It was a fast week in Alexandria! Welcome to ALXnow’s Friday recap of top stories.
This week started as the city cleaned up from last Friday’s damaging storm that knocked over trees, closed roads and disrupted power for thousands. Our top story was on the report of a suspected car thief who ended up in the hospital with serious injuries after a high-speed chase ended in a crash early Monday morning.
A GoFundMe has been launched for Deaundre Jack, the victim of last Saturday’s (April 19) homicide in the West End.
The 19-year-old Jack was shot and killed in the parking lot of 22 Canterbury Square, and his death remains under investigation by the Alexandria Police Department. The fundraiser has so far exceeded its $5,000 goal by raising $5,360 as of 1:30 p.m. Friday (April 25).
Welcome to Friday in Alexandria. What a week we’ve been having.
To start things off, ALXnow broke the story of an Alexandria Police Department’s arson and burglary investigation after Sunday morning’s (March 30) shopping center fire that shuttered multiple businesses in the 5200 block of Duke Street.
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating last Sunday morning’s fire, which affected multiple businesses in the 5200 block of Duke Street, as a commercial robbery and arson.
As previously reported, multiple businesses were affected when the fire started at Diko Bar & Hookah Lounge (5243 Duke Street).
With the odor of Sunday’s fire fading from a neighboring business, Shooter McGee’s (5249 Duke Street) reopened today (Tuesday).
A number of neighboring businesses have been closed since the Sunday morning (March 30) blaze in the 5200 block of Duke Street. AFD posted notifications outside the Blessed Smiles dental office at 5241 Duke Street and Hair Loom (5247 Duke Street) stating that the businesses were unsafe to occupy due to smoke and water damage. According to a staffer, the dental office expects to be closed for the rest of this week.
CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union is planning to open its third location in Alexandria.
A bank sign reading, “Coming soon,” has been erected on the door of 4557 Duke Street in the Shoppes of Foxchase.
Tired of tipping? Smoking Kow BBQ on Duke Street recently stopped asking customers for tips.
That’s right—after ordering burnt ends, spare ribs, sweet potatoes, and cornbread, customers are no longer prompted to tip by the restaurant’s electronic payment system, and the tip jar has also been removed.
It’s been 16 years since Generous George’s Positive Pizza & Pasta Place closed, and only a few months before it reopens as a Japanese sushi restaurant.
After an extensive interior renovation, Umiya Alexandria is expected to open by August, a contractor working on the project told ALXnow.
Update at 5:15 p.m. — All lanes have now been reopened
The Alexandria Police Department (APD) warned drivers to avoid the Duke Street and Quaker Lane intersection after a crash involving anywhere between nine to eleven vehicles.
Hidden behind the relatively boring title “Long-Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program” is a peek at some of the biggest planning efforts in Alexandria over the next year.
The program spells out some of the biggest priorities for the various city departments for FY 2026-27. For the Department of Planning and Zoning, one of the top items on that list is possible regulations for Alexandria’s short-term residential rental market — i.e. Airbnb and other home-sharing apps.
Japanese restaurant Umiya could be opening in a location previously haunted by a ghost kitchen and the pizza palace that never was.
Umiya Alexandria Inc. filed a permit to open a full service restaurant at 3006 Duke Street, offering Japanese sushi, seafood and grilled food.
