The Commonwealth Day of Play will take place on Saturday, August 9 (via Secretary of Health and Human Resources website)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared Saturday, Aug. 9, as the Commonwealth’s inaugural “Day of Play,” a statewide initiative designed to encourage families to step away from screens and engage in outdoor activities to support youth mental health.
The celebration is part of Youngkin’s broader “Reclaiming Childhood” initiative, launched through Executive Order 43 in November 2024 following a youth mental health summit. The initiative aims to reduce screen time among young people by 25% in 2025 and promote face-to-face social connections.
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.
Captain Monica Lisle retired from the Alexandria Police Department this week after 23½ years of service, marking the end of a groundbreaking career that saw her become the first woman to lead the department’s Criminal Investigations Section.
The retirement comes just one day after ALXnow reported that Captain Courtney Ballantine retired from APD last month after 25 years to join Georgetown University Police as deputy chief.
Comcast donated 100 new Dell laptops to participants in Alexandria's Summer Youth Employment Program, Aug. 7, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Participants in Alexandria’s Summer Youth Employment Program got a pleasant surprise at their closing ceremony on Thursday — free Dell laptops from Comcast.
The program, which started on June 30 and pays $12.41 per hour, recognized nearly 100 students Thursday night (Aug. 7) at the Virginia Tech Innovation campus. Katrina Ashmore, chief of the city’s Workforce Development Center, said that the program is more than just a summer job.
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Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A man died Friday morning after jumping from a 15th-floor balcony while FBI agents were attempting to serve a criminal arrest warrant at the Alexander Apartments on King Street.
Federal investigators from the FBI’s Washington Field Office were executing a court-authorized criminal arrest warrant around 6 a.m. when the man went out a window onto the balcony and jumped from the 15-story balcony, according to an FBI statement released Friday afternoon.
Umiya Sushi will open at 3000 Duke Street in Alexandria. (Credit: Umiya Sushi)
Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Friday, Aug. 8, the 220th day of 2025. There are 145 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83 degrees. East wind 6 to 10 mph. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 64 degrees. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
An Amtrak train in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)
Amtrak Virginia’s ridership numbers continue to show increases, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. Ending fiscal year 2025, more than 1.4 million passengers traveled on state supported rail service — an increase of 4.8% compared to the same time last year. It was the region’s highest ridership recorded since the service launched in 2009, with one roundtrip route between Washington D.C. and Lynchburg.
“The growth that we are continually seeing in our Amtrak Virginia ridership just confirms our work to expand passenger rail in Virginia,” said DJ Stadtler, executive director of VPRA in a press release.
More than 600 local kids participate in the YMCA's 31st Annual Thingamajig Invention Convention (Photo Credit: YMCA of Metropolitan Washington)
More than 600 local children ages 5-14 gathered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria on July 31 for the 31st annual Thingamajig Invention Convention, a free event hosted by the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.
The convention drew 619 participants who engaged in more than 25 hands-on activities designed to promote science, technology, engineering, art, and math skills during the summer break between school years.
