After yet another push to get an Old Town Business Improvement District (BID) off the ground in Old Town failed, business advocacy group Old Town Business is shutting down.
Old Town Business was launched 40 years ago and helps to oversee advocacy, events and marketing for shops around Old Town. The group was one of the driving forces behind the latest in a series of efforts to launch a more formal, taxpayer-funded effort to take over for marketing and representing Old Town Businesses.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Expect sunshine and a high of 43 with light southwest winds shifting to the south at 10-15 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Tonight, there’s a 50% chance of rain and snow showers after 1am, turning partly cloudy later with a low of 36. Winds will be southwest at around 16 mph, and gusts may reach 26 mph.
Need a room? Prices at Alexandria Airbnbs are skyrocketing during inauguration weekend.
The inauguration of Donald Trump as president will take place at the U.S. Capitol — just a few miles down the Potomac River from Alexandria.
In what is maybe the most Old Towny of business openings: a new cobbler is setting up shop in Old Town just behind City Hall.
Old House Provisions, a menswear store launched by 29-year-old “bespoke shoemaker” Drew Altizer, is opening next weekend at 315A Cameron Street. The store will also feature an on-site shoemaking workshop.
For the third year in a row enrollment has been climbing in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), but long-term projections say the city is getting close to a peak before it starts to decline again.
While on the surface student enrollment has increased over the last two decades by roughly 60%, ACPS enrollment projections say student population is expected to peak in FY 2028 before it starts to decline.
There’s a new indoor gym in Alexandria’s West End dedicated to improving baseball and softball swings.
The Dugout, a 10,000-square-foot facility, recently opened for individual and group training at 315 Hooffs Run Road. It’s owned by Layla Burczak, Lacey Forster, Ben Kelley, Amanda Kelley, Ben Matthews and Katy Matthews — all principals in Alexandria Travel Sports LLC.
Former attorney Patrick Edwards, 44, was sentenced to seven years in prison after a series of burglaries in Arlington and Alexandria.
Edwards was arrested last March for a stealing credit cards from an Alexandria office building multiple times in 2022. He was convicted of felony statutory burglary and other charges and sentenced to six years of incarceration with all of that time suspended on conditions including supervised probation. However, the investigation was also connected to similar burglaries in Arlington in early 2023.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunny skies and a high near 41 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind ranging from 9 to 11 mph and gusts reaching up to 21 mph. As for Tuesday night, the conditions will be mostly clear with a low temperature around 24 degrees, and a mild west wind between 3 and 7 mph.
“Dogged investigatory work” from the Alexandria Police Department is “easing a spike in crime,” says Mayor Justin Wilson.
Alexandria has seen an 8% overall surge in crimes against people and property so far this year, according to Part I crime statistics recently released by the APD Crime Dashboard. As of Oct. 31, there have been 3,929 incidents this year, versus 3,647 for the same period last year.
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) said in an alert to parents that a bus driver has been “placed on leave” effectively immediately after being charged with a murder.
ACPS said the bus driver in question is Carlas William Carter. Carter, 37, was arrested along with Alexandria resident Mary Ashby, 26, for the fatal shooting of Tamara Jones, 26, in Oxon Hill.
Late night travelers be aware: the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is scheduled to open Thursday night through early Friday morning for maintenance.
The District of Columbia AlertDC system said the bridge will have multiple openings and traffic stops between 10 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, through 5 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 6.
