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Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Friday, Aug. 22, the 234th day of 2025. There are 131 days left in the year.
🌧️ Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 83 degrees. Light and variable wind becoming north around 6 mph in the morning.
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 police launched a search early Friday morning for a 27-year-old man reported as a critical missing person.
Charles Davon Finley was last seen walking east on the north side of the 300 block of Wythe Street, according to the Alexandria Police Department. Officers described Finley as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Developer JBG Smith will soon discuss an updated proposal to build a mix of multifamily, townhome and committed affordable housing across from the Potomac Yard Metro station.
Next Wednesday (Aug. 27), the Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee (PYDAC) will review updated plans for Landbays G and H (see rendering above),
Join us for our second annual CatRad Halloween Eve! A night of ghoulish fun, spooky treats, and a wicked good time!
It's time for CatRads 2nd Annual Halloween Eve! Join us at St. Elmo's Old Town North for an evening of Halloween fun. Join us for:
After the recent adoption of last week’s featured pet Lucas, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) is highlighting another deserving canine ready for her forever home: Honey, a 2-year-old mixed breed whose warm personality matches her golden-tan coat.
Weighing 49 pounds, Honey represents the ideal companion for families seeking a dog past the unpredictable puppy stage but still energetic enough for an active lifestyle. Shelter volunteers describe her as affectionate and intelligent, with a temperament suited for both outdoor adventures and quiet evenings at home.
The deadline is Friday, Aug. 22, for the public to vote for one of three proposed designs for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s upcoming 8000-series rail fleet.
Voting on the three exterior design options opened on Aug. 18 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday. The winning concept will be announced in a week, according to Metro. The new trains feature “safe and spacious connected cars” with space for wheelchairs, scooters, and bikes, and additional seating. The “fleet of the future” is expected to go into service in 2027.
A pedestrian suffered minor injuries Thursday morning after a driver struck them with their car at a busy Old Town intersection, Alexandria police said.
The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. at King Street and Fairfax Street, near City Hall. The adult male pedestrian was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
An upcoming pub crawl in Old Town North will teach participants a little bit of Alexandria history.
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the North Old Town Independent Citizens Association (NOTICe) is hosting Canal Watering Holes: Alexandria Canal History and Pub Crawl. Tickets for the event, which runs from 1 to 4 p.m., cost $35 for individuals and $60 for couples.
A program teaching Afghan youth living in Alexandria has expanded to a West End school and is seeking tutors for the 2025-26 school year.
Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NoVA RAFT) launched in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The nonprofit has helped move refugees into new homes and taught English to hundreds of children and adults at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue). NoVA RAFT now needs tutors after announcing a “dynamic partnership” with the Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center, student leaders at Alexandria City High School, and George Mason University’s Afghan Refugee Mentorship Program to provide tutoring at Francis C. Hammond Middle School (4646 Seminary Road).
