Maurisa Potts’ award shelf is getting crowded.
Earlier this month, the founder and CEO of the Old Town-based Spotted MP marketing firm was named to the 2026 Virginia Black Leaders list by Virginia Business magazine. The award is the latest in a string of honors for Potts, who last fall was named to the PR Net 100 2025, a recognition for the top-performing firms in the world of public relations and well as MarComms Most Influential by the same outlet.
After three years at the Alexandria Times, editor Cody Mello-Klein is saying goodbye to the paper he’s helped steer through a pandemic and more.
Mello-Klein joined as a reporter at the end of 2018 and was a reporter for all of 2019 and 2020, then was promoted to managing editor at the end of 2020.
Like parades and being mad about development, a fixation on hyper-local politics is one of the classic, enduring features of Alexandria. It’s an environment that naturally fosters satire, and there’s one account that’s at the head of the pack.
Alexandria Shallot is a Twitter-based spin on The Onion for Alexandria, posting almost daily mock headlines about (mostly) real local issues.
Jones Point Park live-action roleplayers fight with foam swords, create community — “It is Sunday at Jones Point Park, and today is the day Marcus finds glory on the battlefield.” [Alexandria Times]
Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House honored on 2022 Yelp 100 list — “The Alexandria restaurant is one of the top 100 restaurants in the country, according to Yelp.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Rather than an end-of-week wrap-up like we usually do, we at ALXnow figured it might be more fitting to do a look back at all the stories from the last year — our second full year of publication.
Thanks for reading and see you next year!
Alexandria political cartoonist shifts to radio — “Following a 30-year political cartooning career, Steve Artley has transitioned his satirical prowess to another form: radio.” [Artley Cartoons]
National Industries for the Blind awarded $8.9 million contract — “National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $8,898,968 modification exercising the third one-year option period of a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods for moisture wicking t-shirts.” [Defense Daily]
Last year, Jake Marshall thought his baseball career was over. The pandemic shut down the league he played with in California and he returned to Alexandria to set up a home construction business. But a chance connection has given him a second shot at that dream.
The 27-year-old Marshall lives in Arlington and runs his construction company out of ALX Community in Old Town, and recently signed to play with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs — a professional baseball team based out of Waldorf, Maryland. Marshall joined the team as second-string catcher, though he’s also been designated hitter more frequently than he expected.
Jack Powers doesn’t just enjoy sunsets in Alexandria, he captures them.
For the last two years, the photographer has kept an eye out for beautiful sunsets from his 42-foot-long balcony, on the 11th floor of his condominium on South Reynolds Street in the West End.
