Opinion

ALXnow has never done more local news reporting than we’re doing now.

In March, we published 220 stories (the most stories ever published in one month on the website) and reached 430,316 visitors (38% more traffic year over year). Just ten days into April, and we’re averaging nine new stories per day.


News

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber ALX) is gearing up for its annual City Council Breakfast on Tuesday, May 6. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the National Industries for the Blind (3000 Potomac Ave.).

Several key city officials are scheduled to attend, including Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, and council members John Taylor Chapman, Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi, Jacinta Greene, and Kirk McPike.


News

Good Friday morning, Alexandria!

🌧️ Today’s weather: Showers, mainly after 8 a.m.. High, near 54 degrees. Northeast wind 5 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible. Showers tonight. Low of around 44 degrees. North wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%—new precipitation amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible. There will be scattered showers on Saturday. Cloudy, with a high near 51 degrees. North wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. The chance of precipitation is 40%.


News

Alexandria City High School Senior Kalina Janevski recently earned two of the highest awards Girl Scouts can receive based on her volunteer service, including an initiative to register voters.

Inspired partly by her experience working as a Senate Page, Janevski initiated a voter registration drive, earning the Gold Award. Janevski hosted voter registration booths at local colleges and high schools, collecting 168 completed registration forms and helping others navigate the registration process. Janevski also partnered with the Center for Common Ground, the Black Student Union, and the National Honor Society to send out postcards to victims of voter intimidation and disenfranchised voters in Virginia and Florida.


News

Alexandria’s Planning & Zoning Department is launching a new virtual community meeting series to inform residents about larger development projects, changes to regulations, and planning initiatives.

“This series offers community members an opportunity to stay informed about larger development projects under consideration, changes to regulations that affect new development, and upcoming planning initiatives. Learn where to find more information and how to participate in the process,” the City shares in a press release.


News

Life at Alexandria City High School isn’t easy, not even when you’re a cartoon.

Just follow the latest adventures of best friends Nyx and Soliana in the monthly West End Girls comic in the Alexandria City High School newspaper, Theogony. The cartoon is the creation of comics editor Rozalia Finkelstein, who won two awards for her work at last year’s National High School Journalism Conference.


News

Grace Vareghuse, who co-leads her school’s Students Demand Action chapter at Hayfield Secondary School (7630 Telegraph Road), kicked off a campaign rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger today (April 10) at the Oswald Durant Center.

“Students like me shouldn’t have to worry about gun violence when we’re trying to get an education,” Vareghuse, a self-described resident of Alexandria, told the audience of a couple hundred supporters on hand at the Oswald Durant Center for a rally jointly held by Moms Demand Action and the Abigail Spanberger Campaign. “We need leaders who will take action to keep us safe.”


News

Moms Demand Action officially endorsed Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger for Virginia Governor at a rally in Alexandria today (April 10). The event at the Oswald Durant Center drew a couple hundred attendees showing support for the congressional representative’s gubernatorial campaign.

The endorsement comes as Spanberger continues to build momentum in her bid to become Virginia’s next governor. Gun safety advocacy is emerging as a central theme of her campaign.


News

The City of Alexandria is seeking information from qualified organizations interested in potentially managing the Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N. Union St.), a move officials emphasize does not signal changes to the waterfront landmark’s artistic mission.

The city recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify entities with the experience and interest in possibly operating the art center in the future. The RFI, which closes May 16, 2025, is not a formal proposal solicitation but rather a preliminary step to gauge market interest.