What a year, right?
Even though the fireworks, scavenger hunt and live musical performances have been called off, there are still opportunities to get a taste of Alexandria this New Year’s Eve.
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News
There’s a room stacked floor-to-ceiling with archives in the headquarters of the Alexandria Gazette Packet overlooking King Street. The back wall of the second-floor conference room, where editorial meetings have been held for years, is lined with volumes ranging from the latest publications to the early 19th century.
It’s a quiet testimony from an award-winning newspaper as it launches a GoFundMe to survive the economic impact of the pandemic.
A drive-through only testing event is planned today at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive) from noon to 2 p.m.
The event is intended for those who live and work in the immediate area, including Cameron Station and other nearby neighborhoods. Walk-up testing will not be available at the event and limited parking is available.
The Virginia Tourism Bureau is going all-in on exploiting one Alexandria scene in the fairly mediocre new Wonder Woman movie.
A new display will feature a “Virginia is for Lovers” drum prop featured for a split second during one action sequence when a goon gets thrown through it.
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Local Nonprofit Launches Sign Campaign — “Community Lodgings, an Alexandria non-profit, has started a campaign to spread messages of hope in the community.” [Local DMV]
Alexandria Deputy Retires — “Congratulations and best wishes to Master Deputy George Wooden! He retires this week following 26 years of outstanding service to ASO and the people of Alexandria. Thank you, Deputy Wooden!” [Twitter]
With the Old Town Theater getting a makeover as a Patagonia, the building next-door could be getting a visual overhaul as well.
According to an application headed to the Board of Architectural Review next month, 815 King Street owner Asana Partners is hoping to restore the building’s original limestone facade — at least in color.
It’s been a rough year all around and local businesses faced a difficult recovery from the pandemic, but there were also some islands of good news as well.
ALXnow asked the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) and The Chamber ALX what they saw as the highs and lows for local business this year.
Starting this coming Sunday, Jan. 3, riders on Metrobus will have to start paying for their fare once again.
During the pandemic, WMATA briefly ended charging fares for travel on Metrobus. But with the Metro facing a “doomsday scenario” in its budget, the city is planning to start reinstating fare collection and front-door boarding on Sunday.
A person had their vehicle and phone stolen in a morning carjacking on Sunday outside Giant on Duke Street.
According to Amanda Paga, Public Information Officer for the Alexandria Police Department, the carjacking took place on Sunday around 7 a.m. on the 3000 block of Duke Street, where Giant is located.
Three more Alexandria residents have died from COVID-19, and the death toll from the virus now stands at 86. The city has also reached 7,107 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 390 cases since this time last week.
The victims were two men and a woman. Two victims were in their 80s and one was in their 70s, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Two years after it filmed in Alexandria’s Landmark Mall and D.C., Wonder Woman 1984 was released on HBO on Christmas.
The revived Landmark Mall is featured in an early action sequence, thought the exterior shots of the mall changed the name and Fairfax County police — not Alexandria — are featured in the scene. In 1984, the mall would have also been an outdoor mall, as the mall was only enclosed in 1990. The film also features several scenes in Georgetown and other parts of D.C.