The sale of two large Alexandria properties could settle millions owed to the government by real estate developer and former Connection Newspapers CEO Peter Labovitz, according to a report from the Washington Business Journal.
Similarly, if ALXNow hears anything from the DOJ or other governmental entities pursuing a case against Mr. Labovitz, and they happen to mention 1700 Diagonal, please inform them that he has no interests in that building and tell them to contact me at any of the contact methods in my below signature. I am more than happy to clear up any confusion.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (left) and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger are facing off in Virginia’s 2025 governor’s race. A new VCU Commonwealth Poll shows Spanberger leading Earle-Sears 49% to 42%, a narrowing margin from the previous survey. (Photos by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a 7-point lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia’s 2025 governor’s race, according to a new Commonwealth Poll released Tuesday by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The survey, conducted Oct. 6-14, shows Spanberger leading Earle-Sears 49% to 42% among registered voters — down from a 9-point margin reported in the school’s September poll conducted in August. Spanberger also holds an 11-point advantage among independent voters, 35% to 24%, though 20% remain undecided.
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.
Inova Alexandria Hospital President Dr. Rina Bansal shakes hands with Alexandria Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez, Jr. after donating an automated compression device to the department (via Facebook)
Inova Alexandria Hospital recently donated a portable lifesaving device to the Alexandria Fire Department.
The ZOLL AutoPulse resuscitation system can cost upward of $7,500, and “delivers consistent, high-quality chest compressions during cardiac arrest, supporting critical care,” according to the AutoPulse website.
APD is hosting a "trunk-or-treat" event at police headquarters at 3600 wheeler Avenue on Wednesday, Oct. 29 (via Facebook)
The Alexandria Police Department and its public safety partners are getting into the spirit of the season.
Next Wednesday (Oct. 29), APD is hosting a trunk-or-treat event in the parking lot at police headquarters (3600 Wheeler Avenue), and residents are encouraged to wear costumes and get candy from the trunks of Alexandria public safety vehicles.
The Alexandria A Cappella Collective – composed of award-winning men's and women's choruses the Harmonizers and Metro Voices, respectively – is excited to announce that registration is open for the ’26-’27 season of its youth chorus, Capital Force! Students learn a unique form of a cappella from top educators and will perform locally and on the Barbershop Harmony Society International stage in February.
The kick off rehearsal includes voice placement, an informal audition, vocal warm-ups, and singing together. You will also learn about the season’s dates and rehearsal expectations. Interested singers are welcome to try the first rehearsal before deciding whether to join.
Proposed addition of solar a photovoltaic panels to the roof of the Oswald Durant Center at 1605 Cameron Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)
A proposal to add solar and photovoltaic panels to the Oswald Durant Center in Old Town is heading to the Board of Architectural Review next month.
The city’s proposal would replace the roof and add the panels to both the sloped and flat roof portions of the building at 1605 Cameron Street. The Durant Center is used as a recreation and private event facility for the city.
Del Ray's James M. Duncan Branch Library is reopening its haunted house on Oct. 24 and 25 (courtesy image)
Fright and fun is returning to Del Ray, as the James M. Duncan Branch Library (2501 Commonwealth Avenue) has been transformed into a haunted house.
On Oct. 24 (Friday) and 25 (Saturday), the annual Duncan Haunted Library will feature spooky tours, spine-tingling ghost stories and more. Tickets cost $10 and proceeds go toward new books, community programs and other special library events.
This combo image shows Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, left, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, right. (AP Photo)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former President Barack Obama will campaign alongside Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in the final stretch of their statewide campaigns for governor in Virginia and New Jersey.
Spanberger and Sherrill’s campaigns said in Tuesday news releases that Obama will campaign with both candidates at Nov. 1 rallies in Norfolk, Virginia, and Newark, New Jersey. Election Day is Nov. 4.
A voting sign at the Alexandria Registrar of Voters, 132 N. Royal Street, in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)
Early voting turnout in Alexandria continues to significantly outpace the 2021 election cycle, with more than 14,000 ballots cast so far for the November general election.
As of Oct. 20, Alexandria has recorded 14,221 early votes, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project. At the same point in 2021 — 15 days before Election Day — the city had received just 9,353 early ballots, meaning current turnout is running 52% ahead of the 2021 pace.
An 1863 aerial view of Alexandria from the Potomac River with Fort Ellsworth visible on the hill in the center background
On This Day in Alexandria: October 21, 1669: The Land That Would Become Alexandria Changes Hands — On this date, Virginia’s colonial governor Sir William Berkeley granted Welsh sea captain Robert Howson a sprawling 6,000-acre land patent along the Potomac River. The tract stretched from Hunting Creek in the south to Little Falls in the north—land that overlapped a 700-acre plot previously awarded to Dame Margaret Brent in 1654. Less than a month later, Howson sold the entire parcel to Scotsman John Alexander, whose name would eventually grace the city. Eight decades would pass before a portion of this land was formally established as the town of Alexandria in the 1740s, situated just south of Hugh West’s tobacco inspection station that had operated since 1732.
On This Day in Alexandria: October 21, 1907: A Night School Opens Doors to Adult Learners — At 1401 Duke Street, the Alexandria Institute welcomed its first students at Shiloh Baptist Church. This pioneering night school was established to serve adult learners, with dedicated educators like Samuel W. Madden and John F. Parker volunteering their time to teach English and other subjects. The institute represented a crucial educational opportunity for Alexandria’s working adults seeking to advance their knowledge and skills. [Historic Alexandria]
