With only 10 days left until the June 17 Democratic primary, former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney stopped in Alexandria Saturday afternoon for a meet-and-greet with some of his most influential Northern Virginia supporters.
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Alyia Gaskins
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins will join ALXnow for a live one-on-one virtual video conversation on Monday, June 9, at 4 p.m.
Our “Ask The Mayor” series provides Alexandria residents with regular opportunities to hear directly from Mayor Gaskins on pressing city issues and to submit their questions for consideration.
It took three years to finish, and on Saturday (June 7), Alexandria will officially recognize the completion of the Hooffs Run Interceptor and a rejuvenated African American Heritage Park.
The large project at 500 Holland Lane transports millions of gallons of raw sewage for processing at AlexRenew, and included a “full-scale restoration of the area surrounding Hooffs Run, including enhancements to the riparian buffer, the establishment of native trees and plants, and the creation of new wildlife habitats,” according to the city.
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What a week we just had in Alexandria!
Here’s our recap of everything worth talking and reading about over the past week in the Port City. This week, Alexandria was named a Sanctuary Jurisdiction by the Trump administration, a distinction Mayor Alyia Gaskins said “wrongly targets and mischaracterizes Alexandria and dismisses core principles that make up the foundation of our democracy.”
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It wasn’t just raining outside today. Tears of happiness streamed from students, parents, educators, and city leaders as 984 Alexandria City High School seniors graduated at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena. That’s the largest graduating class in ACHS history.
Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt told the students that now is the time for them to harness their potential, creativity, brilliance, and resilience.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins identified economic development as the critical path to potential future tax relief for Alexandria residents, emphasizing that significant commercial growth is necessary to balance the city’s predominantly residential tax base.
“If we are looking to one day get to a state where we’re able to reduce taxes, then that is directly tied to our big swings around economic development,” Gaskins said during a one-on-one Ask The Mayor conversation with ALXnow Publisher Ryan Belmore on Wednesday (May 21)
After three years of construction, Alexandria will officially unveil the Hooffs Run Interceptor and reopen African American Heritage Park next month.
The large project to reduce flooding from millions of gallons of sewage and transport it for processing by AlexRenew also meant a fully restored Hooffs Run. The interceptor went into service at the end of 2024.
Need something to smile about? There’s a new dental office in Old Town North.
Dental Inc. officially opened its doors to the public on Saturday (May 10) at 1195 N. Fayette Street. Owners Dr. Kapil Kotadia and Prutha Kotadia were joined at the ribbon cutting by Mayor Alyia Gaskins, City Council Member Canek Aguirre and Chamber ALX CEO Joe Haggerty.
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Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins will join ALXnow for a live one-on-one virtual video conversation on Wednesday, May 21, at 10:30 a.m.
Please note, this conversation was rescheduled from its original time of Wednesday, May 14 at 10 a.m.
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After a firestorm of criticism from city leaders and student journalists over proposed oversight changes to Alexandria City High School’s student newspaper, Theogony, this morning (May 2), the Alexandria School Board’s Governance Committee returned to the drawing board.
From reporting on a transportation controversy to investigations into the School Board, transgender policies, or even lampooning metal detectors in cartoons, Theogony student journalists take their roles seriously. Now, with City Council members warning of potential “censorship” and “authoritarian” behavior from the school system, student journalists are alleging a concerted effort from the administration of Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt to suppress touchy or controversial stories from appearing in the monthly publication.
Against a backdrop of political and economic uncertainty, Alexandria’s City Council unanimously adopted its $956.5 million operating budget.
City Manager Jim Parajon said it was challenging crafting a budget that keeps city services without increasing real estate or property taxes. The city’s budget grew 3.2% over the current fiscal year, with its largest line item being a fully-funded Alexandria City Public Schools, as well as significant stormwater management funding for the city’s $2.1 billion FY 2026 – 2035 Capital Improvement Program.