Good morning, Arlington. Dana here. It’s Wednesday, September 8: National Ampersand Day and Pink’s 42nd birthday.

Morning Status

• Today’s Weather:  A slight chance of showers in the late afternoon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
• Tomorrow’s Weather: Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
• Sunrise:  6:40 a.m.
• Sunset:  7:21 p.m.

What We’re Covering Today

Morning Notes

• Firefighters Recount 9/11 Horrors — “Arlington County firefighter Matthew Herrera was racing to a call for an apartment fire in Rosslyn, Virginia, 20 years ago, when his crew was rerouted. Their new destination: the Pentagon, for a report of a plane down in the area. It was Sept. 11, 2001. Herrera, now a captain, struggled to get through piles of debris inside the building, right where the plane had hit, to fight the blaze. ‘The first time I fell, I got up real quick and I remember (thinking), ‘I hope I’m not stepping on somebody.’ And I knew that I probably was,’ Herrera told WTOP.” [WTOP]
• More Recollections of Sept. 11 — “What they encountered was catastrophic, unprecedented and unforgettable. ‘There was just one piece of the plane I could see,’ recalls Scott, who today holds the rank of Captain II with Arlington Fire/EMS. ‘It was the letter C, from American Airlines.’ Along with countless other responders, Scott spent hours working to suppress the fire raging on the Pentagon’s west side.” [Arlington Magazine, WJLA, NBC 4]
• Car Break-ins Around Arlington Ridge — “2300 block of S. Arlington Ridge Road / 1200 block of Oakcrest Road. At approximately 9:52 a.m. on September 3, police were dispatched to the report of multiple larcenies from auto. The investigation determined that between 10:30 p.m. on September 2 and 9:52 a.m. on September 3, the unknown suspect(s) entered approximately four vehicles and rummaged through them. A variety of tools and personal items were reported stolen from the victim vehicles.” [ACPD]
• First Hurricane Dog Adopted at AWLA — From the Animal Welfare League of Arlington: “Over the weekend, the first of our Louisiana dogs was adopted! We think Milo is very happy with his new family . More of the dogs from Louisiana will be available in the coming days/weeks so keep an eye on our website!” [Twitter]
• Yorktown Football Undefeated So Far — “When it come to his team’s execution on offense, Bruce Hanson is hard to please. The longtime head coach of the Yorktown Patriots has a 2-0 football team already this fall that has scored 19 and 43 points in each of those high-school contests. Yet Hanson isn’t satisfied with what he says is sloppy and uneven performances, including during Yorktown’s 43-17 blowout of visiting Wilson on Sept. 2.” [Sun Gazette]
• A Capital Problem Along Route 50 — “@VaDOTNOVA: Please fix the capitalization error on this sign. Should read ’14th Street,’ not ’14Th Street.’ Has annoyed me for years. On WB Arlington Blvd (US 50) near the Marine Corps Memorial.” [Twitter]

The following are preview of stories we’re planning to cover later today. Note that some stories may be pushed back, depending on the day’s news. 

COVID-19 Heroes: Arlington County is collecting nominations for its new “Community COVID-19 Hero Awards,” honoring grassroots efforts to combat the effects of the pandemic. Nominations can be submitted through the end of the month and winners will be recognized at October’s Arlington County Board meeting.

Clarendon Dunkin’ Update: A new Dunkin’ store at 3300 Wilson Blvd, near Clarendon, may open as soon as Friday. Meanwhile, the existing Dunkin’ location in Clarendon has closed.

Wendy’s Development: Arlington County is inviting the public to review project materials and provide feedback on the development site of the vacant Wendy’s lot at 2025 Clarendon Blvd. The lot was the site of a project that was never realized; developer Greystar acquired it and is now proposing a 16-story apartment building with ground-floor retail.

Election Officer Charged: A seasonal Assistant Registrar in the Arlington County elections office has been arrested charged with corrupt conduct after improperly removing an individual from the voter roll. The incident apparently stemmed from a dispute involving her business.

Metro Snubs Columbia Pike: Metro along Columbia Pike has some public support, according to an unscientific poll of readers, as well as the support of some elected officials. But the idea appears to be a pipe dream for now. WMATA has released ideas for a handful of Metro extensions, through Georgetown and perhaps down to National Harbor via a new Blue Line loop, but Metro connectivity for Columbia Pike did not make the cut.

And in case you missed it, here’s what we covered Tuesday but didn’t plan in advance: 

Carpool Returns: Beloved local watering hole Carpool is returning to Arlington after a more than four year absence. The new Carpool will open on the ground floor of the Virginia Tech building at 900 N. Glebe Road in Ballston, perhaps as early as next month.

Virtual Learning Problems: The new virtual learning program in Arlington Public Schools, available to anyone uncomfortable with going to school in-person, has gotten off to a rocky start due to severe staff shortages. On Tuesday APS announced that the administrator assigned to the new program, Verlese Gaither, has been replaced.