News

ACPS teachers decry planned increases to health insurance premiums

By James Cullum
ACPS Superintendent Melanie KayWyatt unveils her amended Combined Funds FY2027 budget to the Alexandria School Board, May 7, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools staff are decrying the short notice given over an increase to their health insurance premiums, just a day before the month-long open enrollment period.

In an April 30 email, thousands of ACPS staff and retirees were told that health insurance premium rates will increase by 16% for UnitedHealthcare customers and by 8.9% for Kaiser Permanente customers, and that the changes will result in higher employee contributions. Employees who don’t go through the open enrollment process by 11:59 p.m. May 31 will lose their healthcare coverage.

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Around Town

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Two-year-old Lorelai, who takes her stuffed animals on walks

By James Cullum
Lorelai is up for adoption in Alexandria (courtesy of AWLA)

Lorelai is looking for a new home.

The 67-pound, two-year-old pup with a reddish-brown coat also likes to take her stuffed animals on walks, according to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Lorelai came to AWLA’s shelter at 4101 Eisenhower Avenue as a stray.

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News

ACPS board celebrates 2026 Principal and Teacher of the Year honorees

By James Cullum
(Left to right) ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt, ACPS Principal of the Year Jeanette Vinson, ACPS Teacher of the Year Deedra Robinson of Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School, and School Board Chair Michelle Rief, May 7, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria City School Board honored the school system’s 2026 Principal and Teacher of the Year during its meeting last night (Thursday).

This year’s accolades were bestowed to Jeanette Vinson, principal of George Washington Middle School, and Deedra Robinson, an educator at Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School. The School Board celebrated their dedication while recognizing teachers of the year from every public school in Alexandria.

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Opinion

Poll: The best brunch spot in Alexandria

By ALXnow.com

When the weekend arrives, brunch has become a staple for Alexandrians looking to enjoy a meal out. The city is home to a variety of restaurants serving everything from eggs Benedict and omelets to chicken and waffles and French toast.

Here are the nominees for “Best Brunch Spot in Alexandria” as part of our returning ALXnow Readers’ Choice awards.

Did we miss your go-to brunch? Write them in!

Voting will close in two weeks.

Voting for the Best Lawn Care Service in Alexandria is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.

Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Breakfast Spots in Alexandria. The results are now official:

  1. BeeLiner Diner
  2. Silver Diner
  3. Table Talk Restaurant 
News

UPDATED: Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redrawn US House maps

By The Associated Press
Voters at Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Del Ray on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year’s midterm elections.

The court ruled 4-3 that the state’s Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment on April 21, but the court’s ruling renders the vote’s result meaningless.

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News

City hosting pre-construction meeting for median project on Route 1 in Old Town

By James Cullum
Blueprint of the S. Patrick Street Median Improvement Project in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria will host a pre-construction meeting on Monday (May 11) ahead of several months of planned construction on a section of Route 1 in Old Town.

The city says that its South Patrick Street Median Improvement Project will “improve pedestrian safety and improve connectivity between the Southwest Quadrant neighborhood and Old Town Alexandria east of South Patrick Street (US Route 1).” The project, totaling nearly $4.3 million, is expected to break ground on June 1 and wrap up in late January 2027, according to a meeting description.

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News

Developer cancels rooftop deck in Old Town office-to-residential conversion

By James Cullum
720 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town North (via Google Maps)

Plans for a roof deck in an Old Town office-to-apartment conversion project need to be canceled, according to paperwork recently filed with the city.

The building’s owner wants to convert the 1970s-era office building at 720 N. St. Asaph Street into a 12-unit multifamily apartment building with ground-level commercial space. Previous plans also called for a roof deck, which the current building would not be able to support, according to a special use permit amendment application.

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News

Morning Notes for May 8, 2026

By ALXnow.com
Wooden bridge at the Alexandria waterfront (staff photo by James Cullum)

Spanberger Signs Bills on Clean Water, Flooding — “On the banks of Aquia Creek in Stafford, Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Wednesday signed a slew of bills designed to protect Virginia’s clean water from harmful forever chemicals and aid communities as sea levels rise due to climate change … House Bill 237, sponsored by Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, directs agencies to additionally consider how wetlands may migrate.” [Virginia Mercury]

Housing, Swim School Planned in Del Ray — “Bonaventure Realty has finally closed the book on Mount Vernon Avenue. The Alexandria-based real estate investor has sold two major properties in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, 2525 Mt. Vernon Ave. and 2401-2419 Mt. Vernon Ave., to an affiliate of Sterling’s Ganges Property Group …  The plans [at 2525 Mt. Vernon Ave.] call for 25 short-term residential units on the second floor and a combination of a daycare, swim school and restaurant on the first floor.” [Washington Business Journal]

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News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for May 7, 2026

By ALXnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — May 7, 2026.

Here are today’s most-read articles:

  1. Del Ray Business Association cancels yearly ‘Well Ray’ festival – Del Ray Business Association cancels yearly ‘Well Ray’ festival (1583 views)
  2. Ribbon cuttings planned at fitness studio, beer and wine shop in Del Ray this month (850 views)
  3. Alexandria’s annual community cookout series launches today (748 views)
  4. Morning Notes for May 7, 2026 – Morning Notes for May 7, 2026 (692 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

🌥️ Friday’s forecast

Expect increasing clouds with temperatures reaching a high of around 70°F. Light winds from the northwest will shift to the southwest at 5 to 10 mph in the morning, with possible gusts up to 20 mph. Overnight, the weather will be mostly cloudy with a low of approximately 54°F and south winds of 3 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”
– Winston Churchill

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

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