
Ruthie’s Opening Fairfax Location — Popular Arlington eatery Ruthie’s All Day has picked Fairfax Corner for its second location. Ruthie’s will move into a space at 11951 Grand Commons Avenue, the company announced Thursday. The new restaurant, which follows the elevated comfort food spot’s well-regarded first location in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, is expected to open in fall 2025. [FFXnow]
Mail Ballot Deadline — From Arlington’s elections office: “Have you made a plan to vote yet?! The deadline to request a mail ballot is [today], 10/25 at 5pm and the last day to vote early is Saturday, 11/2! Make a plan today!” [Instagram]
Arlington’s Voting Machine History — “By the 1930s, ‘essentially all of the nation’s larger urban centers had adopted lever voting machines,’ Jones writes. Virginia, being Virginia, was a bit slower to adopt this technology. A news story in the Northern Virginia Sun in 1940 reports that Arlington County Democrats were debating whether the machines were too expensive. Arlington eventually decided they weren’t. The first use of voting machines in Virginia apparently came in Arlington on Aug. 1, 1950, in a primary election.” [Cardinal News]
Traffic Stop Drug Bust Near Clarendon — “At approximately 9:41 p.m. on October 23, a patrol officer observed a vehicle displaying an improper registration and conducted a traffic stop. During an inventory search of the vehicle prior to towing, officers recovered suspected narcotics including cocaine, amphetamine/methamphetamine and a large quantity of marijuana, drug packaging/distribution materials, and a large sum of cash.” [ACPD]
I-395 Crash on Camera — From Dave Statter: “Another left turn on I-395S at Exit 8C to Crystal City ends with a crash. It doesn’t happen as frequently thanks to @VaDOTNOVA’s fixes but lots of drivers still do squirelly things to avoid missing the exit. Early indication that there were no serious injuries.” [Twitter]
Beyer Hopeful for Lee Name Removal — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) on Monday told the Arlington NAACP he believes legislation removing Robert E. Lee’s name from Arlington House ultimately will succeed, even if they prove unsuccessful this year. “When Kamala [Harris] wins, we’re going to pass it,” Beyer said of the effort, which has picked up 120 cosponsors (all Democrats) but will have to start from scratch when the new Congress convenes in January. —Scott McCaffrey
Warner, Kaine Want More Work Visas — “U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Angus King (I-ME), and a bipartisan group of colleagues in urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) to release the maximum number of Congressionally-authorized H-2B visas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.” [Press Release]
‘International Showcase’ This Weekend — From a PR rep: “This Saturday from 1 – 5 p.m., Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is slated to host its annual Mosaic International Showcase… The event will highlight representatives from Bavaria (Germany and Austria), Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia and more. Families are invited to the mall’s Metro Level to experience a celebration of culture with each country providing its own traditional entertainment, music and dances and food sampling.” [Simon]
Training for the Next MCM — “Thousands of first-time racers will take to the starting line Sunday at this year’s Marine Corps Marathon in Arlington, Virginia. If you would like to take on the challenge, one day, a running coach and MCM veteran has advice on how to prepare for your first 26.2-mile race.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature around 68 degrees alongside light and variable winds turning southwest at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Friday night will be partly cloudy, with lows near 54 degrees. [NWS]