By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government shutdown is quickly approaching the second longest on record with no end in sight. Some lawmakers are predicting it could become the longest, surpassing the 35 days from President Donald Trump’s first term.
The Alexandria Police Department is advising residents and visitors to plan for multiple events today that will affect traffic and access in Old Town and along the Route 1 corridor. At the same time, early voting continues for the November 4 general election.
A protest against President Trump’s policies will span much of the day, beginning with a demonstration along Route 1 in 90 minutes and continuing with an afternoon rally at Market Square. A City Council public hearing meeting and the weekly farmers’ market are also underway or starting soon.
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.
For more information, visit TennisCreatesGala.com.
Good Friday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Oct 17, 2025.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
Expect mostly cloudy skies to gradually clear up and bring sunshine with a high around 71 degrees. The calm wind will transition into a southerly breeze at 5 to 7 mph during the afternoon. As for Saturday night, it will be mostly clear and a low of approximately 55 degrees, accompanied by a southeast wind around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
– Joshua J. Marine
We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!
Two Alexandria tourism organizations will receive a combined $35,000 in state matching grants as part of a statewide initiative to boost off-season travel, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday.
The grants, distributed through the Virginia Tourism Corporation, are among 104 awards totaling more than $627,000 given to local tourism programs across the Commonwealth. Local partners committed an additional $729,992 in matching funds, generating more than $1.3 million in new marketing initiatives that will benefit 624 tourism partners statewide.
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.
ALIVE! will host its 44th Annual StepALIVE! Walkathon on Sunday at George Washington Middle School, 1005 Mount Vernon Ave. The event aims to raise $100,000 for families facing food and housing insecurity.
Registration opens at 12:30 p.m., with the walk starting at 2 p.m. A celebration with music, prizes, and frozen custard from Goodies will follow.
It’s been quite a week, Alexandria. Here’s a look at ALXnow’s top stories.
The top story this week was on the resignation of all the commissioners overseeing the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board. The crisis began in August when ALXnow first reported that then-ARHA CEO Erik Johnson was living in an ARHA-managed public housing unit. The ARHA board published a statement acknowledging the situation, demanded that he vacate the property, and then terminated his employment in September. In a special meeting on Wednesday, the City Council appointed six new ARHA board members.
Yelyzaveta Pyvovarova is looking for happiness in her portraits. It’s a feeling she’s been trying to recapture in Alexandria since leaving Ukraine after the outbreak of the ongoing war with Russia.
Lyza, as she’s formally known, escaped from Oleksandriya, Ukraine, with her two daughters shortly after the war broke out, and moved to the Alexandria area of Fairfax County in July of 2022. Her husband later joined the family, and since then she launched her own portrait photography business and manages events for ALX Community in Old Town.
Political signs displayed in an artist’s studio window at the Torpedo Factory Art Center have drawn national attention on social media this week, sparking debate over free speech in city-owned facilities. Alexandria officials have not publicly stated whether they can take action on the controversial display.
UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: Artist M. Alexander Gray provided a statement to ALXnow defending his work and questioning the focus on his signs. Story updated below.
By MIKE CATALINI and OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Barack Obama has endorsed the Democratic candidates for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, seeking to boost Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger ahead of high-stakes elections next month.
