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Good morning, Alexandria.
Yesterday was a full day of original reporting. The Alexandria Brief was invited to sit in as current Chief Tarrick McGuire and former chiefs David Baker and Don Hayes gathered at APD headquarters for a candid conversation about the department's past, present and future — 15 portraits on the wall, one frame still empty.
A few hours earlier, about 100 residents gathered at Virginia Theological Seminary to weigh in on McGuire's G.R.E.A.T. public safety framework.
And last night, The Alexandria Brief joined the first community meeting on Alexandria's gas-powered leaf blower ban, four months out from the Nov. 17 deadline.
Three meetings. Three stories. You won't find them anywhere else this morning.
One more thing — my rain gauge picked up about 2.4 inches (60mm) of rain overnight. Keep an eye open for any flooding or standing water out there this morning.
Here's what you need to know for Wednesday, July 22.
1️⃣ Alexandria police chiefs reflect on legacy, leadership at APD
Three Alexandria police chiefs — current Chief Tarrick McGuire and former chiefs David Baker and Don Hayes — gathered at APD headquarters Tuesday for a candid conversation about the department's evolution, its legacy, and the work still ahead. The Alexandria Brief was invited to sit in.
The gathering took place in the department's newly dedicated Chief's Conference Room, where 15 framed portraits line the walls — every person who has led APD since James Webster took the job in 1870. A 16th frame has not yet been filled. Baker, who served from 2006 to 2009, recalled arriving to a department resistant to outside leadership and a broken promotion system that had to be dismantled piece by piece. Hayes, who served as chief from 2022 to 2024, inherited the foundation Baker and his predecessors built — and faced his own set of challenges, including a newly formed union, a citizen review board, and a command staff that believed they were next in line.
McGuire, who arrived from Arlington, Texas and was sworn in December 10, 2024, offered a phrase that has become the department's throughline: One APD. One Alexandria. After lunch, he walked his predecessors through the building — renovated gym, new report writing room, updated lockers — and through a freshly painted conference room named after Paula Czarnowsky, a civilian employee who gave 45 years to the department. Officers stopped what they were doing when they heard the former chiefs were in. Nobody had to explain why they came.
2️⃣ Alexandria residents weigh in on APD's public safety plan at community forum
About 100 Alexandria residents gathered Tuesday morning at Virginia Theological Seminary for a community forum on the Alexandria Police Department's G.R.E.A.T. public safety framework — the latest stop in a summer-long engagement effort that will culminate in a department report expected in September.
The session, convened by the Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria and several partner organizations, drew clergy, nonprofit leaders, recently promoted APD officers, school board chair Chris Harris and youth from Alexandria City High School. After Chief McGuire's presentation on the five-pillar framework, residents broke into small groups to discuss what a safer Alexandria looks like to them, how the community and APD can partner, and how the department should use technology while protecting privacy.
Youth programming, traffic and pedestrian safety, re-entry support, and elder fraud all came up consistently across tables. On technology, McGuire confirmed that body cameras and dash cams — long absent from APD — are now being installed in vehicles after more than a year in procurement. Additional community meetings are planned in Del Ray, Old Town, Arlandria and the West End before the September report.
3️⃣ Alexandria holds community meeting on gas leaf blower ban ahead of November deadline
About a dozen residents, landscapers and property owners attended Alexandria's informational meeting Tuesday evening on the city's gas-powered leaf blower ban, which takes effect Nov. 17. City staff fielded questions on enforcement, costs and disposal at Charles Houston Recreation Center and via Zoom.
Enforcement will be handled by the city's Environmental Quality team, which now has two noise inspectors. Violations start with a written warning and can escalate to civil penalties of $100, $250 and $500 for repeat offenses. Both the person using the banned equipment and the property owner can be cited. A first-offense citation requires city staff to directly observe the violation — a neighbor's complaint or photo alone is enough only for an informational warning.
A few practical notes from the meeting: large city vacuum trucks used for street leaf collection are not covered by the ban. Gas-powered mowers are also not covered. Residents can drop off drained gas-powered leaf blowers for recycling at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 3224 Colvin St. Violations can be reported after Nov. 17 through Alex311 or by calling 703-746-4065.
In brief
Alexandria police investigated two separate incidents overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Officers responded to a felonious assault in the 1200 block of Braddock Place, with detectives on scene as of 3:32 a.m. Wednesday. A separate, unspecified incident was also reported in the 4800 block of Braddock Road Tuesday evening. The Alexandria Brief has reached out to APD for additional details on both incidents.
Councilman John Taylor Chapman hosts one of his summer roundtable sessions tonight at Charles Houston Recreation Center at 6:30 p.m. Tonight's topic: how nonprofit organizations and Alexandria City Public Schools can better work together. School Board Chair Christopher Harris will join Chapman for the discussion. Free and open to the public. (Chapman4Council/IG)
The Special Education Legislative Summit is taking place in Alexandria this week -> "Special educators oppose Education Department breakup". (K12Dive)
Alexandria-based SNA International awarded a $135.6M DoW contract. (PR Newswire)
The Alvarez Law Firm has expanded its personal injury practice to place greater focus on pedestrian and bicycle accident claims across Alexandria and Northern Virginia. (EIN Presswire)
Registration for the City of Alexandria's fall recreation classes and programs, running from September through mid-November, opens on August 5. (City of Alexandria)
Explore the wild world of medicine in the 1860s at Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site during Specialty Tour: Civil War Medicine on Saturday, July 25. (City of Alexandria)
⚽ Sports
Hunter Goodman hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning to offset a pair of two-run shots by CJ Abrams, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 8-7 on Tuesday night. (The Brief)
The Alexandria Aces' game against the D.C. Grays on Tuesday night at Frank Mann Field was postponed.
Today's Schedule
- 3:10 p.m.: Washington Nationals at Colorado Rockies
- 6:30 p.m.: Southern Maryland Senators at Alexandria Aces
- 7:30 p.m.: Las Vegas Aces at Washington Mystics
- 8:30 p.m.: D.C. United at Houston Dynamo
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Today in Alexandria
⛅ Weather
Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 87 degrees. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming west in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66 degrees. North wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise at 6:01 a.m., sunset at 8:27 p.m. 14 hours & 26 minutes of sun.
High tide at 3:23 a.m. & 3:53 p.m. Low tide at 10:04 a.m. & 9:49 p.m. The moon phase is a First Quarter Moon.
🚇 Getting Around
Check here for the latest service alerts: Metro, DASH, VRE, Amtrak, and DCA
🗓️ Things To Do
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: In-person early voting open at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections (132 N. Royal Street)
- 6:30 p.m.: Sushi & Cider at Lost Boy Cider
- 6:30 p.m.: Councilman Chapman's Summer Roundtable Session at Charles Houston Rec. Center
- 6:30 p.m.: Southern Maryland Senators at Alexandria Aces at Frank Mann Field
- 7 p.m.: Murphy’s Run Club at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub
- 7 p.m.: Date & Game at Aslin ALX
🎶 Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Bill Pappas Project at 9 p.m.
- Atlas Brew Works: Bingo at 7 p.m.
- Galactic Panther: Red Tape Friends, Stargazers, Thee Trashcan, Ella G at 7 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Pete Chauvette at 6 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Kenny Kohlhaas at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- Southside 815: Rook Richards at 9:30 p.m.
🏛️ City & Schools
City Government: Open · Flag: Full Staff · Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste: On Time
- 6 a.m.: Chinquapin Pool open
- 7 a.m.: Minnie Howard Pool open
- 9:30 a.m.: Alexandria Electoral Board meeting at Voters Registration Office
- 10 a.m.: Memorial Pool open
- 11 a.m.: Warwick Pool open
- 7 p.m.: Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing at Del Pepper Community Resource Center
📚 Alexandria Library
- All day: PINGO! — Plastic Free Bingo at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 10 a.m.: Artificial Intelligence for Beginners at Beatley Central Library (registration required)
- 10:30 a.m.: Stitcher's Space — Sew, quilt, knit, crochet, embroider! at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 10:30 a.m.: Paleontology Playtime at Beatley Reading Garden
- 11 a.m.: Just Babies — Solo Los Bebés at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
- 2 p.m.: Digging It! with the Science Heroes at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 2 p.m.: Move & Groove at Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center
- 3 p.m.: DNA Bracelets — A STEAM Craft at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
- 5 p.m.: Move & Groove (2nd session) at Beatley Central Library
- 6 p.m.: DASH 101 — Your Ride, Your Way at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library (registration required)
On this day in history
On July 22, 1907, Luna Park in Pittsburgh granted free admission to Alexandria’s public school students, and between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., the students were given free access to all concessions at the amusement park. (Historic Alexandria)
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