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Bail granted for groomer accused of abusing dogs in Alexandria

By James Cullum
The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

An Alexandria man charged with felony animal abuse was granted bail on July 24 (Thursday), despite objections from the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Kevin Malik Sanders was granted a $10,000 bail on personal recognizance and goes to court for a three-day jury trial starting Feb. 2, 2026, according to the Alexandria Clerk of Court. The 29-year-old was arrested on July 21, 2025, after the death of a three-year-old Golden Retriever named Abigail at Your Dog’s Best Friends (2000 Richmond Highway) on July 12, 2024. He was charged with four Class 1 misdemeanors and one count of felony animal abuse. The Commonwealth’s Attorney released allegations of abuse in an effort to keep him behind bars (see below).

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Allen Brooks (on left) and Doug Bauer, co-founders of Continues Arcade at 1050 N. Fayette Street (staff photo by James Cullum)

Welcome to Friday, Alexandria! Nearly all of our top stories this week are about local businesses.

Just in time to catch the end of the summer, our top story is on the beta launch of Continues Arcade, a new bar and restaurant featuring more than 60 restored classic arcade games. In anticipation of next week’s soft opening, ALXnow got a sneak peek inside the space at 1050 N. Fayette Street.

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New coffee shop and wine bar pitched for Queen Street in Old Town

By James Cullum
Ksenia Varakina wants to open Cherry On Top at 1021 Queen Street in Old Town (via Instagram) 

A new coffee shop and wine bar has been proposed in Old Town.

Ksenia Varakina recently moved to Alexandria from New York City and wants to open Cherry On Top at 1021 Queen Street before the end of the year. She says that the proposed shop is off the beaten path and wants it to be a refuge for locals to unwind.

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Old Town’s Hypergoat Coffee to mark first year with food trucks, tastings, and cake

By James Cullum
Hypergoat Coffee Roasters owners Rodrigo Ramos and Deborah Joos Tafner de Moraes (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s taken a lot of coffee to keep Hypergoat Coffee Roasters humming in Old Town, and next month they’re celebrating their first year in business.

“This past year has been full — early mornings, great conversations, new faces, familiar ones, and lots of coffee shared,” shop owner Deborah Joos Tafner de Moraes recently wrote on social media. “We’ve grown more than we imagined, and it’s all because of the people who’ve been part of this journey.”

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Continues Arcade soft opens next week in Alexandria with 60+ classic games

By James Cullum
Continues Arcade at 1050 N. Fayette Street (staff photo by James Cullum)

Get your index fingers ready, because Continues Arcade is opening next week near the Braddock Road metro station.

The inside of Continues Arcade is still being finished, but features more than 60 classic arcade games, as well as large leather couches and sectioned off tables to hook up TVs to classic gaming systems like the Nintendo NES or Sega Genesis.

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Billy Joel’s first publicist, Sandy Gibson, to talk in Del Ray next month

By James Cullum
Former music publicist and producer Sandy Gibson (on left, talking with Bette Midler) will discuss her life in the industry on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Stardust Vintage & Gift in Del Ray, 1904 Mount Vernon Avenue (courtesy image)

Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison — name a musical icon from the world of rock, soul, and pop, and chances are, Sandy Gibson interviewed them.

Gibson, a longtime Del Ray resident, was also Billy Joel’s first publicist. She was interviewed multiple times for the HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which premieres on Friday (July 18). Music lovers can also hear Gibson talk about her career on Thursday, August 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Stardust Vintage & Gift (1904 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray.

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Wink Lash Art moves to new location on King Street in Old Town

By James Cullum
Wink Lash Art is now open at 201 King Street in Old Town (via Instagram)

There’s a new business in Old Town that’s not only raising eyebrows, but extending lashes.

Wink Lash Art moved to its new location on the second floor of 201 King Street (above Comfort One Shoes) at the end of June. Owner Bianca Claudia Briscan says that the 850-square-foot space more than doubles the area she and her staff worked with the last six years at their previous location at 300 S. Washington Street.

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End of an Era: Taylor Swift-themed pop-up bar closing in Del Ray

By James Cullum
The line for the 'Eras' pop-up bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (courtesy photo)

Attention Swifties: There are only a few weeks left before Eras, the Taylor Swift-themed pop-up bar, closes in Del Ray.

That’s right — no more lines around the block, friendship bracelet-making, or Taylor Swift trivia nights at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue. After more than six months in operation, Eras will close the first weekend in August, owner Bill Blackburn tells ALXnow.

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10 Questions with David Clark, owner of Orkney Springs Distillery in Del Ray

By James Cullum
Organic gin from Orkney Springs Distillery in Del Ray (via Instagram)

If you’ve got a hankering for strawberry rhubarb vodka, look no further than Del Ray.

For the last year and a half, Orkney Springs Distillery has bottled and sold small batches of gluten-free, organic gin and vodka at its facility at 3125 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. The award-winning recipes are all made on a 140-acre farm in the Shenandoah Valley, and the Del Ray tasting room costs $30 per person and is open by appointment only.

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GloWell Hair Spa to hold ribbon cutting July 19 in Old Town North

By James Cullum
GloWell Hair Spa is open at 712 N. Washington Street in Old Town (via Facebook)

A new hair spa will hold its ribbon cutting later this month in Old Town North.

GloWell Hair Spa officially opened in May at 712 N. Washington Street. At 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, spa owner Alleyah Miner, her staff, and visitors will formally cut the ribbon for the business.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum
National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)

It’s been another fast week in Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories over the last several days.

Our Tuesday (June 24) story on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development taking over the National Science Foundation’s headquarters (2415 Eisenhower Avenue) garnered more than 125,000 views, making it the most-read story of the year. While bringing in more than 2,700 HUD workers, the move will also displace about 1,800 NSF employees over the next two years.

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