News

Youngkin signs several maternal health bills, tweaks another on unconscious bias training

By Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury
Gov. Glenn Youngkin. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed several bills aimed at improving maternal health in the commonwealth, building on promises both he and Democratic leadership made to support parents and health care workers.

Dubbed the “Momnibus” package, the Democrat-led bills stem from a Black Maternal Health Summit hosted last year in the state Capitol that brought medical professionals, advocates and lawmakers from across the state and beyond for roundtable discussions and panels. Alongside these conversations, a rural health committee spent months touring Virginia, gathering firsthand accounts of maternal care gaps in underserved communities.

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CityVet to open in Bradlee Shopping Center

By Ryan Belmore
CityVet is opening at 3600 King Street, Suite 20, in the Bradlee Shopping Center.

CityVet is gearing up to open its newest location in Alexandria, Virginia. The new clinic will be at 3600 King Street, Suite 20, in the Bradlee Shopping Center.

According to their website, this Alexandria spot will offer a range of services for pets, including preventive care, dental work, and surgeries. The company shares the following on its website for Alexandria;

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From Cherry Blossoms to Live Music: Your Alexandria weekend lineup for March 28 – 30

By Ryan Belmore
Cruise beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms from Old Town Alexandria to Tidal Basin during an enchanting 3-hour Cherry Blossom Guided E-bike Tour with Pedego Electric Bikes while the cherry blossoms are in bloom, or rent a bike for the day and create your own adventure. Credit: Pedego Electric Bikes

Alexandria has another busy weekend on tap! Check out the complete list of events and listings below for a rundown of all the fun happening this weekend.

If you attend something you found here, let the venue know you read about it on ALXnow!

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Instant Alexandria News: Add ALXnow to your phone’s home screen

By Ryan Belmore

Want Alexandria’s latest news and community updates at your fingertips? Skip the search and get direct access to ALXnow.com by adding a convenient shortcut to your phone’s home screen. This quick and easy process transforms our website into a seamless, app-like experience, without the need for downloads.

Here’s how to create your ALXnow home screen shortcut in seconds:

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Superintendent Kay-Wyatt discusses challenges and solutions for youth well-being at regional conference

By Ryan Belmore
Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt speaking at the 2025 Shape of the Region Conference (via 2025 Shape of the Region Conference)

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt emphasized the critical importance of addressing mental health needs across diverse student populations during a panel discussion at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Shape of the Region conference on Wednesday, March 26.

“In Alexandria, I have the largest high school in the state of Virginia. It’s almost 5,000 students in four campuses. We are very diverse. One hundred eighteen different countries, 120 plus languages,” Dr. Kay-Wyatt told attendees at the conference focused on creating safe and supportive futures for Northern Virginia’s youth.

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These Alexandria restaurants just made Northern Virginia Magazine’s ‘Best Burgers’ list

By James Cullum
The biscuit burger at District Biscuit, 3401 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (via Facebook)

Hungry? A fantastic burger might help, especially from one of the Alexandria restaurants included in Northern Virginia Magazine’s April list of the 25 tastiest burgers in the region.

District Biscuit (3401 Mount Vernon Avenue) made the list for its biscuit burger, described online as a “custom-blended Allen Brothers patty sits between layers of an airy square biscuit that absorbs every tantalizing drop of juice, along with housemade hollandaise sauce and pickles.”

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Pinwheel Garden to be planted at Charles W. Hill Park for Child Abuse Prevention Month

By Ryan Belmore
Pinwheels for Prevention (via Prevent Child Abuse America)

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Alexandria Celebrates Women is planting a pinwheel garden in Del Ray on Friday, April 4.

Pat Miller, Chair of Alexandria Celebrates Women, says, “Pinwheels are the national symbol for child abuse prevention. In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. What they found is that people respond positively to pinwheels, which represent childlike whimsy and lightheartedness. All children need to grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in supportive families and communities.”

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Short-term residential rental building with daycare and retail proposed for former DCHS building in Del Ray

By James Cullum
2525 Mount Vernon Avenue (via Google Maps)

After years of false starts, a new project to replace the former Department of Community and Human Services building in Del Ray with a short-term rental building with a daycare and retail is heading to the Alexandria Planning Commission.

The two-story, 30,000 square-foot DCHS building property at 2525 Mount Vernon Avenue was constructed in 1985 and has been vacant for years. In 2022, the site’s previous owner, Bonaventure, cited economic viability issues and backed out of plans to redevelop the property into a four-story mixed-use apartment complex. Bonaventure bought the property in 2019, but the proposal was met by pushback from neighbors who complained that it added to parking congestion and took away from the character of Del Ray.

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Mayor Gaskins, Councilman Chapman travel to Caen, France for Sister City’s 1,000th Anniversary

By Ryan Belmore
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Councilman John Taylor, and Alexandria-Caen Sister City member Stephen Hartka were among those on hand for Caen's 1,000th Anniversary. (via Alexandria-Caen Sister Cities on Facebook)

Alexandria is renewing its commitment to international friendship through its sister city relationship with Caen, France, as Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Councilman John Taylor Chapman recently returned from celebrating the French city’s 1,000-year anniversary.

The visit, which took place in mid-March, provided an opportunity for Alexandria officials to strengthen ties with their French counterparts and discuss future collaborations between the two historic cities.

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Senator Warner calls for resignations after military plans were shared via Signal

By Ryan Belmore
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) held a remote media availability from the Capitol on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (via Senator Warner's office)

U.S. Senator Mark Warner expressed shock and dismay over what he calls a “colossal screw up” by Trump administration officials who discussed classified military plans on an unsecured Signal group chat.

During a remote media availability on Wednesday (March 26), the Virginia Democrat said the incident represents a pattern of incompetence that puts American lives at risk and damages relationships with allies.

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