News

Divided City Council upholds Braddock Road redesign after 11-hour hearing

By James Cullum
City Council denied an appeal to the Traffic and Parking Board's February 2026 decision for transportation changes to this 0.8-mile section of Braddock Road (via City of Alexandria)

After an 11-hour public hearing with more than 100 speakers Saturday (May 16), a divided City Council upheld the Traffic and Parking Board’s decision to redesign a 0.8-mile section of Braddock Road in Alexandria’s Rosemont and Del Ray neighborhoods.

The 4-3 decision means city staff will continue designing the project into 2027. In 2028, parking will be removed on Braddock Road between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road to make way for new bike lanes. Braddock Road will also be reduced from two lanes to one in each direction between West Street and Mount Vernon Avenue, creating two-way bicycle lanes on one side and a commercial delivery loading zone on the other.

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Around Town

Tickets on sale for annual Taste of Del Ray festival next month

By Katie Taranto
Taste of Del Ray vendors in 2024 (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Tickets are now on sale for the Taste of Del Ray food festival, a yearly event spotlighting the neighborhood’s food scene.

Now in its 17th year, the event put on by the Del Ray Business Association is scheduled from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields (2701 Commonwealth Avenue). The event will feature samples and live music by Mars Rodeo as attendees vote on their favorite bites.

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News

NextEra, Dominion Energy seek merger as AI drives energy demand in the U.S.

By The Associated Press
A Dominion Energy lineman lifts himself up to work on a power line in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in North Augusta, S.C. (AP Photo/Artie Walker Jr., File)

NextEra Energy is seeking to acquire Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $67 billion, creating a massive power company as the energy needs of artificial intelligence drive demand higher in the U.S.

It is one of the biggest proposed mergers so far this year and would create the world’s biggest regulated electric utility business by market capitalization, the companies said on Monday.

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News

Police fatally shoot suspect following shooting of female victim in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman and James Cullum
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A fatal officer-involved shooting followed the suspect’s fatal shooting of a female victim in Alexandria early Monday (May 18), according to police.

Around 4:05 a.m., the Alexandria Police Department responded to a report of a female victim who had been shot at an apartment complex (27 Canterbury Square) in the West End. Two relatives had left the apartment, leaving the suspect barricaded inside a room with the victim.

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News

Morning Notes for May 18, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Alexandria Fire Station 202 in Del Ray (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On May 17, 1860, the first passenger in the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad traveled from Alexandria to Leesburg. A year later, when the Civil War started, Union troops seized the AL&H rails, equipment and buildings, and converted the station at Princess and Fairfax into offices for the Quartermaster Department.” [Historic Alexandria]

Supreme Court Rejects Redistricting Appeal — “The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Virginia’s bid to restore a congressional map that would have given Democrats a chance to pick up four seats in the closely divided House of Representatives. The court’s order, issued without any noted dissent, is the latest twist in the nation’s mid-decade redistricting competition.” [ARLnow/AP]

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News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for May 15, 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 — May 15, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. ‘I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing,’ says Old Town shop owner after mid-career change (1507 views)
  2. Alexandria sees homelessness increases among youth and Black residents (861 views)
  3. Torpedo Factory Art Center draws one operator bid as city weighs next steps (767 views)
  4. Poll: The best car wash or auto detailing service in Alexandria (708 views)
  5. Morning Notes for May 15, 2026 (631 views)

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

  1. UPDATE: Woman killed in Old Town North was walking with active pedestrian signal (15387 views)
  2. Alexandria police bust alleged sex trafficking at Huntington area massage parlor (10645 views)
  3. Four men arrested for alleged $100K copper piping theft at Inova Alexandria Hospital site (9429 views)
  4. Mount Vernon Avenue bridge fully closing for construction starting Saturday (5106 views)
  5. 1800s Old Town home could give way to three-story townhouse under owner’s proposal (3658 views)
  6. Crooked Run Fermentation plans to open Del Ray taproom later in 2026 (3207 views)
  7. Alexandria looks for creative parking solutions after closure of Market Square parking garage (3062 views)
  8. JUST IN: No injuries after townhouse fire on Prince Street in Old Town (2164 views)
  9. Alexandria City High School graduation next month to use AI name-reading for second year (1796 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 skies with a high of 84°F and calm winds shifting to southwest at 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Saturday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 65°F and a southwest wind at 5 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”
– Plutarch

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!

News

ACPS introduces finalists for Alexandria City High School principal position

By James Cullum
Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Two candidates for the open principal position at Alexandria City High School were introduced at an online meeting Thursday (May 14).

The candidates are Michael Burch, the ACHS lead administrator for operations and student support, and Anthony McWright, the executive principal at Denver School of the Arts and president of the Arts Schools Network. The meet-and-greet was moderated by former ACHS principal John Porter, who said Alexandria City Public Schools will conduct the final candidate interview next week before the finalist’s name goes to the School Board for consideration on May 28.

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Around Town

INTERVIEW: Alexandria’s world-champ whistler shares life lessons

By James Cullum
Chris Ullman whistles at a Duke University basketball game (Jon Gardiner/DukePhotography)

Alexandria’s world champion whistler Chris Ullman has his sights — and lips — set on whistling at an NFL game and before the Pope.

Ullman, the subject of a recent Wall Street Journal profile, sat down with ALXnow to talk about being a four-time national and international whistling champion (1994, 1996, 1999 and 2000) and the author of the memoir “Find Your Whistle.” Ullman has whistled for President George W. Bush and top administration officials in the oval office, on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno and “The Today Show” with Katie Couric, at Major League Baseball games, college basketball games, with jazz bands and symphony orchestras, and even a funeral.

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News

Torpedo Factory Art Center draws one operator bid as city weighs next steps

By Emily Leayman
The Torpedo Factory in Old Town (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria City Council learned Tuesday (May 12) that the city received just one proposal for a potential operator of the Torpedo Factory Art Center during its procurement process.

Earlier this year, City Council allowed a procurement process to advance to select a new operator for the Torpedo Factory Art Center at 105 N. Union Street. Bids were due April. 27.

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