Good morning, Arlington. Jo here. It’s Tuesday, September 21: National Chai Day and Stephen King’s 74th birthday.

Morning Status

• Today’s Weather:  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. A slight chance of rain.
• Tomorrow’s Weather:   Mostly cloudy, with showers likely and a high near 80. Wind gusts as high as 18 mph.
• Sunrise:  6:51 a.m.
• Sunset:  7:01 p.m.

What We’re Covering Today

Morning Notes

• Storm Damage Closes Covid Testing Booth — From Arlington County: “The Curative testing kiosk at Virginia Highlands will be closed today and tomorrow (Sept. 20 & 21) as it repairs storm damage. Visit our other kiosks at Arlington Mill Community Center and Court House Plaza.” [Twitter]
• Frank O’Leary Pushing for Museum Funding — “Now, in retirement, the former Arlington treasurer is equally unfiltered, when it comes to issues dear to his heart. And few, at the moment, are more dear to O’Leary than the effort to obtain the county government’s participation in funding renovation and expansion of the Arlington Historical Society’s Hume School museum. ‘It is time for our local government to step forward. Every local government in Northern Virginia – except Arlington – has fully funded one or more local museums,’ he said.” [Sun Gazette]
• Inner Ear’s Visual Art — “Don Zientara is known for his ears. I wanted to hear about his eyes. ‘Right here is a painting by Jay Stuckey, who was a punk rocker in D.C.,’ says Zientara, showing me around the control room at his famed Inner Ear Recording Studios in Arlington… After more than 30 years in this former Hair Cuttery training center, Inner Ear is closing, making way for redevelopment.” [Washington Post]
• Arlington GOP Comms Director Quoted — “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has called Republicans hypocritical for greenlighting trillions in spending under former President Donald Trump only to turn around and object under President Biden. Matthew Hurtt, who became active in politics during the tea party’s rise and is communications director for the Arlington County Republican Committee in Virginia, said Mr. Schumer ‘has got a good point… our tribal politics means frequently people don’t hold their own side accountable.'” [Wall Street Journal]

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. 

Funeral Held for Marine: A Marine from Utah who was among those killed by a bombing at the Kabul airport last month is being laid to rest today at Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington police and firefighters saluted Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover as his procession passed the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial yesterday, en route to a local funeral home.

Stabbing in Buckingham: A man was stabbed in the Buckingham neighborhood Sunday night. Police are looking for two suspects in the case. The victim is expected to be okay.

Should Arlington Rename the Missing Middle Housing Study? At least one member of the Planning Commission thinks so. Jim Lantelme says whenever he talks to folks about Missing Middle, they jump to affordable housing. But the study is examining what forms of low-rise multifamily housing options can fit into single-family home neighborhoods seamlessly. The county says renaming is not off the table and that future outreach will include a new tagline, “Expanding Housing Choice.”

NAACP Candidate Forum: The Arlington branch of the NAACP grilled candidates for the County Board and the School Board about various policy issues pertaining to race, equity and justice, from the Community Oversight Board to inequitable PTA funding.

Climate Action Leaders to Visit Arlington School: Members of the nonprofit Aspen Institute and notable invited guests will be visiting Alice West Fleet Elementary School to see what makes it eco-friendly and to share their vision for addressing climate change through schools. Expected attendees include former Obama Education Secretary John King Jr. and former New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman.

Reporter’s Notepad

Last night, the Arlington branch of the NAACP held a forum for County Board and School Board candidates that drew out 110 attendees. Unless something major happens, you’ll be able to find my coverage of the forum on ARLnow this afternoon.

Before the event, candidates had to do their homework, answering about a dozen county and school policy questions and how they pertained to race, equity and justice. Moderator Wilma Jones Kilgo and participants used the responses to ask follow-up questions on specific topics.

County Board candidates had to address fair housing, homeownership and affordable housing, law enforcement oversight/community policing, minority-owned businesses and legacy businesses, cannabis licensing, carbon neutrality, restorative practices, county governance and tree canopy coverage.

There were some live questions, including one about how the county is handling the pandemic. This drew a range of responses, including support from Takis Karantonis for what he called “soft and hard power” measures to distribute the vaccinate, including mandates.

The forum also drew out the anecdotal side of some candidates, including independent Adam Theo, who used his experiences going to a Florida county jail to talk about why the police should be demilitarized and refocused on crimes, not minor traffic violations.

School Board candidates Mary Kadera and Major Mike Webb, meanwhile, had to answer questions ranging from school culture and climate, achievement gaps, boundary processes, School Resource Officers, special education and literacy, clean energy and possible reforms to board elections.

Also heavily leaning on anecdotes, and lighter on policy answers, was Webb, who has run for the school board in the past and who participated in last night’s forum (but was not present during the recent Arlington Committee of 100 forum). He even coined a phrase when discussing boundaries, “black lines don’t matter,” a riff on the slogan “Black Lives Matter,” which provoked a strong reaction from some members.

Expect some more detail from today’s story, but for now, keep the questionnaire bookmarked. It may be worth perusing ahead of the election, since it presents candidates’ positions on hot topics — in their own words — side by side.

Remember: Early, in-person voting has already begun, and will end on Oct. 30. The deadline to register, confirm or update voter registration is Oct. 12. Those planning to send mail-in ballots must apply for one by Friday, Oct. 22; ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2. Nov. 2 is Election Day, with polls in Virginia open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.