The Alexandria Brief | Friday, Sept. 4

Good morning, Alexandria.

More than 7,000 Alexandria homes were still without power as of 6:31 a.m. after overnight storms, down from 9,127 at 5. No restoration estimates posted — Dominion listed one large West End outage as pending investigation with crews not yet assigned. Treat dark traffic signals as four-way stops, and expect more rain this afternoon before the weekend clears.

Also today: Twosome Place confirmed its first U.S. store opens on King Street next month, and I have a full rundown of what's happening this Labor Day weekend.

Here's what you need to know for Friday, Sept. 4.

1️⃣ More than 7,000 Alexandria customers still without power after overnight storms

Severe thunderstorms overnight left 7,286 Dominion customers in Alexandria without power as of 6:31 a.m., about 10% of the city. That's down from 9,127 at 5 a.m., but restoration estimates aren't available — Dominion listed the cause and the restoration time for at least one large West End outage as pending investigation, with crews still awaiting assignment.

Police asked people around 1 a.m. to stay off the roads. Seminary Road was impassable between Dover Street and North Beauregard, and drivers were told to avoid North Beauregard at Morgan Street because of a downed power line. The map showed two larger West End outage areas Friday morning, one near West Braddock Road and Inova Alexandria Hospital, another running south toward Janney's Lane. Smaller clusters near Landmark, in Del Ray, along Eisenhower Avenue, near the Masonic Memorial, and around Huntington and Jefferson Manor.

Nearly all of Dominion's active Virginia outages are in Northern Virginia — 43,337 across the region against 46,866 statewide. Arlington is hardest hit at 15,663. If you're driving, treat dark signals as four-way stops. Report downed trees, flooding and signal outages to the city at 703-746-4444, and outages to Dominion at 1-866-366-4357. Stay at least 30 feet from downed lines.

2️⃣ Korean café chain Twosome Place confirms U.S. debut on King Street, opening in mid-October

Twosome Place confirmed Thursday that its first U.S. store opens at 404 King St. in mid-October, settling months of speculation about the space on the ground floor of The Alexandrian. The café will take about 2,604 square feet with 78 seats, including outdoor.

The chain opened its first café in Seoul in 2002 and now has more than 1,750 locations built around pairing specialty coffee with cake. It's owned by the Carlyle Group, the Washington private equity firm, which bought it in 2021. The Alexandria menu runs from whole and sliced cakes to a black sesame latte, a misugaru frappe made with toasted multigrains, and an all-day food menu with K-Toast, a K-Chicken panini and a bibimbowl.

The company calls Alexandria the first step in a broader U.S. expansion, with two more stores opening soon — it won't say where. I reported in August that Twosome had already registered Twosome Ballston LLC in Virginia at a Wilson Boulevard address in Arlington, a space Compass Coffee gave up after filing for bankruptcy in January.

3️⃣ Things to do in Alexandria this Labor Day weekend

Get through today, and the weekend looks good. Friday brings a 60% chance of storms and a heat index near 101, with rain likely after 5 p.m. Then it breaks: 85 and partly sunny Saturday, 83 and sunny Sunday, 83 and sunny again on Labor Day.

Saturday is the busy day. Two farmers markets in the morning, a World War II walking tour at Lee-Fendall House at 10:30, Family Fun Day at Carlyle House and the Get Flee Marketplace at Hotel Heron at noon, and Long Dark House throws its grand opening celebration on King Street. Del Ray Artisans opens "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Voices Through Visuals" Friday evening.

Here's a look at everything on the calendar this weekend.

In brief

The Alexandria Times published a Flock camera investigation Tuesday that found at least 81 license plate readers in the city or on its borders, above the 61 APD had disclosed, and more than 50 instances of officers improperly labeling their reasons for searching the database. The Times also found cameras concentrated in lower-income census tracts, and reported that Mayor Alyia Gaskins and two council members now support releasing the department's audit logs publicly. (Alexandria Times) Regarding Flock, I submitted my own questions to APD about the program on Aug. 14 and have been told twice that answers are coming. I'm still waiting. City Manager James Parajon is scheduled to present a report to the council on the cameras on Tuesday.

City offices, schools, libraries, and courts are closed on Monday for Labor Day. Trash, recycling, yard waste, and curbside food waste collection shifts one day later all week, so Monday's route runs Tuesday, and Friday's runs Saturday, Sept. 12. DASH operates on a weekend schedule, with Lines 102, 103, and 104 not running. Parking meter and residential permit enforcement are suspended, though temporary no-parking signs still apply. Old Town and Warwick pools open 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Minnie Howard 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (City of Alexandria)

Rep. Don Beyer led House floor remarks Wednesday calling for USAID to be restored, saying he's heard from hundreds of former agency employees in his Northern Virginia district since it was dismantled last year. (Rep. Beyer's office)

Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, on Wednesday, aired his concerns and advice about the proposed $67 billion NextEra-Dominion Energy merger in a letter to SCC Chair Kelsey Bagot. (Virginia Mercury)

Sports

The Titans beat Potomac Senior 17-14 in Dumfries on Thursday night to move to 2-0. Alexandria City opened the season with a 21-7 win over Lake Braddock at Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium on Aug. 28. (AC Titans)

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Today in Alexandria

⛅ Weather

Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5 p.m. Increasing clouds, with a high near 92 degrees. Heat index values as high as 101 degrees. Northwest wind 3 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, except higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73 degrees. Light northwest wind. The chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, except higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.

🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise at 6:40 a.m., sunset at 7:34 p.m. 12 hours & 54 minutes of sun.

High tide at 1:44 a.m. & 2:29 p.m. Low tide at 9:04 a.m. & 8:36 p.m. The moon phase is a Last Quarter Moon.

🗓️ Things To Do

• 4 p.m.: First Fridays at Heron with sounds by DJ Biggs and Bri Pippens, Artist-in-residence at Hotel Heron
• 6:30 p.m.: Friday Night Run Club at Daniel O'Connell's
• 7 p.m.: Opening reception for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Voices Through Visuals exhibition at Del Ray Artisans

🎶 Entertainment

• 219 Restaurant: Live music (to be announced) at 9 p.m.
• Alexandria Bier Garden: DJ Night at 9 p.m.
• Clyde’s at Mark Center: Jonathan Quigley at 9 p.m.
• Cuates Grill: Karaoke at 10:15 p.m.
• Del Ray Public House: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
• Evening Star Cafe: Starryville at 8:30 p.m.
• Hops N Shine: Live music at 6 p.m.
• Laporta’s Restaurant: Live music at 7:30 p.m.
• Lost Boy Cider: Sleeper Car at 7 p.m.
• Makeda Restaurant: Mesfin & Tsehay at 10 p.m.
• Murphy’s Pub: Tyler Goldstein and Pat Carroll at 9 p.m.
• Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
• The Birchmere: The Wailin' Jennys at 7:30 p.m.
• The Garden Del Ray: Will Baskin Duo at 5 p.m.
• The Light Horse: Practically Einstein and Jason Mitsch at 9:30 p.m.
• The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Blithe Spirit at 8 p.m.
• The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6:30 p.m.

🏛️ City & Schools

City Gov.: Open | Flag: Full Staff | Trash, Recycling, & Yard Waste: On Time

• All Day: ACPS - No school for students.
• 7 a.m.: Old Town Pool open
• 8:30 a.m.: Health and Safety Coordinating Committee meeting
• 9 a.m.: Industrial Development Authority monthly meeting
• 4:30 p.m.: Warwick Pool open

📚 Alexandria Library

• 2 p.m.: Film screening celebrating Dolly Parton — "Steel Magnolias" at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
• 3 p.m.: Tai Chi at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
• 3:30 p.m.: Lego Competition at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library

⚾ Sports

D.C. Sports

• 10:10 p.m.: Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers

ACHS Titans

• 2 p.m.: Field hockey (girls) vs. Yorktown
• 5 p.m.: Field hockey (girls) vs. Mount Vernon
• 6:30 p.m.: Field hockey (girls) at Mount Vernon
• Varsity only. Full schedule, including JV and freshman.

On this day in Alexandria's history

On Sept. 4, 1859, Beth El Hebrew Congregation formed in Alexandria. By 1856, more than 30 Jews, most of them from Germany, had come to the city looking for freedom, dignity and a living in the retail trades. They founded the Hebrew Benevolent Society in 1857 to establish a burial ground. Two congregations took shape in 1859, one Reform and one Orthodox, and they settled their differences in time to celebrate the High Holy Days together the following year. Beth El, the Reform congregation, built a temple on North Washington Street in 1871 that served it for the next 84 years. (Historic Alexandria)

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

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