Daily Brief | June 22

Good morning, Alexandria. It's Monday, June 22 — the 173rd day of 2026, with 192 days left in the year.

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A State Police pursuit that began on the Capital Beltway ended early Sunday with a crash and fire on S. Whiting Street; the driver was taken into custody, no injuries reported. Police are also investigating a Saturday evening shooting near Duke and N. Paxton streets that hospitalized two people, and asking the public's help finding Harold "Buck" Adams, 83, last seen Sunday morning on Pendleton Street.

Croatia travels to Toronto today for tomorrow's match against Panama. Petar Musa — who scored against England in "his" Dallas — and three teammates spoke ahead of the team's departure.

Hard Times Cafe, the King Street chili parlor open at 1404 King since 1980, has closed for a long-planned remodel and expects to reopen in fall 2026. Cherry On Top, a new coffee and wine bar at 1021 Queen Street, soft-opens Wednesday.

Yesterday marked the summer solstice, and the moment aligned at sunrise with Alicia Eggert's "Now or Never" installation at the Old Town Waterfront, where the Alexandria Office of the Arts hosted a gathering. Today is the first full day of summer.

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Today: scattered showers and thunderstorms starting around 11 a.m., heavier rain possible in the afternoon, high near 92 degrees. Bring an umbrella.

Here's what's happening in Alexandria.

1️⃣ State police pursuit ends in fiery crash on S. Whiting Street; suspect in custody

APD assisted at the scene but was not involved in the State Police pursuit. (Photo via APD)

A Virginia State Police pursuit that began on the Capital Beltway ended early Sunday with a crash and fire in Alexandria, where troopers took the fleeing driver into custody, authorities said.

The Alexandria Police Department, in a social media post around 5 a.m., said there was a heavy State Police presence at 225 S. Whiting St. after troopers pursued a vehicle into the city and it crashed into a parked vehicle, setting both vehicles on fire. APD said the driver was apprehended by State Police and that no injuries were reported. The city department said it assisted at the scene but was not involved in the pursuit or the arrest.

2️⃣ Croatia's Dallas hero Musa, and a teammate who saw Kane's penalty coming

Members of the Croatia national team take the training pitch at Episcopal High School. (Ryan Belmore / Alexandria Brief)

Of all the Croatia players who have passed through the microphones during the team's stay in the region, few had a better story to tell than Petar Musa — and his came in "his" Dallas.

The FC Dallas striker, who plays his club football in the very city where Croatia opened its World Cup, scored the goal that briefly pulled his country level with England, capping a two-year road back to the national team. In remarks published by the Croatian Football Federation ahead of the team's departure for Toronto, Musa described the moment as overwhelming.

"The emotions overwhelmed me. I wasn't crying, but I was extremely happy," Musa said of his equalizer against England, calling it a special feeling in a match like that — even as disappointment followed at the final whistle.

3️⃣ Two hospitalized in shooting near Duke and N. Paxton streets

Alexandria police are investigating a Saturday evening shooting that left two people hospitalized. (File photo via APD)

Two people were shot and taken to a hospital Saturday evening in Alexandria, and police closed part of a West End street as officers investigated, authorities said.

The Alexandria Police Department said it was investigating a shooting in the area of the 100 block of N. Paxton Street and the 5300 block of Duke Street. Two victims were found and transported to a local hospital, the department said. Officers remained on scene, and the 100-to-200 block of N. Paxton Street was closed to traffic as the investigation continued.

4️⃣ Alexandria police seek public's help finding missing 83-year-old man

Harold "Buck" Adams, 83, was last seen Sunday morning in the 500 block of Pendleton Street. (Alexandria Police Department)

Alexandria police are asking for the public's help locating an 83-year-old man reported missing Sunday and described as a critical missing person.

Harold "Buck" Adams was last seen around 8 a.m. in the 500 block of Pendleton Street, the Alexandria Police Department said.

5️⃣ Hard Times Cafe closes King Street location for a remodel

The Hard Times Cafe at 1404 King St. in Old Town Alexandria, where the chili parlor has operated since 1980. The location has closed for a renovation, with the chain saying it expects to reopen in fall 2026. (Hard Times Cafe/Facebook)

Hard Times Cafe, the Old Town chili parlor that opened on King Street in 1980 and grew into a regional chain, has gone dark for a long-planned renovation, with the restaurant telling fans it expects to reopen in the fall.

A handwritten sign taped inside the door of the 1404 King St. restaurant tells customers it is closed for renovations and points them to the chain's Springfield location. The company's website strikes a similar note: under a "pardon our dust" banner, it says the Alexandria location is closed for a "much-needed remodel" and looks forward to serving customers again in Fall 2026. The restaurant did not announce a specific closing date, and the exact day it served its last bowl before the shutdown was not clear.

📰 In brief

Alexandria Health Department is advising residents about potential exposures to measles in northern Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health was notified of a confirmed case of measles that traveled through Washington Dulles International Airport on Wednesday, June 17. (AHD)

Cherry On Top, a new coffee and wine bar, will soft open on Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1021 Queen Street. (Cherry On Top)

The 9th Annual Alexandria Pride will take place at John Carlyle Square Park on Saturday. Enjoy 100 exhibitors, Drag Story Hour, food trucks, live music, health services, the Mobile Art Lab, dancing, and more! All ages are welcome. (City of Alexandria)

The Del Ray Business Association will host a Legislative Town Hall with Delegate Kirk McPike on Tuesday night. (DRBA)

Budget negotiators from the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate have agreed on a spending plan that would further tax data centers' energy use, ending three months of deadlock that escalated to the point of Democrats publicly criticizing each other. (VPM)

Reminder: Early voting for the August 4, 2026, dual primary election is now open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections (132 N Royal Street, Suite 100). (Board of Elections)

Sports

Jonny DeLuca hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a comeback 4-3 victory against the Washington Nationals on Sunday. (The Brief)

The Washington Nationals open a four-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight at 6:45 p.m. at Nationals Park. The Washington Mystics, who beat the Minnesota Lynx 84-79 on the road Sunday for their second straight win, are off today before hosting the Lynx at Capital One Arena on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

The Alexandria Aces (9-9) travel to face the Bethesda Big Train (9-7) tonight at 7 p.m. at Shirley Povich Field, looking to climb back over .500 against a Big Train team that has historically been Alexandria's biggest Cal Ripken League rival.

Today's 2026 FIFA World Cup matches: Argentina vs. Austria at 1 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (FOX); France vs. Iraq at 5 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (FOX); Norway vs. Senegal at 8 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (FOX); and Jordan vs. Algeria at 11 p.m. at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California (FS1). Croatia returns to World Cup play Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Panama in Toronto.

Today in Alexandria

⛅ Weather

Hazardous Weather Outlook

Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m.. High near 92 degrees. East wind 8 to 16 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. The chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch are possible.

Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 11 p.m., then scattered showers and thunderstorms between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., then scattered showers after 2 a.m. Low around 68 degrees. South wind 6 to 9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch are possible.

🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise at 5:43 a.m., sunset at 8:37 p.m. 14 hours & 53 minutes of sun. High tide at 3:06 a.m. & 3:29 p.m. Low tide at 9:37 a.m. & 9:47 p.m. The moon phase is a First Quarter Moon.

🗓️ Things To Do

6 p.m.: Monthly Public Tour of The Basilica of Saint Mary
6:30 p.m.: Joggers & Lagers at Port City Brewing Company

🎶 Entertainment

219 Restaurant: Just For Fun at 9 p.m.
Clyde’s at Mark Center: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
Daniel O’Connell’s: Traditional Irish Music at 7 p.m.
Del Ray Public House: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Epicure on King: Open Mic at 7 p.m.
Laporta’s Restaurant: Jim West at 6 p.m.
Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Colby Sard at 8:30 p.m.
O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.

🏛️ City & Schools

6 a.m.: Chinquapin Pool Open at Chinquapin Park Recreation Center
7 a.m.: Minnie Howard Pool Open at Minnie Howard campus
11 a.m.: Warwick Pool Open
noon: Old Town Pool Open
5 p.m.: Visit Alexandria Board of Governors Meeting
5 p.m.: City Council/School Board Subcommittee Meeting
7 p.m.: Traffic and Parking Board Meeting
7 p.m.: George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (virtual)
7 p.m.: Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Regular Meeting
7 p.m.: Social Services Advisory Board (SSAB) Regular Monthly Meeting
7 p.m.: Planning Commission Public Hearing
7 p.m.: Sister Cities Committee Dundee and Helsingborg
(City of Alexandria calendar) (ACPS calendar)

📚 Alexandria Library

10:15 & 11:15 a.m.: Baby Time at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
10:30 a.m.: Storytime in the Reading Garden — Cuentos en el jardín de lectura at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
1 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
2 p.m.: Pollinator Party — Butterflies, Bees, and Ladybugs at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
3:30 p.m.: Teen and Tween Summer Craft Camp at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
5 p.m.: Embroidery Bootcamp — Beginner stitches and techniques for adults at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
5:30 p.m.: ELL 2 Workshop — Intermediate Conversation at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
6 p.m.: Air-Dry Clay Dinosaurs at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
(Alexandria Library calendar)

📜 On this day in Alexandria's history

The Almshouse, seen in a detail from an aerial photograph. (Alexandria Library Special Collections)

On June 22, 1937, the Alexandria City Council appropriated $2,500 to construct a baseball field at the old Almshouse property at Monroe Street and U.S. Route 1. The Almshouse itself was 18th century, built by the city as housing for indigent Alexandrians, and had been sold off years earlier at auction to become a private boarding house. When the new owner's finances collapsed in the early years of the Great Depression, the property reverted to the city. Unable to find a buyer or new use for the building in the depressed real estate market, city officials decided instead to build out the land around it for recreational use — a baseball field next to the old building, with the Almshouse itself repurposed for the storage of baseball equipment.

On June 22, 1893, Alexandria Police Chief James F. Webster told local reporters that bicycles had become so popular and so common on city streets that the police would need to regulate their operation.

The Alexandria Brief

Alexandria, Va., news and information you won't find anywhere else.

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Publisher: Ryan Belmore, an Alexandria resident and journalist. Send feedback, questions, story ideas, and news tips to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.