Port City Optimal Wit and ALXnow rabbit affairs editor Hugo (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, with patchy fog clearing by 9am. Mostly cloudy, high near 80, with a calm easterly wind around 5 mph in the afternoon, and a 40% chance of precipitation. Tuesday night, expect mostly cloudy conditions with a low around 65, southeast wind at 3 to 5 mph, and a continued 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms.
School buses on W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Staff raises and market rate adjustments are a few of the proposed highlights after Alexandria City Public Schools got the green light last week by City Council to add $273.03 million to its combined funds budget.
The $14.3 million increase over the current ACPS budget comes at considerable cost to the taxpayer, as last week City Council approved a 2.5-cent tax increase to pay for it and other city services.
This recurring Most and Least Expensive Home feature is sponsored by Adrianna Vallario of Compass. Based in the North Ridge area of Alexandria City, Adrianna is more than just a real estate agent – she is a trusted advisor, relocation expert, and community advocate.
In October 2026, 26 detached homes sold, 50 condos sold, and 41 townhomes sold. Detached home sales are down 40% when compared to the same time period last year, condos are down 52%, and townhomes are down 18%.
Reserve your spot for an after-hour event with multi-disciplinary artist Sky Hopinka, Thursday, Nov. 5, 6–9 PM. Experience monumental nature-inspired artworks in the Water’s Edgeexhibition, make your own artwork to take home at the National Museum of the American Indian.
Sky Hopinka’s photo and video art—including This is a mnemonic for Truman Lowe in the museum’s collection—shares Truman Lowe’s interest in Indigenous homelands, cultural knowledge, and traditional practices. Hopinka contributed to the exhibition catalog for Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe, writing on Lowe’s lasting impact on his work. Hopinka joins the museum for this special after hours event featuring a screening of three of his short video works followed by a discussion with Rebecca Head Trautmann, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art and exhibition curator, along with art-making activities, and time to enjoy Lowe’s work currently on view. Sky Hopinka has been widely recognized for his experimental short films and photo-based works. A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, and Forge Project Fellow, his work has been shown in major film festivals, museums, and international exhibitions and is in numerous prominent museum collections. Hopinka is currently an assistant professor in the department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University.
After two years of construction, a certificate of occupancy was issued for the five-story, $174 million building last month. Alexandria City Public Schools is on track to welcome students to the new facility in August.
If you are interested in learning more about Continuing Care Retirement Communities (also known as "Life Plan Communities"), whether for yourself or for a loved one, please join our free workshop on Wednesday, November 4 from 5:00-7:00 at the Arlington office of Long & Foster. We are hosting this workshop in conjunction with Lisa Bates of the Williamsburg Landing community, which is a particularly excellent model of the way these communities work, and one you may wish to consider!
– How do Continuing Care Retirement Communities work? – What do they offer? – How much do they cost, and what are the financial models offered? – How do you how to evaluate them, and choose the one that's right for you? – How do you make a plan for a move like this? – How do you handle a lifetime's worth of possessions?
Flooding on lower King Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)
A new interactive map published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows how rising sea levels will impact Virginia cities, Newsweek reported.
The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts global sea levels are likely to rise up by 3.51 feet by 2100 but could possibly rise as high as 6.6 feet above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW).
The FBI alleged the man on the far left as Alexandria (image via Department of Justice)
Alexandria resident David Marshall, 57, has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for allegedly assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6 riot in 2021.
Marshall was arrested on May 1 for multiple alleged assaults on law enforcement officers and on a member of the news media, according to the Department of Justice.
At Gravelly Point, a man in a folding chair reads a book as planes land outside Reagan National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 2 p.m., with fog expected before 11 a.m. Cloudy skies will accompany a high temperature around 81°F and a light west wind at 3-5 mph. A 30% chance of precipitation is expected. For Monday night, showers and storms are likely before 8 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., followed by a chance of showers and patchy fog. The weather will be cloudy with a low around 65°F and calm wind, with a 60% chance of precipitation. Rainfall amounts may vary between a tenth and a quarter-inch, with higher amounts in thunderstorms.
The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse at 520 King Street in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)
Francis Deonte Rose was found guilty today of two counts of aggravated murder in the 2022 shooting deaths of two construction workers in the West End. The Commonwealth Attorney’s Office is now seeking a life sentence.
After a four-day-long trial, the jury found Rose guilty of two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony and unlawful entry. He was found not guilty of burglary.
Alexandria City Council Member Alyia Gaskins (on left) and Vice Mayor Amy Jackson at the ADC mayoral debate, April 30, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)
It’s been a busy week in Alexandria. There were multiple mayoral and city council forums and debates this week as the city gets closer and closer to the June 18 primary.
The Alexandria Police Department also confirmed the identities of the suspicious deathvictims last week in the Braddock and Arlandria neighborhoods, but there’s been no other update from police yet in either case.