News | ALXnow - Part 112

City bans youth mentor from rec centers for second time

Published September 18, 2025 at 6:30AM | Updated September 18, 2025 at 10:11AM

Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street) in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

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.

Pampered Pet store and dog wash close in Belle Haven

By James Cullum

Published September 18, 2025 at 5:51AM

Pampered Pet Boutique & Barkery at 1612 Belle View Boulevard in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County is closed (staff photo by James Cullum)

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.

Virginia researchers link housing and education, offer policy insights through new website

By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury and Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury

Published September 18, 2025 at 5:20AM | Updated September 18, 2025 at 6:03AM

An aerial view of Project: HOMES' Bermuda Estates community in Chester in Chestefield County, south of Richmond. (Courtesy of Project:HOMES)

Over the summer, the University of Richmond launched the Live and Learn website, a new feature of a study examining the connection between housing segregation and educational inequality in Richmond and its surrounding areas released last year.

The new interactive site will help inform educators, experts, and policymakers about the local links between housing and education.

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.

Commission for the Arts approves ‘Now or Never’ Site See concept for waterfront

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 17, 2025 at 2:24PM

"Now or Never" public art design from the artist's presentation (via Alexandria's Office of the Arts)

The Alexandria Commission for the Arts unanimously approved artist Alicia Eggert‘s concept for “Site See 2026: Now or Never” Tuesday evening, giving the green light to the eighth temporary public art installation in the Site See: New Views in Old Town series at Waterfront Park.

The installation, planned from March through November 2026, aims to address the current political climate through monumental signage. It features two billboards positioned face-to-face across a narrow passageway. One billboard displays “NOW” in black text on a white background, while the other shows “NEVER” in white text on a black background.

Alexandria schools clarify no federal funds withheld despite ‘high-risk’ status

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 17, 2025 at 1:20PM

Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools clarified to ALXnow on Wednesday that no federal funds have been withheld from the district despite being placed on “high-risk” status by the U.S. Department of Education over transgender student policies.

“While ACPS has been designated as a high-risk entity by the United States Department of Education, no federal funds have been withheld from ACPS as of today,” the district said in response to ALXnow’s inquiry about the specific funding amounts at stake.

City postpones domestic violence vigil hours after announcing it

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 17, 2025 at 1:06PM | Updated September 17, 2025 at 1:56PM

Silent Witness Alexandria is designed to raise public awareness of domestic violence and create a space for healing through a visual memorial honoring those lost to domestic violence. (via City of Alexandria)

The city of Alexandria postponed a planned candlelight vigil to honor local victims of domestic violence just hours after announcing the event.

The Alexandria Domestic Violence Program announced Wednesday that the Silent Witness Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Program, planned for Oct. 2 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Market Square outside City Hall, has been postponed. A new date and time will be announced once confirmed.

School board to review $9,999 donation for male mentoring program

By James Cullum

Published September 17, 2025 at 11:30AM

Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt talks about a proposed policy change on student publications at the May 8, 2025, School Board meeting (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria School Board will consider Thursday whether to accept a $9,999 donation from McLean-based Proxyware to support a male mentoring initiative at two city schools.

Alexandria City Public Schools received the $9,999 donation on Sept. 2 for programs at Patrick Henry K-8 School and Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School. The board must approve any donations over $5,000.

Alexandria Planning Commission to review 3-year extension for contested apartment project

By James Cullum

Published September 17, 2025 at 10:13AM

The developer behind a seven-story apartment building in the Braddock area is asking the city for an extension of its developmental special use permit (via City of Alexandria)

The Alexandria Planning Commission will review a three-year extension in October for a controversial 180-unit apartment building near the Braddock Road Metro station that has faced years of delays and community opposition.

In June, the city council deferred a decision to extend the DSUP for the one-acre project at 727 N. West St. until its city council public hearing on October 18. The deferral gave developer West Street Acquisitions several months to discuss stormwater issues with the city and conduct more community conversations with neighbors. The plan will first go to the Planning Commission for review on Oct. 9.

Notes: Five Alexandria leaders make Northern Virginia Magazine’s 50 Most Influential list

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 17, 2025 at 7:59AM | Updated September 17, 2025 at 3:23PM

Northern Virginia Magazine's 50 Most Influential of 2025 (Credit: Northern Virginia Magazine)

Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Tuesday, Sept. 16, the 259th day of 2025. There are 106 days left in the year.

⛈️ Today’s weather: Showers, mainly before noon. High near 68. North wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Single-vehicle crash closes West Braddock Road, causes power outages

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 17, 2025 at 5:17AM | Updated September 17, 2025 at 2:35PM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

West Braddock Road remained closed in both directions Wednesday after a single-vehicle crash into a utility pole left power lines down and caused widespread outages affecting thousands of customers.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the 900 block of West Braddock Road at 2:33 a.m. after callers reported a single vehicle had struck a utility pole, according to dispatch scanner reports. The pole fell, and live wires were down with transformers blown in the area.