Alexandria City Council voted yesterday (Wednesday) to deny an extension of Virginia Paving Company’s operations in the West End.
The asphalt production plant, which has been at an 11-acre site at 5601 Courtney Avenue since 1960, had been given Jan. 1, 2027 as a date to clear out operations. The special use permit extension would have allowed it to continue to Jan. 1, 2032.
The Alexandria Police Department today (Wednesday) released body camera footage from a fatal shooting of a homicide suspect in the city’s West End last month.
Police Chief Tarrick McGuire also publicly disclosed the names of the victim as 27-year-old Emily Ramirez and the suspect, her boyfriend, 38-year-old Hector Amaya. According to APD, Amaya allegedly shot Ramirez multiple times with a handgun before charging at police and being shot and killed by two APD officers. McGuire characterized the incident as a domestic violence situation and described Ramirez as a T.C. Williams High School graduate and beloved Alexandrian.
More than 7,800 customers are without power in Alexandria as the city and region are hit with severe thunderstorms tonight (Monday).
As of 7:45 p.m., Dominion Energy reported 7,821 customers without power across five outage areas. The outages are concentrated around the West End north and south of Duke Street, but they’ve also been reported in Taylor Run, Rosemont and Arlandria.
Seven years after being given a date by the city to clear out of Alexandria’s West End, Virginia Paving Company is asking for a five-year extension.
Asphalt production operations have been at the 11-acre site at 5601 Courtney Avenue since 1960. The proposal would extend the mandated sunset date for asphalt plant operations from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2032, according to planning documents.
A Virginia State Police pursuit ended in Alexandria with a fiery crash into a parked car early Sunday (June 21).
Around 12:57 a.m., a state trooper tried to stop a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on westbound Interstate 495 near Telegraph Road. According to state police, a pursuit ensued when the vehicle refused to stop.
The Alexandria Police Department responded to a shooting that injured two people in the West End tonight (Saturday).
The shooting was reported around 7:03 p.m. in the area of 5335 Duke Street and the 100 block of N. Paxton Street. The two adult male victims were taken to the hospital. An APD spokesperson told ALXnow one victim was in stable condition and the other in critical condition.
Alexandria will get a long holiday weekend packed with Juneteenth festivities, Father’s Day events, Pride Month celebrations and summer solstice events.
As some workers get a day off for the federal Juneteenth holiday, Alexandria will host events like the Juneteenth Festival at Charles Houston Recreation Center, Washington Revels Jubilee Voices Juneteenth Concert at Shiloh Baptist Church and Memorial at Douglass Cemetery.
The Inova Alexandria Hospital replacement and a new hospital to the south in Fairfax County remain on schedule for opening in late 2028 — potentially on the same day.
Meeting the timetable will be good news for the region’s economy, Inova Health System CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones said at a June 16 roundtable of Fairfax County’s Council for Economic Opportunity, a group of government and business leaders looking at high-level economic, development and technology trends. Jones called health care “the job engine and in many ways economic engine” of Northern Virginia.
More details have been released on a mother and daughter arrested last month for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation in Alexandria and Fairfax County.
The 21-year-old and 51-year-old women who live in Fairfax County have been held without bond since their arrest on May 4. On Feb. 6, 2025, Virginia State Police received an anonymous tip of a suspected illicit massage business, and provided multiple addresses and phone numbers, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. About 11 months later, in January 2026, VSP created a fake phone number and made an appointment for $70.
As the second weekend of June arrives, Alexandria City Public Schools students are off for the summer and families will be heading out to enjoy events around the city and region.
Sails on the Potomac will coincide with ALX Jazz Fest from June 12-14 at Waterfront Park (1A Prince Street). Highlights of the event include tall ship tours, fireworks, ALX Jazz Fest performances and the VA250 Mobile Museum.
The first weekend of June brings plenty of summer happenings, from a welcome celebration for the Croatian National Football Team to other food festivals, concerts and tours.
Events like Best of the West, Flavors and Sounds of Croatia in Alexandria and the sold-out Taste of Del Ray will keep foodies satisfied this weekend. History fans will enjoy the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex Walking Tour. Musicians will also treat the community to free concerts with Alexandria Citizens Band: A Journey Through American Music and LIVE at the Lyceum: Piano & Friends Concert.
