Morning Notes

Biden Visits Arlington — “President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden helped pack presents for children and encouraged holiday cheer as the White House marked the 75th anniversary of Toys for Tots at an event hosted by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. The event at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in northern Virginia is part of Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative.” [Associated Press]

W-L Wins Choir Contest — “Thanks to all of the votes from YOU, @WLchoirs was selected the winner of the WASH-FM Christmas Choir Competition!” [Twitter, WASH-FM]

Armed Sneaker Robbery in Pentagon City — “At approximately 3:38 p.m. on December 11, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the four unknown suspects approached the two male victims and asked about purchasing one of the victim’s sneakers. The victim declined and the groups separated. The suspects later reapproached the victims and demanded their property, during which two of the suspects lifted their shirts to display firearms in their waistbands. The suspects then stole sneakers, headphones, and a wallet containing an undisclosed amount of cash, a bank card and personal items, before fleeing the scene on foot.” [ACPD]

Wrong-Way Crash on I-395 — From Dave Statter: “#caughtoncamera: Wrong way driver on I-395S Exit 9 (Boundary Channel) ramp pulls into traffic & immediately gets hit at 3:00 am Sunday. Crazy & scary stuff.” [Twitter]

Va. Tree Legislation Unlikely — “One member of the Arlington delegation to the General Assembly says environmental activists shouldn’t expect any major legislation on tree issues coming out of Richmond in 2023. ‘We’ll have a difficult time,’ said Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), speaking at the Dec. 6 work session between legislators and the County Board. He blamed ‘the dynamics in the House’ – presumably meaning the Republican majority in the House of Delegates – for the hold-up.” [Sun Gazette]

Holiday Anti-DUI Campaign — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign to remind motorists it is always the season to protect yourself and others from the dangers of drunk driving… From December 14, 2022 – January 1, 2023, motorists nationwide can expect to see increased messaging about the dangers of driving under the influence, coupled with increased saturation patrols to identify and apprehend impaired drivers.” [ACPD]

Lyon Village Cat Drama Remembered — “Flashback to this proto-NextDoor anonymous letter I received in my mailbox shortly after I moved into my house over 10yrs ago, in which judgment was cast on ‘my’ large, predatory cat that had ‘singlehandedly destroyed the neighborhood bird population.’ I did not own a cat.” [Twitter]

Conditions Right for White Christmas — “If you fancy a white Christmas, the nation’s capital is far from a reliable location… But the chance of a white Christmas appears to be higher this year. The major storm sweeping across the country is setting up a pattern realignment that should promote a cold and possibly stormy week leading up to Christmas. The trend toward colder and stormier weather has already begun.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 43 and low of 28. Sunrise at 7:20 am and sunset at 4:48 pm. [Weather.gov]