Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins joined hundreds of people Sunday at a major rally in Herndon launching a statewide push for affordable housing legislation, part of a growing coalition effort that drew nearly 1,000 participants.
Gaskins was among several Alexandria officials at the assembly organized by VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith and Community Engagement) and the Commonwealth Housing Coalition. Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley also attended.
One of the biggest games of the Alexandria City High School varsity football season is around the corner.
The 5-2 Titans will host the 2-5 James W. Robinson Secondary School Rams this Friday (Oct. 24) at the ACHS homecoming game. General admission tickets cost $8 and $6 for ACHS students.
Mount Vernon Community School will be recognized this week for being one of the first jurisdictions in Northern Virginia to implement a sudden cardiac arrest emergency plan.
On Wednesday, a banner will be unfurled at MVCS recognizing it as a Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillation in Adam’s Memory) Heart Safe School. Starting on July 1, all elementary and secondary schools in Virginia must have emergency cardiac response plans, per legislation from the general assembly. Eventually all ACPS elementary and secondary schools will have the designation, will have training and equipment at the ready in the event of a sudden cardiac emergency.
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will bring her “Virginia Votes Bus Tour” to Alexandria on Thursday, Oct. 30, as part of an 11-day, 40-plus-stop campaign swing across Virginia ahead of Election Day.
The Democratic gubernatorial candidate announced the tour Monday, saying she will visit all 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts between Oct. 25 and Election Day on Nov. 4.
Alexandria residents will have access to free rides during Halloween weekend as part of a regional effort to combat drunk driving during a holiday when more than one-third of U.S. traffic deaths involve impaired drivers.
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program announced Monday that its 2025 Halloween SoberRide program will operate from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. on both Friday, Oct. 31, and Saturday, Nov. 1, throughout the Washington metropolitan area, including Alexandria.
Alexandria police found no explosive devices after conducting a thorough search of Alexandria City High School following a bomb threat Monday morning, according to the department.
The threat was reported while the school was already closed to students in observance of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Staff members who were present at the building were sent home as a precautionary measure, police said.
Leaf collection begins Nov. 3 in parts of Alexandria, according to mailers the city recently sent to residents outlining the fall vacuum program.
The city has divided Alexandria into five zones with staggered start dates running through late November. Each zone will receive three passes of leaf pickup through January 2026.
On This Day: Alexandria Had 48 Factories, 328 Retail Businesses — On this day in 1914, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce reported the City had 48 manufactories, 39 wholesale houses, and 328 retail businesses, with combined business revenues of $30 million. [Historic Alexandria]
Alexandria Health District Navigates Federal Funding Crisis — When the Virginia Department of Health lost $219 million in federal COVID-era grants this March, Alexandria’s health district laid off 11 staff members who provided community immunization clinics, IT support, and multilingual outreach to diverse immigrant populations. District Director Dr. David Rose rescued nine positions by tapping into American Rescue Plan Act funds and securing emergency funding from Alexandria’s city council, though the relief is temporary as the district braces for increased demand from residents who may lose Medicaid coverage under recent federal changes. The funding cuts compound existing VDH problems including a $33 million deficit and embezzlement scandals, though Commissioner Karen Shelton says the department is working through 30 recommended reforms to rebuild accountability across Virginia’s 35 health districts. [ALXnow via Virginia Mercury]
This article, Part One of the Mercury’s Pulse Check series, was produced as a project for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2025 Impact Fund for Reporting on Health Equity and Health Systems.
In late March of this year the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was notified that three COVID-19-era grants were being prematurely cancelled. This resulted in a loss of $219 million dollars the state had used to support public health initiatives, the layoff of hundreds of employees around Virginia and the compounding of existing challenges, including a $33 million deficit and burned-out staff.
Representatives from seven transportation agencies will gather Monday evening for their annual joint meeting to discuss transportation projects and programs across Northern Virginia, including several initiatives affecting Alexandria.
The Northern Virginia Joint Transportation Meeting, required by state code, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the VDOT Northern Virginia District Building in Fairfax. The event brings together the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, Virginia Railway Express, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, and state rail agencies.
An audience of thousands held signs and cheered as Alexandria leaders decried the Trump administration at the second No Kings rally outside City Hall on Saturday.
The first No Kings rally was held in June, albeit against a different backdrop of issues. Today’s event was held amid a shuttered federal government, increased crackdowns from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and federal troops occupying cities across the country. The speakers today in Alexandria included U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th), Mayor Alyia Gaskins, retired general Randy Mannor and Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3rd), all of whom railed against the administration, joining more than 2,700 similar demonstrations around the country.
