day of 2025. There are 141 days left in the year.
🌤️ Today’s weather: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 90 degrees. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
Four women arrested and charged with shoplifting in Maryland have been linked to the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a Lululemon store in Old Town.
On Feb. 19, the Gaithersburg Police Department arrested Precious Spivey, 18, Mone Herndon, 27, Shawn Stewart, 27, and Tanaysia Stewart, 18, all of Washington, D.C., for stealing more than $10,000 in merchandise from Bath & Body Works in Germantown and a LensCrafters and Lululemon store in Gaithersburg. The department said the group was engaged in an “organized retail theft ring.”
