U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School today (April 3), as part of a joint effort to bring fresh food to schools nationwide.
The visit followed last week’s HHS announcement of the firing of 20,000 employees as part of the Trump Administration’s strategy to “Make America Healthy Again.”
It’s been another busy week in Alexandria.
Amid the impact of federal worker cutbacks, looming budgets and crime, our top story this week was on the popularity of a new Taylor Swift-themed pop-up bar in Del Ray. Lines are wrapping around the block at Eras (2312 Mount Vernon Avenue).
Miss your chance to bring up a burning issue at a recent town hall meeting with the Alexandria City Council?
City Council Member R. Kirk McPike is asking City Manager Jim Parajon to formalize a schedule so that Council can hold quarterly town hall meetings. The city will start the effort after Council approves the FY2026 budget and it goes into effect on July 1.
What a busy week it’s been in Alexandria.
Our top story was on big changes planned for 400 King Street in Old Town. The building takes over an entire city block and is currently home to The Alexandrian Old Town Hotel at 480 King Street and Southern restaurant King & Rye.
A 41-year-old El Salvadoran woman convicted in 2020 of misdemeanor assault, was arrested Feb. 25 by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Roxana Beatriz Ayala-Duran was found guilty in the Alexandria General District Court of misdemeanor assault, with 30 days in prison suspended. She also had unsupervised probation, according to court records.
The Alexandria Democratic Committee isn’t happy that Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner recently voted for a number of President Donald Trump’s new cabinet secretaries.
At its March meeting last week, the ADC passed a resolution asking the Democratic lawmakers to withhold future support in all forms.
Congressman Don Beyer (D-8th) criticized Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s efficiency efforts as “cruel” and “inefficient” during a roundtable on potential Medicaid cuts on Friday.
When asked in his Old Town office by ALXnow, Beyer shared the following:
In response to a series of federal worker layoffs spearheaded by Elon Musk’s DOGE, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins said the city has put together a new webpage to support federal workers.
The page includes a “comprehensive guide for federal workers transitioning into new fields”, a list of available City of Alexandria jobs, and information about other emergency safety net services like child care, food and housing assistance.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins says that recent immigration enforcement raids in nearby jurisdictions have resulted in “fear, confusion, and concern,” and that the city won’t assist federal investigators.
In a statement posted on the city website today, the Democrat mayor said that Alexandria will always be a welcoming community where “all residents are supported, respected, and valued.”
Update 1/29: A memo rescinding telework and remote work specifically notes that it does not apply to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
A new executive order mandating federal employees end telework and return to offices could be a boon to the local markets, though a local expert warned not to expect a return to the pre-Covid office market.
“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band has a full schedule for inauguration day on Monday (Jan. 20), and they’re getting ready for the big day in Alexandria.
The band spent two days rehearsing for their 57th inauguration day at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center. Their schedule includes the swearing in of President-elect Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol, the parade on Pennsylvania Avenue and the inaugural balls.
