Alexandria has been recognized by Business Facilities magazine, a leading resource for site selection and economic development, as one of the nation’s top innovation hubs to watch in 2025.
The magazine featured Alexandria in its September/October issue, citing the city’s combination of research institutions, federal agencies and corporate partnerships.
Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Here’s a look at ALXnow’s top stories of the week.
With less than a month until the Nov. 4 general election, this week’s most-read story is on the controversy surrounding Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones. The National Review broke the news last Friday (Oct. 3) that in August 2022, Jones sent text messages to Del. Carrie Coyner (R-75), “fantasizing about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children,” according to the Virginia Mercury story posted on ALXnow.
There’s a watch party in Alexandria on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to see Amy Begnal, the clinical director at Del Ray Psych and Wellness, appear in the new season of the TLC series Baylen Out Loud.
Begnal will appear in three episodes this season, providing pre-marital counseling to Baylen Dupree and her fiancé, Colin Dooley. The watch party will be held from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Piece Out Del Ray (2419 Mount Vernon Avenue). The show airs at 9 p.m. Dupree, who lives in West Virginia, suffers from a severe case of Tourette’s Syndrome, and the show explores her desire for independence and the steps she takes “toward being in the world on her own,” according to TLC.
Ada’s on the River has secured a coveted spot on Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema’s final list of the best restaurants in and around the District, the only Alexandria establishment to earn the distinction among 40 dining destinations featured in the annual guide published Tuesday.
The waterfront restaurant in Robinson Landing received particularly high praise from Sietsema, who called it “the exception to the rule about good views canceling good cooking in tourist zones.”
After months of interior renovations, Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is soft-opening at 1909 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Owner Jay Chainam tells ALXnow that it’s been a lot of work to get the restaurant up and running, and that he and his staff are excited. Earlier this month, Chainam and restaurant co-owner Supattra Pummora held a pop-up to finalize the menu for Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar at their sister restaurant, Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas (500 John Carlyle Street).
Alexandria-based private equity firm DC Capital Partners has acquired Aeronautical & General Instruments Limited, a leading UK provider of integrated maritime technologies and systems.
The acquisition, announced Friday, allows AGI to operate as an independent company after being owned by Trident Maritime Systems since 2022. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
By SEUNG MIN KIM and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started, an attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown dragged into a 10th day.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria has cancelled Sunday’s Paws in the Park festival due to an approaching nor’easter forecast to bring high winds and flooding to the area.
The free community event was scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oronoco Bay Park, featuring pet adoptions, live music, a costume contest, and vendors.
Just in time for the Halloween season, free fall movie nights are headed to Limerick Field (1800 Limerick Street) in the rear of AlexRenew headquarters.
A double feature will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 18, starting with Coco at 6 p.m., followed by The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 9 p.m. The movies are being presented by the Eisenhower Partnership, CatRad Creative, and AlexRenew, and water and Wegmans will donate popcorn.
Alexandria-based Systems Planning & Analysis has acquired Group W, a Vienna defense analytics company, in a deal that combines two prominent firms specializing in modeling and simulation for the Department of Defense.
The acquisition, announced Thursday, brings together companies with complementary expertise in defense wargaming and analytical tools used across military planning and operations. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Twenty Old Town boutiques are falling into fashion with deals, giveaways, and more on Saturday (Oct. 11).
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the boutiques are featuring exclusive fall collections, interactive in-store activations, and seasonal bites and sips. Customers can also buy a seasonal tote from participating businesses, and enter to win a $1,000 gift card and Aiyana Atelier products, and a second prize of a $500 gift card at any participating boutique.
