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.
Last week’s Fourth of July fireworks on the Mall, as seen from Arlington (Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman)
Clement on Spain’s Tax Exemption — “Should an elected official who does not pay property taxes, either as a homeowner or indirectly through rent payments to a landlord, have a say in discussing and setting tax rates in Arlington? That’s the question posed by County Board candidate Audrey Clement, who in an e-mail to supporters pointed out that the Democratic nominee for County Board uses a state law giving disabled veterans the ability to apply for property-tax exemptions.” [Gazette Leader]
School Board Elects New Chair — “The Arlington School Board held its annual organizational meeting for the 2024-25 school year and elected Mary Kadera as Chair and Bethany Zecher Sutton as Vice Chair. The terms for the new Chair and Vice Chair begin immediately and will continue until June 30, 2025.” [Arlington Public Schools]
Huske’s Olympic Confidence Grows — “Yorktown High School grad Torri Huske will represent the United States once again, and is a favorite to win gold in the 100 fly according to Swimming World Magazine. Huske qualified for her spot in two events at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: the 100 fly and the 100 free. She says her experience representing the USA in Tokyo in 2020–and subsequent competitions on the international stage–will only strengthen her game this time around.” [Arlington Magazine]
ACPD Training Today — The Arlington SWAT team and other first responders will be holding a training exercise in the Old Glebe neighborhood this afternoon and evening. Such exercises are regularly held in neighborhoods, at vacant homes set for demolition, and involve realistic-seeming actions and gear, but no live ammunition.
It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny and hot day with a high near 97 and heat index values up to 106, along with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. South wind will be at 5 to 7 mph. For Tuesday night, there’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, with partly cloudy conditions and a low of 79. The south wind will be 6 to 8 mph and precipitation odds remain at 20%. [NWS]
Expect a mostly sunny and hot day with a high near 97 and heat index values up to 106, along with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. South wind will be at 5 to 7 mph. For Tuesday night, there’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, with partly cloudy conditions and a low of 79. The south wind will be 6 to 8 mph and precipitation odds remain at 20%. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman
First came the news on Friday that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) was organizing “a group of Democratic senators to ask President Biden to exit the presidential race,” as reported by the Washington Post. Last night, however, Axios reported that a planned meeting of senators today was called off.
Radio towers in north Arlington at dusk (staff photo)
Arlington’s Water Vulnerability — “[Last] week’s extensive boil water advisory for all of D.C. and most of Arlington, Virginia, demonstrated a major vulnerability in the national capital region’s drinking water supply. ‘They’re 100% dependent on one source,’ said Michael Nardolilli, executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. And there’s only a one-day backup supply if something goes wrong.” [WTOP]
Standoff After Pistol Whipping — “The male suspect and male victim were involved in a verbal dispute inside a residential building during which the suspect allegedly produced what was believed to be a firearm and struck the victim with it. The victim was treated on scene by medics for non-life threatening injuries. The suspect remained inside the residential building and initially refused officers’ commands to exit the building. He subsequently exited and was taken into custody.” [ACPD]
Paper: Parents Project Power at APS — “Anyone who has been around Arlington schools for any length of time already knows how this is going to play out. The pushback on any serious effort to restrict phone use is going to come not from the students – they’ll be fine with it – but from the ‘helicopter’ parents who lurk over not just their children, but teachers and school staff, demanding their own way.” [Gazette Leader]
Clement Sees No RCV Benefit — “The most seasoned candidate on the Arlington County Board general-election ballot isn’t any more impressed with ranked-choice voting (RCV) today than she was before June’s Democratic primary. ‘Whatever else RCV might do, it doesn’t encourage more civility, and it doesn’t encourage participation in elections,’ Audrey Clement said in a post-primary e-mail to supporters.” [Gazette Leader]
YHS Grad in Baseball Draft — “Now it’s an anxious waiting game for Nate Knowles. The Yorktown High School graduate has done all he can to be well prepared and set up for this month’s upcoming Major League Baseball draft, which begins July 14. The hard-throwing right-handed pitcher is projected to be chosen anywhere from the third round or lower.” [Gazette Leader]
Some N. Va. Office Optimism — “While office vacancy remains high and has even ticked up a bit in Northern Virginia, a recent market report highlights numerous cases illustrating that the prevalent narrative of tenants downsizing their real estate footprints shouldn’t be applied in blanket fashion. Fully three-quarters of transactions larger than 10,000 square feet signed during the second quarter had a ‘positive or neutral impact’ on absorption, according to a July 1 analysis from CBRE.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Monday — Expect isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with mostly sunny and hot conditions and a high near 97, feeling like 105 due to the heat index. A calm wind will shift to southeast at around 6mph in the afternoon, and there’s a 20% chance of precipitation. Monday night will be partly cloudy with a low of around 78, accompanied by a south wind at 3 to 6mph. [NWS]
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.
Dog cools down at the Clarendon dog park during a heat advisory (file photo)
The dog days of summer are well underway and the D.C. area’s string of consecutive hot days is far from over.
Arlington and most of the area will be under yet another Heat Advisory on Monday. The advisory takes effect at noon, as heat index values climb north of 100, reaching a peak of around 105 later in the afternoon.
Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms after 11am, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 94, heat index as high as 102, and southwest winds around 7 mph. There is a 40% chance of precipitation. On Saturday night, anticipate scattered showers and thunderstorms before 2am, mostly cloudy conditions, a low around 75, south winds around 6 mph becoming west after midnight, and a 50% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln
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. 👋
Haze and heat over the National Mall, seen from the Netherlands Carillon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
If you thought yesterday was hot, today is going to be even more sweltering.
Arlington County, along with D.C. and much of the region, is under a Heat Advisory starting at noon. Heat index values could soar as high as 109, making extended time spent outdoors potentially dangerous, particularly for those more susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
A flag along the N. Ohio Street bridge over I-66 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
More on Boil Water Advisory — “Algae is to blame for the advisory that impacted vast swaths of the Metro area, including all of the District of Columbia and much of northern Virginia early today. Upon noticing the increase in algae and resulting turbidity, Washington Aqueduct staff implemented treatment solutions to help meet supply demands. They also added EPA-authorized copper sulfate and sodium permanganate to combat algae in the Washington Aqueduct’s reservoirs.” [WUSA 9, YouTube]
Chase Ends on I-395 — From Dave Statter: “This is the car that was chased on I-395N by @VSPPIO. Troopers had cut off the chase knowing the long back up getting into DC was ahead. The driver of the car kept going and made his own path… A group of @DCPoliceDept officers, already on the 14th Street Bridge for a protest, walked from the DC side. In the last shot, the DC officers are pulling the man out of the car.” [Twitter]
Two Local Restaurants Recognized — “Sixty-four restaurants in Virginia have been recognized for their wine programs, including two from Arlington. They join 3,700 establishments worldwide as winners in Wine Spectator’s 2024 Restaurant Awards.” [Patch, Wine Spectator]
Pike Film Series Starts Tonight — “The Columbia Pike Movie Nights lineup for this summer has been announced. This year’s films, screened outdoors on Friday and Saturday nights, include old-school classics like Dirty Dancing and Top Gun as well as more recent releases such as Barbie, The Color Purple and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. All movies start at sunset between 8 and 8:30 p.m. in July and August.” [ARLnow]
Vehicle Theft Prevention Month — From ACPD: “July is Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. Help keep your vehicle and property safe with these tips: Close and lock all windows and door when you leave your vehicle. Do not leave your keys, fobs or valet keys in your vehicle. Remove all valuables. Park in well-lit areas.” [Twitter]
Paper Shredding Hours Change — “Paper shredding is held the first Saturday of the month unless that is a holiday weekend; if a holiday weekend, shredding shifts to the next Saturday. As of July 2024, free monthly paper shredding hours are 8 a.m. to noon.” [Arlington County]
It’s Friday — Expect showers and thunderstorms to develop after 2pm, accompanied by partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 94°F alongside heat index values reaching up to 105°F. The south wind will be blowing at 3 to 6 mph with a 40% chance of precipitation. Heading into Friday night, the chance of showers and thunderstorms lingers until 2am. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a low temperature of 77°F, a south wind at around 6 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
