It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Rocket Fizz, the soda pop and candy store in Fairlington Plaza.
Owner Tanya Kemp’s store at 1721 Centre Plaza is full of stocking stuffers, from vintage soda and candy, to tchotchkes and gag gifts like wind-up chattering teeth, Pez dispensers and bobbleheads. She told ALXnow that her shop does more business during the Christmas season than any other time of the year.
The number of unemployed Alexandrians is up by a third from a year before, according to September jobs figures that were delayed by the federal government shutdown.
A total of 96,711 city residents were counted as employed in the civilian workforce, with 3,479 reported unemployed, according to figures reported Dec. 18 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
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Government offices in Alexandria will close on Wednesday and Thursday to observe Christmas.
Closures this week will affect Alexandria courts, the Alexandria Library, the Department of Motor Vehicles, health facilities, the city’s impound lot and more. Metered parking restrictions and residential permit parking will not be enforced during this period.
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A man was assaulted and robbed at a bus stop early Saturday morning in Alexandria West.
The victim reported at around 3:30 a.m. that two men assaulted him as he sat at a bus stop in the 400 block of N. Armistead Street and counted money, according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches.
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.
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the stabbing in the Landmark area after midnight on Saturday.
A man walked into an apartment building at the 6300 block of Stevenson Avenue around 12:45 a.m. and told police he was stabbed nearly a mile away — at another apartment building at the 300 block of S. Reynolds Street, according to APD radio dispatches.
Visa Barriers Cut ACHS Teacher’s Time Short — “Over a year and a half, [Misa] Suzuki has established herself as a valuable member of the ACHS community and connected with students through ASL, however, her time has been tragically cut short due to an inability to acquire a new work visa … ‘Under the Trump administration’s policies, the options for obtaining this work visa are extremely limited,’ said Suzuki. ‘It is hard to accept, but I will treasure my two years of work experience and strive to do my best in Japan.'” [Theogony]
APD Warns of Funeral Home Scam — “As part of APD’s Holiday Crime Prevention Plan, we want to make our community aware of a scam affecting parts of Virginia. Scammers are posing as funeral home employees and calling families to demand immediate payment. They often use real business names and staff names to sound credible. No cases have been reported in Alexandria at this time.” [Alexandria Police Department]
Good Friday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 19, 2025.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 44 degrees, as calm winds in the morning shift to the south, ranging from 5 to 9 mph. For Saturday night, skies will be partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 36 degrees and a south wind blowing between 8 to 11 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
– Mark Twain
We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!
After a contentious discussion, the Alexandria City School Board last night (Thursday) approved its $282.3 million Capital Improvement Program budget for fiscal years 2027-36.
The 5-4 approval of Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt’s proposed budget comes in at $3.5 million below the recommended amount from City Manager Jim Parajon’s office. The CIP includes $23 million in funding for non-capacity projects next year, including $1.8 million in school bus/vehicle replacements, $1.8 million for emergency repairs and $1.3 million in curriculum and instruction materials. It also accounts for the $2 million development of the Alexandria City High School’s Chance for Change Academy.
The Alexandria Fire Department transported one person to the hospital after responding to an apartment fire in the Alexandria West area this afternoon (Friday).
The fire was reported at around 1:45 p.m. in a sixth-floor apartment at the 5140 Fillmore Avenue. Upon arrival, crews “initiated life-saving measures” for one person who was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest, before transporting them to a nearby hospital, according to a press release from AFD.
