One person was extricated from a pinned vehicle in the 4100 block of Wheeler Avenue on Oct. 12, 2025 (via Facebook)
The Alexandria Fire Department rescued one person who was pinned in their vehicle after crashing into a parked tractor-trailer in the city’s West End on Sunday, Oct. 12.
The crash was reported at around 2:45 p.m. in the 4100 block of Wheeler Avenue, and the victim was removed from the vehicle 30 minutes later, according to dispatch reports. The pinned driver was bleeding from the head and chest, was alert and conscious, and was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to dispatches.
Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
The City of Alexandria received a 2025 Innovation Award from the Virginia Municipal League on Sunday for its fiscal year 2026 budget outreach efforts.
The award, presented at the VML Annual Conference in Roanoke, honors the city’s efforts to make its budget process more transparent and accessible amid potential federal funding cuts. Alexandria was one of seven Virginia localities to receive awards recognizing excellence in local government.
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.
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A 13-year-old girl who was reported missing Monday morning has been located safe, the Alexandria Police Department announced.
Tajim Hossain was found safe, according to an update posted on the department’s X account at 12:56 p.m. “Thank you for sharing the message,” the department wrote.
The Amtrak and VRE station (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Titans Fall to West Potomac — The Alexandria City High School football team couldn’t overcome a second-quarter deficit in a 21-20 home loss to West Potomac on Friday night, ending their perfect start to the season. ALXnow
ACPS Seeks Input on Campus Naming — Alexandria City Public Schools is asking residents to weigh in on proposals to name four campus spaces after individuals who made significant contributions to the community, with a public poll open through Oct. 22. ALXnow
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.
The Parker-Gray Stadium Field at Alexandria City High School King Street Campus (via ACPS)
Alexandria City Public Schools is asking residents to weigh in on proposals to name four campus spaces after individuals who made significant contributions to the community, with a public poll open through Oct. 22.
The School Board received petitions with at least 100 signatures each for naming opportunities at Alexandria City High School’s two campuses, Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School and the Early Childhood Center. The proposals range from honoring a two-time Super Bowl champion to memorializing a principal’s late son.
Alexandria Fire Department (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Alexandria firefighters have begun working under a new schedule that reduces their weekly hours from 56 to 49, the culmination of a staffing overhaul that has dramatically improved retention at the fire department.
The shift to a four-shift, 49-hour work week marks a significant change for first responders who have worked under one of the longest schedules in public service for decades, according to a news release provided to ALXnow on Saturday from Alexandria Firefighters Inc. IAFF Local 2141.
Detective Superintendent Matthew Ciantar of the Australian Federal Police, Chief Human Resource Officer Alyssa Williamson of the City of Alexandria, Assistant Chief of Police Tina Laguna of the Alexandria Police Department, Chief Tarrick McGuire of the Alexandria Police Department, and Commander Andrew Donoghoe of the Australian Federal Police, Assistant Commissioner Virginia Nelson of the Queensland Police Service, Acting Assistant Chief of Police Dennis Andreas of the Alexandria Police Department and Communications Director Tracy Walker of the Alexandria Police Department.
The Alexandria Police Department hosted senior leaders from two Australian law enforcement agencies this week for discussions on building public trust and ethical policing practices.
Chief Tarrick McGuire and members of APD’s command staff met Thursday with Assistant Commissioner Virginia Nelson of the Queensland Police Service and two officials from the Australian Federal Police — Commander Andrew Donoghoe and Detective Superintendent Matthew Ciantar.
The Alexandria City High School Titans run onto the field, Sept. 19, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)
The Alexandria City High School football team couldn’t overcome a second-quarter deficit in a 21-20 home loss to West Potomac on Friday night, ending their perfect start to the season.
The Titans fell to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Virginia High School League Division 6A District 4 after failing to score in a scoreless fourth quarter.
Coastal Flood Advisory for ALX (via National Weather Service)
The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood advisory for Alexandria’s shoreline from midnight Saturday into early Monday morning.
Up to one foot of water above ground level is expected in low-lying areas due to tidal flooding, according to the advisory issued at 5:17 a.m. Saturday.
