A 30-year-old man was convicted Tuesday by an Alexandria jury on felony charges stemming from a 2023 hit-and-run incident that left a 15-year-old hospitalized and prompted a lockdown at George Washington Middle School.
Zsavon Gionte Walters was found guilty of malicious bodily injury and hit-and-run causing personal injury to another in connection with the Oct. 4, 2023, incident in the Parker-Gray area of Old Town Alexandria.
Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Thursday, Aug. 14, the 226th day of 2025. There are 139 days left in the year.
⛈️ Today’s weather: A slight chance of showers between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 50%.
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…)
It’s four years away from opening, but a senior living community in Alexandria’s West End is opening its sales center later this month.
The City Council unanimously approved the $340 million Goodwin House Seminary Road project in June. Construction of the two-towered, 14- to 16-story apartment building with 257 units is anticipated to be completed in 2029. The property will feature “217 independent living apartments, 16 assisted living apartments, a dedicated memory care area and a Medicare/Medicaid-certified health care center offering skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, long-term care and a state-of-the-art rehab center,” according to Goodwin Living.
Ghost Limb is a timely and haunting examination of authoritarianism set during Argentina’s Dirty War that draws poetic inspiration from the Persephone and Demeter myth. When Consuelo’s son is “disappeared” by the military, she discovers a psychic link between her injured arm and her tortured child-and races to find him before it’s too late.
Performance Days and Times
A new Mexican restaurant in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood will close daily at 2 a.m. rather than operate around the clock after facing opposition from residents, the Alexandria Times reported.
Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita received approval Friday from Alexandria’s Department of Planning and Zoning for its special use permit at 529 E. Howell Ave., but with modified hours from its original 24/7 request, according to the Alexandria Times.
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.
The Alexandria Democratic Committee announced Tuesday in a newsletter to supporters that it will host its annual Labor Day picnic at a new indoor-outdoor venue this year, marking a shift from previous outdoor-only locations to ensure the event remains accessible regardless of weather conditions.
The picnic is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Garden Alexandria, located at 5380 Eisenhower Ave. in Alexandria.
Tenants from several Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority apartments will stage a protest next week at ARHA headquarters (401 Wythe Street) in Old Town.
The tenants are protesting “ongoing issues,” alleging delayed rental payments from ARHA to landlords, paperwork backlogs, caseworker abandonment, and more. The protest will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
Alexandria police have arrested a 29-year-old Washington, D.C., man in connection with multiple indecent exposure incidents that occurred over two months in three city neighborhoods.
Marc Westbrooks was arrested Monday following a grand jury indictment on 10 misdemeanor counts, including four counts of indecent exposure and six counts of simulated masturbation with the intent to be seen, according to a news release from the Alexandria Police Department.
The man who died Aug. 8 after jumping from a 15th-floor balcony during an FBI arrest attempt had been indicted on multiple counts of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding women he met on dating apps, according to court documents obtained by ABC 7/WJLA.
Shawn Steven Harris jumped from the Alexander Apartments in the 4300 block of King Street around 6 a.m. as federal agents attempted to serve an arrest warrant for wire fraud and false impersonation of a federal officer, according to an indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia.
Want to find out what’s happening with crime in Alexandria? A new app created by a lifelong city resident does just that.
Last year, freelance app developer Trevor Weir launched AVAware on the iOS App Store. After a free week-long trial, a $3.99 monthly fee kicks in, giving users an ad-free opportunity to explore publicly available information on all manner of Part 1 crime events occurring in the city.
