News

Morning Notes for August 27, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Two rowing crews race on a calm river at sunset, with an arched bridge and city buildings along the distant shore.
Rowers with Alexandria City High School on the Potomac River (courtesy of Titan Rowing)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On August 27, 1948, the Alexandria Citizens Band gave a concert outside Maury School to celebrate its first prize honors at Virginia State Fireman’s Convention days before. The band had previously won top honors several times at the competition.” [Historic Alexandria]

School Board Meets Tonight — The Alexandria City School Board is back for a meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, with an agenda featuring community donations, adjustments to the budget due to state funding, and a closed session to discuss superintendent candidates. [Alexandria City School Board]

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ALXnow Daily Debrief for Aug 26, 2026

By ALXnow.com
ALXnow branding with 'Daily Debrief for Aug 26, 2026' over a brick-walled street with statues and steps.

Good Wednesday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Aug 26, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. How a write-in campaign made Chadwicks the best bar in Alexandria poll winner (675 views)
  2. Alexandria intervenes in proposed Dominion Energy, NextEra merger case (565 views)
  3. Political operative from Alexandria pens debut thriller novel, plans launch at Elaine’s Literary Salon (538 views)
  4. Lanes reopen after crash backs up traffic on southbound I-395 in Alexandria (466 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

🌦️ Thursday’s forecast

Showers and thunderstorms are possible, mainly after 2pm, with some storms potentially severe. Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 90, with south winds at 7 to 10 mph and a 30% chance of rain. Thursday night, there’s a greater chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially before midnight, with a low around 69. The sky will be mostly cloudy, winds will become calm, and the chance of rain is 50%. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
– Arthur Ashe

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

Lanes reopen after crash backs up traffic on southbound I-395 in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Busy multi-lane highway with heavy traffic and orange construction/cone barriers blocking some lanes, an emergency vehicle present.
Crash on I-395 southbound at Little River Turnpike on Aug. 26, 2026 (via VDOT)

A driver was reportedly injured in a two-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 395 near the Duke Street/Little River Turnpike exit Wednesday afternoon.

The crash between a black SUV and a tan Toyota sedan was reported just after 3:45 p.m. Alexandria police and fire responders cut off traffic in the third and fourth lanes near the righthand shoulder of the roadway. The crash occurred just before exit 3 on I-395.

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ACPS leaders tout SOL testing gains, but some student groups lag behind

By James Cullum
Front and side view of a yellow school bus with 'SCHOOL BUS' sign, parked on a street near a brick building; another bus is in the background.
School bus outside Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools officials are touting improvements in standardized testing results from the Virginia Department of Education.

VDOE’s annual SOL standardized test results showed ACPS improved across all content areas divisionwide in the 2025-26 school year, increasing 9% in history (to 71%), 5% in mathematics (to 59%), 3% in science (to 56%) and 1% in reading (to 63%).

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Alexandria intervenes in proposed Dominion Energy, NextEra merger case

By Emily Leayman
A Dominion Energy lineman lifts himself up to work on a power line in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in North Augusta, S.C. (AP Photo/Artie Walker Jr., File)

The City of Alexandria is formally intervening in the proposed merger of Dominion Energy with Florida-based NextEra Energy under consideration by state and federal regulators.

The city government has filed as a participant in the case under review by Virginia’s State Corporation Commission. Along with the SCC, the $67 billion merger proposal is under consideration at the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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Delivery truck hits power line, sparking fire behind Shoppes at Foxchase

By James Cullum
Fire behind the Shoppes at Foxchase in Alexandria’s West End on Aug. 25, 2026 (via AFD/Facebook)

No injuries were reported after a delivery truck driver hit a power line behind a shopping center in Alexandria’s West End on Tuesday night (Aug. 25), sparking a fire that destroyed a pickup truck, two dumpsters and fencing.

The fire was reported behind the Harris Teeter (4641 Duke Street) at the Shoppes at Foxchase just before 9 p.m. and was extinguished an hour later. The fire started after the driver of a tractor-trailer making a delivery in the rear of the Harris Teeter “accidentally struck an electrical service drop,” according to the Alexandria Fire Department. No buildings were damaged.

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Morning Notes for August 26, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Bronze statue of a man in old-fashioned clothing sitting on a bench beside a brick wall. A cane rests in his hand near brick steps and railings.
A statue of George Washington outside 305 Cameron Street, where Washington was feted by Alexandria gentlemen on Dec. 31, 1783 to celebrate his return from the Revolutionary War (staff photo by James Cullum)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “One August 26, 1948, the Alexandria Citizen’s Band was honored to win first prize in a competition held at the Virginia State Fireman’s Convention. The local band, a community organization comprising volunteer members who bring musical entertainment to Northern Virginia, Alexandria, and the DC Metro area, still plays a summer concert series annually at Alexandria’s Market Square and at community special events. The band was organized in 1912 and is one of the oldest community bands in the country.” [Historic Alexandria]

ICE Reveals 2 Alexandria Arrests in Regional Operation — “DHS named 10 of the 1,328 people it said were arrested. Two were arrested in Alexandria, according to the department, which did not say how many arrests were made in the city overall or in any other jurisdiction. The department said Angel Gabriel Ortiz-Hernandez, of Guatemala, has been arrested on charges of rape of a mentally incapacitated victim and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of an incapacitated victim. It listed no convictions for him. It said Rowan Andrew Brown, of Jamaica, has convictions for identity theft, kidnapping an adult and illegal re-entry, and has been arrested on a fraud allegation.” [Alexandria Brief]

Go to Morning Notes for August 26, 2026 Read more

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Aug 25, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Group of students in purple shirts playing saxophones outdoors, part of a school band.

Good Tuesday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Aug 25, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Some Amtrak trips to run from Alexandria instead of D.C. for nine days in October (1125 views)
  2. Alexandria police bust man allegedly selling guns and marijuana on Instagram (752 views)
  3. Alexandria school meal prices jump more than usual this school year (495 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Today will be mostly sunny with a high of around 88°F. Winds will be calm, shifting to the south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Tonight, expect mostly cloudy skies with a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m.; the low will be around 71°F, with a south wind at 9 mph. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
– Arthur Ashe

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

UPDATED: AFD extinguishes small fire on Metro tracks at Braddock Road station

By Emily Leayman
White metro SUV in the foreground on a city street, with a blue-yellow bus and concrete building behind, shaded by trees on a sunny day.
Braddock Road Metro station on Aug. 25, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

An apparent small fire on the Metro tracks prompted an emergency response at the Braddock Road Metro station Tuesday evening.

The Alexandria Fire Department was called to the station (700 N. West Street) around 5:14 p.m. According to radio dispatches, a Metro supervisor called 911 to report potential wood burning on Track 2. Units found an apparent smoking crosstie and did not believe Metro had to shut down the electrified third rail.

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Alexandria police bust man allegedly selling guns and marijuana on Instagram

By James Cullum
Collage showing cash spread on a car seat, a firearm in the car, a white car on the road, cracked dirt ground, a car dashboard with cash stacks, and a hand holding bundled money; caption reads 'She nice and clean today'
APD discovered photos of firearms, cash and marijuana allegedly sold from an Alexandria man's Instagram account (via APD)

A 23-year-old Alexandria man faces felony charges after allegedly selling guns and marijuana on Instagram.

The suspect was arrested in May after a five-month investigation by the Alexandria Police Department, in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service, according to a recently unsealed search warrant affidavit. APD found that multiple packages containing pounds of marijuana were sent from Arizona and California to the suspect at an address in the 1300 block of Cleveland Street in Alexandria’s North Ridge-Rosemont neighborhood.

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Some Amtrak trips to run from Alexandria instead of D.C. for nine days in October

By Emily Leayman
Alexandria Amtrak station platform (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Alexandria Union Station will be busier than usual for nine days in October as it replaces D.C.’s Union Station for some Amtrak trips.

Amtrak announced Monday that it will be replacing aging track components for nine days, prompting a service suspension at the control point between D.C. and Virginia. Work will start after service ends on Friday, Oct. 16 and be completed before morning service on Monday, Oct. 26.

Go to Some Amtrak trips to run from Alexandria instead of D.C. for nine days in October Read more
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