On This Day in Alexandria History — “On February 5, 1797, the Alexandria Gazette, established in 1784, began daily publication; the newspaper is considered the oldest daily newspaper in the United States.” [Historic Alexandria]
Spanberger Cuts VSP Ties With ICE — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger has formally ended an agreement with the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement that had allowed Virginia State Police troopers and Virginia Department of Corrections officers to assist ICE.” [Virginia Mercury]
Good Wednesday 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 — Feb 4, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
- Alexandria man found guilty of felony animal abuse in dog death at Del Ray boarding facility (1953 views)
- One person transported to trauma center after firefighters respond to Duke Street crash (1117 views)
- Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments is being laid off (578 views)
- Alexandria snow removal crews turn focus to intersections and West End today (576 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
☀️ Thursday’s forecast
Expect sunny skies and a high temperature of about 31 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 7 to 9 mph. As night falls, clouds will increase, leading to a low temperature around 16 degrees. The northwest wind will be between 3 to 5 mph during the night. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
– John Lennon
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading!
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Charles Sumpter is entering the special election race for Alexandria City Council after participating in last month’s Democratic firehouse primary, where he lost competing for a State Senate seat in the 39th District.
Sumpter, 40, is a senior executive at World Wildlife Fund and helped found Safe Space NOVA, where he served as a member of the board. He has updated his campaign website, though his platform of issues has stayed the same: affordable housing, community-based mental health care and expanding workforce pathways for students.
Cheese lovers can flock to Cheesetique in Del Ray this month for the returning “Raclette Fest,” a ski lodge-inspired event centered around the tableside cheese wheel and other specials.
Raclette Fest will run from Monday, Feb. 23 to Sunday, March 15, following a kickoff Après-Ski Party from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2411 Mount Vernon Avenue. The festival name references a type of Alpine cheese melted from a wheel and served tableside onto bread, seasonal vegetables and sausage.
Raise a glass to culture and camaraderie at the 2026 whisky tasting event. Guests will enjoy a guided tasting across the whisky regions of Scotland, gaining insights into the craftsmanship and culture behind each pour. This informative program will help you learn all about the rich tapestry that is Scotch whisky, enable you to sample five different whiskies from across Scotland, and provide an opportunity to ask questions and share personal insights. VIP ticket holders will receive two additional exclusive samples of rare whiskies. All attendees will take home a souvenir Glencairn glass, perfect for continuing their whisky journey. Tickets are $100 for VIP or $75 for general admission (listed as a separate event on Alexandriava.gov/Shop), with hors d’oeuvres included. Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for non-whisky drinkers. A raffle will also be held with prizes, with tickets available for cash purchase at the event. Minimum age: 21. All proceeds support the Alexandria Sister Cities Committee and its mission to support the educational and cultural exchanges between Alexandria, VA and her sister cities of Dundee, Scotland and Helsingborg, Sweden.
Please note: You do not need to print off tickets. Your name will be on the registration list for the event.
Alexandria City Public Schools is making a full return to regular scheduling tomorrow (Thursday) as the city continues to clear up streets and intersections.
Schools and offices will open on-time tomorrow, and all school activities and transportation plan to operate as scheduled, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced this afternoon.
A former groomer at Your Dog’s Best Friends was found guilty today of felony animal cruelty resulting in the death of a two-year-old golden retriever named Abigail, and four misdemeanor counts of animal abuse.
Kevin Malik Sanders, 30, pleaded guilty to the felony animal cruelty charge, a Class 6 felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $2,500 fine. Each misdemeanor count also carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
Alexandria crews are continuing to remove snow throughout the city today (Wednesday), with plans to address snow piles affecting some of the city’s 2,000 intersections.
As of this morning, crews have already hauled out more than 5,000 loads of snow, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said on social media. Efforts today will zero in on clearing intersections and the city’s West End, she said.
The Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments, not just the newsroom, is being laid off.
The troubled Post began implementing large-scale cutbacks on Wednesday, including eliminating its sports department and shrinking the number of journalists it stations overseas. The changes were announced by executive editor Matt Murray in a Zoom meeting with staff.
A series of weekly library watch parties spotlighting Ken Burns’ new documentary, “The American Revolution,” starts today (Wednesday).
The six-part PBS series focuses on the Revolutionary War and the “ideals and complexities of America’s founding.” The Alexandria Library plans to host episode watch parties on consecutive Wednesdays through March 11.
