Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.
Valentine's Day cookies from Village Sweet in Arlington (file photo)
Valentine’s Day is nine days away. Have you made all of your plans for the big day yet?
Some people are V-Day go-getters who made restaurant reservations months ago. Others are Valentine’s Day procrastinators who will figure it out when they get a chance — maybe later this week?
Today we’re asking readers: which one are you?
Oh and in case you were wondering, previous Valentine’s Day-related ARLnow polls have determined that Arlingtonians prefer food to flowers as a present (70-30) and would much rather stay in than go out on Feb. 14 (85-15).
Flocks of geese head east, as seen along Route 110 in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
All Victims Found at Crash Site — “Crews are expected to remove the cockpit of the American Airlines jet from the Potomac River as they continue recovery efforts from last week’s fatal mid-air collision… Authorities recovered all 67 victims and have identified the remains of 66 of the people killed in the collision.” [NBC 4]
NTSB Provides Update — “The air traffic control tower display at DCA is fed by the Potomac TRACON. The TRACON fuses information from multiple radar sensors and ADS-B data, providing the best quality flight track data to air traffic control. This data showed the Black Hawk was at 300 feet on the air traffic control display at the time of the collision. This data is rounded to the nearest 100 feet.” [NTSB]
Police Chief Discusses Response — “Arlington County Police Chief Charles Penn spoke to 7News at noon about the department’s response to the recent midair plane crash near Reagan National Airport. He also talked about the latest crime trends and community initiatives.” [WJLA]
Black History Month Events — “This February (and all year long) there are countless ways to celebrate Black history and culture in Northern Virginia. Visit a historic site or museum, participate in a community conversation, take the kids on an educational scavenger hunt, watch a traditional ‘broom-jumping’ marriage ceremony and learn about the local Ethiopian community.” [Arlington Magazine]
Big Raise for Local Startup — “GenLogs, a rapidly growing Arlington freight logistics startup, has raised $14.6 million from investors as it looks to deploy more of its truck-tracking cameras across North America and expand into federal contracting work.” [WBJ]
Union Kitchen Settles Suit — “The owner of Union Kitchen, a chain of locally owned grocery stores in the District and Virginia, has agreed to pay its workers more than $133,000 for illegally withholding tips paid by customers, settling a lawsuit filed nearly two years ago that alleged Union Kitchen stopped accepting tips after workers pointed out the discrepancy on their paychecks.” [Washington Post]
Robbery in Rosslyn — “The male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise and bagged the items at the self-checkout before attempting to exit the store without payment. An employee confronted the suspect during which he shoved the employee and made threatening statements towards them. The suspect then exited the store and fled the scene on foot. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]
Another Tysons Casino Milestone — “Legislation that would give Fairfax County the authority to ask voters to allow a casino is heading to the Virginia House of Delegates. After a passionate debate that split Fairfax County’s typically unified delegation, the contentious bill… passed the state Senate today (Tuesday) by a 24-16 vote.” [FFXnow]
It’s Wednesday — Brief periods of snow and sleet are possible throughout the day. The high temperature will be around 37°F, with a 30% chance of daytime precipitation. Tonight, expect sleet before 1am, transitioning to freezing rain and sleet until 4am, then either rain or freezing rain afterwards. The low will be near 32°F with a southeast wind at 6 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%, with potential ice accumulation under 0.1 inches and sleet accumulation under 0.5 inches. [NWS]
Snow may occur briefly before noon, followed by possible sleet between noon and 1pm, and an increased chance of combined snow and sleet after 1pm. The high temperature will be around 37°F with a light, variable northeast wind. Precipitation likelihood stands at 30%. On Wednesday night, expect sleet before 1am, transitioning to freezing rain and sleet until 4am, then either rain or freezing rain afterwards. The low temperature will be near 32°F with a southeast wind at 6 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%, with potential ice accumulation under 0.1 inches and sleet accumulation under 0.5 inches. See more from Weather.gov.
Sunset over I-66 near Ballston (courtesy Kylie Combs)
Salvage Operation Continues — “Salvage crews have removed a large portion of a commercial jet from the Potomac River near Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Monday, five days after a midair collision last week that killed 67 people. Authorities have said the operation to remove the plane will take several days and they will then work to remove the military helicopter involved in the crash.” [Associated Press]
Airport Employees Charged in Leak — “After video appearing to be from an airport surveillance camera was shown on CNN last week in the wake of the fatal American Airlines jet collision with an Army helicopter, two airport authority employees were arrested and charged with leaking official airport records.” [Washington Post]
County Using AI for Training — “A three-person team from George Mason University worked to improve preparedness via AI-powered games for the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management in Arlington, Virginia… the team created two interactive games, called Go-Repair and Go-Rescue, which simulated infrastructure maintenance, resource allocation and evacuations.” [CIO Dive]
Kaine Seeks Freeze Answers — “Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led a group of his colleagues in issuing a letter… expressing concern about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs in Virginia and across the country as a result of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo that imposed a government-wide hiring freeze.” [Press Release]
Beyer Blasts Gutting of USAID — “Our delegation seeking to do congressional oversight on reports of Elon Musk’s illegal activity at USAID was just barred from entering the building on the orders of Musk and the Trump Administration. Nobody elected Musk — this is illegal and corrupt and we will keep fighting it.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, WTOP]
Icy Wednesday Possible — “Although highs could climb into the 50s on Tuesday, the weather may take an icy turn late Wednesday. A wintry mix of precipitation could develop Wednesday afternoon or evening as a storm system approaches from the west while, at the same time, cold air seeps south. Precipitation could begin as wet snow or sleet before gradually transitioning to freezing rain and plain rain.” [CWG, NWS/X]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching around 53°F and a northwest wind at 6 to 14 mph, gusting up to 26 mph. During Tuesday night, cloud coverage will increase, and temperatures will drop to about 31°F. Winds will calm to a 5 to 8 mph breeze. [NWS]
Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching around 53°F accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 14 mph, gusting up to 26 mph. During Tuesday night, cloud coverage will increase, and temperatures will drop to about 31°F. The north wind will maintain a gentle 5 to 8 mph breeze. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot
Walter Saxman, 95, passed away peacefully in Loudoun County, VA, on January 17, 2025. Born on March 13, 1929, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Harry and Kathryn Saxman, and was last of their fourteen children to pass away. Walter’s life was one of resilience, dedication, and love. A proud graduate of Latrobe High School in 1948, he served his country with honor during the Korean War, a chapter that shaped the man he became. After returning home, he was the first in his family to pursue higher education, earning a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University in California, PA, and a Master’s Degree from American University in Washington, D.C.
Walter’s career as an Industrial Arts teacher at Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA, was nothing short of impactful. He was not only a dedicated educator but a mentor who went above and beyond for his students. Through his many afterschool programs, which included auto mechanics and Drivers Education, Walter shaped the lives of countless young people, always with a patient ear and a heart full of encouragement.
A stolen gun allegedly recovered from a teen arrested in the Arlington Mill neighborhood (courtesy ACPD)
A fight in the Arlington Mill neighborhood has led to a series of charges against a local teen.
The fight happened Saturday night along the 5100 block of 7th Road S. and prompted a call to police. One of the people in the group of juveniles seen fighting had a gun, a witness told officers.
Geese on ice at the Ballston Wetland Park on January 30, 2025 (courtesy photo)
DCA Crash Update — “Authorities said Sunday they have recovered the remains of 55 of the 67 people killed in the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001… They spoke hours after families of the victims visited the crash site just outside Washington, D.C., walking along the banks of the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport to memorialize their loved ones.” [Associated Press, Adam Tuss/X]
Vigil at Ballston Iceplex — “MedStar Capitals Iceplex will be hosting a private candlelight skate for local skating clubs affiliated with Washington Figure Skating Club and The Skating Club of Northern Virginia in honor of those who perished in the tragedy. The vigil will feature a remembrance tribute and the placement of flowers at center ice in memoriam of the victims and the incredible presence they brought to the rink.” [Washington Capitals]
Priest Rushed to Comfort Loved Ones — “After he learned of the Jan. 29 midair collision of a passenger jet and an Army helicopter at Reagan National Airport, Father Frederick H. Edlefsen, pastor of nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Arlington, rushed to the airport, accompanied by parishioner Joe Mazel.” [Arlington Catholic Herald, Catholic News Agency]
Bishop Discusses Immigration Actions — “As the United States government revises its immigration policies, and after prayerful discernment and consultation, I offer pastoral encouragement to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Congressional leaders, elected officials, and all Catholics and people of goodwill to consider the common good of our country with the light of faith. The Church teaches, as does our Constitution, that a political community exists to protect the family and human dignity.” [Diocese of Arlington]
County Wants Feedback on Resolution — “The County Board announced that it will consider adopting a Climate Action Resolution at its February 2025 County Board meeting. The Board welcomes feedback on the draft of this resolution via this feedback form. To ensure the Board has ample time to read and review comments, interested residents should submit feedback by February 14, end of day.” [Arlington County]
City Pressed to Support Paper — “Long-time City of Falls Church community activist Keith Thurston delivered an unexpected, passionate appeal to the Falls Church City Council this Monday to support the City’s long-standing community newspaper, the Falls Church News-Press. The newspaper announced earlier this month that due to financial pressures, it was forced to suspend its practice of carrier-delivering the paper to every household in Falls Church for the first time since its founding in 1991.” [FCNP]
Phil: Six More Weeks of Winter — “Early Sunday morning, before a cheering crowd in western Pennsylvania’s Gobbler’s Knob, the famed prognosticating groundhog emerged from his den and saw his shadow, his handlers proclaimed. That means Punxsutawney Phil has declared six more weeks of winter.” [CWG]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures around 57°F and south winds blowing at 3-8 mph. By night, the skies will turn mostly cloudy with the temperature dropping to approximately 46°F, as southwest winds pick up to around 7-10 mph. [NWS]
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