Around Town

A three-story Virginia Tech building in Old Town may soon be repurposed into a community center through the work of a Del Ray entrepreneur and creative.

Ashley R. Wood, the founder and author behind the arts-focused workspace Soulo Studios at 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue, is working to bring her next endeavor to life: Lily’s Garden Creative and Cultural Community Center. The prospective center, named after Wood’s 4-year-old daughter, would open at 1021 Prince Street, which is currently part of Virginia Tech’s Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center.


News

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On March 25, 1844 a meeting of the African Colonization Society was held at The Lyceum. Known formally as The Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America, an organization that supported the resettlement of free blacks in American back to Africa … Ironically, members of the ACS represented two diametrically opposed constituencies; Quakers, evangelicals and other abolitionists that opposed slavery, and ardent slaveholders in the Chesapeake region that fought against regulated abolition but saw free blacks as a potential threat to the institution of slavery that could incite slave rebellions.” [Historic Alexandria]

Next Budget Work Session Focuses on Government Accountability — “This week’s Work Session will focus on Accountable and Effective Government. Listen in on alexandriava.gov/Dockets or attend in person on Wednesday, March 25 starting at 7 p.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center.” [City of Alexandria]


News

Good Tuesday 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 — Mar 24, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Hit-and-run kills pedestrian on I-395 in Alexandria: state police (2562 views)
  2. No deed fraud incidents reported in Alexandria as Clerk of Court launches alert system (492 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect partly sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high of about 59°F and a south wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 49°F and a continued south wind at 7 to 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Do not watch the clock. Do what it does. Keep going.”
– Sam Levenson

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!


News

Alexandria’s Office of Housing director Helen McIlvaine will retire at the end of April, the city announced today (Tuesday).

McIlvaine joined the city in 2006 as the deputy director of housing and has been housing director since 2015. Starting on May 1, Deputy Director Aspasia Xypolia will serve as acting housing director.


Event

The Alexandria A Cappella Collective – composed of award-winning men's and women's choruses the Harmonizers and Metro Voices, respectively – is excited to announce that registration is open for the ’26-’27 season of its youth chorus, Capital Force! Students learn a unique form of a cappella from top educators and will perform locally and on the Barbershop Harmony Society International stage in February.

The kick off rehearsal includes voice placement, an informal audition, vocal warm-ups, and singing together. You will also learn about the season’s dates and rehearsal expectations. Interested singers are welcome to try the first rehearsal before deciding whether to join.


News

Alexandria City Council will consider the appeal of the Traffic and Parking Board’s decision to remove parking and reconfigure a portion of Braddock Road for bike lanes.

City spokesperson Ebony Fleming told ALXnow the appeal consideration is tentatively scheduled for City Council’s May 16 public hearing. The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chamber at Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive).


News

More regulations on what vape products can be sold and increased enforcement of underage sales are included in new legislation heading to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).

In a news conference yesterday (Monday), Attorney General Jay Jones (D) highlighted the plan for increased oversight of tobacco product retailers under Del. Patrick Hope’s HB 308 and former State Sen. Adam Ebbin’s SB 620. The legislation would shift license and enforcement of liquid nicotine and retail tobacco products from the Department of Taxation to a new permitting system led by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority.


News

Tonight (Tuesday), Alexandria’s City Council will consider providing a $4 million loan to Housing Alexandria to build the second and final phase of its Sansé and Naja affordable housing project at the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road in Arlandria.

The Sansé and Naja project represents Alexandria’s most “significant affordable housing investment” to date, according to a city staff memo to City Council. The development will deliver 495 affordable rental units to the 3.2-acre site and could be fully occupied by 2028.


News

A pedestrian was found dead in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 395 in Alexandria today (Tuesday), according to Virginia State Police.

The crash happened around 6:12 a.m. on northbound Interstate 395 near the Duke Street exit. State troopers had responded to a call about a pedestrian on the interstate and found the person dead in the northbound center lane. The investigation temporarily shut down lanes of the northbound interstate during the early morning commute.


News

A new Alexandria program seeks to combat deed fraud by alerting property owners about new filings for their properties.

Alexandria Clerk of Circuit Court Greg Parks launched the VADeed Alert system last week to help protect property owners from deed fraud. Notifications are emailed to property owners when documents are filed in Alexandria land records.