News

An Alexandria man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, and a Falls Church man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after their convictions for rape and robbery at a hotel in the city’s West End in 2022.

Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Heidi E. Meinzer, on July 9, sentenced 37-year-old Ja’Real Wilkins, of Alexandria, to 40 years of active incarceration on two felony counts of rape and one felony count of forcible sodomy. Less than a week later, on July 14, Judge Kathleen Uston sentenced Wilkins’ partner in crime, 27-year-old Tysheem Boykins of Falls Church to 16 years of active incarceration on one felony count of forcible sodomy and one felony count of robbery by threat.


News

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On July 29, 1952, the witnesses reported UFO sightings across Northern Virginia. The Alexandria Gazette said, “Flying saucers circled the Northern Virginia area again this morning.” A week and a half earlier, an Alexandria man reported seeing “a red cigar-shaped object” over his house, which he estimated to be about the same size as a DC-7 airplane.” [Historic Alexandria]

Final Sprint for 8th Congressional District Candidates — “With just one week to go until the primary, the four challengers to U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) are trying to stand out from the crowd. Lorena Bruner, Michael Duffin, Adam Dunigan and Mo Seifeldein are attempting to overtake Beyer in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Beyer was first elected to Congress in 2014.” [ARLnow]


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 — Jul 28, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. JUST IN: Trespassing at vacant home leads to police presence in Old Town (1057 views)
  2. Alexandria’s drinking water utility calls for voluntary water conservation amid drought (905 views)
  3. Man found guilty of reckless driving in 5-vehicle crash that killed woman in Alexandria (670 views)
  4. Mudhouse Specialty Coffee Roasters opens doors on King Street this week (666 views)
  5. Alexandria board OKs removing 20 Russell Road parking spaces, seeks solution for ACPS staff (608 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Wednesday’s forecast

It will be sunny and warm with a high of 84°F. Expect northwest winds of 10 to 13 mph, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low of 68°F, and northwest winds around 11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!


News

A 68-year-old Fredericksburg man was found guilty today (Tuesday) of reckless driving for causing a five-vehicle crash that killed a 69-year-old Massachusetts woman on Interstate 495 in Alexandria on Nov. 5, 2024.

In a two-day bench trial, Circuit Court Judge Katie Uston found Lee Allen MacKall guilty of reckless driving, and sentenced him to a year in prison, all suspended on the condition of his uniform good behavior. MacKall tearfully apologized to the family and friends of the victim, Lauren Johnson-Lavender, who died at the scene.


Event

Join Breast Cancer Collective for the 2026 Walk to Bust Cancer on Sunday, October 18, at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria.
Walk alongside survivors, caregivers, friends, families, and neighbors for an uplifting community event supporting access to breast cancer screening and care across the DMV.
Walk to Bust Cancer brings our community together to turn hope into action and help expand access to timely breast health care. Register to walk, gather your team, and join us at Fort Hunt Park.


News

Parking changes will be coming to Russell Road near Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School after action by the Traffic and Parking Board Monday.

The Traffic and Parking Board voted 5-2 to remove 20 parking spaces in several blocks of Russell Road. Board Member Dane Lauritzen made the motion to recommend more parking space removals than city staff had proposed. Staff’s proposal would have resulted in a net loss of two parking spaces.


News

There was an increased police presence in Old Town midday Tuesday in response to a trespassing incident.

Around 12:36 p.m., the Alexandria Police Department said it was responding to an “ongoing situation” in the 1700 block of Cameron Street. An APD spokesperson said officers responded when an unauthorized person entered a vacant home.


News

A 65-year-old Alexandria man was released on a summons after another man was reportedly stabbed in the West End late Sunday night (July 26), the Alexandria Police Department says.

The incident was reported around 11:45 p.m. in the unit block of S. Reynolds Street. The suspect was arrested nearby and charged with resisting arrest, public intoxication and drinking alcohol in public, according to APD. The victim was found by police to be suffering “from an apparent knife wound” and was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.


News

Drought conditions in Alexandria and other parts of Virginia have prompted the city’s drinking water utility to ask customers to voluntarily conserve water.

Virginia American Water issued the notice to residential customers amid the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s recent drought warning advisories. The utility says the guidance only applies to non-essential residential usage, not businesses or industries.


Around Town

The King Street corridor in Old Town is gaining another coffee shop as Mudhouse Specialty Coffee Roasters opens its doors this week.

Mudhouse will open on Wednesday (July 29) at 1119 King Street, staff confirmed to ALXnow. This will be the Charlottesville-founded coffee roaster’s sixth location, joining two in Charlottesville, and ones in Richmond, Crozet and Charleston, S.C.