Around Town

USPTO cafeteria reopens to the public with chef-curated menus

By Katie Taranto
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) cafeteria reopens under new management. (courtesy of Jay Premack/USPTO)

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s cafeteria has reopened under new management, coinciding with a busy season at the federal campus that recently welcomed the National Science Foundation.

USPTO’s Roundhouse Café officially reopened to the public March 30 at 600 Dulany Street in Carlyle, offering sushi, a made-to-order deli, salad bar, self-serve hot entrées and a hot bar, the agency announced. The venue plans to serve a rotating variety of “chef-curated” menus, seasonal promotions and guest restaurants.

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News

Morning Notes for April 13, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Flowering tree in Old Town on April 11, 2026 (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On April 13, 1876, building supply entrepreneur John Leatherland and his son, John W., opened a new brass foundry at Queen and Lee Streets, aptly named Leatherland and Son. The new industrial facility opened its doors just in time to be featured on page 102 of Chataigne’s Alexandria City Directory, that also included several other listings outlining the extensive business interests of the Leatherland family in the city during the last quarter of the 19th century.” [Historic Alexandria]

Civic Leader, Veteran Susan B. Kellom Dies — “Susan B. Kellom, a longtime Alexandria resident, Army veteran, and devoted civic leader whose decades of service helped shape the city’s political and community landscape, died [Saturday] morning.” [The Zebra]

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News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Apr 10, 2026

By ALXnow.com

Good Friday 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 — Apr 10, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. The Majestic reopens with new owner, New American menu in Old Town (713 views)
  2. Del Ray eatery’s free milkshakes for dancing customers offer goes viral (515 views)
  3. Poll: The best real estate agent for sellers in Alexandria (511 views)

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Free timed tours of four tall ships lined up at Old Town’s Sails on the Potomac festival (6930 views)
  2. UPDATE: Adult pedestrian hit in West End Alexandria (6329 views)
  3. Alexandria sheriff’s deputy fired after accusation of drug smuggling attempt in jail (3859 views)
  4. Driver cited after pedestrian struck in Del Ray: police (3572 views)
  5. New coffee shop and wine bar aims for spring opening on Queen Street (2786 views)
  6. Five Alexandria restaurants make appearance in regional RAMMY finalists (2679 views)
  7. Alexandria City Manager pushes for paid parking on Sundays, parking fee increase (2163 views)
  8. State trooper injured during I-495 chase into Alexandria, suspect arrested at Metro station (2060 views)
  9. Del Ray splash pad construction nears finish line after years of planning (2054 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect sunny weather with a high near 69°F and a north wind at 9 to 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 48°F and light, variable winds. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.”
– Roy T. Bennett

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!

News

ACHS seniors surprised with $40K Amazon Future Engineers scholarships

By James Cullum
Zhi McMillan (on left) and Mohammad Elyas Noorzai after being presented with Amazon Future Engineer scholarships on April 10, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Two Alexandria City High School seniors got a surprise today (Friday) when they were awarded $40,000 Amazon Future Engineers scholarships.

Seniors Zhi McMillan and Mohammad Elyas Noorzai received the scholarships as well as internship opportunities with the multinational technology company. The awards were presented by 2022 scholarship recipient Sai Naraharisetti, who will start work as an Amazon software engineer in Seattle after graduating next year.

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News

Volunteers sought for Waterfront Park cleanup in Old Town this weekend

By Emily Leayman
A bench at Waterfront Park in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Volunteers will gather this weekend to clean up Waterfront Park, a popular gathering spot for Old Town visitors along the Potomac River.

The Alexandria Beautification Commission and NOVA Cleanups are hosting the volunteer cleanup from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday (April 12). Volunteers will pick up litter and debris throughout the park, covering walking paths, green spaces and the waterfront.

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Around Town

Del Ray eatery’s free milkshakes for dancing customers offer goes viral

By James Cullum
Screenshot from a viral Instagram post by Holy Cow Del Ray (via Holy Cow Del Ray/Instagram)

A Del Ray eatery’s Instagram post promising free milkshakes has collected more than 4 million views.

In the March 17 post from Holy Cow Del Ray (2312 Mount Vernon Avenue), customers were told they could get free milkshakes by dancing. What followed is a compilation of adults and children dancing their ways through the burger joint’s front door to the counter. The post also got 388,000 likes, and the restaurant’s Instagram followers have since climbed from just over 4,000 to more than 10,000.

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Around Town

The Majestic reopens with new owner, New American menu in Old Town

By James Cullum
Chef Santiago Lopez, the new owner at The Majestic in Old Town (via Cultivate Hospitality)

Chef Santiago Lopez has officially taken over The Majestic in Old Town, bringing a flair for French and Mediterranean flavors.

Lopez recently bought the restaurant at 911 King Street from its previous owner, Alexandria Restaurant Partners. After a brief shutdown, the restaurant reopened today (Friday) at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.

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Opinion

Poll: The best real estate agent for sellers in Alexandria

By ALXnow.com

There’s an overwhelming amount of choices when it comes to real estate agents in Alexandria, but it helps to have a trusted person on your side when it comes time to sell your home.

Here are the nominees for “Best Real Estate Agent for Sellers in Alexandria” as part of our returning ALXnow Readers’ Choice awards.

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Around Town

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Billie Jean, a dog seeking human companionship

By Emily Leayman
Billie Jean is an adoptable dog from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (via AWLA)

Meet Billie Jean, a dog who loves cuddling just as much as her favorite people.

This 5-year-old dog is looking for a home where she can be around her human companions most of the day. An AWLA volunteer told ALXnow that Billie Jean prefers human company over canines.

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