News | ALXnow - Part 101

Swatting call puts Alexandria City High School’s campuses on ‘secure the building’ and ‘hold’ status

Published September 30, 2025 at 1:16PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City High School’s King Street campus was placed on “secure the building” status and the ACHS Minnie Howard Campus was placed on “hold” status briefly this afternoon after an anonymous report was issued that someone was outside of the school with a gun, according to a letter sent to parents.

“Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Safety and Security staff and the Alexandria Police Department (APD) investigated the anonymous external threat reported to the ACPS Anonymous Reporting System that someone was outside of the school with a gun,” ACHS Interim Executive Principal Lance Harrell wrote. “It was determined by APD this was an unsubstantiated threat.”

Old Town Festival of Speed & Style raises $35,000 for Alexandria charities

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 30, 2025 at 1:00PM

ALIVE! representatives join festival organizers to accept a $15,000 donation from the Old Town Festival of Speed & Style at Market Square on Friday. (Courtesy Photo)

The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style has donated more than $35,000 to three local nonprofits, organizers announced Friday.

The funds, raised through the festival’s May 18 event and related activities, will be split among ALIVE!, Community Lodgings, and the National Breast Center Foundation. Burke & Herbert Bank served as the presenting sponsor.

Alexandria man charged in mob assault, robbery in Arlandria

By James Cullum

Published September 30, 2025 at 12:45PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

An 18-year-old Alexandria man has been arrested in connection with an assault by a mob and robbery in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Multiple people assaulted the male victim as he walked in the parking lot of the Food Star International (206 W. Glebe Road). He reported to police that a gray Honda Accord pulled up and that the suspects got out of the car, assaulted him, and stole his shoes, wallet, cash, backpack, and phone, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

Man struck by train at Potomac Yard Metro dies, was being chased

By James Cullum

Published September 30, 2025 at 11:15AM

Suspected fare evaders captured chasing a man, who tried to elude them by jumping onto the tracks of the Potomac Yard Metro station before being struck by a train (via MTPD)

The man who was struck by a train at the Potomac Yard Metro station on Sept. 22 succumbed to his injuries that evening at George Washington University Hospital, according to the Alexandria Police Department.

Metro Transit Police said at the time that the man trespassed onto the tracks, and an investigation has found that he was being chased by two alleged fare evaders, a 17-year-old female and an 18-year-old female, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

Alexandria to update school facilities plan amid overcrowding, aging buildings

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 30, 2025 at 10:30AM | Updated September 30, 2025 at 1:08PM

George Washington Middle School (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria City Council and School Board members agreed Monday during a joint work session to update the city’s long-range school facilities plan as middle schools operate at more than 120% capacity and some elementary buildings approach 90 years old.

The decision to revise the decade-old planning document comes as officials confront both immediate overcrowding and long-term infrastructure decay that officials say redistricting alone cannot solve.

Alexandria officials attempt to repair ‘dysfunctional’ relationship

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 30, 2025 at 9:30AM | Updated September 30, 2025 at 1:11PM

ACPS Board/Council Work Session (ACPS)

Alexandria City Council and School Board officials attempted to repair what they openly called a “dysfunctional” relationship on Monday night, with one councilman acknowledging that the tension had persisted for 12 years.

“We are five minutes into our meeting, five minutes into it, and already we’ve taken a tone of not being productive,” School Board Vice Chair Christopher Harris said. “Whether we like it or not, we have to communicate. We have to engage. We have to work together. This is dysfunction.”

Notes: Del Ray’s Art on the Avenue celebrates 30 years this Saturday

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 30, 2025 at 8:17AM

Art on the Avenue in Del Ray, Oct. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Tuesday, Sept. 30, the 273rd day of 2025. There are 92 days left in the year.

🌥️ Today’s weather: Cloudy, with a high near 78°F. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Cloudy tonight, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 60°F. North wind around 7 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

What will happen if there’s a government shutdown at day’s end

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

Published September 30, 2025 at 5:45AM

The Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, with just days to go before federal money runs out with the end of the fiscal year on Tuesday, Sept. 30. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is just hours away from yet another federal government shutdown, with prospects looking rather bleak for a last-minute compromise in Congress to avoid federal closures beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Republicans have crafted a short-term measure to fund the government through Nov. 21, but Democrats have insisted that the measure address their concerns on health care. They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump’s mega-bill that passed this summer as well as extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable for millions who purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say the Democratic proposal is a non-starter.

Alexandria School Board opposes DASH proposal for high school students

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 29, 2025 at 8:00PM | Updated September 30, 2025 at 1:11PM

ACPS Board/Council Work Session (ACPS)

The Alexandria City Public School Board will not support a proposal to use DASH buses to transport high school students, Chair Michelle Rief announced on Monday night, effectively ending months of work on a cost-saving initiative that exposed deep-seated tensions between the board and the City Council.

“After several months of thoughtful discussion and deliberation, the school board has determined that we cannot support moving forward with this proposal,” Rief said at the opening of the joint work session at ACPS Central Office. “While we appreciate the efforts to explore cost-saving strategies and alternative transportation options, we ultimately do not believe this approach is in the best interest of ACPS students, families, or staff.”

Alexandria Republicans host Lt. Gov. candidate at annual picnic

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 29, 2025 at 4:30PM | Updated September 29, 2025 at 5:14PM

Candidate for lieutenant governor, John Reid, addresses attendees at the Annual GOP Picnic. (via John Reid on X)

The Alexandria Republican City Committee welcomed Virginia’s Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, John Reid, to its annual picnic Sunday at Fort Ward Park, drawing what organizers described as the largest crowd in recent memory.

Reid arrived after navigating heavy traffic caused by accidents on Interstate 95, he said on X on Monday.

Three suspects arrested for murder of Alexandria man in Fairfax County

By James Cullum

Published September 29, 2025 at 3:40PM | Updated October 3, 2025 at 2:02PM

GoFundMe for Jaylin Theodore Hartless (Screenshot)

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the Sept. 19 shooting death of Jaylin Hartless in the Woodlawn area of Fairfax County.

The 21-year-old Hartless was found shot by his vehicle in the 3400 block of Buckman Road at around 4:45 a.m. and died at the scene. Following information relayed via the Fairfax County Police Department’s Crime Solvers tip line, detectives arrested Tavon Ferguson, 31, from the city of Alexandria, Tennida Ferguson, 49, of the Alexandria area of Fairfax County, and Tavon Lang, 32, also from the Alexandria area of Fairfax County.