News

Alexandria native Noah Lyles sprinted to his fourth consecutive victory in the 200 meters at the World Championships in Tokyo on Friday.

The 28-year-old Lyles finished in 19.52 seconds, just ahead of teammate Kenny Bednarek. The 200m win ties the four 200m victories earned by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Lyles’ win comes a day after he ran the fastest semifinal 200m in history, with a time of 19.51 seconds.


News

September 30 is the deadline for parents of Alexandria City Public Schools students to turn in back-to-school forms.

The school system states that the forms assist administrators with updating health information, providing points of contact for students, and addressing other significant changes. ACPS has also released videos in English (see below), SpanishAmharic, and Dari on the forms.


News

The Chinquapin Park Recreation Center and Aquatics Facility will reopen Monday, Sept. 22, after being closed for renovation for more than a month.

The recreation center closed for the $1.2 million project on Aug. 9. The city estimates the project to wrap up Jan. 31, 2026, and said that visitors may “notice some construction activity, including occasional noise and dust.”


News

Emil LaSida, 21, a record-holding swimmer at Case Western Reserve University and a former captain of the Alexandria City High School swim and dive team, died Sept. 15.

Case Western Reserve University announced Sept. 17 that LaSida had died, but the cause of his death has not been released. A fourth-year student majoring in engineering, LaSida set the school record last year in the men’s 50 freestyle with a time of 19.98 seconds at the NCAA Division III Championships and earned All-American Second Team honors, according to the university.


News

Alexandria will conduct a pre-construction meeting for the Fort Ward Park playground later this month.

The city will conduct the virtual meeting on Monday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. and provide information on the project construction and archaeological monitoring. Construction is expected to start this fall and be finished next summer, according to the city.


News

A new farmers market opens Thursday, Sept. 25, across from the King St.-Old Town Metro station.

The King Street Station Farmers Market will be held every Thursday from Sept. 25 to Oct. 30 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the King Street Station Office Plaza at 1800 Diagonal Road. The market is free to attend and sponsored by the King Street Station Association.


News

An Alexandria man was arrested Friday after allegedly brandishing a handgun at a store in the Groveton neighborhood of Fairfax County.

Fairfax County Police arrested Dorian Claytor Jr. after he allegedly brandished a black handgun inside a store in the 6300 block of Richmond Highway and then fled on foot Friday afternoon. Claytor was arrested soon afterward, and police later found a handgun hidden in an aisle of the store.


News

Charles Barrett Elementary School unveiled a new reading corner Thursday, funded by a $75,000 Amazon donation and community partnerships aimed at boosting student literacy.

The project, six months in the making, transformed a corner of the school library with custom murals by artist Shawn James, comfortable seating and hundreds of new books. Amazon also donated 500 backpacks filled with books and supplies, while Reading Is Fundamental contributed more than 1,000 books to the school library.


News

Jackie Surratt, the founder of the Alexandria Fatherless Coalition nonprofit, has been banned from recreation centers in the city for a year.

It’s not the first time Surratt has been banned. In 2022, he admitted to stepping out of bounds when he yelled at a staffer at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Ave.) for not observing pandemic-related rules while trying to play ping-pong, resulting in a two-year banishment. This time, he says that the most recent ban, which went into effect last month, is unjust. Surratt says he’s peaceful, and wants the ban lifted in order to administer his mentorship program to Alexandria boys. He’s taken his case to city leaders, City Manager Jim Parajon and City Attorney Cheran Ivery.


News

The Pampered Pet Boutique & Barkery (1612 Belle View Boulevard) and its sister store Pampered Pet Bark Bath (1614 Belle View Boulevard) have permanently closed in the Belle View Shopping Center in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County.

The boutique opened in 2021, and the dog bath opened last year.


News

Alexandria City Public Schools will present quarterly safety data to the School Board Thursday showing a dramatic decline in student arrests and court referrals, with 28 total cases during the 2024-25 school year compared to 69 the previous year.

The latest quarterly report covers 262 safety incidents between January and June, with 8 student court referrals and 6 arrests during the third and fourth quarters. This represents a 59% decrease from the 2023-24 school year.


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