Author: Emily Leayman

Emily Leayman is the editor of ALXnow and contributes reporting to ARLnow and FFXnow. She was previously a field editor covering parts of Northern Virginia for Patch for more than eight years. A native of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, she lives in Northern Virginia.

News

New Traffic and Parking Board member testified on Braddock Road changes for civic association

By Emily Leayman
The Traffic and Parking Board in March 2026 (via City of Alexandria)

A new Traffic and Parking Board member appointed by Alexandria City Council had testified on behalf of a citizens association on the Braddock Road changes the board approved in February.

Rosemarie Spano was appointed by City Council as a citizen member of the board on April 14. Spano replaces former Chair Ann Tucker, who had served on the board for 10 years and had her last meeting in March. Spano told ALXnow her term starts in May.

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News

Alexandria vies for ninth consecutive Condé Nast Traveler ‘Best Small Cities’ ranking

By Emily Leayman
The Alexandria waterfront along the Potomac River (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria is vying for its ninth consecutive ranking in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. The city is nominated in the “Cities” category and hopes to retain its place among the “Best Small Cities in the U.S.”

Visit Alexandria, the city’s tourism organization, is asking for public support to keep Alexandria on the list. High-profile rankings in Condé Nast Traveler and other publications are one of the organization’s strategies to boost visitor-related tax revenues that fund core city services.

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News

Virginia Supreme Court hears challenge to voter-approved redistricting amendment

By Emily Leayman and The Associated Press
Signs at Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Del Ray on Election Day, April 21, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Virginia Supreme Court judges on Monday questioned whether the state’s Democratic-led legislature complied with constitutional requirements when it sent a congressional redistricting plan to voters, in a case that carries high stakes for the balance of power in the U.S. House.

A Republican challenge to the redistricting plan, which could net Democrats four additional seats and won narrow voter approval last week, contends that the General Assembly violated procedural rules by placing the constitutional amendment before voters to authorize mid-decade redistricting. If the court agrees that lawmakers broke the rules, it could invalidate the amendment and render last week’s statewide vote meaningless.

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Around Town

Spring brings more wildlife calls in Alexandria as wildlife experts encourage hands-off approach

By Emily Leayman
A deer fawn (via Erika Fletcher/Unsplash)

With spring underway, wildlife help lines are receiving increasing calls about baby animals that residents believe need help. But wildlife experts say intervention is often unnecessary.

Tony Rankin, chief of Animal Services at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, told ALXnow wildlife calls begin to increase in mid-March and steadily rise through early October. Last year, the city’s animal services responded to nearly 1,000 wildlife calls during that period, and most were resolved by educating residents about wildlife.

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News

Driver sentenced in Alexandria crash that killed pedestrian on sidewalk

By Emily Leayman
The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse at 520 King Street in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

A driver has been sentenced for a fatal crash that killed a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk in April 2025, according to the Alexandria Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Jilmar Doria Medina, 43, of Accokeek, Md., was sentenced April 9 in Alexandria Circuit Court to six years in prison. Medina was convicted on a felony charge of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of 0.15-0.20 after a four-day jury trial in December 2025. He is being held without bail at the Alexandria jail pending his transfer to prison.

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Around Town

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Arturo, an adventurous and energetic pup

By Emily Leayman
Adoptable dog Arturo (via Animal Welfare League of Alexandria)

Meet Arturo, a 2-year-old dog who would love a family that can keep up with his energetic nature.

Arturo is a young dog who has started his training but has much more potential to learn tricks through the motivation of treats. He would enjoy activities like a treat puzzle, chasing balls, and going on a run or hike, an Animal Welfare League of Alexandria volunteer told ALXnow.

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Around Town

Tiki pop-up bar opens today at waterfront restaurant in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman
The Hi-Tide Lounge Tiki Pop-Up Bar (via Cultivate Hospitality)

Alexandria’s waterfront will get a taste of the Polynesian islands for much of the warmer season.

The Tiki Pop-Up Bar opened today (Thursday) in Vola’s Dockside Grill’s Hi-Tide Lounge (101 N. Union Street), which Alexandria Restaurant Partners owns. The pop-up is decked out in tropical decorations and serves Tiki cocktails and bites. Reservations are not accepted for the pop-up.

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News

GW Parkway resurfacing work on Alexandria section begins

By Emily Leayman
GW Parkway resurfacing (via National Park Service)

Resurfacing work on a section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria is beginning today (Thursday), the National Park Service says.

The latest repaving follows the first phase between Spout Run Parkway and Interstate 395 in Arlington. Crews will resurface the road and replace pedestrian crossing medians between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and First Street.

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News

Flooding, traffic concerns raised at Braddock Road Metro redesign hearing

By Emily Leayman
Councilman Canek Aguirre, an alternate director at WMATA, and WMATA project manager Andrew McCray at WMATA's Braddock Road Metro public hearing (via WMATA)

Residents expressed concerns about flooding and road impacts around the Braddock Road Metro station at a public hearing Monday on the proposed reconfiguration of the kiss-and-ride lot to accommodate future development.

The Braddock Road Metro station, which opened in December 1983, has a bus bay loop and kiss-and-ride area with bicycle parking on Metro-owned property. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is proposing to move the kiss-and-ride area to the street and reconfigure the bus loop, making room for future mixed-use development.

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News

Virginia redistricting amendment passes narrowly, but legal challenges remain

By Emily Leayman and The Associated Press
Signs supporting and opposing redistricting on April 6, 2026 in Old Town Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

The redistricting amendment passed in Virginia Tuesday will allow Democrats to pursue redrawn congressional district maps for the 2026 midterm elections.

The Associated Press called the race in favor of the redistricting amendment’s passage at 8:49 p.m. Tuesday. According to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, more than 1.5 million votes (51.45%) supported the amendment and more than 1.4 million (48.6%) opposed.

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