The body of what appears to be a woman was recovered from the Potomac River this morning in Old Town Alexandria.
The discovery was made just before 10:30 a.m. off Point Lumley Park near the Barca Pier, at the bottom of Duke Street. The woman was fully clothed and wearing shoes, video shared with ALXnow shows.
(Updated at 9 p.m.) No one was injured Friday night (November 19) after a two-alarm fire in a duplex in the heart of Del Ray.
The Alexandria Fire Department was called at around 6:16 p.m. after smoke was reported to be coming from the rear of a two-story duplex in the 100 block of E. Del Ray Avenue, according to Battalion Chief David Plunkett.
Alexandria already feels like home. It’s the trails you walk, the restaurants you return to, and the easy reach of D.C. that make it all work. The question is whether your home feels as right as the city around it. For those who love Alexandria but want more space, more privacy, and more choice, Van Metre at Banner Heights offers a new opportunity to have it all, just minutes from I-495, I-95, and Old Town Alexandria.
Every Van Metre homesite at Banner Heights has a backyard that doesn’t face into another homesite, so the space behind your home is entirely yours, and a deck or covered terrace makes it the spot for a quiet morning or a long evening with friends. Four levels offer up to five bedrooms and an optional elevator. From there, 20+ personalization options let you decide the rest: add a bedroom on the lower or fourth levels, a great room fireplace with ceramic detailing, or a wet or dry bar, plus upgraded flooring and packages for electrical, tech, and comfort.
With more than 70 years of building across Northern Virginia, Van Metre designs homes around the way people live. At Banner Heights, that means the T-27 townhome plan with 3-5 bedrooms, 3-4 full and 1-2 half baths, 3,014+ square feet, a 2-car garage, and 20+ personalization options, starting from the $1.25Ms.*
Van Metre at Banner Heights is now open for Early Access, giving interested buyers the chance to purchase before our grand opening, when initial homesites deliver.
*Pricing, offers, and availability are subject to change without notice. Some images and renderings may represent a similar home or may have been created or edited using artificial intelligence (AI), and may depict design elements, furnishings, finishes, landscaping, views, or other features that are not included in the home or may not be available. Please see a Van Metre New Home Advisor for details.
This week was a mix of big plans for the future in Alexandria and concerns about public feedback on city projects.
The top story this week was on Sunday, when a driver struck and killed local resident Roy Saravia Alvarez. The driver, Fredy Ortiz-Dominguez of Hyattsville, Maryland, was arrested last night and charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Dear Members:
Following the 2026 NAACP Election Procedures, the Alexandria Branch of the NAACP held a General Membership meeting on Thursday October 22, 2026. The purpose of the meeting (in part) was to select candidates for branch officers including President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary and at-large members of the Executive Committee positions.
The Torpedo Factory plan took a direct hit from the Waterfront Commission as Commissioners criticized staff for a rushed timeline that gives little room for public and commission feedback.
Plans are in the works to potentially overhaul the structure of the Torpedo Factory, with options like new cafe space on the first floor or artistic changes like a new glassblowing studio all being considered. But at a Waterfront Commission meeting earlier this week, the group unanimously voted to sent a letter to the City Council warning about the inadequate time given to considering public feedback at the end of the process.
**Sips & Shells: Holiday Oyster Shell Workshop at Hank's Oyster Bar**
Gather your girlfriends for a creative night out in Old Town Alexandria!
(Updated at 5 p.m.) A 26-year-old Alexandria man is being held without bond after allegedly shooting a man in the head in the West End on September 21.
Cornell Bangura was arrested on October 5, driving a maroon-colored Volkswagen Passat.
Animal rescue organization Lucky Dog is hosting a puppy adoption event this Saturday (Nov. 20) at the Potomac Yard PetSmart (3351 Richmond Highway).
The event is scheduled to run from noon to 2 p.m. and will give local prospective adopters a chance to meet some local dogs looking for homes.
The driver who struck and killed local resident Roy Saravia Alvarez on Saturday, Nov. 13, has been arrested by the Alexandria Police Department.
Police said that a warrant for involuntary manslaughter was issued and 45-year-old Fredy Ortiz-Dominguez of Hyattsville, Maryland, turned himself in to police custody yesterday (Thursday). Ortiz-Dominguez is being held at the Alexandria Detention Center without bail.
School Board discusses SRO return, updating police MOU — “…the School Board discussed the short-term, and potentially long-term, future of the [School Resource Officer program] at a meeting on Nov. 11.” [Alexandria Times]
Restaurants in Alexandria offer Thanksgiving packages to go — “You can explore multi-course Thanksgiving menus and special to-go offerings from a variety of Alexandria restaurants.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
A student was suspended last month at Francis C. Hammond Middle School for allegedly writing about ‘shooting up the school’ on Discord with another student.
On October 26, the school resource officer at Francis C. Hammond Middle School was alerted by school staff that the student was interviewed and suspended.
Revolutionary Fitness, the strength and longevity training studio for people over 50 at 215 N. Payne St., is opening 5 spots in its members-only year-end challenge.
Every year, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s knocks people off track. Workouts get skipped, schedules fill up, and the plan becomes “I’ll start in January.”
