Alexandria Police Chief Don Hayes is stepping down to take a new federal job, the city announced today. His last day is Feb. 9, and Assistant Chief Raul Pedroso will be interim police chief until a replacement is hired in a national search.
Hayes has been police chief since 2022, before which he was acting chief for a year after the departure of former Chief Michael Brown. He started his career with the Alexandria Police Department in 1981.
The ongoing public opinion war over the Potomac Yard arena continued this weekend with a public town hall at the Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street) on Saturday and a protest against it outside.
The two-hour town hall included a discussion of the economic impact of the new arena and public safety, but transportation continued to be the central piece of the Potomac Yard arena discourse.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Expect partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 46 degrees, accompanied by northwest winds ranging from 15 to 18 mph and gusts up to 31 mph. During Monday night, the skies will be mostly cloudy with a low temperature around 31 degrees, and a north wind blowing at 6 to 10 mph.
It was a tense week in Alexandria.
A swatting situation on Wednesday shut down two Alexandria schools, putting one in lockdown and forcing the other to evacuate.
Two Alexandria restaurants were ranked in Washingtonian’s The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington, DC.
At number 15 on the ranking was Japanese restaurant Nasime at 1209 King Street.
Del Ray’s Jesse O’Connell has thrown his hat into the City Council race.
O’Connell launched a campaign website this morning and announced his intention to run in an email.
Del Ray/Arlandria bar Hops N Shine (3410 Mount Vernon Avenue) is celebrating its five-year anniversary tomorrow (Saturday) with live music, craft activities, and a local beer tasting.
The bar’s anniversary party is scheduled to run from 1-8 p.m. on Saturday, with arts and crafts for kids from 1-6 p.m. and live music from 2-6 p.m.
Alexandria’s City Council is hosting a town hall tomorrow (Saturday) to discuss the new Potomac Yard arena, but some locals are planning to rally outside the event and protest.
The town hall is scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street).
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Expect cloudy skies and a high close to 67 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind of 5-9 mph shifting to northwest in the afternoon. For Friday night, the clouds will mostly linger with temperatures dropping to around 45 degrees and a 7 mph north wind.
Liquor store thefts jumped more than 200% in Alexandria in 2023, according to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
There are six Virginia ABC stores in Alexandria. The store with the most incidents is the Arlandria store at 3815 Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray North Shopping Center, which saw 43 incidents of theft last year, up from just eight reported incidents in 2022. The store with the highest amount of theft is at 501 Montgomery Street in Old Town North, which saw 23 incidents.
Alexandria Restaurant Week 2024 continues through Sunday, January 28. Don’t miss your chance to treat your taste buds to prix fixe dinners priced at $30, $40, or $50 at more than 70 restaurants throughout Alexandria.
Besides the great food, here’s a glimpse of the exciting events, live music, and entertainment awaiting you this weekend in Alexandria.
