Author: ARLnow.com

New Startup Hub in Crystal City — “A group of partners including JBG Smith Properties, Amazon Web Services Inc. and Virginia Tech plans to launch a 40,000-square-foot business incubator space and accelerator program in Crystal City next year to support defense tech startups. The still-to-be-determined space will also house an office for a San Francisco venture capital firm launching a fund to invest in young companies operating with this focus.” [WBJ]

Local Picked for Ambassadorship — “Congratulations to Arlington Republican… Leah Francis Campos on her nomination as the next US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic.” [Twitter]

‘Fill the Cruiser’ Deemed Success — From ACPD: “Our Community Engagement Division elves have been hard at work over the past week collecting Fill the Cruiser stationary boxes, sorting 4,400+ toys donated by our community & distributing them to groups & organizations across Arlington for children in need ahead of the holidays.” [Twitter]

ACFCU Gets Big Grant — “Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial cooperative serving Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax, and Alexandria, Virginia, is proud to announce they were awarded $960,000 from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Financial Assistance Award program.” [ACFCU]

Overhead View of Collected Leaves — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Don’t worry, the mystery drones are friendly and impressed by Arlington’s 50K cubic yards of leaves collected this fall by Solid Waste folks. Vacuum truck season has ended but yard waste is taken year-round from the green curbside cart and in paper bags.” [Twitter]

Officials Get Drone Briefing — “Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin received a classified briefing at the Capitol from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and the FBI regarding the ongoing investigation into the unexplained drone sightings in Virginia.” [Press Release]

Va. to Get First Fusion Plant — “Virginia could soon make history as the home of the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant, state officials and private sector leaders announced Tuesday. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a fusion power company founded in 2018 in Cambridge, Mass., unveiled plans to build the groundbreaking facility on a 100-acre site.” [Virginia Mercury, New York Times, FCNP]

D.C. Adding Population — “The U.S. Census Bureau released new population data that shows the District of Columbia’s population grew by approximately 15,000 people from July 2023 to July 2024, bringing the city’s population to 702,250 residents. This marks the first time since 2019 that DC’s population has surpassed the 700,000 milestone.” [PoPville]

Death Investigation in F.C. — “Police were dispatched near the intersection of Park Ave. and N Washington St. for the report of an unresponsive male on the sidewalk. Bystanders were attempting life saving measures upon arrival… Based on the preliminary investigation, the death appears to be from natural causes and there is no apparent threat to the community.” [City of Falls Church]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly cloudy conditions with a high near 43, coupled with a 50% chance of rain. Later in the evening, the chance of rain will lessen to 30% before 1 am, while temperatures will dip to around 32. The northwest wind will increase to 6-11 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Local Businessman Admits Fraud — Arlington business owner Kiel Brendan Brandt, 34, has pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud after defrauding eight companies of over $2 million through his firm, Epsilon Acquisition Services, between 2020 and 2022. Brandt faces up to 20 years in prison and must pay nearly $2 million in restitution. [DOJ]

Advocates: Missing Middle ‘Is a Win’ — “Missing Middle zoning reform was delivering more mid-sized homes throughout Arlington. It was on track to create more starter homes and more places to downsize within neighborhoods that had limited options. In short, the policy was delivering on its promises, until it was invalidated by a judge on September 27, 2024. Notably, none of the hyperbolic concerns of the policy’s critics seem to have been happening.” [YIMBYs of Northern Virginia]

Stormwater Credit Applications Open — “Arlington’s Stormwater Utility credit application period is now open and ready for submissions. In Dec. 2023, the Arlington County Board formally adopted a new, fairer way to fund the stormwater management program by approving the County’s first-ever Stormwater Utility fee. The County Board took further action at its Dec. 2024 meeting to enhance the program by approving two new voluntary credit opportunities for single-family residential properties.” [Arlington County]

It’s Thursday — Expect a mix of clouds and sun with highs around 45 degrees and a northwest wind at 6 to 10 mph. As night falls, clouds increase and the temperature will drop to around 31 degrees. [NWS]

Pentagon Gun Arrest — “A man with a loaded gun in his car and a device in his underwear that would enable the firearm to act like a machine gun was arrested outside the Pentagon last week after attempting to speed off with Pentagon police officers clinging to his vehicle, according to court documents reviewed by CBS News. Prosecutors allege Kaleel Nagbe had a loaded firearm with 16 rounds, including one in the chamber, when he was stopped for a traffic infraction — holding a phone while driving — at the Pentagon complex.” [CBS News]

Big Crash in East Falls Church — From Dave Statter: “Langston Boulevard at N. Westmoreland Street near I-66 – just outside the City of Falls Church – is shut down. A two car crash took down power lines beside the restaurant La Cote D’or Cafe.” [Twitter]

Police Lieutenant Retires — “After 34 years of dedicated service to the Arlington community, friends and colleagues gathered this afternoon to celebrate the retirement of Lt. D. Mathews. Throughout his career, Lt. Mathews served with exceptional passion for the policing profession in various assignments including Patrol, Organized Crime, Vice, Digital Forensics and the Special Operations Section.” [Facebook]

Fish Taco Spot Coming to F.C. — “The team behind the Fish Taco restaurant chain, which started out more than a decade ago with a single spot in Potomac, has inked a deal to open a new outpost in Falls Church — and it’s not stopping there. The eatery’s second spot in Northern Virginia, following one at the Boro District in Tysons, adds to a host of new tenants at Founders Row including Ellie Bird, Kyu Ramen, Seoul Prime and Semicolon Café.” [WBJ]

It’s Wednesday — After a clear start to the morning, expect rain to begin by midday, with a high of 53 degrees and mild southeast winds at 6 mph. Rain will likely continue into the night, cooling to a low of 36 degrees. Southwest winds of 6-13 mph are expected, shifting northwest and potentially gusting up to 20 mph. Nighttime precipitation chances remain at 80%, with an additional tenth to a quarter inch of rainfall. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar