This story was updated with additional details and a new rendering from a Carr spokesperson.
Plans for a new Italian restaurant and a café are progressing in Old Town North, with both expected to open early next year.
The City of Alexandria and other agencies serving the city have announced closures and other schedule changes for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
All City of Alexandria government offices will be closed Memorial Day (Monday, May 25). The city will co-host a Memorial Day ceremony with the Friends of Rocky Versace at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza & Vietnam Veterans Memorial outside the Mount Vernon Recreation Center (2701 Commonwealth Avenue). The ceremony runs from 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and honor Versace, a posthumous Medal of Honor recipient, 68 Alexandrians who died in the Vietnam War, and others who have served in the military or are missing in action.
|
Alexandria nonprofit Community Lodgings has won a $73,000 grant from D.C.-based philanthropic organization Many Hands, Inc.
After a months-long application process that included an in-person presentation from applicants, Many Hands awarded $73,000 each to Community Lodgings, AfriThrive Inc., and DC Greens. It also awarded $100,000 to the D.C.-based School Justice Project, for $319,000 in total donations. There were 88 applicants for the organization’s annual grants.
As planning efforts move eastward toward Alexandria, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) has embarked on a new round of community engagement in its Envision Route 7 effort to upgrade transit options.
Both in-person and online opportunities will be available over the next month, focused on the eastern portions of what will become a 14-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line running from Tysons to Alexandria’s Mark Center.
Join Kaiser Permanente for Healthy at the Harbor, a free community health and wellness event taking place Saturday, June 6, from 11 am to 4 pm at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Bring your family and friends for free full day of fun, fitness, and preventive care along the waterfront.
Throughout the day, Kaiser Permanente nurses and physicians will offer no-cost health screenings, alongside a health and wellness expo focused on preventive care education. A lively Kids’ Zone will keep children active and entertained with spin-art bikes, face painting, balloon art, games, and more.
Numerous Alexandria elected officials have thrown their support behind Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) in his reelection bid, his campaign announced Monday (May 18).
The endorsements include Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins; Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley; City Council Members Canek Aguirre, John Chapman, Jacinta Greene, and Sandy Marks; Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter; Clerk of Court Greg Parks; Sheriff Sean Casey; School Board Chair Michelle Rief; School Board Vice Chair Christopher Harris; and School Board Members Abdulahi Abdalla, Tim Beaty, Kelly Carmichael Booz, Alexander Crider Scioscia, Donna Kenley, Ashley Simpson Baird, and Ryan Reyna. Former Mayors Bill Euille, Allison Silberberg and Justin Wilson also endorsed Beyer.
Trial in 6-Year-Old’s Shooting of Virginia Teacher — “Jury selection began Monday in the trial of a former assistant principal in Virginia accused of ignoring warnings that a 6-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school that was later used to shoot his first grade teacher. Ebony Parker is charged with eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each of the bullets in the gun brought into Richneck Elementary schoolteacher Abby Zwerner ‘s classroom in Newport News in January 2023, prosecutors have said.” [NBC Washington/AP]
Energy Bills Backed by Dominion Energy Signed — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Thursday signed legislation that directs regulators to assign electricity costs to data centers and allows Dominion Energy to spend $900,000 a mile burying local distribution lines. The bills from Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling, D-Henrico, could have also required data centers to cover the costs of buying electricity from the capacity market through PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator for Virginia, 12 other states and the District of Columbia. But that requirement was removed by Spanberger and replaced with more regulatory authority to allocate costs.” [Inside Climate News]
Good Monday 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 — May 18, 2026.
- 7:30 am: Morning Notes for May 18, 2026 | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:15 am: UPDATE: Police fatally shoot suspect following shooting of female victim in Alexandria | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:00 am: NextEra, Dominion Energy seek merger as AI drives energy demand in the U.S. | 🗣️ Comments
- 12:30 pm: Tickets on sale for annual Taste of Del Ray festival next month | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:15 pm: Divided City Council upholds Braddock Road redesign after 11-hour hearing | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: Del Ray Business Association celebrates ribbon cuttings for two new storefronts | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: ‘Faith in Housing’ bill on by-right affordable housing will require new ordinance in Alexandria | 🗣️ Comments
Here are today’s most-read articles:
- Police fatally shoot suspect following shooting of female victim in Alexandria (6061 views)
- Divided City Council upholds Braddock Road redesign after 11-hour hearing (2085 views)
- Morning Notes for May 18, 2026 (800 views)
- Tickets on sale for annual Taste of Del Ray festival next month (458 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
☀️ Tuesday’s forecast
Expect a sunny day with a high temperature of around 96°F and a southwest wind blowing at 6 to 10 mph. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 75°F. A south wind will persist at around 10 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading!
A bill allowing church-based by-right housing development and several other laws passed during the 2026 Virginia General Assembly will require or allow local action, according to a presentation to Alexandria City Council last week (May 12).
Wendy Ginsberg, the city’s legislative director, provided an update on key bills the city has been tracking or will be impacted by during City Council’s May 12 meeting. Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, which means localities can only use authority granted through state law.
Two local businesses in Del Ray held ribbon cuttings at their new storefronts Saturday (May 16).
The Del Ray Business Association hosted the ribbon cuttings for Lifestyle & Performance Fitness (202 E. Custis Avenue) and the Department of Beer and Wine (2805 Mount Vernon Avenue). The events were attended by City Council Members John Taylor Chapman and Sandy Marks, along with DRBA president Lauren Fisher and board member Gayle Reuter.