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.
Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire presented a comprehensive public safety update to the Alexandria City Council on Tuesday night (April 8), highlighting a 25% reduction in overall crime during the first quarter of 2025.
The Alexandria Police Department is reporting significant strides in reducing crime across the city, with violent crimes down 43% and property crimes down 23% in the first quarter of 2025, Police Chief Tarrick McGuire told Council.
Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire is focusing on six “micro areas” throughout the city as part of a targeted approach to reducing crime.
McGuire, who just finished his first 100 days in office, spoke about his plans with ALXnow in an exclusive interview after his presentation to the City Council on Tuesday (April 8). The specific locations have not been revealed, except he said that they are well-known crime hotspots.
A little more than 100 days on the job, Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire will appear before City Council on Tuesday (April 8) to present his department’s public safety review and plan.
McGuire started work last November, embarking on a 100-day action plan that involved town hall meetings to solicit feedback from the public on areas needing focus.
Alexandria City Council members have submitted numerous budget proposals for consideration at the upcoming FY 2026 Budget Add/Delete Public Hearing scheduled for April 8.
The proposals, which must be balanced with corresponding cuts or revenue increases, range from increasing support for Alexandria City Public Schools to expanding recreational programs and enhancing public transportation services.
The Alexandria City Council will hold its legislative meeting on Tuesday, April 8. The meeting will begin with public hearings on tax rates and budget proposals before moving to a packed agenda of appointments, ordinances, and reports.
The meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. with a public hearing on the proposed real and personal property tax rates for the calendar year 2025, which will fund the fiscal year 2026 budget. This hearing will be immediately followed by a public hearing on the preliminary add/delete proposals to the city manager’s proposed FY 2026 budget.
The Alexandria City Council will consider substantial increases to residential parking permit fees at its upcoming April 8 legislative meeting. The proposed ordinance would amend the city code to raise fees across all permit categories, with the most significant increases targeting households with multiple vehicles.
The ordinance, scheduled for introduction and first reading, would modify Section 5-8-77 of the city code governing parking permits in residential districts. If approved, the changes would take effect following a second reading and enactment planned for April 30.
Alexandria City Public Schools wants a formalized collective bargaining agreement sent to the city manager by the end of the year, but it comes as the city is renegotiating its agreements with police, fire, and administrative and technical staff.
It’s been a year since the school system failed to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the Education Association of Alexandria (EAA). Last year, the School Board held a public hearing and approved a draft collective bargaining resolution with the goal of presenting the package to City Manager Jim Parajon for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
Alexandria City Council members gathered for their first town hall of 2025, addressing resident concerns ranging from school funding to infrastructure projects and the city’s economic challenges.
The first City Council town hall of 2025 brought together Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, and all council members to field questions from residents on a wide range of topics affecting Alexandria.
Alexandria’s effort to ditch school buses and put high school students on city-run DASH buses is not without controversy.
On Tuesday, City Council Member Abdel Elnoubi expressed frustration on how Alexandria City Public Schools has addressed the issue.
The Alexandria City Council received concerning projections about potential federal workforce reductions and their economic impact on the region during Tuesday’s legislative meeting.
The council heard presentations from Clark Mercer, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), and Jill Kaniff, Senior Regional Demographer for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), who outlined potential consequences of federal job cuts.
