Good morning, Arlington. Dana here. It’s Friday, September 10: National Swap Ideas Day and Colin Firth’s 61st birthday.
Morning Status
- Today’s Weather: ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 77.
- Tomorrow’s Weather: ☀️Sunny, with a high near 82.
- Sunrise: 6:42 a.m.
- Sunset: 7:18 p.m.
What We’re Covering Today
Morning Notes
- Tower of Light Returns — From Dave Statter: “The Tower of Light at the Pentagon began tonight & continues through September 12 in honor of those killed when the United States was attacked 20 years ago Saturday.” [Twitter, Fox 5]
- Road Closures for Memorial 5K — “The Arlington Police, Fire, Sheriff and ECC Memorial 9/11 Memorial 5k race will take place on the evening of Saturday, September 11, 2021. The Arlington County Police Department will close the following roadways around the Pentagon and in Crystal City to accommodate the event.” [ACPD]
- Some Boundary Adjustments Coming — “Arlington’s public-school leadership has so much on its return-to-classrooms plate already – ya think? – that a massive boundary-adjustment process is just not in the cards for now. School officials are planning for ‘only those adjustments that must be done,’ said Lisa Stengle, the school system’s executive director of planning and evaluation, during an Aug. 26 briefing to School Board members.” [Sun Gazette]
- Arlington Adds Rep to Metro Board — A new alternate Metro Board member from Arlington was sworn in yesterday. Assistant County Manager & Director of Communications and Public Engagement Bryna Helfer will be the county’s sole representative on the board. Helfer previously worked for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. [U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Twitter]
- Biz Booming for Local Tattoo Shop — “As more Americans resolve to change their lives after a tumultuous year and a half, many are choosing to get tattoos: D.C.-area tattoo-shop owners are reporting a boom in business, even though the pandemic all but shuttered other industries. Inside Lady Octopus, in Arlington, Virginia, artist Gilda Acosta shades in a touch of light green on the leaves of a primrose. Client Meg Little, of Alexandria, booked this appointment seven months ago.” [WTOP]
- Higher Ed Booms With Amazon Arrival — “With the arrival of Amazon and a proliferation of other tech companies in fields ranging from big data to cybersecurity, candidates like Bhatia are in high demand. The problem is, there aren’t enough to go around. Universities are trying to change that, and in the process, sparking an academic explosion in and around Arlington… Virginia Tech, Mason and the University of Maryland are preparing to open gleaming new facilities here.” [Arlington Magazine]
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.
Columbia Pike Realignment Update: Construction to realign the eastern end of Columbia Pike, which is part of the project to expand Arlington National Cemetery, is set to start in early fall, a Federal Highway Administration (FHA) spokesperson tells ARLnow. Construction is expected to be completed within four years, by the summer of 2025.
Michael Nash Sentencing: An Arlington man has been handed a lengthy prison sentence for a 2018 killing in the county. Michael Nash, 29, was sexually assaulting a woman when Patricio Salazar tried to intervene, but was beaten unconscious and later died at the hospital. Nash is set to spend 34 years in prison before five years of probation.
Libertarian Campaigns for County Board: Adam Theo had admitted that, as a libertarian running for the Arlington County Board, he’s got a long uphill battle. But he says the County’s handling of Amazon and the COVID-19 crisis could make some of his policies more in-line with the local progressive crowd, particularly in his approach to affordable housing and regulation on local businesses.
