Just in time for school, AT&T gave away 115 free refurbished laptops to students and families at its Potomac Yard location in Alexandria on Thursday (Aug. 20).
With a waitlist of more than 7,000 people, the 115 recipients were pre-selected via lottery. The event was the last of 10 distributions across the country this summer.
In a developed city like Alexandria, residents may soon be surprised to find four-legged landscapers wandering a West End park.
Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities is launching a pilot program to bring 35 to 40 goats to All Veterans Park (4725 Duke Street). Starting Sept. 8, the herd of goats will be brought to graze on invasive plants on the slopes of the park. The invasive plants being targeted in the pilot program are kudzu, garlic mustard and multiflora rose.
Bagel Uprising is on a roll.
This Nov. 15, the Del Ray-based bagel shop will be participating with more than 25 of the top bagel shops around the country in the coveted New York BagelFest, the world’s premier bagel-making competition. After Bagel Uprising’s application last year to participate in the international festival and competition was denied, co-owner Chad Breckinridge says it’s an honor to be featured in the competition alongside Dallas-based Starship Bagel, New York City’s Utopia Bagels and Spain’s Si Si Bagels.
On This Day in Alexandria History — Becoming the trademark tactic of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the first sit-in occurred well before the era of social unrest that would characterize the decade of the 1960s. Prior to the famous Woolworth counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, five courageous African-American youths staged the first deliberate and planned sit-in at the Alexandria “public” Library on August 21, 1939 … Although this first act of defiance against the system of Jim Crow did not garner the media attention, this was the first step towards the City of Alexandria seriously considering a colored branch for its African-American citizens and facing the issue of accessibility, however unequal, for all of its citizens.” [Historic Alexandria]
Testing of Speed Cameras Happening Today — “The City of Alexandria will test school zone flashers and camera systems on Friday, August 21 ahead of the first day of school for ACPS next week. Residents may see the flashers in operation during normal weekday hours as part of the test. No citations will be issued during the testing period … School zone speed camera enforcement will resume on Monday, August 24, the first day of school for the majority of Alexandria City Public Schools.” [Alexandria T&ES]
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 — Aug 20, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
It will be mostly sunny with a high of 82°F, with a north wind turning east in the afternoon at about 6 mph. Friday night brings increasing clouds and a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially after 2 a.m., with a low around 69°F and light east winds. Rainfall could range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with possibly more during thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
– Nelson Mandela
Thanks for reading!
Alexandria intends to open a long-awaited spray park in Del Ray early next month.
The Del Ray Gateway/Colasanto Interactive Fountain will open the week of Sept. 7, with operations continuing through October, the city told ALXnow in an email. The park is located at the triangle-shaped park at the corners of Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues.
Three Alexandria City Public Schools facilities that the School Board voted to rename will be dedicated in the next two months.
The Alexandria City School Board voted in December 2025 to name Keith Burns Field at Alexandria City High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium after a 1990 T.C. Williams High School graduate who had an NFL career. The athletic field complex at the high school’s Minnie Howard Campus will be named after the late Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley, and a media center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School will be named after Jean Reid, who taught at various ACPS schools.
A 19-year Alexandria woman has been found guilty by a jury to charges related to the death of a man who was struck by a train last September at the Potomac Yard Metro station.
Jamaya Ann Burch was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and assault and battery for her actions on Sept. 22, 2025 leading to the death of 40-year-old James Halley Lynt. The jury found that Burch and her then-girlfriend attacked Lynt at the Metro station, leading to him trying to escape by jumping down from the station platform and getting struck by a train.
An IndyCar in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will be making its way from the King Street Metro station in Alexandria this morning (Aug. 20).
Metro said the IndyCar will make its way through the Yellow Line between the King Street Metro and D.C.’s Mount Vernon Square. The trip will happen between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., and there will be brief stops at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and L’Enfant Plaza stations. A return trip from Mount Vernon Square is expected to end by 12 p.m.
Alexandria nonprofits were among the 52 nonprofit recipients of nearly 1.3 million diapers and wipes from HomeAid National Capital Region’s latest donation drive.
HomeAid, which builds housing and programming space for nonprofits serving the homeless, organized the 2026 Builders for Babies diaper drive to benefit organizations serving families in the D.C. region and Richmond. Builders, trade partners, suppliers, community collection sites and donors helped HomeAid distribute a record 1,292,097 diapers.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “The advance on Alexandria from a British fleet in August 1814 was planned to draw the attention away from a planned attack on Washington from the north. But starting on August 20, Captain James Gordon’s ships were delayed for days, repeatedly grounding on the shoals of the Potomac. By the time the fleet reached Fort Washington (then called Fort Warburton), the attack and burning of the nation’s capital had already occurred a week earlier. After the self-destruction of the Maryland fort by American forces, Gordon soon turned his attention to Alexandria. Realizing the predicament of the now defenseless town, the town’s Common Council quickly decided not to oppose a British attack. On a Sunday morning, Mayor Charles Simms and an entourage rowed southward towards the advancing fleet, waving a white flag and requesting terms of surrender to prevent the destruction of the town. Due to its being the Sabbath, Gordon sent the officials back to Alexandria, with instructions to wait until the following day. By morning, his ships had arrived, with guns directed at the small frame houses of the town.” [Historic Alexandria]
Result of Mayor’s Back to School Hair Salon — “[Tuesday’s] Back to School Hair Salon 📚✏️ helped an incredible 3️⃣7️⃣ girls prepare for the first day of school! I’m so grateful the stylists who dedicated their time & our sponsors who helped make this event possible. Nothing but smiles all day long.” [Mayor Alyia Gaskins/X]
