The Alexandria Brief

Good morning, Alexandria.

Melanie Kay-Wyatt's time as Alexandria's superintendent ended Wednesday, seven weeks earlier than the Oct. 1 date the School Board announced in March. The board modified her separation agreement at a special meeting and named Chief of Staff Grace Taylor acting superintendent.

Also today: expect emergency vehicles at the Minnie Howard campus between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. — it's a planned active violence drill, not an incident.

It's time to make those reservations. Alexandria Restaurant Week returns tomorrow with prix fixe menus at 75+ restaurants.

Here's what you need to know for Thursday, Aug. 13.

1️⃣ Kay-Wyatt out as superintendent effective immediately; board names Grace Taylor acting superintendent

Melanie Kay-Wyatt, former Superintendent of ACPS. (ACPS)

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt concluded her service Wednesday, ending her tenure nearly seven weeks earlier than announced, and the School Board named Chief of Staff Dr. Grace Taylor to lead the division on an acting basis.

The board announced the changes after a special called meeting Wednesday evening, saying it and Kay-Wyatt had agreed to modify her separation agreement so that her service as superintendent ends effective Aug. 12, "earlier than anticipated." The board said it was grateful for her leadership and wished her well in retirement after 30 years in public education.

The announcement did not give a reason for the earlier end date.

Read the full story

2️⃣ T&ES clarifies Russell Road parking numbers, process moving forward

Russell Road near Naomi Brooks Elementary School. The city's Safe Routes to School plan would add median refuge islands at two intersections and painted curb extensions at four others. (Google Maps)

A comparison table the city published last week overstates how much parking would remain on Russell Road under the plan Alexandria's transportation director selected, the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services says.

The table, attached to Director Leah Riley's Aug. 7 letter to the Traffic and Parking Board, shows the corridor holding 128 on-street parking spaces under Alternative C, up from 122 today. Asked by The Alexandria Brief about the figure, Complete Streets Coordinator Silas Sullivan said the correct number is 120 and that the webpage would be updated. As of Wednesday evening, the posted table still showed 128.

Sullivan also said the removal total in Riley's letter was rounded. The letter lists 13 spaces coming out; the city's interactive design map labels 12.5. The technical figure is 12.5, Sullivan said, and the letter rounded up to be conservative.

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3️⃣ From $251,000 to $3.4 million: Homes sold in Alexandria last week

*The 20 homes that sold in Alexandria between Aug. 6 and Aug. 11, plotted by sale price. Markers outside the outlined city limits are sales in neighboring jurisdictions. (Redfin)*

Twenty homes closed in Alexandria last week, ranging from a $251,000 one-bedroom at The Fountains on North Beauregard Street to a $3.4 million house on Kingston Avenue, according to data from Redfin. The average sale price was $910,200 across an average of 1,880 square feet, or a blended $484 per square foot. The median sale price was $805,000.

The market's shape inverted from the week before. Four homes sold for $1 million or more, matching the prior week, but only three sold for less than $500,000 — down from 11, when West End condominiums made up nearly half of all closings. The median rose $205,100 as a result, even as the average fell $66,864. Townhomes and rowhouses carried the week, accounting for 11 of the 20 sales.

The Alexandria Brief reviewed listing histories for all 20 sales. The week split exactly down the middle: 10 homes sold at or above their asking price, and 10 sold below.

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In brief

Alexandria police said Wednesday evening they have found no signs of foul play in a death investigation in the 3800 block of Executive Avenue. (The Brief)

The city will lead a community walking tour of the Taylor Run Infrastructure Stabilization Project Tuesday, Aug. 18, giving residents a chance to see the project area and question staff about the design now on the table. (The Brief)

Long Dark House, the horror and science fiction bookshop, will open at 1510 King St. on Tuesday, Sept. 1. (The Brief)

Eleven local startups have been selected for the first cohort of Accelerate ALX, the city's first accelerator program aimed at high-growth technology companies. (The Brief)

A public inquiry flagged a programming issue affecting a school zone speed camera. The Alexandria Police Department (APD) identified a camera on Seminary Road at Francis C. Hammond Middle School as the problem. (WUSA9)

Sports

The Chicago Cubs routed the Washington Nationals 12-6 on Wednesday night. (The Brief)

The Mystics are one of the hottest teams in the WNBA, and they're in the thick of the playoff race. (The Brief)

Commanders' Jayden Daniels shines in joint practice vs. Dolphins in front of a star-studded audience. (The Brief)

Today in Alexandria

⛅ Weather

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 91 degrees. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74 degrees. Light north wind.

🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise at 6:20 a.m., sunset at 8:04 p.m. 13 hours & 43 minutes of sun.

High tide at 9:18 a.m. & 9:47 p.m. Low tide at 3:26 a.m. & 4:04 p.m. The moon phase is a New Moon.

🗓️ Things To Do

3 p.m.: Old Town North Farmers’ Market at 901 North Royal St.
5 p.m.: WEBA August Professional Networking Social at Taste of Asia
6 p.m.: The Chamber ALX's 2026 40 Over 40 Awards at the American Physical Therapy Association

🎶 Entertainment

219 Restaurant: Mike Kelley & Friends at 9 p.m.
Alexandria Bier Garden: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Aslin ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Atlas ALX: Bingo at 7 p.m.
Blackwall Hitch: Steel drums at 5:30 p.m.
Evening Star Cafe: The Walkaways in the No. 9 Lounge 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 Woodfired Pizza & Tap: Dave Manley and Mauricio Miranda at Havana 151 at 6 p.m.
Lost Boy Cider: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Rook Richards & Pat Garvey at 8:30 p.m.
O'Shaughnessy's Pub: Culp at 9 p.m.
Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
The Birchmere: Sara Evans at 7:30 p.m.
The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.

🏛️ City & Schools

6 a.m.: Chinquapin Pool open
10 a.m.: Memorial Pool open
10 a.m.: Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference 2026 at Del Pepper Community Resource Center
11 a.m.: Warwick Pool open
Noon: Old Town Pool open
3:30 p.m.: Minnie Howard Pool open

City of Alexandria calendar

📚 Alexandria Library

All day: Alexandria Library: A Legacy of Service Since 1937 at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
10:15 a.m.: Bilingual Story Time at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
10:30 a.m.: Storytime in the Reading Garden at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
10:30 a.m.: Outdoor Play at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
11 a.m.: Line Dancing 101 at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
11:15 a.m.: Bilingual Story Time at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
Noon: Line Dancing 201 at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
2 p.m.: American Style Mahjong at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
3 p.m.: Handcraft Crafternoon at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
6 p.m.: Duncan Literary Society at The Company of Books
6 p.m.: Nerdy Knotters at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library

Alexandria Library calendar