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

School funding formula overhaul, AI use guidance top ACPS requests to state legislators

By Emily Leayman
Panel of diverse officials seated along a curved wooden dais in a formal meeting room, microphones and laptops in front of them; a screen on the wall shows a blue logo.
The Alexandria School Board at its meeting on Aug. 27, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Ahead of the next General Assembly session in January, Alexandria City Public Schools officials have some new and recurring priorities for state legislators on their minds.

Tonight (Thursday), the Alexandria City School Board will be asked to approve the legislative priorities for 2027. The item is on the board’s consent calendar for its 6 p.m. meeting.

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Around Town

Red Barn Mercantile and sister shops to kick off the season with 18th annual Holiday Unveiling

By Emily Leayman
Red Barn Mercantile during the holiday season (via Red Barn Mercantile)

Old Town retailer Red Barn Mercantile is wasting no time getting ready for the holiday season.

Red Barn Mercantile (1117 King Street) will host its 18th annual Holiday Unveiling from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday (Nov. 5) along with owner Amy Rutherford’s other stores, Penny Post (1201 King Street) and Pippin Toy Co. (1310 King Street).

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News

Va. voters approve three constitutional amendments as Alexandria support outpaces statewide margins

By Emily Leayman
The Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Unofficial election results on Tuesday (Nov. 3) showed a majority of voters approved three Virginia constitutional amendments, and Alexandria’s percentages exceeded the state margins for all three.

The three constitutional amendments regarding reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights for former felons passed with a majority of votes, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections. The passage of all three amendments came amid a blue wave in the congressional midterms, allowing Democrats to retake control of the U.S. House and Senate.

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News

UPDATED: Warner, Beyer claim reelection wins at Alexandria election night rally

By Emily Leayman and James Cullum
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) speaks at his election night event at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Nov. 3, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) declared victories in their reelection bids during an election night event in Alexandria Tuesday night.

As polls closed at 7 p.m., the Associated Press called the race for Warner over Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa.

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News

Deadline extended for developer proposals at Braddock Road Metro site

By Emily Leayman
Braddock Road Station entrance with a modern glass shelter in the foreground and a paused elevated metro car on the track above, a woman sits at the bench using her phone.
As seen at the Braddock Road Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is giving more time for developers to express interest in bringing a mixed-use project to the Braddock Road Metro station.

Metro extended its request for proposals deadline to Jan. 29, 2027 from the original Dec. 15 deadline. The proposals are sought for a developer to construct a “new mixed-use, transit-oriented development” on the Metro-owned kiss-and-ride lot.

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Around Town

Ted’s Bulletin to open later in November at Carlyle Crossing

By Emily Leayman
Ted’s Bulletin bar rendering at Carlyle Crossing (via Catalogue)

The long-awaited Ted’s Bulletin is landing at Alexandria’s Carlyle Crossing development later in November.

D.C.-based hospitality company Catalogue announced the opening of Ted’s Bulletin at 2471 Mandeville Lane on Tuesday, Nov. 17. This will be the ninth location for the brand, joining four others in Northern Virginia, three in D.C. and one in Maryland.

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News

Alexandria City School Board examines school conversion options to address middle school crowding

By Emily Leayman
Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School (via Google Maps)

The Alexandria City School Board is taking another look at options to relieve middle school capacity challenges.

The School Board’s Thursday (Oct. 29) work session compared the plan to convert Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School into a middle school and Patrick Henry K-8 School into an elementary school with other alternatives. The School Board gave direction during the Capital Improvement Program process in December 2024 to convert the two K-8 schools.

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News

Congressional races, Va. constitutional amendments on the ballot for Alexandrians Tuesday

By Emily Leayman
A man sits with his back to the camera in a gym turned polling station, red voting booths set up for voting.
A poll worker watches over voting booths at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy for the Virginia primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Alexandria, Va. (Allison Robbert/Associated Press)

Alexandria voters will head to the polls Tuesday (Nov. 3) to cast ballots for congressional races and three Virginia constitutional amendments.

Polling places will be open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. To cast a ballot on Election Day, voters must go to their assigned polling place, which can be found online. An accepted form of ID is required to vote, although voters without ID can sign an ID confirmation statement to cast a provisional ballot.

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Around Town

New Barnes & Noble to open in Alexandria’s West End next week

By Emily Leayman
4515 Duke Street, where Barnes & Noble plans to open a new bookstore (staff photo by James Cullum)

As Barnes & Noble experiences a resurgence, its second Alexandria location will open next week.

The bookstore announced its 4515 Duke Street location at the Shoppes at Foxchase will open Wednesday, Nov. 4. Located in a former Walgreens space, it joins an existing Barnes & Noble location at the Potomac Yard Shopping Center.

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Around Town

From Lee Street Halloween to Paws in the Park, here is what’s happening in Alexandria this weekend

By Emily Leayman
Halloween on S. Lee Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Spooky season culminates this weekend in Alexandria with an array of Halloween happenings.

Lee Street Halloween, a popular trick-or-treating event organized by neighbors, is one of the highlights of the weekend. The next few days will also bring St. Elmo’s CatRad Halloween Eve, Lee-Fendall House’s Pumpkin Palooza, Alexandria Fall-O-Ween, a Halloween bar crawl and the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s rescheduled Paws in the Park.

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News

Heat island mapping project identifies Alexandria as one of N. Va.’s hottest areas

By Emily Leayman
Hot day in Alexandria (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Alexandrians who experience the summer climate may not be surprised to learn the city is one of Northern Virginia’s heat islands, according to preliminary results from the Urban Heat Island Mapping Project.

The project, organized by Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions with George Mason University’s Virginia Climate Center and the American Red Cross-National Capital Chapter, mapped significant parts of Alexandria and Arlington plus pockets of Fairfax County that were hot all day.

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