News

Morning Notes for October 14, 2025

By ALXnow.com
Alexandria City High School (staff photo by James Cullum)

ACPS Backs Sales Tax Increase for School Construction — Alexandria City Public Schools supports a 1% local sales tax increase for school construction, in addition to several other legislative priorities that will be discussed at a School Board work session on Thursday. ALXnow

Collegiate Inventors Competition Comes to Alexandria — The future of American innovation is on display this week in Alexandria as 10 finalist teams from Purdue, Calvin University, Michigan State, Washington University in St. Louis, Rice, UT Austin, Dartmouth, Cornell, and MIT present their groundbreaking inventions at the 2025 Collegiate Inventors Competition at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday, Oct. 16. National Inventors Hall of Fame

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Warner, Kaine push bill to shield federal workers from evictions, defaults amid shutdown

By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury
Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (left) and Tim Kaine of Virginia are co-sponsoring legislation to protect federal workers from evictions and loan defaults during the shutdown. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Rosa Pineda)

As the federal government shutdown stretches into its third week, Virginia’s U.S. senators are backing a bid to shield federal workers and contractors from the fallout. Last week, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined 16 other Senate Democrats in introducing the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act, a bill intended to protect federal employees, federal contractor staff and their families from evictions, foreclosures, repossessions and defaults during a funding lapse.

The legislation would halt evictions or foreclosures, stop repossession of vehicles or other property, prevent negative credit impacts, pause student loan default consequences, and let workers stay current on bills and insurance premiums — protections that would remain in place for the duration of a shutdown plus 30 days afterward.

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ALXnow Daily Debrief for Oct 13, 2025

By ALXnow.com

Good Monday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Oct 13, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

The weather will be mostly cloudy and reach a high near 70, accompanied by a north wind at 11 to 14 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Tuesday night will see mostly clear conditions, with temperatures dropping to around 54 and a north wind around 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
– Oprah Winfrey

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

ACPS seeks 1% sales tax for school construction, end to School Board chair salary cap

By James Cullum
Alexandria School Board Chair Michelle Rief speaks at Alexandria City High School's 25th anniversary celebration of the film Remember The Titans, Sept. 19, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools supports a 1% local sales tax increase for school construction, in addition to several other legislative priorities that will be discussed at a School Board work session this week.

The Board will discuss its legislative priorities at a work session on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. Those priorities include the 1% sales tax increase, which would require voter approval after City Council action, as well as access to education support regardless of student immigration status, and eliminating the cap on compensation for the chair of the school board.

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Silent reading party with Halloween twist set for Oct. 18 in Old Town

By James Cullum
Reading in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Settle back with a good book and relax next Saturday, because Hotel AKA Alexandria (625 First Street) is hosting a silent reading party with a Halloween twist on Saturday, Oct 18.

Tickets for the event cost $39, and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., book lovers can relax to live piano music in the hotel’s a.lounge+bar. The ticket also includes a festive cocktail, mocktail, and light bites, according to the event announcement. Old Town Books will also be on hand to provide a selection of seasonal books. More on the reading party is below.

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Suspect with knife steals cigarettes from West End convenience store

By James Cullum
The 7-Eleven at 6120 Lincolnia Road (via Google Maps)

No injuries were reported after a male with a knife robbed a West End convenience store of cigarettes on Sunday, October 12

A clerk at the 7-Eleven store at 6120 Linconia Road called police after the incident occurred at around 5:30 a.m., according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches. The suspect, who fled the scene on foot, is described as a Black male wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and black shoes.

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Magpie Reclamations closing Del Ray store, moving to Hollin Hall Shopping Center

By Ryan Belmore
Magpie Reclamations announced on October 8 that beginning December 1 that you will be able to find them at Urban Redeux. (Credit: Magpie Reclamations)

Magpie Reclamations, a sustainable furniture and home décor shop, announced last week that it will close its Del Ray storefront and relocate to Urban Redeux in Fairfax County this winter.

The vintage furniture retailer posted on social media Tuesday that its store at 202 E. Custis Ave. will close after two years in the neighborhood. The last day of regular store hours is scheduled for Nov. 16.

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Agenda: Alexandria to discuss the art of civil discourse on Oct. 27

By James Cullum
A packed house at the Agenda Alexandia discussion on building heights and affordable housing, October 24, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Is civil discourse a dying art? The topic will be discussed at Agenda: Alexandria‘s upcoming forum in the city’s Carlyle neighborhood on Monday, October 27.

Panelists at the event include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kate Woodsome; JoAnn Koob, director of the Liberty and Law Center at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School; Alexandria living legend Carter Flemming; and Victor Ignacio of the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. Tickets for the hour-and-a-half-long discussion are $10. The event starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at Cowo & Creche (2034 Eisenhower Avenue).

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Government shutdown could be the longest ever, Speaker Johnson warns

By The Associated Press
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., praises President Donald Trump's peacemaking efforts leading to a ceasefire pausing two years of war in the Gaza Strip, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday the federal government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won’t negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on their health care demands and reopen.

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Del Ray Halloween Parade set for Oct. 26

By James Cullum
As seen at the Del Ray Halloween Parade, Oct. 27, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Get your Halloween costumes ready, because an Alexandria tradition is returning on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Thousands of participants are expected at the 29th annual Del Ray Halloween Parade. Every year, Ghostbusters, superheroes, fairies, princesses, and many more costumed Alexandrians march along Mount Vernon Avenue at the intersection with E. Bellefonte Avenue to the fields at Mount Vernon Recreation Center (2701 Commonwealth Avenue). The festivities start at 2 p.m., and always end with the Del Ray Business Association (DRBA) awarding the winners of the best decorated house and business in Del Ray, as well as the best-dressed group, pet costume, and stroller.

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AFD assists in extinguishing house fire in Franconia

By James Cullum
The Alexandria Fire Department assisted in extinguishing a fire at a home in the 5800 Block of Queens Gate Court in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County (via Facebook)

The Alexandria Fire Department assisted in extinguishing a fire at a home in the 5800 Block of Queens Gate Court in the Franconia area of Fairfax County on Sunday morning (Oct. 12).

No injuries were reported. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and AFD responded to the blaze at the two-level home at 8:10 a.m., and the fire was extinguished around 30 minutes later, according to radio dispatches.

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