Author: Ryan Belmore

Ryan Belmore is a journalist based in Alexandria, Virginia. He served as Publisher of ALXnow from March to October 2025. He can be reached at [email protected].

News

Notes: Know a beautiful, sustainable spot in Alexandria? Nominate it!

By Ryan Belmore
Photo of 2024 Beautifcation Community Award Winner - Simpson Garden. (via Alexandria Beautification Commission)

Good Friday morning, Alexandria!

🌧️ Today’s weather: Showers, mainly after 8 a.m.. High, near 54 degrees. Northeast wind 5 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible. Showers tonight. Low of around 44 degrees. North wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%—new precipitation amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible. There will be scattered showers on Saturday. Cloudy, with a high near 51 degrees. North wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. The chance of precipitation is 40%.

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News

ACHS Senior Kalina Janevski earns top honors from Girl Scouts

By Ryan Belmore
Alexandria City High School Senior Kalina Janevski collecting registration forms. (contributed photo)

Alexandria City High School Senior Kalina Janevski recently earned two of the highest awards Girl Scouts can receive based on her volunteer service, including an initiative to register voters.

Inspired partly by her experience working as a Senate Page, Janevski initiated a voter registration drive, earning the Gold Award. Janevski hosted voter registration booths at local colleges and high schools, collecting 168 completed registration forms and helping others navigate the registration process. Janevski also partnered with the Center for Common Ground, the Black Student Union, and the National Honor Society to send out postcards to victims of voter intimidation and disenfranchised voters in Virginia and Florida.

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News

New virtual meeting series aims to keep residents informed on larger development projects and regulatory changes

By Ryan Belmore
Concept of the Alexandria City Hall modernization, March 2025 (via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria’s Planning & Zoning Department is launching a new virtual community meeting series to inform residents about larger development projects, changes to regulations, and planning initiatives.

“This series offers community members an opportunity to stay informed about larger development projects under consideration, changes to regulations that affect new development, and upcoming planning initiatives. Learn where to find more information and how to participate in the process,” the City shares in a press release.

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News

Local student activist kicks off Spanberger rally, urges action on gun safety

By Ryan Belmore
Student Grace Vareghuse speaks at the Moms Demand Action endorsement of Abigail Spanberger for governor, at the Oswald Durant Center in Alexandria, April 10, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Grace Vareghuse, who co-leads her school’s Students Demand Action chapter at Hayfield Secondary School (7630 Telegraph Road), kicked off a campaign rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger today (April 10) at the Oswald Durant Center.

“Students like me shouldn’t have to worry about gun violence when we’re trying to get an education,” Vareghuse, a self-described resident of Alexandria, told the audience of a couple hundred supporters on hand at the Oswald Durant Center for a rally jointly held by Moms Demand Action and the Abigail Spanberger Campaign. “We need leaders who will take action to keep us safe.”

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News

Abigail Spanberger rallies in Alexandria, picks up endorsements from Moms Demand Action and Sheriff Casey

By Ryan Belmore
Abigail Spanberger with Moms Demand Action Executive Director Angela Ferrell-Zabala in Alexandria on April 10, 2025, after the candidate formally received the organization's endorsement (staff photo by James Cullum)

Moms Demand Action officially endorsed Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger for Virginia Governor at a rally in Alexandria today (April 10). The event at the Oswald Durant Center drew a couple hundred attendees showing support for the congressional representative’s gubernatorial campaign.

The endorsement comes as Spanberger continues to build momentum in her bid to become Virginia’s next governor. Gun safety advocacy is emerging as a central theme of her campaign.

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News

City explores new operator potential for Torpedo Factory via a Request For Information

By Ryan Belmore
The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

The City of Alexandria is seeking information from qualified organizations interested in potentially managing the Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N. Union St.), a move officials emphasize does not signal changes to the waterfront landmark’s artistic mission.

The city recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify entities with the experience and interest in possibly operating the art center in the future. The RFI, which closes May 16, 2025, is not a formal proposal solicitation but rather a preliminary step to gauge market interest.

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Around Town

Have a local announcement you want to promote? Submit it here

By Ryan Belmore
Submit an announcement to ALXnow (screenshot)

You already know that ALXnow is the place to go first for local news. But did you know that you can also promote your news on the site?

Yes, the new item on your menu or the award you just won from an industry association is unlikely to be headline news that we would cover. But you can submit it to us as an announcement.

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News

Spring2ACTion raises more than $2.9M for Alexandria nonprofits

By Ryan Belmore
Spring2ACTion raises more than $2.9 million for 193 organizations (screenshot of spring2action.org at 5 a.m. on April 10)

ACT for Alexandria hosted another record-breaking Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s Giving Day, on Wednesday (April 9). 

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year’s Spring2ACTion engaged 7,254 donors to raise $2,935,983 for the 193 participating local nonprofit organizations (as of 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 10).  

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News

Senator Warner sounds alarm on National Security firings, trade war impacts during media call

By Ryan Belmore
Senator Mark Warner during media availability call on April 9 (via Senator Warner's office)

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) expressed outrage over what he calls the “dismissal and mistreatment” of national security officials during a media availability with Virginia reporters on Wednesday (April 9).

The Virginia Democrat criticizes recent firings of high-ranking military and intelligence officials, including National Security Agency Director Tim Haugh and a senior American NATO general, attributing these decisions to the influence of “conspiracy theorist” Laura Loomer.

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