Chris Harris (on right) was elected chair and Alex Crider Scioscia was elected vice chair of the Alexandria City School Board on July 9, 2026 (via ACPS/Facebook)
The Alexandria City School Board on Thursday (July 9) unanimously elected new leadership for the next year.
Without opposition, School Board Member Christopher Harris was elected as chair, and Alexander Crider Scioscia was elected vice chair. Both are graduates of Alexandria City High School (when it was T.C. Williams High School), and the one-year appointments went into effect in the beginning of Thursday night’s meeting.
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%.
An Alexandria firefighter giving away play fire helmets at Alexandria's birthday celebration at Oronoco Bay Park, July 12, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Reminder on Alexandria and USA Birthday Celebration — “The Alexandria and USA Birthday Celebration is set for Saturday, July 11 at Oronoco Bay Park (100 Madison Street). This year’s event celebrates Alexandria’s 277th birthday and America’s 250th. The free party includes music by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and Decades Band, remarks by Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, poetry reading by Alexandria Poet Laureate Cristi Donoso, local vendors, cupcakes distributed by City Council members and a grand finale fireworks display over the Potomac River.” [ALXnow]
Virginia Returns to No. 3 on Top States for Business Ranking — “Virginia has been named the country’s top state for business a record six times, most recently in 2024 — before dropping to fourth in 2025, its worst showing since 2018. CNBC tied much of that slide, and Virginia’s still-middling economy score, to the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce — layoffs concentrated in Arlington and the rest of Northern Virginia. Virginia ranked 23rd for its economy this year and 26th for cost of doing business.” [ARLnow]
Revolutionary Fitness is a semi-private strength and longevity training studio for adults 50+ at 215 N. Payne St. in Old Town. Registration for its 21-day Fall Into Fitness program closes this Saturday, October 31. Two spots remain.
The program is built for adults who never trained seriously, haven’t trained in years, or keep starting programs that don’t stick. Members get:
There is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with increasing clouds and a high near 90°F. There will be a west wind at 5 to 7 mph. Overnight, there’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, with isolated showers possible afterward. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 71°F and a light west wind. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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?
Meet Mac, a fun companion who hasn’t met a person he didn’t like.
Mac will enthusiastically greet you with doggie kisses and loves to play games like tug-of-war. He also likes to show off his smarts with tricks like “sit” and “down.” But he’s ready to learn more with the bribery of treats.
Act for Alexandria CEO Heather Peeler (center) at an event celebrating Fund for Racial Equity grantees (via ACT for Alexandria)
ACT for Alexandria’s Fund for Racial Equity has awarded more than $200,000 in grants to 29 local organizations and individuals, the organization announced in a new report.
The nonprofit created the fund in 2020 and established a resident community advisory board to lead grantmaking in 2024. The advisory board led three rounds of grantmaking over the next two years, awarding flexible, unrestricted grants to the organizations and individuals, according to ACT for Alexandria’s A Journey in Hope report.
An airliner approaches Ronald Reagan National Airport, viewed between the spans of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge at Jones Point Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
If you’re traveling over the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge overnight, expect some traffic disruptions.
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge’s drawbridge will have multiple openings between 10 p.m. Thursday, July 9 and 5 a.m. Friday, July 10 for maintenance work. Capital Beltway drivers crossing the bridge should expect traffic stoppages when the drawbridge opens.
Work crews will conduct utility investigations from July 13 to July 23, 2026, as part of the Waterfront Flood Mitigation Project (via City of Alexandria)
Expect work crews at six intersections near Alexandria’s waterfront starting next week.
The city will conduct utility investigations from Monday, July 13 to Friday, July 24 as part of the Waterfront Flood Mitigation Project.
This recurring Most and Least Expensive Home feature is sponsored by 
