News

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority will convene a special board meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 8 a.m. to discuss a personnel matter in executive session.

The meeting will be held virtually only via Zoom, according to a public notice posted on the city’s calendar system. The session is scheduled to run until 10 a.m.


Around Town

The Alexandria Children’s Chorus is accepting new members for its 10th season, with rehearsals beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26, and no audition required for participants.

The community chorus welcomes children in kindergarten through sixth grade to join its non-competitive singing program, which aims to develop musicianship skills while enriching the local community. Students do not need to live in Alexandria to participate.


Sponsored

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

Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Monday, Aug. 25, the 237th day of 2025. There are 128 days left in the year.

☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 84 degrees. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Mostly clear tonight, with a low around 62 degrees. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.


News

Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Sunday, Aug. 24, the 236th day of 2025. There are 129 days left in the year.

🌧️ Today’s weather: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3 p.m., then a slight chance of thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation is 20%.


Event

When there’s a chill in the air, nothing satisfies like a rich Cabernet, a velvety Merlot, a smoky Syrah, or a brambly Shiraz. So put down your garden rake (the leaves can wait) and head to Arrowine to sample 20 of the Best Bargains in Big, Bold Reds from California, Washington State, and beyond.

We have spent the last two months tasting well over 200 wines and selected the top 20 for you to enjoy during this event. All of these wines overperformed and have exceptional price-to-quality value ratios. We know you will be impressed with our selections.


News

Thousands of visitors flocked to Oronoco Bay Park on Saturday for the Around the World Cultural Food Festival, a multicultural celebration now in its fourth year at the Alexandria waterfront location.

The festival, running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., featured more than 45 countries represented through 24 food vendors, 19 performances and various arts and crafts displays. Organizers expect around 30,000 people to attend throughout the day.


News

The Alexandria City Public Schools board opened its first meeting of the 2025-26 school year Thursday evening with celebrations of student and staff achievements, while also addressing pressing concerns about teacher pay delays and outlining significant budget challenges ahead.

Superintendent Dr. K. Wyatt reported the district achieved its lowest staff vacancy rate in years at less than 2%, crediting successful recruitment and retention efforts that brought back former employees who had previously left the system.


News

Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Saturday, Aug. 23, the 235th day of 2025. There are 130 days left in the year.

🌧️ Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 83 degrees. South wind 5 to 9 mph.


News

Volunteer Alexandria collected 36,000 pounds of nonperishable food in its 2025 Food4ALX campaign, the nonprofit announced on social media.

While falling short of the 40,000-pound goal, Volunteer Alexandria says that the food will help feed thousands of Alexandrians. The third annual campaign was conducted throughout the month of July, and the results were announced today (Friday, Aug. 22). The food will be donated to Hunger Free Alexandria’s food pantries and ALIVE!.


News

Alexandria City Public Schools has won an award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its federally funded school nutrition program.

ACPS announced today (Friday, Aug. 22) that it received a Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Award from Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) and U.S. Department of Agriculture.