Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Thursday, Aug. 7, the 219th day of 2025. There are 146 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Increasing clouds, with a high near 83 degrees. East wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 66 degrees. East wind 6 to 8 mph.
Housing Alexandria recently hosted its annual summer garden celebrations at two Alexandria community garden sites, marking four years of community engagement and nearly a decade of urban food production.
The events took place at The Station at Potomac Yard and The Bloom at Braddock, featuring garden tours, family activities, refreshments, mural painting, and a petting zoo. Residents, volunteers, and staff gathered to celebrate the organization’s commitment to urban agriculture and food equity.
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.
A familiar face has left Alexandria. After 25 years with the Alexandria Police Department, Captain Courtney Ballantine retired last month and just started his new job as deputy chief of the Georgetown University Police Department.
“I love Alexandria, but it was time to start my next chapter,” Ballantine told ALXnow. “It was an amazing journey.”
The Washington Wizards will tip off the 2025-2026 school year at William Ramsay Elementary School next Friday (Aug. 15).
Even though school officially starts on Monday, Aug. 18, Washington Wizards rookies Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins are joining mascot G-Wiz and the Wizards Dancers in handing out free Wizards backpacks filled with school supplies, water bottles, and more. The event will be held at the school, located at 5700 Sanger Avenue, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m.
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:
An ABC store in Alexandria’s West End closed to retail customers last month and converted its operations to serve alcohol licensees only.
The store at 4349 Duke Street closed July 15 after nine years of operation, according to Virginia ABC. The agency moved the location’s contents to 901-929 S. Pickett Street, about 2 miles away, where it now serves licensees rather than walk-in customers.
On Aug. 21 (Thursday), The Chamber ALX is hosting its first-ever 40 Over 40 Awards Celebration. The event will highlight the 40 Alexandria movers and shakers announced in May, and tickets cost $120. The event is hosted by United Bank, and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Freeman Headquarters (11 Canal Center Plaza) in Old Town North.
“We’re throwing a party — and it’s all about celebrating people who prove that life doesn’t slow down after 40… it levels up,” the chamber said in the event listing. “(Y)ou won’t want to miss the panoramic waterfront views.”
Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy PTA in Alexandria was among 330 schools nationwide named a 2024-2026 National PTA School of Excellence for building strong family-school partnerships.
The program recognizes PTAs and schools that enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of students through family engagement efforts.
A proposal to open a 24-hour Mexican restaurant in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood is facing pushback from neighbors.
In June, Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita announced it would be opening this summer at 529 E. Howell Avenue, the former home to Bark Social until last November. The restaurant also announced 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. operating hours on its website. However, in its special use permit application filed in July, the restaurant said it will be open 24 hours a day.
Finding the right audience in a vibrant city like Alexandria is key to business growth, and ALXnow provides a direct connection to the community’s heart.
Since launching in 2019, ALXnow has become a trusted news source, rapidly growing to reach over 250,000 engaged monthly visitors (as of our 2024 data). This readership isn’t just passing through; they are the people who live, work, and invest in Alexandria and its surrounding areas, actively seeking local information, making ALXnow the premier digital platform to place your message for maximum local impact.
