Alexandria leaders will join more than 600 people Sunday afternoon at a major gathering aimed at launching a statewide movement to address Virginia’s housing shortage and affordability crisis.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, and City Council members Canek Aguirre and Jacinta Greene are expected to attend the assembly organized by VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith and Community Engagement) and the Commonwealth Housing Coalition, according to organizers.
On This Day: Lafayette’s Triumphant Alexandria Visit — On this day in 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette made a triumphant entrance into Alexandria as part of his celebrated “Grand Tour of America,” marking one of the most memorable moments in the young city’s history. The Revolutionary War hero was greeted with cannon salutes, a grand procession through the streets in a four-horse carriage, and crowds of cheering residents—with women waving handkerchiefs from windows along Columbus, King, Fayette, and Washington Streets. The highlight came when Lafayette passed through a Grand Arch on King Street and was met by 200 children, aged seven to twelve, lining his path to a reception at Clagett’s Tavern, where Mayor Roberts delivered a warm welcome on behalf of the city. Lafayette stayed at 301 South St. Asaph Street during his extended visit to Alexandria, cementing the occasion as a social high point for the nation he had fought so passionately to establish. [Historic Alexandria]
Masked Trio Attempts Home Break-In — A terrifying late-night encounter was caught on camera in Alexandria. Disturbing doorbell camera footage shows a group of three people wearing Halloween masks trying to break into an Alexandria home, with one suspect heard yelling “Open the door!” during the attempted break-in. [WUSA9]
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.
By STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits.
Good Wednesday 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 15, 2025.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny conditions and a high temperature around 62 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 9 to 14 mph and gusts reaching up to 26 mph. Thursday night will be clear with the temperature dropping to a low of around 42 degrees, while the north wind continues to blow at approximately 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
– Chinese Proverb
Thanks for reading!
Join us for our second annual CatRad Halloween Eve! A night of ghoulish fun, spooky treats, and a wicked good time!
It's time for CatRads 2nd Annual Halloween Eve! Join us at St. Elmo's Old Town North for an evening of Halloween fun. Join us for:
Alexandria City Council appointed six new commissioners to the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority board during a special meeting on Wednesday night, one day after eight of nine board members resigned under pressure from city leaders.
The emergency appointments aim to restore the functioning of ARHA’s governing board, which oversees more than 1,100 public housing units and serves over 2,700 residents through various programs.
A popular beer garden in Del Ray will remain open in the winter as its owners fight a legal battle with their landlords, who are seeking to evict them.
For the last five years, Jeremy Barber and Justis Frank, the owners of The Garden (1503-1505 Mount Vernon Avenue), shut down during the winter and reopened in the spring. Their landlord, Twenty-Third Street Corridor LLC, is seeking to evict them, and previously deferred their rent during those months, but no longer. With all parties returning to the General District Court on January 8, Barber and Frank will pay monthly rent and plan to keep a heated area in the back of the property open.
Alexandria will provide an update later this month on stormwater solutions for the historic, and flood-prone, Douglass Memorial Cemetery (1421 Wilkes Street).
The city says that the cemetery, named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass, faces flooding and drainage problems, and that grave markers have been damaged. After two years of developing a plan to mitigate flooding and repair grave markers, the city will present an update on the project on Oct. 29 (Wednesday) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lloyd House (220 N. Washington Street).
The 10th annual Walk to Bust Cancer at Fort Hunt Park in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County on Sunday, Oct. 19, has been postponed due to the government shutdown, organizers said.
“With Fort Hunt Park closed and the National Park Service scheduling system offline, organizers are currently unable to secure a backup date,” organizers said in an email. “After an extensive search to try and find an alternative non-government location, this decision rooted in safety, logistics, and respect for survivors, families, volunteers, and supporters was not taken lightly. The Walk is a deeply meaningful moment to honor loved ones and rally the surrounding community.”
The Study at Morrison House (116 S. Alfred Street) is bringing back a banned book speakeasy next month.
The speakeasy will run from 5 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to Saturday, Nov. 8, with $1 from every drink sold benefiting the Virginia Library Association. The event, last held in April, will spotlight several books on PEN America’s 2025 List.
