The Chamber ALX has released the finalists for the Best in Business Awards, and the top businesses will be announced at a gala in Old Town next month.

It’s no secret that Don Simpson, Jr. is the chamber’s 2023 business leader of the year, since that cat was let out of the bag last month. Just who will receive the other highly coveted awards, however, is still secret. This year’s nominees are listed below, and winners are determined by a panel of previous awardees.


Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!

☀️ Today’s weather: The weather forecast predicts a sunny day with a high temperature near 79°F, accompanied by calm winds that will shift to a northwest direction at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be mostly clear with a low temperature of around 60°F and light, variable winds.


Alexandria planning staff are recommending that City Council reverse a ruling by the Board of Architectural Review and allow a hair salon to keep an after-the-fact paint job on its exterior.

In May, the city was notified that the Glynn Jones Salon at 720 King Street painted a large portion of its exterior the color gray. On July 6, the Board of Architectural Review unanimously voted to deny the salon a certificate of appropriateness for the work.


Get your costume ready, because the Halloween pop-up bar ‘Nightmare On The Avenue’ is opening early next week in Del Ray.

The pop-up bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue is currently being decorated, and staff are concocting a spooky craft cocktail and food menu for the space that was home to the 80’s themed Miami Vibes popup bar during the summer.


(Updated on Sept. 21) This Saturday’s first-ever Eisenhower Rock the Avenue Block Party to promote the Eisenhower Valley has been postponed due to a rainy forecast.

“As of this morning, it is still calling for 100% heavy rain and high wind,” event organizers wrote in an email. “Given these predictions, it would be very hard to hold an event with these miserable conditions.”


The Alexandria Police Department says it is investigating multiple weapons violations over the weekend, including a man who was shot in the shoulder in a suspected carjacking in the West End.

The first incident occurred on Saturday, Sept. 17, around midnight in the 2000 block of N. Beauregard Street. The victim reported to police that her Airbnb guest pulled a handgun on her and fled the area in a black Kia Forte, according to the police scanner.


City leaders hope to make good use of the new government hub in the West End with a multi-language town hall event this weekend.

The event is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 24, from 1-3 p.m. in the Del Peper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive) — colloquially called West End City Hall during development.


Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!

☀️ Today’s weather: The weather forecast predicts sunny conditions with a high temperature of around 76°F and a northwest wind ranging from 6 to 11 mph. On Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low temperature of about 56°F. The northwest wind will slow down to 5 to 8 mph before becoming calm in the evening.


After weeks of waiting, Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Katie Uston denied a petition to promote Alexandria Police Department Captain Monica Lisle to the rank of assistant police chief.

Lisle, a 29-year APD veteran, is a white, gay woman who has fought for more than a year to become the assistant chief of police. She sued the city after City Manager Jim Parajon refused a three-member city grievance panel’s order to promote her to the position after finding that she’d been harmed and discriminated against in her pursuit of the job.


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