Ryan Belmore | ALXnow

Senate confirms new director for Alexandria’s patent office

Published September 19, 2025 at 12:20PM | Updated September 22, 2025 at 11:04AM

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (staff photo by James Cullum)

The U.S. Senate confirmed John Squires on Thursday as the new director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, placing a former law firm partner at the helm of one of Alexandria’s major federal employers.

The 51-47 vote followed a contentious confirmation process that required multiple procedural maneuvers to overcome Democratic opposition. The Senate confirmed Squires as part of an “en bloc” vote that approved 48 nominations simultaneously. Both of Virginia’s Democratic senators opposed the nominations—Tim Kaine and Mark Warner voted “nay”—joining all Democrats and independents while Republicans unanimously supported the nominees.

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Things to do this weekend in Alexandria: Sept. 19 – 21

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 19, 2025 at 11:52AM

Cinema Del Ray

Alexandria kicks off a memorable weekend as early voting begins for November’s election, while comedy takes center stage with The Second City bringing “Laugh Harder, Not Smarter” to The Birchmere and Friday’s tribute marking the 25th anniversary of “Remembering the Titans.” From Oktoberfest celebrations spanning multiple breweries to the grand opening of Kabul Bazaar Halal Market, the weekend captures Alexandria’s diverse spirit.

Whether you’re looking to cast your ballot early, catch live music at beloved neighborhood spots, or participate in unique experiences like tarot readings at a cat cafe, Alexandria offers the perfect blend of civic engagement, cultural enrichment, and weekend fun.

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ACPS details redistricting timeline with limited deferrals, construction accommodations

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 19, 2025 at 10:42AM

Triangle Map 3 showing the approved redistricting boundaries with affected schools and study areas highlighted

Alexandria City Public Schools presented an implementation update Thursday during the school board meeting for redistricting changes approved in June, detailing how students will transition to newly assigned schools beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.

The redistricting implementation update was listed as a monitoring item on the Sept. 18 school board meeting agenda, providing information on the initial implementation of boundary changes the board voted to approve on June 12.

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Notes: Early voting opens today in Alexandria for November election

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 19, 2025 at 7:00AM | Updated September 19, 2025 at 9:32AM

A voting sign at the Alexandria Registrar of Voters, 132 N. Royal Street, in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Good Friday morning, Alexandria!

☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunny skies and a high near 87 degrees during the day, accompanied by a light northwest wind at 3 to 5 mph. As we transition into Friday night, skies will be partly cloudy with a low around 64 degrees. The wind will become calm, shifting to a gentle northeast breeze of around 5 mph after midnight.

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Students voice strong opposition to DASH bus proposal in survey results

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 19, 2025 at 5:31AM | Updated September 19, 2025 at 2:28PM

Electric DASH bus, photo via DASH/Facebook

Three out of five Alexandria City High School students oppose the city’s proposal to replace school buses with DASH public transit, student representatives told the school board Thursday.

A survey of 131 high school students found 60.3% oppose the proposal — with 37.4% strongly opposed and 22.9% moderately opposed. Only 26% support the plan, while 13.7% reported being indifferent, according to data presented by student representative Madesen Lynch during the representatives’ regular update to the board.

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Warner slams federal ‘politicization’ of Alexandria schools

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 18, 2025 at 2:15PM

Senator Mark Warner during Virginia media availability on Sept. 18 (screenshot of video)

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner criticized the Trump administration’s targeting of Northern Virginia school districts over transgender bathroom policies during a media availability Thursday, calling the federal government’s actions against some of the state’s best school divisions “remarkable.”

Warner responded to a question from ALXnow about the timeline for potential federal funding cuts to Alexandria City Public Schools, which along with four other Northern Virginia districts faces ongoing disputes with the U.S. Department of Education over Title IX compliance.

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Safety report highlights dangerous Alexandria intersections after 318 near-miss incidents

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 18, 2025 at 1:45PM

A heat map shows the concentration of near-miss incidents reported in Alexandria between January 2024 and July 2025, with darker areas indicating higher incident density. (Image via NoVA FSS)

Six Alexandria intersections have emerged as critical safety hazards where pedestrians and cyclists face daily risks from distracted drivers and inadequate infrastructure, according to a new report analyzing more than 300 near-miss incidents over 18 months.

The report, provided to ALXnow on Thursday by Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets, examined 318 near-miss incidents reported between January 2024 and July 2025. According to the report, 47% of incidents involved children, with most occurring during school commuting hours from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.

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Alexandria man convicted of distributing child sexual abuse material while on supervised release

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 18, 2025 at 1:15PM

Police car lights (file photo)

An Alexandria man who was already under court supervision for a previous child pornography conviction has been found guilty of continuing to distribute and possess child sexual abuse material through a mobile messaging app.

Antonio Rudy Gonzalez, 41, was convicted Wednesday on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession following a bench trial in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years due to his 2013 conviction for similar crimes.

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Waterfront group proposes moving pump station to 1 Prince Street as city seeks design input

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 18, 2025 at 10:11AM | Updated September 18, 2025 at 12:59PM

AWA presentation slide showing aerial view with pump station relocated to 1 Prince Street (Screenshot of Alexandria Waterfront Alliance presentation)

The Alexandria Waterfront Alliance proposed moving Alexandria’s controversial flood mitigation pump station from Waterfront Park to the long-vacant building at 1 Prince St., according to presentation materials from Tuesday’s Waterfront Commission meeting.

The unsolicited presentation to the Waterfront Commission included detailed architectural renderings showing how the pump facility could be integrated into the existing structure while creating space above for a maritime museum, education center or commercial development. The group argued the location would preserve the park while utilizing the building’s existing deep foundation piles.

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Notes: DASH throws block party today to thank riders for record ridership

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 18, 2025 at 7:32AM

DASH will host a block party on Sept. 18. (Credit: DASH)

Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Thursday, Sept. 18, the 261st day of 2025. There are 104 days left in the year.

☀️ Today’s weather: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 3 to 5 mph. Mostly clear tonight, with a low around 62. Calm wind.

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Alexandria schools see dramatic drop in student arrests, quarterly data shows

By James Cullum and Ryan Belmore

Published September 17, 2025 at 4:39PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus. (staff photo by James Cullum)

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.