News

Wegmans declines to confirm use of facial recognition technology at Alexandria store

By Emily Leayman
Wegmans in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Wegmans has declined to say whether its Alexandria store uses facial recognition technology, after the supermarket chain shared that some of its locations employ the security measure.

Cameras with facial recognition technology have been set up “in a small fraction of our stores located in communities that exhibit an elevated risk,” Wegmans said in a statement. Spokesperson Marcie Rivera declined to comment on the chain’s Carlyle location at 150 Stovall Street and other Northern Virginia locations.

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Old Town Farmers’ Market relocates to N. Royal Street tomorrow

By Katie Taranto
Old Town Farmers' Market (via City of Alexandria)

The Old Town Farmers’ Market is officially relocating this weekend in advance of construction on City Hall and Market Square.

The Saturday morning market is moving across the street from Market Square to the 100 block of N. Royal Street before construction is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

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Clerk of Court streamlines concealed carry process, adding new plastic permits

By James Cullum
New concealed carry permits are plastic in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Starting this month, Alexandria residents wanting to carry a concealed weapon can apply for a plastic permit at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office in Old Town.

Clerk Greg Parks recently revamped the city’s concealed carry permits from paper to plastic, and residents can now complete permit applications on his website. All these new measures are intended to streamline the process — which used to be “very inefficient,” Parks told ALXnow — for the public and his staff.

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N. Va. Transportation Commission elects Bagley to lead as region seeks state funding approval

By Scott McCaffrey
Sarah Bagley, second from left, and other members of the NVTC 2026 leadership (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Alexandria Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley assumed the top leadership spot of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) for 2026 last night (Thursday).

Bagley was unanimously elected chair of the regional body and will lead it during what is likely to be a pivotal year for transit funding across the area.

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Morning Notes for January 9, 2026

By ALXnow.com
As seen around Old Town Alexandria and Waterfront Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On Jan. 9, 1951, Alexandria officials announced the Alexandria National Guard armory on S. Royal Street had been converted into a recreation center for both servicemen and Alexandria residents. Renovations to the building included game rooms, a photographic darkroom and an indoor gym.” [Historic Alexandria]

NoVA Reports 8.2K in Job Losses — “Northern Virginia lost 8,200 jobs as the commonwealth shed tens of thousands of federal workers between November 2024 and November 2025, new data shows. Non-farm employment in Northern Virginia was down 0.5% as of November, according to data that the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement reported Wednesday. The commonwealth as a whole, meanwhile, had lost 22,400 federal jobs year-over-year — an 11.5% decrease.” [ARLnow]

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ALXnow Daily Debrief for Jan 8, 2026

By ALXnow.com

Good Thursday 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 — Jan 8, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌦️ Friday’s forecast

Rain is possible after 4pm with clouds increasing and a high near 56. South winds between 6-10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph. On Friday night, rain is more likely after 1am, with temperatures dropping to around 49. Southwest winds of 5-8 mph will shift northwest after midnight, and there’s a 70% chance of precipitation. New precipitation amounts could range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
– Albert Einstein

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

Major Democratic players rush to back Del. Bennett-Parker for Ebbin’s Senate seat

By Scott McCaffrey
(Left to right) Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5th) speaks in support of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) alongside Virginia House of Delegates Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-4th) and State Senate Majority Leader Sen. Scott Surovell (D-34th), April 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Much of the state’s Democratic political leadership is lining up behind Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker’s quest to succeed Adam Ebbin in the Virginia Senate.

Both Ebbin (D-39) and incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced their endorsements for Bennett-Parker’s bid today (Thursday), joining a host of other supportive state leaders.

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Alexandria benefit concert will fundraise for child abuse intervention

By Katie Taranto
Banding Together Gala: Alexandria’s Benefit Concert to End Child Abuse in February 2025 (via The Center for Alexandria's Children, Inc./Facebook)

An Alexandria-based nonprofit is planning a concert to raise funds for local child abuse prevention programs.

The Center for Alexandria’s Children has announced its annual “Banding Together: A Benefit Concert to End Child Abuse,” which is planned from 7-10:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 at the Oswald Durant Center (1605 Cameron Street). This year’s lineup includes local performers from School of Rock Alexandria and Guilty Ghost, led by Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter.

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Police investigating after moped stolen from impound lot listed for sale on Facebook

By James Cullum
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A moped that was stolen from Alexandria’s impound lot in November was later listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace, prompting an Alexandria Police Department investigation.

An employee at the impound lot at 5249 Eisenhower Avenue had received a call from an unknown person that the moped, stolen Nov. 10, was listed on Facebook Marketplace, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

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APD: Driver who crashed into Seminary Hill fence was going to hospital after accidental shooting

By James Cullum
A man crashed into a tree on Seminary Road while driving himself to the hospital, Jan. 7, 2026 (via Alexandria Police Department/Facebook)

A man who crashed into a fence in Seminary Hill yesterday (Wednesday) was driving himself to the hospital after an accidental shooting, according to the Alexandria Police Department.

The driver sustained a non-life threatening injury during the incident, which occurred at around 3:30 p.m. near the 4500 block of Seminary Road, APD said in a Facebook post.

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‘Near miss’ incidents involving kids in Alexandria raise concerns about Hickory Street intersection

By Katie Taranto
The roundabout at Hickory and Kennedy Streets in Alexandria's Potomac West neighborhood, Nov. 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

A new report on traffic safety in Northern Virginia is raising concerns about the number of “near miss” incidents in Alexandria, especially those involving children.

A total of 155 near miss incidents involving children were reported in Alexandria from January 2024 to December 2025 — more than in any other Northern Virginia locality, according to the report from Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS). Of those incidents, 53 of them occurred at a single intersection in Potomac West.

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