News | ALXnow - Part 175

Mayor Gaskins selected for Bloomberg Harvard Leadership Initiative

Published July 17, 2025 at 3:15PM | Updated July 17, 2025 at 9:11PM

Mayor Alyia Gaskins at The Wall That Heals opening ceremony (Staff photo by Ryan Belmore)

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins has been chosen to participate in the ninth class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a prestigious executive management training program designed to strengthen municipal leadership.

Gaskins joins 47 mayors from 17 countries in a nine-month professional development program, a collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School. The initiative was created to address the gap in executive development opportunities for public sector leaders.

Warner: Trump’s foreign aid cuts hand China global influence ‘for pennies on the dollar’

By Ryan Belmore

Published July 17, 2025 at 3:00PM

Senator Mark Warner during media availability on July 17, 2025

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) sharply criticized the Trump administration’s successful effort to cut $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, warning that the reductions will damage America’s global influence and national security interests.

Speaking to Virginia media Thursday (July 17), Senator Warner said the Senate’s late-night passage of what’s known as a rescission package represents a dangerous retreat from decades of American leadership worldwide. The legislation strips about $8 billion from foreign assistance programs and more than $1 billion from public broadcasting.

Continues Arcade soft opens next week in Alexandria with 60+ classic games

By James Cullum

Published July 17, 2025 at 1:00PM

Continues Arcade at 1050 N. Fayette Street (staff photo by James Cullum)

Get your index fingers ready, because Continues Arcade is opening next week near the Braddock Road metro station.

The inside of Continues Arcade is still being finished, but features more than 60 classic arcade games, as well as large leather couches and sectioned off tables to hook up TVs to classic gaming systems like the Nintendo NES or Sega Genesis.

Adoptable Dog of the Week: Abi is ready to be your new best friend

By Ryan Belmore

Published July 17, 2025 at 11:30AM

Abi (Credit: AWLA)

Meet Abi, a sweet 4-year-old boy who loves to explore a grassy yard and hang out with his humans. This 59-pound love bug is the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s (AWLA) featured adoptable dog this week, and he’s receiving rave reviews from his current foster family.

At four years old, Abi is out of his puppy stage but still has lots of energy to play and join you on all your adventures. He loves a good run in the yard and playing fetch with his people, although he is still working on returning items during fetch. He’s eager to please and learn new things, making him an ideal companion for an active family.

Good Brows to relocate Old Town studio to Arlington beauty co-op next month

By Ryan Belmore

Published July 17, 2025 at 10:30AM

The Beauté Co-Op Suites (contributed photo)

Simone Fennell, CEO and owner of Good Brows LLC, will relocate her brow studio from Alexandria to Arlington on August 1, marking the end of her seven-year presence at 421 S. Washington Street in Old Town.

The business will move to The Beauté Co-Op Suites at 4830 31st Street South in Arlington’s Fairlington/Shirlington neighborhood. The Beauté Co-Op operates as a Black-owned beauty collective that houses multiple service providers.

Notes: Alexandria’s $4M ‘Versailles’ townhouse goes viral, featured on Zillow Gone Wild

By Ryan Belmore

Published July 17, 2025 at 8:00AM

810 Prince St, Alexandria, VA 22314. Listed By Andrea Courduvelis 703-307-3170, TTR Sotheby's International Realty, Co-Listing Agent: Nihal Horne 202-818-9860, TTR Sotheby's International Realty

Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Thursday, July 17, the 198th day of 2025. There are 167 days left in the year.

🏠 On this day in 1946, the city established the Old and Historic Alexandria District, becoming only the third historic district in the United States after New Orleans’ Vieux Carre and following Charleston’s pioneering model. This groundbreaking ordinance extended zoning powers beyond traditional land use to regulate the aesthetic appearance of buildings—a concept that would remain legally unchallenged for over three decades until the Supreme Court’s 1978 Penn Central decision involving Grand Central Station.

Spanberger outraises Earle-Sears 2-to-1 in Virginia governor’s race

By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

Published July 16, 2025 at 8:00PM | Updated July 17, 2025 at 5:50AM

Virginia governor candidates Abigail Spanberger (left) and Winsome Earle-Sears. (Spanberger photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury, Earle-Sears photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for the Virginia Mercury)

Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is opening a financial and polling gap in the race for governor, outraising her Republican opponent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by nearly 2-to-1 last quarter and entering the final four months of Virginia’s statewide election season with more than triple the cash on hand.

New campaign finance filings show the Democrat raised a record-breaking $10.7 million in the second quarter — including $4.3 million in the final weeks of June — and ended the period with $15.2 million in the bank. Earle-Sears brought in $5.9 million over the same three months, finishing June with $4.5 million on hand.

‘Good Trouble Lives On’ rally to honor John Lewis legacy in Alexandria Thursday

By James Cullum and Ryan Belmore

Published July 16, 2025 at 6:30PM

A painting of U.S. Rep. John Lewis outside The Linder Academy at 607 S. Washington Street in Old Town. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria residents will commemorate the fifth anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s death Thursday with a rally designed to carry forward his legacy of nonviolent action and defend democracy.

The “Good Trouble Lives On” rally, scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m., will take place at Judy Guse-Noritake Park (600 N. Henry Street) at the corner of Pendleton Street and Henry Street. Indivisible is hosting the event Do Something NCR, a non-partisan community organization whose objective “is to push the country to be kinder and more progressive, ensuring all people are represented and cared for”.

Heat Advisory issued for Alexandria Thursday as temperatures could feel like 105°F

By James Cullum

Published July 16, 2025 at 5:30PM

Playing at the sprayground at Potomac Yard Park (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s going to be very hot in and around Alexandria on Thursday (July 17).

How hot? The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and expects heat index values around 105 degrees.

Southside Community Fest returning to Old Town with free food and entertainment

By James Cullum

Published July 16, 2025 at 3:30PM

The Southside Community Fest is returning for its third year at the Nannie J Lee Memorial Recreation Center, 1108 Jefferson Street, in Old Town (via Instagram)

Not long ago, Bruce Anderson and a handful of his boyhood friends from Alexandria decided to give back with a free community cookout.

The event was a bigger hit than the group anticipated, with hundreds of people showing up to the Nannie J Lee Memorial Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street). Now in its third year, the Southside Community Fest features free food, live musical performances, a DJ, special guest speakers, and more.

Billy Joel’s first publicist, Sandy Gibson, to talk in Del Ray next month

By James Cullum

Published July 16, 2025 at 2:30PM

Former music publicist and producer Sandy Gibson (on left, talking with Bette Midler) will discuss her life in the industry on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Stardust Vintage & Gift in Del Ray, 1904 Mount Vernon Avenue (courtesy image)

Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison — name a musical icon from the world of rock, soul, and pop, and chances are, Sandy Gibson interviewed them.

Gibson, a longtime Del Ray resident, was also Billy Joel’s first publicist. She was interviewed multiple times for the HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which premieres on Friday (July 18). Music lovers can also hear Gibson talk about her career on Thursday, August 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Stardust Vintage & Gift (1904 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray.