The Alexandria Brief: Monday, April 20

Good morning, Alexandria. It's Monday, April 20. It's the 110th day of 2026, with 255 days left in the year.

Tonight at 7 p.m., Metro hosts a formal public hearing at Charles Houston Recreation Center on its proposal to permanently close the Braddock Road station's Kiss & Ride lot and reconfigure the bus loop to make way for development on the 3.6-acre parcel. The changes would affect Metrobus routes A11, A12, and A1X and DASH routes 30 and 31. If you can't make it, written comments are accepted through April 30 at wmata.com/braddockhearing.

Tomorrow is Election Day. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. On the ballot: a City Council seat and a statewide redistricting referendum that could reshape Virginia's congressional map. Nearly 20,000 have already voted.

Due to the election, Tuesday is a non-school day for ACPS. School Board member Ryan Reyna dives deeper into why April 21 is a non-school day on the ACPS School Board website.

Also Tuesday: Council holds its preliminary add/delete work session — the first formal budget decisions of the season after Saturday's five-hour public hearing. The proposed $200,000 cut to the Sheriff's Office drew the most heated testimony.

It was a big weekend, and it's going to be a bigger week. Let's get into it.

~ Ryan

1️⃣ Alexandria City Council votes on land use items, hears budget testimony in five-hour public hearing Saturday

Alexandria City Council held its annual budget public hearing Saturday at Del Pepper Community Resource Center, convening at 9:30 a.m. and adjourning at 2:47 p.m. after more than five hours that included packed public testimony on the city's budget add/delete proposals, votes on two land use items, and public hearings on a range of fee increases that will be decided at Tuesday's preliminary add/delete work session.

No budget decisions were made on Saturday. All budget-related items — including the add/delete proposals, proposed tax rate, parking meter expansion, parking citation increases, stormwater fee increase, and BPOL tax increase — were public hearings only. Decisions on those items come Tuesday, April 21, with final budget adoption set for April 29.

2️⃣ Sheriff Casey, deputies, and community members testify over proposed $200,000 cut to Alexandria Sheriff's Office

Alexandria City Council Legislative Meeting on Saturday, April 18. (Screenshot/City of Alexandria)

Sheriff Sean Casey appeared before Alexandria City Council Saturday to oppose a proposed $200,000 delete from his office's budget, as dozens of community members testified on both sides of a proposal that has become one of the most contested items in this year's fiscal year 2027 budget process.

The testimony came during the public hearing on the city's preliminary add/delete proposals. No decisions were made Saturday — the preliminary add/delete work session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, with final budget adoption set for April 29.

3️⃣ ALX Dog Walk doubles in size for fifth year as AWLA joins as partner

The 2026 ALX Dog Walk (Ryan Belmore/The Alexandria Brief)

The ALX Dog Walk stepped off into a warm, 60-degree morning along the Potomac on Saturday as more than 2,000 dogs and their owners gathered at Oronoco Bay Park, roughly doubling last year's turnout and launching the fifth annual two-mile walk and sustainability festival in partnership with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria for the first time.

"It is such a joy to look out and see so many people, but also so many dogs," Mayor Alyia Gaskins told the crowd from the main stage shortly before the 8:15 a.m. start. Gaskins urged walkers to use the route along the river to reflect on "the beautiful planet that we have" and on Alexandria's commitment to sustainability.

4️⃣ 20 new CASA volunteers sworn in at Alexandria Circuit Court

The Northern Virginia Family Services CASA swearing-in ceremony saw 20 CASA volunteers get sworn in. Here they are pictured with the Honorable W. Michael Chick, Jr. (Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court) and the Honorable Sean A. Sherlock (Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court). (contributed)

Twenty new Court Appointed Special Advocates were sworn in on Thursday at the Alexandria Circuit Court, joining a volunteer corps that stands up for children navigating the foster care and court systems.

The Hon. Sean A. Sherlock of the Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court administered the oath at the courthouse at 520 King St. The Hon. W. Michael Chick Jr. of the Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court also addressed the class. Both judges told the volunteers they read the CASA reports first when reviewing a new case file, according to Northern Virginia Family Services, which runs the program.

5️⃣ First Gentleman Adam Spanberger joins Brooks Bike Bus for biggest ride yet

Students line up at East Oak Street and Commonwealth Avenue during Friday morning's Brooks Bike Bus ride, the program's biggest turnout since launching in October. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Lavey / Brooks Bike Bus.

Virginia First Gentleman Adam Spanberger clipped into his pedals at the front of the pack Friday morning and rolled through Rosemont alongside dozens of Alexandria families — the biggest turnout the Brooks Bike Bus has ever seen.

"There are 82 bikes on the racks at Brooks right now," organizer Stephanie Lavey said in an interview with The Alexandria Brief after the ride. Factoring in siblings, riders who didn't lock up, and kids who biked in on their own, she estimated roughly 80 children rolled to Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School together.

It was a fitting headline for a program that marked six months to the day since its first ride.

📰 In brief

Alexandria voters head to the polls Tuesday for a special City Council election and a statewide redistricting referendum — and that's just the start. The week also brings the budget's first formal add/delete work session, an expected School Board vote on the SRO agreement, a citywide giving day, a sobering historical remembrance, and a packed weekend of community events. (Read more)

Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians who count on North Beauregard Street should plan for short, on-and-off closures starting today, as the city continues its long and costly effort to rebuild the Holmes Run Trail. (Read more)

The city's annual street-repaving season gets underway Monday, April 20, when the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services resumes paving and maintenance work that is expected to continue through November 2026. (Read more)

The city's Citizen Corps Council will host an information night tonight aimed at connecting residents with the network of local organizations working to keep Alexandria prepared for emergencies. (Read more)

The National Weather Service issued a freeze watch for Alexandria and much of the Washington region Sunday afternoon, warning that sub-freezing temperatures could arrive late tonight and linger through Tuesday morning before a stretch of summerlike warmth settles in. (Read more)

Alexandria residents are now living under a state drought warning, part of a sweeping expansion announced Friday that placed every Virginia locality under either a watch or warning advisory for the first time this year. (Read more)

The Chamber ALX will host its annual CareerCon, a free post-graduation planning event for high school and undergraduate students, on Saturday, May 2, at Virginia Tech's Boeing Auditorium in Alexandria. (Read more)

The Alexandria Fire Department responded as mutual aid over the weekend to assist Prince George's County with an apartment fire and Fairfax County with a fire at an addition being constructed at an elementary school. (Alexandria Firefighters)

🗞️ Region

Voters will decide Tuesday whether to allow new congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections after months of legal and political fights. Here’s what to know.(Read more)

As Virginia prepares for its redistricting election, residents are being flooded with ads, while many are asking what this election actually is? (Theogony)

🏀 Sports

Curtis Mead hit a two-run homer, Andrew Alvarez worked 4 1/3 sharp innings in relief, and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 3-0 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep. (Read more)

Today in Alexandria

⛅ Weather

A chance of sprinkles with a slight chance of showers between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., then a chance of sprinkles after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56 degrees. Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. The chance of precipitation is 20%.

Mostly clear tonight, with a low around 32 degrees. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.

🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise at 6:24 a.m., sunset at 7:49 p.m. 13 hours & 25 minutes of sun. High tide at 11:01 a.m. & 11:49 p.m. Low tide at 5:11 a.m. & 6:17 p.m. The moon phase is a Waxing Crescent.

🗓️ Things To Do

9 a.m.: Monday Morning Coffee Club at Rosemont Cellar
6:30 p.m.: Joggers & Lagers at Port City Brewing Company

🎶 Entertainment

219 Restaurant: Just For Fun at 9 p.m.
Clyde’s at Mark Center: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant: Traditional Irish Music at 7 p.m.
Del Ray Public House: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Epicure on King: Open Mic at 7 p.m.
Laporta’s Restaurant: Jim West at 6 p.m.
Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Colby Sard at 8:30 p.m.
O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
The Birchmere: Los Lobos with Los Hermanos Alacranes at 7:30 p.m.

🏛️ City of Alexandria

6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open at Chinquapin
9:30 a.m.: Alexandria Electoral Board
1 p.m.: Commission on Aging Housing Committee
4 p.m.: Alexandria Library Board Meeting
6 p.m.: Minnie Howard Open at Minnie Howard
7 p.m.: Citizen Corps Council Information Night — learn about emergency preparedness and how to get involved
7 p.m.: George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee
7:30 p.m.: Environmental Policy Commission
(Full details and calendar)

📚 Alexandria Library

9 a.m.: Exhibit: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka at Local History/Special Collections
10 a.m.: Twice Loved Plushies at Beatley Central Library — final day for donations
10:30 a.m.: Senior Bingo at Burke Branch Library
11 a.m.: Storytime in the Reading Garden at Beatley Central Library
1 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) at Burke Branch Library
4 p.m.: Restful Readaloud - Stories from American History at Beatley Central Library
4 p.m.: Alexandria Library Board Meeting at Burke Branch Library
5:30 p.m.: Teen Takeover at Beatley Central Library
5:30 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 2 Workshop at Beatley Central Library
6 p.m.: Horror Fans Unite! at Barrett Branch Library
7 p.m.: Let's Talk Books - "America, América" by Greg Grandin (virtual)
(Full details and calendar)

🏫 Alexandria City Public Schools

No meetings are scheduled.
(Full details and calendar)

ACHS Titans Sports

5:45 p.m.: Girls JV Soccer vs. South County at South County High School
5:45 p.m.: Boys JV Soccer vs. South County at ACHS
7:15 p.m.: Girls Varsity Soccer vs. South County at South County High School
7:15 p.m.: Boys Varsity Soccer vs. South County at ACHS
(Full details and calendar)