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.
Plantings along Fairfax Drive, in front of Immigrant Food, in Ballston (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)
Robbery in Pentagon City — “The female suspect allegedly entered the business, concealed merchandise and exited the store without payment. Loss prevention personnel confronted the suspect outside the business and attempted to apprehend her during which she was noncompliant. Following a brief struggle, loss prevention personnel detained the suspect.” [ACPD]
TSA Nabs Another Gun at DCA — “A Virginia man was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport intercepted him with a firearm and 43 bullets at a security checkpoint yesterday (October 7). The 9mm firearm was loaded with 17 bullets and was packed alongside 26 additional bullets.” [Press Release]
Beyer Coming to Breakfast — U.S. Rep. Don Beyer will be on hand to encourage get-out-the-vote activity at the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s “Second Saturday” breakfast Oct. 12 in Shirlington. [Arlington Democrats]
Concert Series in F.C. — “Little City Concerts – recipient of multiple local arts grants including one from the Falls Church City Arts and Humanities Council – has launched its second season in the Little City, pairing social justice themes with intimate, innovative, and exaltant local performances.” [Falls Church Independent]
Watch Out for Deer — “The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) are reminding motorists that autumn is accompanied by deer mating season. Drivers should slow down and use caution as deer are more active and the potential for crashes increases.” [Press Release]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 71 degrees, accompanied by a west wind at 5 to 10 mph. On Wednesday night, the sky will be clear, with the temperature dipping to a low of 47 degrees. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high near 71 degrees, accompanied by a west wind at 5 to 10 mph. On Wednesday night, the sky will be clear, with the temperature dipping to a low of around 47 degrees. A northwest wind of approximately 7 mph will persist during the night. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
An Alexandria man is facing numerous charges after police say he tried to attack officers after acting erratically in the Maywood neighborhood.
It happened around 6 p.m. Sunday, just north of Langston Blvd, and started when the man reportedly walked away from his car after leaving it running in the middle of the road.
A bee’s last sips of the season from a flower in a Westover garden (courtesy Clarita Mrena)
County Transportation Plan Update — “This month, Arlington County is launching an 18-month planning process to refresh Arlington’s Transportation Plan and reestablish priorities to guide transportation investments for the next 20 years. The process is being promoted as a campaign called Arlington’s Transportation Future, and the refreshed plan will be brought to the County Board for adoption mid-2026.” [Arlington County]
New Store at Pentagon City Mall — Hi Level Fashion, a men’s clothing retailer, has opened at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, offering apparel and accessories from brands like G-Star, Lacoste, and Psycho Bunny. The store, on the mall’s third level near Nordstrom, joins recent additions including Uniqlo and Lululemon at the shopping center. [Simon]
Marymount Sets Anniversary Schedule — Marymount University has published a schedule of events for 2025 to mark the 75th anniversary of its founding. The institution opened in 1950 as a junior women’s college with an initial class of 13. [Marymount University]
Greens Support Rives for School Board — The Arlington Green Party has endorsed Forward Party candidate James “Vell” Rives IV for School Board in the Nov. 5 election. “If elected, Rives would be the only non-Democrat on the board and would widen experience on the School Board,” the party said in a statement. —Scott McCaffrey
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 69 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at approximately 6 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low of 49 degrees. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high of around 69 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at approximately 6 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low of about 49 degrees and a gentle west wind. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
The site of a crash at Langston Blvd and N. Ottawa Street (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
The westbound lanes of Langston Blvd were blocked during the morning commute today due to a potentially serious crash.
A preliminary investigation indicates that a garbage truck struck an adult pedestrian around 8:48 a.m., while turning onto Langston Blvd along the busy artery at N. Ottawa Street, according to Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
The US Air Force Memorial at dusk (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Brittany O’Grady Profiled — “O’Grady credits her parents with shaping her ambivert personality. She says her father, who works in higher education financial aid, imbued her with compassion. Her mother, a communications professional who used to chair the Arlington County School Board, sparked her drive and ambition. These days, O’Grady lives in Atlanta, where she shot ‘Star’ from 2016 to 2019, but regularly returns to Arlington to sleep in her childhood bedroom, get her caffeine fix at Northside Social and enjoy the odd boat ride on the Potomac River.” [Washington Post]
Education Co. Moves to Arlington — “Separately, 2U relocated its headquarters last month from Lanham to Crystal City, the source confirmed. Mention of the one-time 309,000-square-foot office it occupied in Prince George’s is gone from its website. The only U.S. location is listed as 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 1100 in Arlington. All this comes after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — a process it completed last month, emerging as a private company after a decade as a Nasdaq-listed public company.” [WBJ]
Flyover Planned Today — From Arlington Alert: “A United States military aircraft flyover is scheduled for Monday, October 7, at 3:10 PM at @ArlingtonNatl. While there will be an increase in air traffic noise, there is no cause for alarm.”
Crystal City Sports Pub Anniversary — “On Aug. 20, Crystal City Sports Pub celebrated its 30th anniversary. Offering new specials every day, more than 100 TVs, including an 18-foot tall video wall where guests can watch all NFL and most NCAA football games, it’s difficult to pin down what has led to the sports pub’s longevity.” [Patch]
N.Va. Unemployment Rate Rises — Northern Virginia’s jobless rate of 3.1% in August was up from 2.8% a year before, according to new state data, with 1.68 million employed and 54,500 seeking jobs. [Virginia Employment Commission]
County Democrats Phone-Bank to Florida — The Arlington County Democratic Committee plans to phone-bank into Florida on Oct. 22 in support of a ballot initiative guaranteeing abortion access. —Scott McCaffrey
MU Student at D.C. Fashion Week — “While at Marymount, [Caroline] MacDonald founded Allons•y Designs, a label that creates runway-worthy, ready-to-wear fashion. Now a fourth-year student and business owner, she took on a new challenge — DC Fashion Week. She was one of only nine local designers accepted into the DC Metropolitan Emerging Designers Showcase, alongside a former Marymount student, Annie Pacious.” [Marymount University]
Sentencing for Double Slaying — “Francis Deonte Rose was sentenced today to 58 years in prison for the 2022 shooting deaths of two construction workers in the West End… Rose was released from jail in Arlington just three months before the incident occurred. He was indicted on weapons and drug charges and was in prison from Oct. 18, 2020 until Feb. 23, 2022, but was freed when the court determined that police conducted an illegal search prior to his arrest, according to ARLnow.” [ALXnow]
Cold Case Guilty Plea — “An ex-Army soldier has pleaded guilty to killing a woman at her West Springfield home in 1994, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced today (Friday). Stephan Smerk, 52, could face up to 70 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for stabbing and killing Robin Lawrence, a stranger, while he was stationed at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington.” [FFXnow]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny weather with temperatures reaching up to 70°F. Northwest winds will be blowing at 8-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. As for Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear, and the temperature will drop to around 50°F, accompanied by a northwest wind of 6-8 mph. [NWS]
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Broken glass and a hammer on the ground as a police officer runs towards the Tourneau watch store at the Pentagon City mall (screenshot via @shychobi/X)
One month later, it happened again.
The Tourneau luxury watch store at the Pentagon City mall is the scene of another dramatic smash-and-grab robbery involving a group of thieves armed with a hammer and fire extinguishers. It follows a nearly identical robbery on Sept. 1 that prompted ultimately unfounded fears of an active shooter and an evacuation of the mall.
Expect a transition from mostly cloudy to sunny skies, with a high temperature near 77°F and a north wind at 6 to 8 mph. Saturday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to around 56°F and a north wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
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. 👋
Address:5415 18th Street N. Neighborhood: Tara Type: 4 BR, 3 (+1 half) BA single-family detached — 3,100 sq. ft. Listed: $1,850,000
Noteworthy: Brimming with character, expanded colonial on 12,500 sf level lot
Located in the most desirable area within the leafy Tara neighborhood, the home is well-sited on a level lot graced by tall trees and mature landscaping. Light steams through the large windows highlighting the many recent updates — roof, windows, wood floors, renovated powder room and lower level bathroom, exterior paint, and refurbished rec room.
Traditional living room flows into sunroom, to gracious dining room, eat in kitchen to yard with fire pit. A powder room is tucked off the foyer along with a bedroom.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom has vaulted ceilings, a loft above for office and storage, a Juliet balcony overlooking the gorgeous yard, a dressing area and bathroom. Two more bedrooms and a hall bath are on this level. The lower level rec room provides areas for media, play, and hobbies. With a full bathroom, the space doubles as a private spot for a guest. The laundry room and storage complete this level.
Walk to neighborhood parks, Westover Village’s library, shops, restaurants and Sunday farmer’s market as well as the larger Lee-Harrison Center for groceries, and a variety of shops and restaurants.
A home filled with character and style in a fantastic location.
