News

Roy Priest, the former longtime CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, has been named the interim CEO until a permanent successor is chosen, the organization announced this week.

Priest was CEO of Alexandria’s public housing authority from 2006 to 2017, and his temporary reinstatement follows last month’s resignation of interim CEO Rickie Maddox. Priest started work on July 7 and will act as interim CEO for five or six months until the ARHA Board fills the permanent CEO position, ARHA Board Chair Mark Jinks told ALXnow in an email.


Around Town

Meet Ginger, a petite pup seeking a quiet home to land in.

This gentle dog at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria needs a patient family who will move at her pace until she gets comfortable. She enjoys snuggling up once she feels safe with her person, an AWLA volunteer told ALXnow.


Sponsored

Hi Alexandria,

My name is Drew, and I wanted to take a moment to tell you about what I’ve been working on as I try to make my way in the world.

This past year, I took a leap that honestly scared me. I challenged the comfortable path I’d been on and built something new with trusted partners and friends: a local roofing and home‑exterior company called All Team Exteriors. On paper, it’s a business. But in my heart, it’s something much more personal than that.

I don’t just want to make a living here — I want to contribute something meaningful to a place that’s helped mold me.

Why I started All Team Exteriors

I’ve worked in environments where professionalism, follow‑through, and integrity weren’t optional — they were the baseline. But when it came to home services, especially roofing, I saw how often homeowners were left frustrated, confused, or ignored. Slow responses. Vague communication. Contractors disappearing mid‑project.

And I thought:

Someone young, hungry, and honest should try to fix this.

So… I’m giving it everything I’ve got.

What I’m trying to build

All Team Exteriors isn’t a giant corporation. It’s not some out-of-state outfit with a call center. It’s me — and a small team of people committed to doing things the right way. We spent an extensive amount of time training under a perennial award-winning roofing company in Arizona this winter and learned what great looks like.

We’re bringing modern tools, photo-documented inspections, real-time updates, fast communication, and a “do what we say we’ll do” mentality. Not because it looks good in a brochure, but because that’s how I’d want someone to treat my own family.

So far we are off to an absolutely amazing start. It’s been a great first summer and we’d love to help you as well. You can give us a call anytime at 703-705-7207 for an absolutely free inspection and estimate on your roof, siding, gutters, doors, and windows. I’d love to have a chance to swing by and meet you and take a look at how we can work together to make your home safer and more secure.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I sincerely hope we can help you and your family soon.


News

A man was injured when he accidentally discharged his gun Friday morning (July 17) inside a home in Old Town.

The 66-year-old man called 911 around 6:15 a.m. to report that he was alone at home in the 300 block of Wilkes Street when he shot himself in his left hand with a handgun, according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches.


Opinion

Fall is months away, which means peak season for Alexandria’s beloved running events. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or a casual 5K participant, Alexandria has a variety of races that showcase scenic routes, strong community spirit and charity causes.

Here are the nominees for “Best Race for Runners in Alexandria” as part of our returning ALXnow Readers’ Choice awards.

Did we miss your go-to race? Write them in!

Voting will close in two weeks.

Voting for the Best Food Truck in Alexandria is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.

Three weeks ago, we voted on the Best Pool in Alexandria. The results are now official:

1. Great Waves Waterpark

2. Minnie Howard Aquatics Facility

3. Chinquapin Park Recreation Center & Aquatics Facility


Weather

Smoke from the wildfires raging in Canada is having more of an impact Friday in Alexandria and the D.C. region.

Alexandria is under an Air Quality Alert Friday (July 17), Mayor Alyia Gaskins said in a social media update. According to AirNow air quality monitoring, the current air quality index in Alexandria exceeded 200, reaching the “very unhealthy” level.


News

The intestinal illness spreading in parts of the U.S. has been raising food safety concerns, but health authorities in Alexandria say there’s little cause for alarm locally.

Cyclosporiasis is an infection caused by a parasite believed to be linked to some types of imported fresh produce. The illness is most often associated with watery diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can last a few days to upward of a month, but some people do not show symptoms.


News

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On July 17, 1946 the City of Alexandria designated the Old and Historic Alexandria District, nicknamed at the time the “Charleston Ordinance” after the City of Charleston, South Carolina which had earlier extended the police powers of its zoning code to regulate changes to the exterior appearance of buildings within a designated area. Zoning laws in the United States were first upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1916 in the famous Euclid vs. Ambler case, but that issue dealt specifically with land uses and not aesthetic appearance. Alexandria’s new historic district was the third in the United States including the “Vieux Carre” area of New Orleans. Historic District zoning codes went unchallenged for over two decades until the Supreme Court case Penn Central vs. City of New York upheld that city’s action to denied an application to build a skyscraper atop the historic Grand Central Station.” [Historic Alexandria]

Code Red Air Quality Alert Today — “The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast a Code Red air day in the metropolitan Washington region tomorrow, July 17, due to smoke from Canada wildfires.” [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments/X]


News

Good Thursday 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 — Jul 16, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. BREAKING: Man shot to death on Holmes Run Parkway in Alexandria (2936 views)
  2. Alexandria man accused of stabbing at King Street Metro station faces malicious wounding charge (983 views)
  3. First look: Luxury new townhomes with 2-car garages (some with elevators) (906 views)
  4. Alexandria mayor opposes idea of merging DASH into a regional bus system (707 views)
  5. AWLA taps into emergency vet fund to help dogs after Alexandria house fire (700 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌥️ Friday’s forecast

This afternoon, expect widespread smoke mainly after 2 p.m., with mostly sunny skies and a high near 92°F. Winds will come from the north at about 5 mph before becoming calm. Tonight, there is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m., along with widespread smoke. Conditions will be partly cloudy with a low around 74°F, and winds from the southeast at 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
– Buddha

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!


News

The Alexandria Police Department identified the victim of Wednesday night’s fatal shooting in the West End as 36-year-old Charles Talley.

Talley was shot and killed on Wednesday night at the ParcView Apartments in the 5300 block of Holmes Run Parkway. ALXnow observed a male and female suspect being apprehended in connection to the shooting, but APD made no arrests.