Cheran Ivery | ALXnow

Gov. Spanberger and AG Jones slam Trump election interventions at Alexandria NAACP event

Published October 2, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated October 2, 2026 at 3:09PM

Gov. Abigail Spanberger at the Alexandria NAACP’s annual Freedom Fund Dinner on Thursday night (Oct. 1) at The Satire, Autograph Collection hotel in Old Town North. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) heavily criticized President Donald Trump on Thursday night in Alexandria and said that his administration’s attempts to upend voter registrations across the country won’t work in Virginia.

Spanberger was the keynote speaker at the Alexandria branch of the NAACP’s annual Freedom Fund Dinner, held at The Satire, Autograph Collection hotel in Old Town North. Spanberger, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) and Mayor Alyia Gaskins (D) all received “breaking barriers” awards from the organization.

City bans youth mentor from rec centers for second time

By James Cullum

Published September 18, 2025 at 6:30AM | Updated September 18, 2025 at 10:11AM

Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street) in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

Jackie Surratt, the founder of the Alexandria Fatherless Coalition nonprofit, has been banned from recreation centers in the city for a year.

It’s not the first time Surratt has been banned. In 2022, he admitted to stepping out of bounds when he yelled at a staffer at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Ave.) for not observing pandemic-related rules while trying to play ping-pong, resulting in a two-year banishment. This time, he says that the most recent ban, which went into effect last month, is unjust. Surratt says he’s peaceful, and wants the ban lifted in order to administer his mentorship program to Alexandria boys. He’s taken his case to city leaders, City Manager Jim Parajon and City Attorney Cheran Ivery.

Offending Alexandria businesses ‘put on notice’ about skill games

By James Cullum

Published December 11, 2024 at 8:30AM | Updated December 11, 2024 at 9:44AM

Skill games being played at Tiger Mart, 3903 Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

More than a dozen Alexandria businesses with skill gaming machines were “put on notice” last month.

The businesses were notified that skill games are illegal gambling machines, and were informed of the legal consequences in a Nov. 19 letter from City Attorney Cheran Ivery, then-Interim Police Chief Raul Pedroso and Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter.