Dominion Energy has invested $18.02 million in reliability projects across Alexandria from 2022 through the first quarter of 2025, completing 37 projects that have benefited 56,792 customers, External Affairs Representative Gaston Araoz told the Alexandria City Council Tuesday night.
The utility company serves 62,500 residential customers, 5,600 commercial customers, 440 governmental customers, and two industrial customers in Alexandria, according to Araoz’s presentation to the council.
Alexandria drivers should expect delays and exercise extra caution this morning at the intersection of Duke Street and Walker Avenue, where ongoing traffic signal work is affecting the morning commute.
The Alexandria Police Department issued an alert at 7:42 a.m. Wednesday advising motorists that work is being performed on the traffic light at the busy intersection. Officers are currently on scene directing traffic to maintain safety and flow.
Visit Alexandria’s President & CEO Todd O’Leary leads with the belief that travel is a force for good, inspiring visitors to deepen their travel experiences by connecting with Alexandria’s myriad stories. That’s why 2026 National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3-9, 2026) isn’t just any week. It’s a time to reflect and celebrate the important role that tourism plays in bringing people together across cultures and geographies, creating shared understandings and memories that last a lifetime. This year’s theme, “Postmarked: Essential,” takes on special significance as Alexandria prepares to host several major events this summer, bringing the stories of our local community onto the world stage.
“This year’s National Travel and Tourism Week celebrations seem particularly fitting, given all the momentum we’re seeing in Alexandria’s hospitality industry,” said Visit Alexandria’s President & CEO Todd O’Leary. “As tourism grows in importance here, the dividends from visitor spending support our small business owners and ultimately our residents. Visit Alexandria is proud of the work done by our local industry to keep this city top of mind for domestic and international travelers.”
Last fall, Visit Alexandria announced that Alexandria’s tourism spending from travelers residing more than 50 miles away grew to $1 billion for the first time in history during calendar year 2024. Additionally, Fiscal Year 2025 city consumption tax revenues reached a record $88 million—supporting core city services, saving the average Alexandria household $832 annually, and sustaining more than 5,700 local jobs.
In conjunction with this year’s America 250th commemorations, Alexandria will host programs, exhibitions, historic tours and signature events, including the three-day Sails on the Potomac festival—all of which showcase Alexandria’s renowned historic character and ever-evolving progressive nature. As Alexandria continues to make waves on the world stage, especially as a destination for sports tourism, the city will serve as the official Team Base Camp for the Croatian National Football Team, a FIFA top ten ranked team, during the World Cup. With state-of-the-art facilities, a wide range of accommodations, a wealth of visitor experiences and incredible transportation access, Alexandria’s prominence in sports tourism is growing. (more…)
Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Wednesday, Sept. 10, the 253rd day of 2025. There are 112 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: A chance of showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 72. North wind around 9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. Mostly cloudy tonight, with a low around 59. North wind 3 to 6 mph.
You don’t need Spanish to know how to party.
Saturday, May 9th | 7 PM – 2 AM
Alexandria City Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday night to permanently close the 200 block of King Street to vehicular traffic, following a pilot program that demonstrated overwhelming public support.
The ordinance, which passed 7-0, sets a public hearing and final vote for Saturday, Sept. 13. If approved, the permanent closure would take effect Oct. 1.
Join us for an evening of made-up-on-the-spot improv comedy! We’ll be calling on you to give us suggestions for a totally unique show that’ll never be seen again!
Show is 18+ recommended. Tickets are free, with a $10 suggested donation.
Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon presented the first in a series of monthly economic updates to the city council on Tuesday, Sept. 9, highlighting mixed economic signals and rising uncertainty that could complicate budget planning.
The presentation, requested by Mayor Alyia Gaskins, showed commercial office vacancy rates climbing to 21.6% in 2025 from 15% in 2023, while retail markets remained strong with Old Town posting a 5.8% vacancy rate.
Alexandria announced Tuesday its first project labor agreement for a $35 million renovation of City Hall, Market Square Plaza and an underground garage set to begin in January 2026.
City Manager James Parajon presented the agreement during Tuesday’s city council meeting, calling it “a major milestone in the history of the city of Alexandria.” The city announced the agreement via a press release following Parajon’s presentation.
The City of Alexandria will commemorate the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Thursday, Sept. 11, with a remembrance ceremony at City Hall and a volunteer service project at Alexandria National Cemetery.
More than 200 volunteers are expected to gather at Alexandria National Cemetery from 9 a.m. to noon to clean headstones and beautify the grounds. The volunteer event is organized by Carry The Load, a national nonprofit, and is part of a nationwide initiative spanning nearly 70 national cemeteries where thousands of volunteers will participate in similar acts of remembrance.
Alexandria resident and retired supervisory special agent Jeffrey James Higgins released his latest espionage thriller, “The Khorasan Retribution,” today, Sept. 9. The book is the newest in his Nathan Burke Thrillers series.
The novel follows FBI Special Agent Nathan Burke and his new partner, Bridget Quinn, who find themselves in a fierce shootout outside a mosque in Arlington while intercepting a shipment of Chinese fentanyl. The operation reveals a plot involving a series of deadly terror attacks that use opioids. As the death toll rises, Burke races the clock to identify the terrorists. His investigation uncovers a shadowy figure leading an elite terror cell, the Phantoms of Khorasan, who is driven by revenge.
Democrat James Walkinshaw, a politician with experience working on Capitol Hill, has won a special election to be the next U.S. House representative of the Virginia district home to the state’s most populous county.
Walkinshaw’s victory in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District helps Democrats winnow Republicans’ narrow majority in the House and only adds to the GOP’s spending battles this month ahead of a potential government shutdown.
