News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Aug 3, 2026

By ALXnow.com
ALXnow branding with the headline 'Daily Debrief for Aug 3, 2026' over a dark, cloudy aerial cityscape header image.

Good Monday 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 — Aug 3, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Amazon driver assaulted in attempted carjacking in Alexandria West (1758 views)
  2. Here’s when the 2026-27 school year starts in Alexandria, and more key dates (602 views)
  3. Morning Notes for August 3, 2026 (512 views)
  4. Alexandria, regional unemployment totals still well above Biden-era figures (346 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Tuesday’s forecast

Partly sunny with a high of 86°F. Expect northeast winds at 5 to 7 mph. Tuesday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers mainly after 5 a.m., with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 71°F. East winds around 5 mph will become calm in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
– Mother Teresa

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

Around Town

17 Old Town boutiques to cover entire sales tax for shoppers this weekend

By Emily Leayman
Split illustration: left shows a woman with shopping bags walking past pastel storefronts; right is a tax-free weekend promo reading NO TAX Friday–Sunday August 7–9.
Tax free weekend at participating boutiques in Old Town (via Old Town Boutique District)

As retailers across Virginia will have tax-free promotions on certain items during this weekend’s sales tax holiday, a group of Alexandria’s independent boutiques will cover the sales tax for their entire stores.

More than 15 Old Town Alexandria boutiques are participating in a tax-free shopping weekend Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9, covering the sales tax for customers on clothing, gifts, home decor and other items. The Old Town Boutique Community is hosting the event with support from the City of Alexandria to encourage support for local businesses during back-to-school shopping.

Go to 17 Old Town boutiques to cover entire sales tax for shoppers this weekend Read more
News

Here’s when the 2026-27 school year starts in Alexandria, and more key dates

By James Cullum
George Mason Elementary School Principal Christopher Finan with students on the first day of school, August 21, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The start of the 2026-27 school year is just around the corner in Alexandria.

The first day back for most Alexandria City Public Schools students is Monday, Aug. 24. That’s not the case for students and staff at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary, which started on July 27. Still, below are some important dates to be aware of, as the school system gets back into the swing of things.

Go to Here’s when the 2026-27 school year starts in Alexandria, and more key dates Read more
Announcement

Old Town Fitness Studio for People Over 50 Down to Final 2 Spots Before Saturday Deadline

By Revolutionary Fitness

Revolutionary Fitness is a semi-private strength and longevity training studio for adults 50+ at 215 N. Payne St. in Old Town. Registration for its 21-day Fall Into Fitness program closes this Saturday, October 31. Two spots remain.

The program is built for adults who never trained seriously, haven’t trained in years, or keep starting programs that don’t stick. Members get:

Go to Old Town Fitness Studio for People Over 50 Down to Final 2 Spots Before Saturday Deadline Read more
News

Alexandria gears up for 2026 congressional primary elections Tuesday

By Emily Leayman
Voting at Charles Houston Recreation Center in Old Town on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria voters are headed to the polls Tuesday (Aug. 4) to cast their votes in Democratic and Republican primaries, which will determine nominees for the 2026 midterms.

Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Voters are not registered by party in Virginia, so they can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. As of Aug. 1, Alexandria has over 117,000 registered voters.

Go to Alexandria gears up for 2026 congressional primary elections Tuesday Read more
News

Amazon driver assaulted in attempted carjacking in Alexandria West

By James Cullum
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An Amazon delivery driver was the victim of an attempted carjacking in the city’s West End on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 2).

Around 4:15 p.m., an Amazon driver called 911 to report that a man pulled him out of his van and assaulted him in the 5000 block of Seminary Road. The victim said that the suspect was in a blue BMW with Virginia license plates and reportedly brandished a knife, according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches.

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News

Alexandria, regional unemployment totals still well above Biden-era figures

By Scott McCaffrey
Job interview (via Tim Gouw/Unsplash)

The number of Alexandria residents counted as unemployed in June was at the highest level since March and stood 36% higher than at the start of the second Trump administration, according to new state data.

A total of 95,925 city residents were employed in the civilian workforce, with 3,120 looking for work, resulting in a jobless rate of 3.1% in June.

Go to Alexandria, regional unemployment totals still well above Biden-era figures Read more
News

Morning Notes for August 3, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Thunderstorm rolling into Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On August 3, 1950, Alexandria residents began complaining about a bad taste in the local drinking water. Alexandria Water Company soon officials determined the cause to be chemicals that had been dumped into a storm sewer by men at Cameron Station, the U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Depot. The affected water had to be drained from the water company’s reservoir and the City’s water supply was impacted for a week.” [Historic Alexandria]

Plaque Honors George Washington Connection to Alexandria’s First Catholic Church — “The Basilica unveiled the plaque at 310 S. Royal St. to commemorate a historic 1788 gathering. During that dinner, Revolutionary War veteran Colonel John Fitzgerald proposed building a Catholic church in the city. Washington’s financial ledger entry on March 17, 1788, records the contribution toward St. Mary’s building fund.” [The Zebra]

Go to Morning Notes for August 3, 2026 Read more
Weather

WEATHER ALERT: Flash Flood Warning issued for Alexandria amid rounds of downpours

By ALXnow.com
Person running for cover in the rain (staff photo by James Cullum)

A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for Alexandria and other parts of the D.C. region as several rounds of downpours pass through today (Sunday).

The National Weather Service issued the warning from 4:34 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., and a Flash Flood Watch continues until midnight. A Flash Flood Warning means forecasters anticipate flash flooding is happening or expected to soon begin.

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News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Jul 31, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Two children playing on a playground swing under a dark banner that reads 'ALXnow Daily Debrief for Jul 31, 2026'

Good Friday 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 31, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Poll: The best bar in Alexandria (1240 views)
  2. Alexandria dog daycare owner sued for $585K two years after dog’s death (1131 views)
  3. Alexandria man charged with animal cruelty after allegedly throwing woman’s dog (738 views)
  4. Beats, Bites and Brews and Friendship Firehouse Festival lead the lineup of Alexandria’s weekend events (463 views)
  5. Morning Notes for July 31, 2026 (396 views)

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Alexandria officials and residents push back against planned data center near city limits (8522 views)
  2. Two men sentenced to combined 56 years in prison for rape and robbery at Alexandria hotel (3724 views)
  3. UPDATED: No injuries after Tuesday night house fire in Fairlington near city border (2927 views)
  4. JUST IN: Trespassing at vacant home leads to police presence in Old Town (2717 views)
  5. Man found guilty of reckless driving in 5-vehicle crash that killed woman in Alexandria (2496 views)
  6. Alexandria’s drinking water utility calls for voluntary water conservation amid drought (2430 views)
  7. Upgrades underway for permanent 200 block of King Street pedestrian zone (2326 views)
  8. Alexandria parking battle moves to Russell Road near Naomi L. Brooks Elementary (2097 views)
  9. Alexandria board OKs removing 20 Russell Road parking spaces, seeks solution for ACPS staff (1915 views)
  10. Dream Chaser’s Coffee reopens in Eisenhower West after abrupt closure (1874 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 91°F. The wind will be light from the south, increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning, with possible gusts up to 20 mph. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dipping to about 74°F and a southeast wind around 10 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

We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!

Announcement

Artful Evenings: Water’s Edge with Artist Sky Hopinka

By Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian

Reserve your spot for an after-hour event with multi-disciplinary artist Sky Hopinka, Thursday, Nov. 5, 6–9 PM. Experience monumental nature-inspired artworks in the Water’s Edge exhibition, make your own artwork to take home at the National Museum of the American Indian.

Sky Hopinka’s photo and video art—including This is a mnemonic for Truman Lowe in the museum’s collection—shares Truman Lowe’s interest in Indigenous homelands, cultural knowledge, and traditional practices. Hopinka contributed to the exhibition catalog for Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe, writing on Lowe’s lasting impact on his work. Hopinka joins the museum for this special after hours event featuring a screening of three of his short video works followed by a discussion with Rebecca Head Trautmann, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art and exhibition curator, along with art-making activities, and time to enjoy Lowe’s work currently on view.   Sky Hopinka has been widely recognized for his experimental short films and photo-based works. A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, and Forge Project Fellow, his work has been shown in major film festivals, museums, and international exhibitions and is in numerous prominent museum collections. Hopinka is currently an assistant professor in the department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University. 

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