News

National Park Service proposes new safety, trail and waterfront upgrades in Old Town North

By Katie Taranto
The Mount Vernon Trail near Daingerfield Island (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The National Park Service is seeking input on a proposal to redesign intersections, add new trail connections and expand waterfront access in Old Town North, among other changes.

The agency is planning a slate of future upgrades along the GW Parkway, Mount Vernon Trail and Potomac waterfront, aiming to make the areas “safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable for everyone,” according to a press release. Plans include trail bridge replacement, new bike lanes and crosswalks and “improved views” of the waterfront.

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Nonprofit seeks city approval to convert Old Town office headquarters into townhomes

By James Cullum
415 N. Alfred Street (via Google Maps)

After more than 20 years in Old Town’s Parker-Gray Historic District, a nonprofit wants to demolish its headquarters and replace it with five three-story townhomes.

The Society of Defense Financial Management — formerly the American Society of Military Comptrollers — has owned and used the office building at 415 N. Alfred Street since 2004. Now real estate developer PT Blooms is asking the city for permission to tear down the entire structure and build five new townhomes with roof decks and rear-loaded two-vehicle garages.

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Condemned townhouse returned to homeowner after Monday basement fire in West End

By James Cullum
Residential fire on Morgan Court, Jan. 5, 2026 (via IAFF Local 2141/Facebook)

No injuries were reported after the Alexandria Fire Department extinguished a townhouse basement fire in the West End yesterday (Monday).

Fire crews arrived at the 6000 block of Morgan Court at around 8:30 a.m. to find a smoke-filled basement and a flaming electrical panel, according to a Facebook post from the International Association of Firefighters Local 2141.

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VSP trooper injured in crash after reckless driving pursuit on I-495

By Katie Taranto
Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

A Virginia State Police (VSP) trooper was injured in a Sunday crash on Interstate 495 in Alexandria after attempting to stop a motorist for reckless driving.

The trooper went off the road to avoid striking a third, uninvolved vehicle, striking a tree and rolling over once, according to VSP.

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Morning Notes for January 6, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Birds in Alexandria (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On Jan. 6, 1873 a temporary hospital was erected on S. Washington Street, near St. Mary’s Cemetery, to accommodate the huge increase in victims that had succumbed to a massive Smallpox epidemic underway in Alexandria. The attempt to isolate indigent and ‘outside poor’ patients away from the densely populated downtown area, at a spot where Washington Street dead-ended at Great Hunting Creek, proved fruitless for those who had contracting the disease, and many died soon after they were admitted to the facility.” [Historic Alexandria]

Daylight Is Increasing — “Sunset cracked 5 pm in DC today, for the first time since early November. Goodbye to the 57-day streak of 4-o’clock darkness… and now we’re gaining a minute of evening light daily. Onward!” [Capital Weather Gang]

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ALXnow Daily Debrief for Jan 5, 2026

By ALXnow.com

Good Monday 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 5, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Old Town-based bank expanding into Pennsylvania through $354M deal (1350 views)
  2. Alexandria man accused of stabbing girlfriend’s son with fork on New Year’s Day (1198 views)
  3. City to discuss future land usage on Duke Street during work session tomorrow (982 views)
  4. DASH party bus helps Del Ray preschooler celebrate his ‘dream’ birthday (668 views)
  5. Feast & Fettle arrives in Alexandria, offering dinner without the stress (537 views)
  6. History tours, concerts and more coming to Alexandria this winter for America’s 250th anniversary (423 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect patchy fog to clear by 10am, giving way to mostly cloudy skies and a high near 51°F, accompanied by a calm southeasterly wind at 6 mph in the afternoon. For Tuesday night, it will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 44°F and a westerly wind at 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
– Mark Twain

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

Alexandria man accused of stabbing girlfriend’s son with fork on New Year’s Day

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

An emergency protective order has been issued against an Alexandria man after he allegedly stabbed his girlfriend’s son in the face with a fork on New Year’s Day.

The 41-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with malicious wounding after the incident, which occurred at around 11:30 a.m. in an apartment at the 5300 block of Essex Court in the West End, near the Winkler Botanical Preserve.

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Alexandria to host City Hall pre-construction meeting as relocations are underway

By James Cullum
A rendering of the proposed City Hall and Market Square renovation (via City of Alexandria)

The city of Alexandria will host a virtual meeting this Thursday covering the pre-construction phase of renovations at City Hall and Market Square.

Currently in its architectural and engineering design phase, the multimillion-dollar project includes renovations at City Hall, a redesign of Market Square and an underground parking garage. More than 300 city employees have already relocated to temporary swing spaces, and the rest are expected to do so by the end of the month, according to a city announcement.

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Emergency visits for the flu triple in Alexandria, prompting calls for more vaccinations

By Katie Taranto
Former ALXnow editor receives a Covid-19 shot on Wednesday, Sept. 10 (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

After a reported uptick in flu, COVID-19 and other illnesses in the city, the Alexandria Health Department is recommending the flu shot and and other preventative measures to stay healthy.

Flu-related emergency department visits more than tripled in Alexandria during the last two weeks of December, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health. Alexandria’s current flu vaccination rate is low, sitting at less than 30% of the population, AHD spokesperson Eve Elliott told ALXnow.

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Old Town-based bank expanding into Pennsylvania through $354M deal

By Katie Taranto
Burke and Herbert Bank at the corner of Fairfax and King Street in Old Town (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Old Town-based Burke & Herbert Bank is expanding its reach after acquiring a Pennsylvania bank in a multimillion-dollar deal.

Burke & Herbert is acquiring Camp Hill, Pa.-based LinkBank for $354.2 million, a deal expected to close in the second half of 2026. The merger will expand the bank into Pennsylvania and increase its footprint to 100 locations across six states, according to a press release.

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City to discuss future land usage on Duke Street during work session tomorrow

By James Cullum
The Duke Street Land Use Plan will cover the area between Alexandria's Union Station and the former Landmark Mall property (via City of Alexandria)

The Planning Commission will host a work session tomorrow (Tuesday) on a draft plan for the future of Duke Street.

Still in its infancy, the Duke Street Land Use Plan is intended to guide city officials in the development of the Duke Street corridor from the former Landmark Mall to Alexandria Union Station. The document is expected to be ready for City Council consideration and adoption from late 2026 to early 2027, according to the city.

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