News

ALXnow Daily Debrief for Oct 13, 2025

By ALXnow.com

Good Monday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Oct 13, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

The weather will be mostly cloudy and reach a high near 70, accompanied by a north wind at 11 to 14 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Tuesday night will see mostly clear conditions, with temperatures dropping to around 54 and a north wind around 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
– Oprah Winfrey

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!

News

ACPS seeks 1% sales tax for school construction, end to School Board chair salary cap

By James Cullum
Alexandria School Board Chair Michelle Rief speaks at Alexandria City High School's 25th anniversary celebration of the film Remember The Titans, Sept. 19, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools supports a 1% local sales tax increase for school construction, in addition to several other legislative priorities that will be discussed at a School Board work session this week.

The Board will discuss its legislative priorities at a work session on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. Those priorities include the 1% sales tax increase, which would require voter approval after City Council action, as well as access to education support regardless of student immigration status, and eliminating the cap on compensation for the chair of the school board.

Go to ACPS seeks 1% sales tax for school construction, end to School Board chair salary cap Read more
Sponsored

USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation honors local leaders at Tennis Creates Gala

By Sponsor
Image from USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation honors local leaders at Tennis Creates Gala
Malika Andrews, 2026 Tennis Creates Gala Host
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
1/5

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.

News

Silent reading party with Halloween twist set for Oct. 18 in Old Town

By James Cullum
Reading in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Settle back with a good book and relax next Saturday, because Hotel AKA Alexandria (625 First Street) is hosting a silent reading party with a Halloween twist on Saturday, Oct 18.

Tickets for the event cost $39, and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., book lovers can relax to live piano music in the hotel’s a.lounge+bar. The ticket also includes a festive cocktail, mocktail, and light bites, according to the event announcement. Old Town Books will also be on hand to provide a selection of seasonal books. More on the reading party is below.

Go to Silent reading party with Halloween twist set for Oct. 18 in Old Town Read more
News

Suspect with knife steals cigarettes from West End convenience store

By James Cullum
The 7-Eleven at 6120 Lincolnia Road (via Google Maps)

No injuries were reported after a male with a knife robbed a West End convenience store of cigarettes on Sunday, October 12

A clerk at the 7-Eleven store at 6120 Linconia Road called police after the incident occurred at around 5:30 a.m., according to Alexandria Police Department radio dispatches. The suspect, who fled the scene on foot, is described as a Black male wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and black shoes.

Go to Suspect with knife steals cigarettes from West End convenience store Read more
Event

November Leadership Incubator Weekend, hosted by Shifting Waters Leadership

Poster for Leadership, Restored: Two-day leadership incubator with details (Nov 19–20, 2026) in Alexandria; includes meals and activities; Apply Now with QR code.

Event location

Cowo & Créche

Alexandria, 22314, United States

Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Add to Calendar

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.

Go to November Leadership Incubator Weekend, hosted by Shifting Waters Leadership Read more
News

Magpie Reclamations closing Del Ray store, moving to Hollin Hall Shopping Center

By Ryan Belmore
Magpie Reclamations announced on October 8 that beginning December 1 that you will be able to find them at Urban Redeux. (Credit: Magpie Reclamations)

Magpie Reclamations, a sustainable furniture and home décor shop, announced last week that it will close its Del Ray storefront and relocate to Urban Redeux in Fairfax County this winter.

The vintage furniture retailer posted on social media Tuesday that its store at 202 E. Custis Ave. will close after two years in the neighborhood. The last day of regular store hours is scheduled for Nov. 16.

Go to Magpie Reclamations closing Del Ray store, moving to Hollin Hall Shopping Center Read more
News

Agenda: Alexandria to discuss the art of civil discourse on Oct. 27

By James Cullum
A packed house at the Agenda Alexandia discussion on building heights and affordable housing, October 24, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Is civil discourse a dying art? The topic will be discussed at Agenda: Alexandria‘s upcoming forum in the city’s Carlyle neighborhood on Monday, October 27.

Panelists at the event include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kate Woodsome; JoAnn Koob, director of the Liberty and Law Center at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School; Alexandria living legend Carter Flemming; and Victor Ignacio of the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. Tickets for the hour-and-a-half-long discussion are $10. The event starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at Cowo & Creche (2034 Eisenhower Avenue).

Go to Agenda: Alexandria to discuss the art of civil discourse on Oct. 27 Read more
News

Government shutdown could be the longest ever, Speaker Johnson warns

By The Associated Press
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., praises President Donald Trump's peacemaking efforts leading to a ceasefire pausing two years of war in the Gaza Strip, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday the federal government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won’t negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on their health care demands and reopen.

Go to Government shutdown could be the longest ever, Speaker Johnson warns Read more
News

Del Ray Halloween Parade set for Oct. 26

By James Cullum
As seen at the Del Ray Halloween Parade, Oct. 27, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Get your Halloween costumes ready, because an Alexandria tradition is returning on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Thousands of participants are expected at the 29th annual Del Ray Halloween Parade. Every year, Ghostbusters, superheroes, fairies, princesses, and many more costumed Alexandrians march along Mount Vernon Avenue at the intersection with E. Bellefonte Avenue to the fields at Mount Vernon Recreation Center (2701 Commonwealth Avenue). The festivities start at 2 p.m., and always end with the Del Ray Business Association (DRBA) awarding the winners of the best decorated house and business in Del Ray, as well as the best-dressed group, pet costume, and stroller.

Go to Del Ray Halloween Parade set for Oct. 26 Read more
News

AFD assists in extinguishing house fire in Franconia

By James Cullum
The Alexandria Fire Department assisted in extinguishing a fire at a home in the 5800 Block of Queens Gate Court in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County (via Facebook)

The Alexandria Fire Department assisted in extinguishing a fire at a home in the 5800 Block of Queens Gate Court in the Franconia area of Fairfax County on Sunday morning (Oct. 12).

No injuries were reported. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and AFD responded to the blaze at the two-level home at 8:10 a.m., and the fire was extinguished around 30 minutes later, according to radio dispatches.

Go to AFD assists in extinguishing house fire in Franconia Read more
View More Stories