Author: ARLnow.com

Gas Odor Empties Swanson — ACFD responded to a reported gas leak at Swanson Middle School yesterday morning. “Students and staff were evacuated as a precaution while the situation was assessed,” APS told ARLnow. The building was cleared and the school day continued as normal. [ARLnow/X]

Streets Aren’t Loading Docks — The North Rosslyn Civic Association is pushing the county to require new residential and mixed-use buildings to handle rideshares, deliveries and moving trucks on site. “Stop treating public streets as loading docks,” the association told the county, according to columnist Bill Fogarty. [Falls Church News-Press]

Virginia Village Partner Picked — Falls Church City Council members on Tuesday night selected Urban Atlantic from among three applicants seeking to partner with the city on the Virginia Village affordable-housing project. Its proposal had been supported by a working group of city staff and advisory-commission. — Scott McCaffrey

Crash Families Press Congress — Relatives of the 67 people killed in last year’s midair collision near Reagan National urged Congress on Tuesday to pass stalled aviation safety reforms. “We can’t spend another moment looking them in the eye and doing nothing,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. [Associated Press]

Concerts on Roosevelt Island? — Kennedy Center board member Paolo Zampolli, a Trump ally, wants to add a marina and connect the center to Roosevelt Island, which he would make a “concert hub.” The ideas aren’t part of the renovation plan the board weighed before voting to close the venue. [Axios]

Sea Wall Complicates Golf Plan — Rebuilding the failing sea wall around East Potomac Park could add hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost of President Donald Trump’s golf course project and push completion years out. The Park Service opened procurement for the work last month. [Washington Post]

Dominion Merger Offer Sweetened — Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra have revised their pitch to Virginia customers in the $67 billion merger, stretching a $10 monthly bill credit from two years to four while dropping a credit for data centers. State regulators have until mid-January to decide. [NBC 4]

It’s Wednesday — Sunny and warmer today, with a high near 86 and a light south wind of 2–6 mph. Mostly clear tonight with a low around 67. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, featuring stories from around the region. We just updated the local outlets we monitor, adding the Washington Sun and others.

Ballston Office Price Doubles — Piedmont Realty Trust bought 4075 Wilson Blvd for $56.25 million, double the $27.6 million a joint venture paid for the 189,000-square-foot building in 2024. The seller called it the region’s first “round trip” institutional office sale since the pandemic. [WBJ]

Kennedy Center Closure Vote Today — Trustees meet today to consider closing the main building immediately and adding President Donald Trump’s name to the facade, which officials say may be the only way to avoid “certain fiscal collapse within weeks.” [New York Times, Washington Post]

Bishop Urges ‘No’ Votes — Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge instructed Catholics to vote no on ballot questions 1 and 2, citing “serious legal threats to the sacredness of human life and the sanctity of marriage.” The amendments’ patrons called the bishops’ letter a “scare tactic.” [Arlington Diocese, Cardinal News]

Potomac Yard Rollover Crash — Two people were hospitalized after a two-vehicle rollover crash Sunday at Richmond Highway and E. Reed Avenue in Alexandria. One had life-threatening injuries. First responders extricated the driver of a Honda that landed on its side. [ALXnow]

FCPS Braces for Cuts — “Early indications suggest that fiscal ’28 will be a difficult budget year,” Fairfax County Public Schools finance chief Leigh Burden said. Officials expect to cut closer to $153.9 million next year, more than the $117.6 million trimmed this year. [FFXnow]

Lawmakers Can Stall Court Cases — A century-old statute lets legislators who practice law postpone court proceedings around General Assembly sessions. One Bristol attorney said a litigant can “delay the resolution of a legal dispute by hiring a member of the legislature.” [Virginia Mercury]

More 90-Degree Days Ahead — The District has logged 50 days at or above 90 degrees this year, 10 more than normal. Models give Friday a 56% chance of another and Sunday a 58% chance, though odds are lower in the suburbs. A cooler early-autumn pattern may follow next week. [Capital Weather]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 78 and an east wind around 6 mph. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 59. [NWS]

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Pentagon Marks 25 Years — “Here at the Pentagon, we feel the presence of 184 souls who were lost,” former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at Friday’s anniversary ceremony. An American flag was unfurled on the side of the building where the plane hit. [NBC 4]

Ceremony at Fire Station 5 — “Just south of the Pentagon, a ceremony took place at Fire Station Number Five, one of the closest to the Pentagon. Hundreds of first responders who were there 25 years ago reconnected to remember and reflect.” [WUSA 9]

Remembering ACPD’s 9/11 Losses — ACPD remembered Cpl. Barry Foust and Cpl. Harvey Snook III, who died of cancer linked to their recovery work at the Pentagon. Foust was on patrol at S. Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike when Flight 77 hit and relayed the report that began Arlington’s response. [DC News Now]

Sheriff’s Second Day on Job — Arlington County Sheriff Jose Quiroz had just joined the department when Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. “We were in a training class. It was literally my second day,” he said. Quiroz was honored Thursday at the Yorktown-Centreville football game. [WUSA9]

Teaching 9/11 as History — Arlington Public Schools students today weren’t born when Flight 77 hit the Pentagon, leaving teachers to reframe a day many of them lived through. “Now this is history. 25 years makes it history,” Gunston Middle School teacher Caitlin Wittig said. [WAMU]

Survivor’s First Visit — Joan Platz, a Navy commander assigned to the Pentagon five months before the attack, visited the memorial for the first time this past week. “I just compartmentalized it, put it in the back of my head,” she said. [Washington Post]

Cemetery’s Pentagon Marker — The Pentagon Group Burial Marker in Section 64 of Arlington National Cemetery honors the 184 people killed there, with a star beside the names of those whose remains were never identified. “These were budget analysts. These were accountants,” cemetery historian Allison Finkelstein said. [NBC 4]

Chapel Built Where Flight Hit — The Pentagon Memorial Chapel, built into the section struck by Flight 77, opened on the attack’s first anniversary and draws 25 to 35 people to daily Mass. The site now has a tabernacle and “the Eucharist is present 24/7,” volunteer coordinator Steven Jarvis said. [Catholic Herald]

Office Space Getting Tight — Anna Nissinen, Arlington’s new chief economic development officer, said the county is seeing rising interest in commercial office space, “especially trophy and Class A, which we’re running out of.” She also cited National IQ, a $10 million innovation district launched with Alexandria. [WBJ]

Police Union Questions Flock — D.C.’s police union is raising concerns about Flock license plate readers after internal affairs used the technology to investigate officers, and wants the D.C. Council to regulate its use. “I do not think there’s a role for Flock in this community,” Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins said. [Washington Post, ALXnow]

Shields Needed to Quote Fare — Metro’s largest union said it reached an agreement with WMATA so drivers are only required to quote the fare “when operating a bus equipped with a fully enclosed operator workstation.” Metro expects its full fleet to have enclosed stations by May 31, 2027. [NBC 4]

Sales Taxes Lift Revenues — Virginia general fund revenues grew 5.4% through the first two months of Fiscal Year 2027, driven by sales tax receipts, and are running 1.8% ahead of forecast. “Revenue remains generally in line with our forecast,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said. [Press Release]

Foliage Still Far Off — Capital Weather says peak fall color in the region typically arrives in late October and early November, and a first hard freeze can wait until November near I-95. Axios reports the area may see a warmer-than-average fall overall. [Axios, Capital Weather]

It’s Monday — Sunny today with a high near 80 and a north wind around 13 mph, gusting as high as 24 mph. Skies stay clear overnight with a low around 57. [NWS]

New Legal Notice — Creditors must submit written claims under Va. Code § 64.2-508.1. [Public Notices]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.