Alexandria Has a New Fire Chief — “After a nationally competitive recruitment effort, City Manager Mark B. Jinks has appointed Corey A. Smedley as fire chief for the City of Alexandria, effective immediately. Chief Smedley, who has served as acting fire chief since the retirement of Robert C. Dubé in June, will be the first African American to serve as permanent fire chief in Alexandria’s history.” [City of Alexandria]

Dog’s Artwork Sells at Auction — “A new artist has captured the attention of local art lovers selling 20 pieces of art in less than an hour at an auction. All it took has a little tail wagging, and the dog nicknamed Ricasso had a collection of masterpieces. Rico, a dog staying at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria for 15 months, raised more than $4,000 to help shelter pets like him at the sold-out Dec. 6 event.” [Patch]

ACPS Year in Review — Alexandria City Public Schools has released a video recounting some of the top local school-related headlines of 2019. [ACPS]