Daily Brief | May 14

Good morning, Alexandria. It's Thursday, May 14 — the 134th day of 2026, with 231 days left in the year.

The region's annual Point-in-Time homelessness count is out, and Alexandria's number rose 14 percent — from 166 in 2025 to 189 in 2026. A sharp increase in children drove the change. The silver lining: Alexandria is one of only two jurisdictions in the region still below its pre-pandemic level.

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day — the city is hosting six pit stops across Alexandria with free refreshments and raffle prizes. Saturday at 9:30 a.m., council takes up the Braddock Road bike lane appeal. Big week for two wheels.

And a heads up: VRE has postponed the next King Street bridge closure to May 29 through June 2.

Here's what you need to know today.

~ Ryan

Programming note: I'm off my normal publishing schedule and frequency for a few days. I'll be back up to speed on Monday.

You're one of 5,874 neighbors receiving this newsletter this morning. 219 of those neighbors make this newsletter, and all that I do here, possible. Join them with a monthly or annual subscription, or a one-time contribution. Thank you!

1️⃣ Virginia one step closer to requiring diaper-changing stations in new buildings’ public bathrooms

Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D-Alexandria, had an “ah-ha” moment when her daughter, now three, was a newborn. She’d been at a restaurant and needed to change her diaper but there was no changing station in the bathroom. Virginia law doesn’t require them in public restrooms, but that may soon change.

“It’s something that you don’t necessarily notice, or don’t notice when it’s missing — until you need it,” she said.

As a state lawmaker, she knew the next window of opportunity to update the state’s uniform building code would come in 2026. The process, where public health, safety and efficiency standards can be set for future construction, happens every three years.

Read the full story: Virginia one step closer to requiring diaper-changing stations in new buildings’ public bathrooms

2️⃣ Alexandria homelessness count rises 14% in 2026, driven by sharp increase in children

A total of 9,790 people experiencing homelessness were tallied on one day in the region in 2026, according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) highlighting results from the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count conducted by area jurisdictions and homeless services providers in February 2026. (COG)

The number of Alexandria residents experiencing homelessness rose 14 percent from 2025 to 2026, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' annual Point-in-Time count released this week, with a sharp increase in children driving the local change.

The 2026 count identified 189 people experiencing homelessness in Alexandria on the night of Feb. 4, up from 166 in 2025 and a 1 percent increase from 187 in 2024. Looking further back, the city's 2026 count was 9 people, or 5 percent, below its 2019 pre-pandemic level — making Alexandria one of only two jurisdictions in the eight-jurisdiction region to record a decline from 2019, alongside the District of Columbia.

The annual enumeration is the 26th consecutive year that COG has published a regional report on the scope and circumstances of homelessness. This year's count was originally scheduled for Jan. 28 but was postponed to Feb. 4 due to severe winter weather, including snow, sleet and freezing rain.

Read the full story: Alexandria homelessness count rises 14% in 2026, driven by sharp increase in children

3️⃣ VRE postpones King Street bridge closure to May 29 through June 2

Commuters disembark from a Virginia Railway Express train at an Amtrak station in Alexandria, Virginia, US, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Virginia Railway Express has rescheduled the next phase of construction on its Alexandria station improvements project, postponing the replacement of two bridge spans across King Street and Commonwealth Avenue to begin Friday, May 29.

The closure will run from 7 p.m. on May 29 to 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2. King Street and Commonwealth Avenue will remain fully open until the closure begins at 7 p.m. May 29.

Read the full story: VRE postpones King Street bridge closure to May 29 through June 2

📰 In brief

In Alexandria, ICE ordered to release man detained at a Virginia courthouse and unlawfully held for more than nine months. (ACLU)

Hank's Pasta Bar will host a grand opening ribbon-cutting celebration today. (The Alexandria Brief)

Backstage has compiled a list of projects casting right now in Virginia and nationwide, and which roles they're looking to fill. (Stacker)

The City of Alexandria has announced that Witter Place Apartments will start accepting applications for its lottery-based lease-up on May 14 through June 1. (City of Alexandria)

Daylen Lile hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the 10th inning, Keibert Ruiz also went deep and the Washington Nationals rallied from an early five-run deficit to beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-7 on Wednesday night. (The Alexandria Brief)

Today in Alexandria

⛅ Weather

Mostly sunny today, with a high near 66 degrees. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 51 degrees. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph.

🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise at 5:56 a.m., sunset at 8:13 p.m. 14 hours & 17 minutes of sun. High tide at 6:36 a.m. & 7:11 p.m. Low tide at 12:22 p.m. The moon phase is a Waning Crescent.

🗓️ Things To Do

5 p.m.: Office of Historic Alexandria: Historic Happy Hours at O'Connell's Irish Pub
7 p.m.: Tall Ship Providence: Sea Story Speaker Series: We Were Highball to Highball, and They Were the First to Clink at Tall Ship Providence

🎶 Entertainment

219 Restaurant: Mike Kelley & Friends at 9 p.m.
Aslin ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Atlas Brew Works: Bingo at 7 p.m.
Evening Star Cafe: The Walkaways at 8:30 p.m.
Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
Laporta’s Restaurant: Ken Kilpatrick Trio at 6 p.m.
Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap: Sammy Munguia Pan-Latin Duo at 6 p.m.
Lost Boy Cider: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Pat Carroll & Rook Richards at 8:30 p.m.
O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
The Birchmere: The Lone Bellow at 7:30 p.m.
The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.

🏛️ City of Alexandria

6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open at Chinquapin
8:30 a.m.: ARHA Board's Planning and Development Committee
4:30 p.m.: Commission on Aging
5 p.m.: Historic Happy Hours at O'Connell's Irish Pub — 10% of checks benefit Historic Alexandria and America250
6 p.m.: Community Cookout
6 p.m.: Minnie Howard Open at Minnie Howard
7 p.m.: Commission on IT Monthly Meeting
(City of Alexandria calendar)

📚 Alexandria Library

10 a.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 1 Workshop at Beatley Central Library
10:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.: Stories and Songs at Duncan Branch Library
11 a.m.: Line Dancing 101 at Burke Branch Library
11 a.m.: Preschool Story Time at Barrett Branch Library
Noon: Line Dancing 201 at Burke Branch Library
1:15 p.m.: Baby Bounce at Beatley Central Library
2 p.m.: American Style Mahjong at Barrett Branch Library
2 p.m.: Art with Julie - Felted Birds at Burke Branch Library
2 p.m.: Ancient Wisdom & Modern Technologies for Brain Performance (virtual)
4 p.m.: Preschool Storytime at Beatley Central Library
5 p.m.: Spitfire - 4th and 5th Grade at Duncan Branch Library
5:30 p.m.: Tai Chi at Beatley Central Library
6 p.m.: Coding Game Night at Beatley Central Library
6 p.m.: Duncan Literary Society at The Company of Books
6 p.m.: Dungeons and Dragons (Adult Group A) at Barrett Branch Library
6:30 p.m.: Laugh Lab - Stand-Up Comedy Workshop at Burke Branch Library
(Alexandria Library calendar)

🏫 Alexandria City Public Schools

6 p.m.: CANCELLED - School Board Work Session - Adjusted CF & CIP Work Session #2
(ACPS calendar) (ACHS Titans sports calendar)

📜 Alexandria History

via Historic Alexandria

On May 14, 1859, van Amburgh & Company’s Grand Zoological & Equestrian Company performed two shows in Alexandria. Founded by Isaac van Amburgh, who was the first American animal trainer to develop wild animals acts for entertainment, the former cage cleaner at the Zoological Society of New York had developed one of the most successful 19th century traveling menagerie shows. Fearless, cunning, and merciless in his treatment of animals, van Amburgh’s mobile exposition featured trained elephants, tigers, lions, leopards, horses, trick dogs, riding monkeys and educated ponies within his repertoire. Nicknamed “The Lion King” van Amburgh was well-known for placing his bloodied arms or entire head within the mouths of growling lions, then having the animal lick his boots at the end of the act. His performance so impressed Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when it was presented to them in London in 1844, that Her Excellency commissioned Sir Edwin Henry Landseer to paint a portrait of van Amburgh and his animals to be exhibited at the Royal Academy.

The Alexandria Brief

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

Publisher: Ryan Belmore, an Alexandria resident and journalist.

The Alexandria Brief has no ads, no paywall, and no corporate owner. Support this work with a monthly or annual subscription, or a one-time contribution.

Send feedback, story ideas, news, and tips to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.