A student brandished a pocket knife during a classroom argument Thursday at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus, but no one was injured, school officials said.
Teachers quickly separated the students involved in the dispute, and school resource officers responded immediately, Harrell said. The incident occurred in a second-floor classroom shortly before noon, according to radio dispatches.
A Starbucks location in Old Town will reportedly close today as part of a sweeping national restructuring effort announced by CEO Brian Niccol on Thursday.
The Starbucks at King & Union streets — located at 100 S. Union Street — will close permanently on Friday, according to customers who visited the location. The closure comes as part of Starbucks’ plan to close roughly 400 underperforming stores across North America, representing about 1% of the company’s locations.
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.
Alexandria’s tourism industry reached an unprecedented milestone in 2024, generating more than $1 billion in visitor spending for the first time in the city’s history, Visit Alexandria announced Thursday during its annual meeting at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center.
The historic achievement represents an 8% increase from $941 million in visitor spending in 2023 and marks a dramatic recovery from pandemic lows of $445 million in 2020. Alexandria’s growth rate outpaced both Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia as a whole, according to data released by the tourism organization.
Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Friday, Sept. 26, the 269th day of 2025. There are 96 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Partly sunny, with a high near 82°F. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph. Mostly cloudy tonight, with a low around 66°F. Calm wind.
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.
By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — James Comey was charged Thursday with lying to Congress in a criminal case filed days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies.
The Alexandria City Council will consider a new framework for distributing human services grants and finalize agreements tied to a major defense contractor’s expansion when it meets Tuesday for its monthly legislative session.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. following a 5:30 p.m. executive session at City Hall, 301 King St. The session will also be available via Zoom and broadcast on government Channel 70.
A proposal to build a 365-foot-tall residential building with up to 775 units and 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood is heading to the Planning Commission. If approved, the project could result in the tallest at-grade building in the city.
The three-acre mixed-use development at 2425 Mill Road includes up to 775 residential units and 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Aldie-based Red Fox Development will present the proposal to the Planning Commission on Nov. 6.
National veterinary chain Livewell Animal Hospital will hold its grand opening in Old Town on Saturday, Oct. 4.
The event will be held at the hospital’s location at in the Atrium building at 277 S. Washington Street in Old Town. The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and visitors will get hospital tours, a chance to meet the veterinary team, get free pet caricatures, and enjoy snacks (for pets and their humans), according to Livewell.
The National Park Service will temporarily close southbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway from Tulane Drive to Morningside Lane next week for tree maintenance work.
The closures are scheduled for Oct. 1, 2, 6, and 7 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weather permitting. Southbound traffic will be diverted onto Park Terrace Drive during the work periods.
