Good morning, Arlington. Dana here. It’s Wednesday, September 15: National Double Cheeseburger Day and Prince Harry’s 37th birthday.

Morning Status

• Today’s Weather: ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 90.
• Tomorrow’s Weather: ⛈ A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
• Sunrise:  6:46 a.m.
• Sunset:  7:11 p.m.

What We’re Covering Today

Morning Notes

• It’s the End of Summers — The former Summers restaurant in Courthouse was torn down yesterday, making way for a new apartment development. Video of the demolition shows water being sprayed to control dust as the building was razed. [Twitter]
• Staffing Concerns At 911 Dispatch Center — “The head of Arlington, Virginia’s Emergency Communications Center is addressing concerns that its current setup is problematic and even potentially dangerous. ‘We are like every other 911 center in the country, which has traditionally struggled with staffing,’ center administrator Dave Mulholland told WTOP. ‘We’re going to be very honest in acknowledging not every shift has optimal staffing.’ However, Mulholland maintains that crucial positions have always remained filled, and that more people are being trained to fill needed roles.” [WTOP]
• Lebanese Taverna Helping to Feed Refugees — “When word came that thousands of Afghan refugees would be landing at Dulles in late August after their country fell to the Taliban, World Central Kitchen mobilized to make sure those reaching the U.S. after a harrowing journey would be greeted with a hot meal. The nonprofit’s first call was to Grace Abi-Najm Shea, one of five siblings behind Lebanese Taverna… Of the 61,298 meals WCK served there between Aug. 25 and Sept. 10, 5,037 came from Lebanese Taverna.” [Washington City Paper]
• County Board May Modify Hotel Tax — “Arlington County is weighing whether to tax hotel guests for the total cost of their stay, including fees and other charges, and not just the cost of the room. The potential change to the transient occupancy tax — the revenue from which has collapsed amid the pandemic, affecting Arlington’s incentive arrangement with Amazon.com Inc. — follows changes to the tax definition in the state code adopted by the Virginia General Assembly.” [Washington Business Journal]
• Much of Crystal City Is Now Carbon Neutral — “JBG SMITH, a leading owner and developer of high-quality, mixed-use properties in the Washington, DC market, today announced it has achieved carbon neutrality across its entire 16.1 million square foot operating portfolio. Building on this accomplishment, JBG SMITH intends for its properties to maintain carbon neutral operations annually.” [BusinessWire]
• Tucker Rants About Beyer — Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson called Rep. Don Beyer “a fashionably radical car dealer from Arlington” on his show earlier this week, in a segment about vaccine mandates. But Beyer’s communications director says that the local congressman, who is actually an Alexandria resident, “does not own any auto dealerships and has not for years.” [Twitter]
• Harris Teeter Stores Cutting Hours — “Harris Teeter stores nationwide will be reducing their store hours until further notice, citing the shortage of labor caused by the COVID-19 pandemic… Starting Wednesday, Sept. 15, all Harris Teeters will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Stores in Northern Virginia have previously been open 24 hours, or until 11 p.m.” [InsideNova]

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

New Dunkin’ Donuts: The new Dunkin’ store near Clarendon is now open, with a grand opening celebration — complete with giveaways and company mascot Cuppy — planned in a couple of weeks.

TOSA Program Extension: Arlington County will consider ways of incorporating the flexibility and responsiveness of the temporary outdoor seating (TOSA) program, established during the pandemic, into the permanent county process for adding seating outdoors.

Oktoberfest Returns: Oktoberfest is coming back to Crystal City on October 2. The event boasts Oktoberfest classics like German beers and cuisine, and some local touches like dog-themed activities. The event is free to attend, with drink purchases benefitting the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. Pre-registration is required though, as is either proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test.

Candidate Forum: The Arlington County Civic Federation hosted a candidate forum last night for those running for County Board, School Board and the state legislature. We’ll take a closer look at the candidates running for the House of Delegates. Early voting starts this Friday, Sept. 17.

Columbia Pike Transit Upgrades: Work is underway on upgrades to the bus stations and streetscapes along Columbia Pike. The first eight of 23 new transit stations will be complete once the new shelters are delivered and installed. This work has been delayed by problems with the shelters. The county’s original shelters have become too expensive and could be structurally unsound. Now, the county plans to install pre-fabricated shelters, saving money and time and improving safety.

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

House Fire: Firefighters from Arlington and surrounding areas battled a house fire in the Boulevard Manor neighborhood, near Bluemont Park, Tuesday afternoon. Smoke could be seen coming from the top of a home on the 5900 block of 3rd Street N. It took at least 30 minutes to extinguish the bulk of the fire, which reportedly started in the attic. Initial reports suggest that people inside the house were able to get out safely. No one was injured, though three residents will be displaced.

Bakery To Open Clarendon: Tatte Bakery in Clarendon is finally set to open. The growing Boston-based chain’s Arlington location will open today (Wednesday), according to a sign in the window. It was first announced earlier this year and was originally expected to open in July. The cafe is located at 2805 Clarendon Blvd, around where the Baja Fresh used to be before it closed in late 2018, ahead of extensive renovations to the building.