Two Alexandria firms were named to the PR Net 100 2025 on Sept. 17, 2025 (via Instagram)
Two Alexandria companies were recently honored with top public relations awards.
Spotted MP and Meraki Communications Group were named to the PR Net 100 2025, a distinction recognizing the top-performing firms in the world of public relations. The winners were presented with the awards on Sept. 17 in New York City, and chosen from a panel of experts, including L’Oréal Vice President Jackie Staub; Saba Landmann, a senior vice president for Marriott; Brian Strong, Bloomberg Media’s global head of communications; Jessica Stacey, a senior vice president for Sephora; and Colleen Leahy, an executive director with The Estee Lauder Companies.
Carlyle House in Alexandria (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
The federal government shutdown is affecting residents and visitors across the Washington region, but attractions, restaurants, shops, and hotels in Alexandria remain fully open for business.
Visit Alexandria announced Wednesday it has launched a dedicated webpage highlighting things to do in the city during the shutdown and is offering free attraction passes to hotel guests and federal employees.
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.
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Potomac Yard (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria will host its first-ever State of the Arts ALX event this month at the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus (3625 Potomac Avenue).
The city’s Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities — Office of Arts is hosting the free event on Oct. 15 at 8:30 a.m. Speakers discussing the local art scene and artistic accomplishments in Alexandria include Poet Laureate Maria Cristina Donoso and Jen Goold, executive director of the Neighborhood Design Center.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (staff photo by James Cullum)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office laid off employees on Wednesday as part of a reduction-in-force plan that has been in development for months, according to multiple sources and internal emails reviewed by Bloomberg Law.
The Alexandria-based agency cut positions across several departments, including the communications team, the Office of Public Engagement, and the Patents Unit, according to Bloomberg Law. The layoffs occur as the federal government shut down on Wednesday due to a funding impasse in Congress, although the USPTO remains open and operational, funded by operating reserves from fee collections.
Join Breast Cancer Collective for the 2026 Walk to Bust Cancer on Sunday, October 18, at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria. Walk alongside survivors, caregivers, friends, families, and neighbors for an uplifting community event supporting access to breast cancer screening and care across the DMV. Walk to Bust Cancer brings our community together to turn hope into action and help expand access to timely breast health care. Register to walk, gather your team, and join us at Fort Hunt Park.
A Halloween display in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood, Oct. 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)
The deadline to nominate a home and business in Del Ray’s annual Best Decorated Halloween House and Business Contest is Sunday, Oct. 19.
The winners of the contest will be announced at the conclusion of the 29th annual Del Ray Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 26. Visit Del Ray will also present awards for the best pet costume and best stroller/group. “For over 30 years, local residents and businesses have gone all out decorating for Halloween, competing for bragging rights for best decorated house and business,” Visit Del Ray said. “A map of the finalists will be available the week before Halloween.”
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)
An instructional assistant at Thomas Edison High School, located at 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria (Fairfax County), has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two students.
Derrick Burroughs, a 40-year-old Alexandria man, was arrested after Child Protective Services received two referrals that two students were “inappropriately touched,” according to the Fairfax County Police Department. Burroughs, an instructional assistant with Fairfax County Public Schools since 2023, was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties by a custodian. He was released after posting a $3,000 bond, according to FCPD.
Several Alexandria businesses are offering discounts and freebies to federal employees affected by the government shutdown.
Made in ALX (415 King Street) is offering discounts on workshops, has items on sale, and is putting out one of their artists’ 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles for anyone to work on during regular business hours. “I’m in a federal family, and have gone through several shutdowns in the past,” Beth Lawton, a cofounder of Made In ALX, told us. “I know firsthand how stressful it is, and if we can make things easier on people affected this year, we’re happy to do that.”
The committee proposes rededicating Calhoun Avenue, currently named for a major in the Confederate army, to Robert Calhoun Avenue. Robert "Bob" Calhoun was a former Alexandria City Council member. (via Google Maps)
The Alexandria City Council’s Naming Committee is moving forward with plans to rename or rededicate four streets currently named for Confederate military leaders, focusing on honoring local historical figures and civic leaders instead.
Councilman John Chapman presented the committee’s Phase 2 recommendations during Tuesday’s council meeting, outlining proposed changes for Calhoun Avenue, Stevens Street, Frost Street, and Iverson Street. The changes are part of an ongoing effort to address street names established by a 1953 ordinance that required north-south streets to be named after Confederate leaders.
The American Planning Association (APA) presented the Virginia Plan of the Year Award to the City of
Alexandria for the AlexWest Plan Legislative Meeting. A proud moment for staff, who are pictured with members of APA and City Council. (Photo by Ryan Belmore/ALXnow)
Alexandria officially received the 2025 Virginia Plan of the Year Award on Tuesday for its AlexWest Small Area Plan, with state planning officials presenting the honor to the City Council more than three months after it was announced in June.
Nick Rogers, president-elect of the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association, and Sophie Huemer, chair of the chapter’s 2025 awards committee, made the formal presentation during Tuesday night’s council meeting. Huemer is also the director of the Office of Capital Programs, Planning, and Design Services at Alexandria City Public Schools.
