Former Alexandria City Councilman Frank Fannon is hosting his 18th annual Alexandrians Have Heart food and clothes drive in Old Town on Saturday, Feb. 14.
Fannon started the drive after getting elected to City Council in 2008, and says that he’s hoping this year to deliver a record six Ford F-150-sized truck beds full of food and clothes to ALIVE!, Carpenter’s Shelter and Christ House.
Alexandria government offices, libraries and public schools are closing Monday to observe Presidents Day, otherwise known in Virginia as George Washington Day.
Across the city, some services will close or operate on modified schedules in observance of the first president’s birthday. Trash, recycling and yard waste collection will be delayed one day next week, but curbside food waste collection will remain on-schedule.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On the morning of February 13, 1855, Alexandrians awoke to find the Potomac River frozen solid for miles up and down the river. Although all navigation ceased, townspeople that were brave enough were able to walk to the Maryland shore and back again.” [Historic Alexandria]
‘Innovation District’ Launches in Nat’l Landing — “A new ‘innovation district’ seeking to promote public-private partnerships has launched in Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard. The National Innovation Quarter, or ‘National IQ,’ promises ‘to solve the most pressing challenges at the intersection of national competitiveness and technology,’ according to a press release.” [ARLnow]
Good Thursday 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 — Feb 12, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Expect sunshine and a high of 39°F accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 7 to 10 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. For Friday night, the skies will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a low of around 28°F, with a gentle southwest breeze. See more from Weather.gov.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
– Albert Einstein
Thanks for reading!
As cleanup of “snowcrete” continues from the Jan. 25 winter storm, Alexandria officials discussed progress of snow and ice removal and ways to improve the response during future winter weather events.
On Tuesday, City Manager Jim Parajon briefed City Council about the unprecedented conditions that led to a longer cleanup effort than a typical snowstorm.
Alexandria appears to be closing the gap with neighboring Arlington for priciest apartment rentals in the region, according to one data analysis.
The median Alexandria apartment asking rent of $2,200 for one-bedroom units was up 5.3% year-over-year, while the median $2,740 for two bedrooms was up 3.8%, according to figures reported on Tuesday by Zumper.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins says one lesson to be learned from January’s snow and ice storm is the importance of timely messaging that reaches a large audience.
“It’s given us a lot of lessons learned,” Gaskins said at a roundtable yesterday (Wednesday) hosted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG).
Alexandria’s month-long celebration of the first president of the United States continues this Saturday with the return of the George Washington Birthday Parade.
Known as Washington’s adopted hometown, Alexandria has celebrated the Founding Father, born Feb. 22, 1732, with a birthday parade that dates back to 1801. This year, it will run from 2-4 p.m. this Saturday in Old Town with a modified route, due to ongoing renovations at City Hall and Market Square.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “Alexandria celebrates African American heritage every month of the year, but before there was a designated Black History Month, Black History Week was started in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson to commemorate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12th, and Frederick Douglass on February 14th. In many black communities, these birthdays were already commemorated in the years between 1865 and 1926. Black History Week evolved into Black History Month in 1976.” [Historic Alexandria]
Attorney Who Prosecuted Trump Running For Congress — “J.P. Cooney — who served as a top deputy for special counsel Jack Smith’s office in two criminal prosecutions against Trump, before the president fired him in January 2025 — announced his candidacy Wednesday.” [ARLnow]
Good Wednesday 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 — Feb 11, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Expect to see mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 38 degrees. The northwest wind will be blowing at a speed of 11 to 15 mph, alongside gusts reaching up to 26 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 24 degrees, and a northwest wind blowing at roughly 10 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks for reading!
The Alexandria City Council last night (Tuesday) unanimously approved a resolution asking the Alexandria Circuit Court to set an April 21 special election date to fill the council seat vacated by Del.-elect R. Kirk McPike.
April 21 is the same date as a statewide referendum, and city staff and the city’s registrar of voters recommended holding the special election on that date to “reduce election costs and avoid voter confusion associated with multiple elections held in close succession,” according to the resolution.
