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.
Stabbing suspect Leonardo Reyes (via ACPD) and a traffic camera view of the crime scene in Pentagon City
An Arlington woman has died after a double stabbing in Pentagon City the night of Dec. 14.
Iman Gaye, 26, died at the hospital early this morning, according to Arlington County police. A young child who was also stabbed and seriously injured that night, near an entrance to the Target store, was released from the hospital on Dec. 23, according to ACPD.
Bear seen in residential neighborhood near Potomac Overlook Regional Park, in June 2024 (staff photo)
As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a look back at ARLnow’s most-read stories of the year.
Bears, both alive and tragically deceased, made multiple appearances in our top stories. Police investigations, development changes and restaurant news also drew significant reader interest.
Existing office buildings at 2100 and 2200 Crystal Drive (via Google Maps)
Two largely vacant office buildings in Crystal City are set to become a hotel and an apartment building.
Property owner JBG Smith announced today that it has filed an application under a new Arlington County “adaptive reuse” policy that would re-purpose 550,000 square feet of empty office space.
Holiday decorations at The Crossing Clarendon (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)
Va. Reactions to Carter’s Passing — From Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.): “Jimmy Carter lived a life of kindness, compassion, and decency. He never forgot his roots as a Navy veteran and peanut farmer, never stopped fighting racism and oppression, and never stopped helping others or working to make the world a better place. A great human being.” [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]
Carter’s Arlington Electoral History — “Former President Jimmy Carter… compiled a 1-for-2 record with the Arlington electorate. The former Georgia governor in his successful 1976 bid for the White House defeated Republican Gerald Ford in the county tally, 32,536 to 30,872, according to data from the county government’s elections office.” [ARLnow]
Station Presses Prosecutor — “7News will continue to press the Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney for answers on whether she plans to hold shoplifters accountable amid a massive surge in shoplifting reports in the county. The Arlington County Police told 7News the department will conduct a review and determine the full impact of their holiday theft detail, but so far, ACPD believes their detail has been a success.” [WJLA]
Women Arrested for Slashing — “On December 23, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect and Victim One, who are known to each other, were outside when they became involved in a verbal dispute that escalated to a physical altercation during which the suspect brandished a knife. The suspect attempted to assault Victim One with the knife when Victim Two, intervened and was struck by the knife, causing a laceration.” [ACPD]
Ex-Soldier’s Restorative Justice — “Michelle Logan and Jenna Burnett said they sat in chairs set up in a circle inside the Arlington Mill Community Center in late September and began explaining to Matthew Henshaw how hurtful it was for them to see their Pride flag forcibly removed after they finally came out and moved in together. They said they told him that his actions made them feel unsafe in their own home — and that they wanted him to understand why.” [Washington Post]
Ballston Area Building Bought — “A Florida-based commercial real estate investor continues to make a splash in Greater Washington, acquiring a Class A office in Ballston less than a year after buying a downtown Bethesda office tower. In-Rel Properties is the new owner of 3865 Wilson Blvd., a 145,672-square-foot office known as Ballston Gateway that is currently 71% leased to the likes of Founders Bank, ECS Federal and General Dynamics Applied Physical Services Corp.” [WBJ]
F.C. Firm’s SPAC Struggles — “Falls Church telecommunications satellite firm Lynk Global Inc. is once again getting more time to complete its merger with Slam Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) founded by former professional baseball star Alex Rodriguez. The extension comes a month after Lynk made its second CEO appointment in the past two months.” [WBJ]
Bloodmobile Today in Courthouse — “This holiday season blood product supplies are at a critical shortage with Inova Blood Donor Services asking for donors to please give ‘the gift of life’ … An Inova Blood Donor Services Bloodmobile will be parked in front of Fire Works, near Clarendon Boulevard and North Adams Street, this upcoming Monday, December 30, 2024, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.” [Press Release]
Va. AG Supports TikTok Ban — “Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares today filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court supporting a federal statute addressing the national security and data privacy threats posed by TikTok. The Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the case on January 10, 2025.” [Press Release]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly cloudy morning followed by gradual clearing and a high around 57°F. There will be west winds blowing at 8 to 11 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. As for Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear with temperatures dipping to around 38°F. A southwest wind of around 5 mph will become calm in the evening. [NWS]
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Expect rain and patchy fog with a high near 49, accompanied by a south wind at 3 to 6 mph. There is a 90% chance of precipitation, with new amounts ranging between a quarter and half of an inch. Overnight, rain will continue, with a low hovering around 48 and a south wind at 5 to 7 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%, and new precipitation amounts are likely to be less than a tenth of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
As 2024 draws to a close, let us celebrate the animal companions who have captured our hearts and made our community a bit more special with their adventures.
We’ve gone back and reviewed the adorable pets of Arlingtonians to compile the top picks for “Pet of the Year” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Arlington’s real estate market reflects the broader community — it’s diverse, dynamic, and never boring.
This weekend’s local open houses offer a snapshot of Arlington’s wide variety real estate offerings, from affordable condos to multi-million dollar homes. One highlight: a 2023 built home, priced at just over $3 million with an attached 3-car garage and a built-in elevator.
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)
Arlington County police are looking for suspects in a pair of robberies that happened just before the Christmas holiday.
The first happened in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood around 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23, and involved two teens — one reportedly armed with a gun — who robbed another teen in the “shared common area of a residential building.”
Christmas nativity scene outside of Calvary United Methodist Church in Aurora Hills (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)
Ballston Building Sold — “4040 Wilson, located in Arlington’s Ballston submarket, was sold for $190.5 million ($95.25 million for Brandywine’s 50% share). The property has 405,000 square feet of office, retail, and residential space, as well as 494 parking spaces. 4040 Wilson was 96% leased (residential) and 94% leased (commercial) at the time of sale.” [Brandywine Realty Trust]
Menorah Lighting This Weekend — “Clarendon Menorah Lighting and Community Celebration. Experience the festival of lights!! *Lighting of a giant 9-foot Menorah *Enjoy delicious hot Potato Latkes *Hot Cocoa, Donuts, Chocolate Gelt and Dreidels for all *Lively Chanukah music **FREE ADMISSION – REGISTRATION REQUIRED.” [Event Calendar]
Free Lyft Rides for New Year’s — “The 2024 Holiday SoberRide® program – which has run nightly this month since December 13th — will be in operation beginning at 10:00 pm on New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, December 31, 2024) and operate until 4:00 am on New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1, 2025) as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers.” [Press Release]
Local Game Studio Strikes Deal — “Loric Games, an Arlington video game studio, has obtained its first publishing deal to bring its inaugural title, Echoes of Elysium, to market next year, a significant milestone for the startup as it looks to establish itself in the highly competitive gaming landscape.” [WBJ]
Amazon Is a Top Local Employer — “Amazon employs more than 61,000 across Virginia, Maryland and D.C. The e-commerce and cloud computing giant… is Arlington County’s top private employer, having previously overtaken Deloitte and Accenture, according to Arlington’s recently released annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30.” [WBJ]
Juice Shop Continues Expansion — “Greenheart Juice Shop is ramping up its growth plans roughly two years after restaurateur Reese Gardner acquired the once-struggling business from founder Alicia Swanstrom. The company just added its sixth location, in Reston… It had just a trio of shops when Gardner, whose Arlington-based Wooden Nickel Bar Co. also owns Copperwood Tavern and Quinn’s on the Corner, stepped into the picture.” [WBJ]
Rainy Weekend on Tap — From Washington Weather Geeks: “Some much-needed rain will arrive this weekend across the region (Most remain in a moderate to severe drought). The heaviest rain will fall on Sunday as a cold front works its way through and could also drag some storms with it. The flooding risk remains low, but we can’t rule some out in common trouble spots.” [Twitter]
It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies today, with temperatures reaching a high of around 43 degrees and calm winds shifting to southeast at 5 mph in the afternoon. Friday night sees increasing chances of rain, mainly after 1 am, accompanied by patchy fog and overcast conditions, with lows around 38 degrees. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, with rainfall accumulating between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. [NWS]
Good Guys Hospitality, LLC trading as Dudley’s Sport and Ale, 2766 S Arlington Mill Dr, Arlington VA 22206.
The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Mixed Beverage license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.
Johnson Lewis, Member, Good Guys Hospitality, LLC.
NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
Green Pig Bistro, LLC trading as Green Pig Bistro, 2900 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Mixed Beverage license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.
Fitzgerald Lewis, Member Green Pig Bistro LLC
NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
