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Washington Wizards give backpacks to 700 Alexandria students

By James Cullum
The Washington Wizards helped tip off the 2025-26 school year with a giveaway event at William Ramsay Recreation Center on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Washington Wizards helped tip off the 2025-26 school year with a backpack and supplies giveaway today (Aug. 15) at William Ramsay Recreation Center.

Wizards forward Anthony Gill made a surprise appearance and joined rookies Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins at the event. The players, along with mascot G-Wiz and the Wizards Dancers, gave 700 backpacks to the students at William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue), which is located next to the recreation center and officially opens for the first day on Monday, Aug. 18.

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Boxing legend Tony ‘Da Beast’ Suggs to be inducted Into ACPS Hall of Fame after student nomination

By James Cullum
Tony 'Da Beast' Suggs (on right) teaches at Charles Houston Recreation Center, July 9, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

For the last several years, Tony Suggs has helped others in Alexandria unleash “Da Beast” within. In a good way.

The 59-year-old doesn’t make it easy. In a recent boxercise class at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, more than a dozen students, ranging from their mid-20s to late 70s, got an intense hour-long workout. It started with pushups, leg lifts, scissor kicks, jumping jacks, and then moved to jump rope, followed by a half hour of throwing gloved hands against pads and heavy bags.

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The Rink That Rocked: Talk to revisit Alexandria venue that hosted Janis Joplin, Alice Cooper

By James Cullum
The Alexandria Roller Rink in Old Town North was open from 1948 to 1986 (via Office of Historic Alexandria)

The Alexandria Roller Rink in Old Town North was open from 1948 to 1986 (via Office of Historic Alexandria)Next month, the Alexandria Historical Society will host a behind-the-scenes panel to reflect on the legacy of a long-lost landmark: the Alexandria Roller Rink.

With its maple floors and Wurlitzer organ, the Alexandria Roller Rink (807 N. St. Asaph Street) could hold 3,000 skaters at a time. It wasn’t all about skating, though. In the 1970s, the rink was advertised as a “psychedelic ballroom” and the “Alexandria Rock Arena” and hosted concerts with stars like Janis Joplin, Jethro Tull, and Alice Cooper, according to the Office of Historic Alexandria.

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Here’s the 2025 ACPS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

By James Cullum
Tony "Da Beast" Suggs (via Facebook)

Former pro boxer Tony “Da Beast” Suggs, former T.C. Williams High School principal John Porter, and the 1947 George Washington High School Baseball Team are heading to the hall of fame.

The Alexandria City Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame, that is. This year’s 16 inductees were approved for inclusion by the School Board on June 12, and the induction ceremony will take place on October 11.

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Exhibition baseball team ‘Savannah Bananas’ taking over Dunkin’ in Alexandria

By James Cullum
The Savannah Bananas (via Facebook)

The Savannah Bananas, an exhibition baseball team from Georgia, is taking over the Dunkin’ at 3325 Richmond Highway for two hours on Saturday (June 28).

Dunkin’ is the “official coffee and breakfast partner” of the Savannah Bananas, and from 9 to 11 a.m., players will go behind the counter to take orders, treat guests, and give away free merchandise.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum
The athletic fields at Episcopal High School (via City of Alexandria)

Welcome to Friday! Here’s a look back at our most-read stories of the week.

Our top story this week is on Episcopal High School being named a training site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. To accommodate an international soccer team with a home-away-from-home atmosphere, the private school is asking the city for permission to install field lighting with 47 light poles between 40-to-100-feet-tall.

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10 Questions with Alexandria’s Joey Schaljo, the voice of the Washington Mystics

By James Cullum
Alexandria's Joey Schaljo, the voice of the Washington Mystics (staff photo by James Cullum)

There’s something about Joey Schaljo’s voice.

Since 2023, the Del Ray resident has been the in-game PA announcer at all of the Washington Mystics games. She’s also a longtime announcer at the New York City Marathon, and can regularly be heard in commercials for Ozempic, Aspercreme with Lidocaine, and Realtor.com.

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ACPS admits ‘internal breakdown’ kept defending debate champs from state title defense

By James Cullum
Alexandria City High School's Harlow Babic and Andrew Bell, the 2024 VHSL Class 6 Policy Debate State Champions, failed to register for this year's state tournament and didn't enter (courtesy image)

Last year’s win was unbelievable. Without coaching, organization, or outside help, Alexandria’s Harlow Babic and Andrew Bell won the Virginia High School League’s debate state championship.

This year, after spending hundreds of hours building arguments, the defending state champs from Alexandria City High School were gearing up for two wins in a row. Their hopes were dashed three days before the April 26 tournament at James Madison University when told that they missed the registration deadline and couldn’t participate.

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Alexandria wants to increase rental fees at these city-owned facilities

By James Cullum
The swimming pool at Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard Campus, May 29, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s about to get more expensive to have fun at city-owned properties in Alexandria.

On Wednesday, April 30, the City Council will consider approving rental fee increases for several of the city’s Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities programs.

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Commanders and Washington agree to a deal to build at RFK Stadium site, a nearly $4 billion project

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer
FILE - RFK Stadium is visible from Air Force One as it takes off from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Nov. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Growing up in the Washington area, Josh Harris cherished his chances once or twice a year to watch his favorite football team play at RFK Stadium, the home during the glory days when the likes of Joe Theismann and John Riggins made the stands shake on the way to three Super Bowl championships.

Now the controlling owner and with fellow locals and longtime fans Mitch Rales and Mark Ein also involved, Harris and his group are a giant leap closer to bringing the team back where they think it belongs.

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School Board greenlights renaming process for three ACPS facilities

By Ryan Belmore
The crowd at Alexandria City High School's Parker-Gray Stadium on Sept. 17, 2021. (Via Elijah Walter Griffin, Sr.)

The Alexandria City School Board has approved starting the naming process for three school facilities.

At its April 3 meeting, the board approved initiating the naming process for the Early Childhood Center courtyard, Naomi L. Brooks Media Center, and Parker-Gray Stadium field.

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