Suspect Charged in Hidden Camera Investigation (via Alexandria Police Department)
An employee of Gustave Boulangerie has been charged with multiple counts related to hidden camera recordings in the restaurant’s employee bathroom, including felony charges involving children.
Joshua Hombrebueno, 20, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, faces three felony counts and nine misdemeanor counts of unlawful creation of an image of another, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
Expect a sunny day with a high around 62 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 7 to 14 mph and gusts reaching up to 23 mph. For Thursday night, the skies will be mostly clear with the temperature dropping to around 41 degrees, and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
Gabrielle Berg, Northern Virginia Tennis for Fun Chapter Founder, 2026 Youth Leader of the Year Awardee
Khoi Truong, Lake Braddock Boys Tennis Coach, 2026 Coach of the Year Awardee
Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (ret.), 2026 Tennis Creates Impact Honoree
Game, set, Gala! On Saturday, Nov. 14, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s annual Tennis Creates Gala, presented by QTS, comes to The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, celebrating the transformative power of tennis.
The evening raises critical funds to make the sport accessible to all across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and eastern/southern West Virginia.
Every dollar goes back into local communities through programs like Girls Rule the Court™, which has served more than 2,000 girls, along with Junior Player Scholarships and Tennis in Schools. Gala funds also help restore public courts. Over the last three years, the Foundation has invested $505,000 across 17 public facilities.
Emceeing the evening is Emmy Award-winning ESPN journalist Malika Andrews, host of NBA Today and NBA Countdown, who joined ESPN’s tennis coverage this year for the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Andrews has pointed to the electric moment American tennis is having, with stars like the DMV’s own Frances Tiafoe reaching the 2026 US Open men’s semifinals, and says she’s grateful for the chance to support the sport at the local level.
Joining the celebration is new USTA CEO Craig Tiley, who took the helm of the national governing body in July after over 20 years at Tennis Australia. As he leads the USTA toward its goal of 35 million players by 2035, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation drives the grassroots work to grow the sport right here in the region.
The Foundation will present its Tennis Creates Impact Award to Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (ret.), 63rd Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, recognizing his leadership in fostering character, community, and well-being through tennis.
The heart of the night is the 2026 Tennis Creates Awards, honoring local changemakers. Alexandria’s Leigh Ann Jackson receives the Adult Leader Award for coaching Girls Rule the Court at Groveton Elementary, where she has served 130 students over five seasons and championed the program’s expansion to Hybla Valley.
Arlington’s Gabrielle Berg earns the Youth Leader Award for founding a Northern Virginia chapter of Tennis For Fun, which runs free year-round clinics for people with special needs in partnership with the Arlington YMCA. Burke’s Khoi Truong, head coach at Lake Braddock Secondary School, is the 2026 Coach of the Year.
They’ll be joined by fellow honorees Dr. Ellen Markowitz (Community Champion), James Skinner (Provider Champion), and Janelle Nichols (Tennis in the Classroom Awardee).
Tickets and tables are now available. Can’t make it? Make a gift to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation or bid in the silent auction to help put a racquet in the hands of the next generation of players.
The Tennis Creates Gala takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA 22102.
Gabriela Bell, CEO of Organized Q in Old Town (courtesy photo)
Nowadays it’s as if Gabriela Bell needs her own virtual assistant.
In 2016, the Alexandria-based mother of four kids was getting divorced from a 20-year marriage and needed extra income. As a military spouse, she tapped into her experience working as a virtual assistant and marketed herself as a cost-saving option for small businesses. The following year, she founded Organized Q virtual assistant services, scaling up incrementally until the pandemic in 2020 brought a wave of unexpected business.
Powhatan Park at 1010 Douglas Street in Old Town (via Google Maps)
Alexandria is hosting an open house next month to discuss proposed improvements to a park in the northeast area of Old Town.
Plans to redevelop the 1.5-acre Powhatan Park (1010 Douglas Street) have been in the works for more than a decade. At 11 a.m. on Nov. 1 (Saturday), the city will host the event at the park to discuss three redevelopment options of “medium” importance — creating an ADA-compliant plaza with an entrance at the end of Douglas Street, repaving pathways ,and installing a shade structure and game tables.
Shifting Waters Leadership Institute (SWLI) is bringing a new kind of leadership experience to Old Town Alexandria and DMV area this fall. On November 19 and 20, 2026, the organization will host its inaugural November Leadership Incubator Weekend at COWO & Crèche, a two-day, application-based program built for leaders who are ready to do more than perform their roles well. They are ready to be formed.
The incubator is led by Grace Adofoli, Founder and CEO of SWLI, a leadership development practitioner, executive coach, and 2026 Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 40 Under 40 honoree who has worked across leaders in more than thirty countries over the past decade. Her background spans global public health, disaster relief, and community development, including field work in the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Cambodia, alongside service with AmeriCorps and in underserved communities across the United States. She holds an ACC credential through the International Coaching Federation and degrees in public health and social work from the University of Michigan.
Alexandria kids participating in Project Sticker Shock in 2023 (via City of Alexandria)
Teams of Alexandria kids and parents will visit dozens of stores this weekend to put warning stickers on beer, wine, and other alcohol containers.
The annual Project Sticker Shock Campaign is intended to highlight the consequences of buying alcohol for underage youth. Participating Alexandria City High School students will fulfill their community service requirement by placing warning labels provided by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control on multi-packs of alcoholic drinks.
The event is the culmination of three days of workshops with the nonprofit Sound Impact, and will be held at the NVJCD (200 S. Whiting Street) from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Proposed aerial view of the City Hall and Market Square renovation (via City of Alexandria)
The Alexandria Board of Architectural Review (BAR) is conducting a work session tonight (Oct. 22) to discuss the certificate of appropriateness for the City Hall, Market Square, and parking garage renovation project.
The BAR approved demolition plans for the project last week, although it deferred the design approvals. The work session was scheduled after last week’s meeting, and city planners are operating on a tight schedule, hoping to break ground in the second quarter of 2026 with a completion goal of 2028, according to the city.
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'I voted' stickers on Election Day in Alexandria, Nov. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Time is running out for Alexandria residents who need to register to vote or request an absentee ballot for the Nov. 4 general election. Both deadlines fall on Friday, Oct. 24, giving eligible voters just two days to take action.
The November general election will feature contests for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, House of Delegates, Commonwealth’s Attorney, and Sheriff.