Former ACHS swim and dive team captain Emil LaSida (via Facebook)
Emil LaSida, 21, a record-holding swimmer at Case Western Reserve University and a former captain of the Alexandria City High School swim and dive team, died Sept. 15.
Case Western Reserve University announced Sept. 17 that LaSida had died, but the cause of his death has not been released. A fourth-year student majoring in engineering, LaSida set the school record last year in the men’s 50 freestyle with a time of 19.98 seconds at the NCAA Division III Championships and earned All-American Second Team honors, according to the university.
Rendering of planned Fort Ward Park playground (photo via City of Alexandria)
Alexandria will conduct a pre-construction meeting for the Fort Ward Park playground later this month.
The city will conduct the virtual meeting on Monday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. and provide information on the project construction and archaeological monitoring. Construction is expected to start this fall and be finished next summer, according to the city.
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.
A new farmers market opens Thursday, Sept. 25, across from the King St.-Old Town Metro station.
The King Street Station Farmers Market will be held every Thursday from Sept. 25 to Oct. 30 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the King Street Station Office Plaza at 1800 Diagonal Road. The market is free to attend and sponsored by the King Street Station Association.
Senator Mark Warner during Virginia media availability on Sept. 18 (screenshot of video)
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner criticized the Trump administration’s targeting of Northern Virginia school districts over transgender bathroom policies during a media availability Thursday, calling the federal government’s actions against some of the state’s best school divisions “remarkable.”
Warner responded to a question from ALXnow about the timeline for potential federal funding cuts to Alexandria City Public Schools, which along with four other Northern Virginia districts faces ongoing disputes with the U.S. Department of Education over Title IX compliance.
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 heat map shows the concentration of near-miss incidents reported in Alexandria between January 2024 and July 2025, with darker areas indicating higher incident density. (Image via NoVA FSS)
Six Alexandria intersections have emerged as critical safety hazards where pedestrians and cyclists face daily risks from distracted drivers and inadequate infrastructure, according to a new report analyzing more than 300 near-miss incidents over 18 months.
The report, provided to ALXnow on Thursday by Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets, examined 318 near-miss incidents reported between January 2024 and July 2025. According to the report, 47% of incidents involved children, with most occurring during school commuting hours from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.
An Alexandria man who was already under court supervision for a previous child pornography conviction has been found guilty of continuing to distribute and possess child sexual abuse material through a mobile messaging app.
Antonio Rudy Gonzalez, 41, was convicted Wednesday on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession following a bench trial in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years due to his 2013 conviction for similar crimes.
A handgun retrieved by the Fairfax County Police Department that was allegedly used in a brandishing incident in the Groveton neighborhood, resulting in the arrest of an Alexandria man (via FCPD)
An Alexandria man was arrested Friday after allegedly brandishing a handgun at a store in the Groveton neighborhood of Fairfax County.
Fairfax County Police arrested Dorian Claytor Jr. after he allegedly brandished a black handgun inside a store in the 6300 block of Richmond Highway and then fled on foot Friday afternoon. Claytor was arrested soon afterward, and police later found a handgun hidden in an aisle of the store.
Amazon and Reading is Fundamental collaborated to make a new reading corner at Charles Barrett Elementary School, Sept. 18, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Charles Barrett Elementary School unveiled a new reading corner Thursday, funded by a $75,000 Amazon donation and community partnerships aimed at boosting student literacy.
The project, six months in the making, transformed a corner of the school library with custom murals by artist Shawn James, comfortable seating and hundreds of new books. Amazon also donated 500 backpacks filled with books and supplies, while Reading Is Fundamental contributed more than 1,000 books to the school library.
AWA presentation slide showing aerial view with pump station relocated to 1 Prince Street (Screenshot of Alexandria Waterfront Alliance presentation)
The Alexandria Waterfront Alliance proposed moving Alexandria’s controversial flood mitigation pump station from Waterfront Park to the long-vacant building at 1 Prince St., according to presentation materials from Tuesday’s Waterfront Commission meeting.
The unsolicited presentation to the Waterfront Commission included detailed architectural renderings showing how the pump facility could be integrated into the existing structure while creating space above for a maritime museum, education center or commercial development. The group argued the location would preserve the park while utilizing the building’s existing deep foundation piles.
