More than a dozen Alexandria and area restaurants are participating in the 18th annual Taste For Giving in Old Town next month.
Tickets for the Nov. 7 event cost $75, and proceeds benefit several Alexandria nonprofits and charities. The Alexandria Rotary Foundation is hosting the event at the Atrium Building (277 S. Washington Street) in Old Town. Over the past 17 years, the Rotary Foundation has raised more than $1.7 million for organizations throughout the city.
A new restaurant has been proposed at the former home of Kismet Modern Indian at 111 N. Pitt Street in Old Town.
Restaurant Finn and Fire is being proposed for the space, according to plans going before the city’s Board of Architectural Review next month. The property’s landlord confirmed to ALXnow that a lease has been signed, although the restaurant did not return calls for comment. The proposal goes before the BAR on Nov. 5.
A proposal to build 32 four-story townhouses in Old Town will head back to the Board of Architectural Review next month.
Alexandria land-use attorney Ken Wire is asking the city for approval to demolish the Essex Building, an office building at 333 N. Fairfax Street built in the 1970s, and replace it with townhomes. Renderings show rows of four-story townhouses with garages and second-floor balconies encompassing an entire square block, bordered by N. Lee Street, Queen Street, and Princess Street. The BAR will review the proposal on Wednesday, Nov. 5. It will be the second concept review for the project, and city staff are advising some minor modifications.
Eddie, a 10-month-old dog with a steel gray coat and white markings, is looking for his forever family through the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
The 44-pound pup came to the AWLA as a local stray and has since charmed volunteers with his friendly, affectionate personality and notably calm demeanor for such a young dog.
Alexandria Shooting Under Investigation — “Alexandria Police are investigating a shooting incident in the 300 block of N. West Street that occurred late Wednesday night. One man sustained a non-life-threatening injury in the incident. Police reported maintaining a presence in the area as of 10:40 p.m. as the investigation continued. No additional details have been released.” [APD on X]
Phil Vassar Brings Tour to Birchmere — “Country music star Phil Vassar returns to his Virginia roots this month, bringing his ’25 Years of Paradise’ tour to Alexandria’s Birchmere Music Hall on Oct. 26. For Vassar, who attended James Madison University before moving to Nashville in the 1980s, performing at the Birchmere holds special meaning. ‘I used to go there when I was starting out as a musician, and I went to James Madison,’ Vassar said in an interview with ALXnow on Wednesday. ‘It’s just such a historic venue, and I just love coming to rock.'” [ALXnow]
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger are slated to debate their competing visions for Virginia on Thursday in the state’s gubernatorial race. And each woman arguably has the same goal: to blame her opponent for backing the chaos in Washington.
Virginia is one of two states choosing governors this November, and its election is often seen as a bellwether for the party in power across the Potomac River ahead of midterm elections next year.
Award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen will read his latest book to Alexandria kids next week.
Van Dusen will read from his book, “If I Built a Town,” to students at Cora Kelly School for Science, Math, and Technology (3600 Commonwealth Avenue) on October 15. Inspire Lit and Old Town Books sponsor the 9 a.m. event and is part of Van Dusen’s book tour.
The Alexandria Police Department announced on Tuesday that it will focus enforcement efforts on speeding and distracted driving as part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on local roads.
The department is targeting three intersections where crashes have clustered over the past three years: Duke Street and Washington Street, King Street and Interstate 395, and Duke Street and Van Dorn Street. Those areas account for a significant portion of the 73 injury crashes recorded in Alexandria during October over the past three years, according to police data.
The Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden, located at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue, has just opened a small grocery store inside its premises.
Owner Jay Portlance soft-opened the grocery store today (Oct. 8), selling vegetables, fresh bread, and eggs. He said that the store will support local vendors and farms. Portlance noted that the store is a “micro-version” of a standard grocery store and plans to expand its offerings over the next several weeks.
The Alexandria Health Department is looking for volunteers to join community coalitions to create the city’s next five-year Health Improvement Plan.
In the upcoming 2026-2031 plan, AHD will focus on citywide mental wellness, as well as in the Landmark/Van Dorn corridor in the West End and the city’s Arlandria neighborhood. The focus areas were chosen in AHD’s most recent State of Health Report. Each subject matter area will be worked on by a coalition, which will be made up of “Alexandria residents, businesses, faith leaders, community groups, and others who work and spend time here,” according to AHD.
By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department’s efforts to target adversaries of President Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.
