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.
County Board candidate JD Spain at an election watch party in Courthouse in 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Democrats have nominated JD Spain, Sr. as the party’s candidate for County Board.
A preliminary tally of votes in the ranked-choice contest, conducted Friday evening, showed Spain with an insurmountable lead prior to the counting of provisional ballots.
Expect a sunny and hot day with temperatures reaching up to 100°F and heat index values as high as 106°F. There’s a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, accompanied by southwest winds of 5-7 mph. For Saturday night, anticipate a partly cloudy sky with a low around 80°F, south winds around 7 mph, and a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” – 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. 👋
Police response to shooting in Courthouse (courtesy Dave Statter)
Arlington County police say an 18-year-old Alexandria man shot and critically wounded another man in Courthouse last month.
ACPD announced the arrest of A-Jay Jones today, saying he pulled the trigger outside of a Courthouse hotel early on the morning of May 19. Police previously said the shooting happened as a result of a dispute between two groups of people.
Arlington County police making an arrest in Pentagon City (screenshot of video courtesy Daniel T.)
A suspect is in custody after allegedly striking several police cruisers with a stolen vehicle.
The dramatic incident started to unfold around 5 p.m. in the Pentagon City mall parking garage. The moments leading to the arrest were caught on video (below).
Dusk in Virginia Square (Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon)
Huske Returning to Olympics — “Arlington’s Torri Huske officially qualified for her second straight Olympics Wednesday night when she finished second in the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis.” [InsideNova]
Two Flyovers Planned Today — From AlertDC: “The US Military will conduct a flyover at the Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, June 21, 2024 @ 9:15 AM… [and] at 1:25 PM.”
Nine New ACPD Officers — “Friends, family and coworkers gathered on Monday, June 17, 2024, to celebrate a significant milestone in the careers of the Arlington County Police Department’s nine newest officers as Session 150 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. During the ceremony, each new officer took their solemn oath to serve and protect the Arlington community.” [ACPD]
More Funding for EV Startup — “Torev Motors, a startup in Crystal City vying to improve the motors that power electric vehicles, has just crossed the $1 million funding threshold and is now trying to advance its technology by getting it in front of the world’s leading automakers. After initially raising about $350,000 from friends and family, the 2-year-old company recently closed a $650,000 pre-seed funding round.” [DC Inno]
Fireworks Viewing Spot Closed — “Public access to the Air Force Memorial will again be closed on July 4. This is an active construction site involving multiple road closures, which poses a significant safety and security risk. Information on local site and road closures will come soon.” [Twitter]
More on VHC Approval Delay — “Waiting a month would lead to ‘aggravation that I don’t think we need,’ Garvey said. ‘I’m not sure it is worth our time, the community’s time and staff time,’ she said. ‘There are a lot of other issues [on the local government’s plate] that need to be dealt with.'” [Gazette Leader]
Spotted: Americana Motel Sign — “This sign must be loved, preserved, and protected at ALL COSTS!” [Twitter]
‘Hair’ at Signature — “It first intoxicated Broadway in 1968, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical. Now, you can enjoy Signature Theatre’s production of “Hair,” running through July 7 in Arlington.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — The weather will be hot and sunny with a high temperature near 95 degrees, accompanied by a mild south wind at 3 to 6 mph. For Friday night, expect mostly clear skies and a low temperature around 75 degrees, with the south wind continuing at around 6 mph. [NWS]
The weather will be sunny with a high temperature near 95 degrees, accompanied by a mild south wind at 3 to 6 mph. For Friday night, expect mostly clear skies and a low temperature around 75 degrees, with the south wind continuing at around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” – Plato
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Hot weather amid a heat wave in July 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington County will be under an Excessive Heat Watch this weekend.
The watch takes effect Saturday afternoon. Forecasters say that heat index values of up to 110 are possible, raising the risk of heat related illnesses for those spending time outside.
Overturned car in Bluemont (staff photo by Jared Serre)
A driver crashed into parked vehicles and flipped his car this morning on a quiet residential street in Bluemont.
Arlington County police and medics are on scene of the crash, which happened shortly before 10 a.m. on N. Jefferson Street near the intersection with 6th Street N.
Reclining Liberty still reclining in Virginia Square (Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley)
Local GOP Focused on Statewide Races — “If Virginia turns out to be in play during the 2024 presidential election, as some polling suggests it might, the Arlington County Republican Committee chairman wants to make sure his organization does its part.” [Gazette Leader]
VHC Growth Request Deferred — “The deferral also was in reaction to the late publication of government documents related to Saturday’s hearing. Those documents only were made public on Wednesday, which fell ‘a little bit short’ given community interest in the hospital’s plans, said County Board Vice Chairman Takis Karantonis.” [Gazette Leader]
Weekend Robbery in Pentagon City — “At approximately 9:50 p.m. on June 15, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined the two female suspects stole the female victim’s credits cards and personal belongings from a back room inside a business and fled the scene. The female victim received alerts for fraudulent activity on her credit card and upon further investigation, she observed the two female suspects outside of a business in possession of her personal belongings. The victim confronted the suspects and a physical altercation ensued.” [ACPD]
Rave Review for NiHao’s Food — From food critic Tom Sietsema: “So many choices, so little time. We’re talking nearly 50 dishes on the all-day menu. You’d miss the point of the place if you skipped something that numbs the tongue. Cold sliced tendon and tripe, scattered with crushed peanuts and earthy cilantro and painted with chile oil, amounts to an offal good time.” [Washington Post]
County Governance Change Forums — “Proponents of changing Arlington’s 90-plus-year-old governance structure are hoping it is a breakthrough. But the prime legislative sponsor of changes is not that sure. Arlington County leaders have given the Arlington County Civic Federation the go-ahead to use county facilities, likely in late summer, to host a community forum on proposals that have been percolating for several years.” [Gazette Leader]
More Real Estate Price Drops — “Locally, the percentage of listing-price drops was in line with the region as a whole… In Arlington, 9.8 percent of homes saw listing-price drops, up from 8.4 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively.” [Gazette Leader]
Library Faces Lawsuit Threat — “A vocal local activist could ramp up her efforts against what she sees as a proliferation of the homeless in Arlington libraries to include a lawsuit against county officials. ‘Arlington Democrats will not silence my voice,’ Bobbie Fisher said at the June 15 County Board meeting, where during the public-comment period she again pushed for the firing of library director Diane Kresh for permitting what Fisher termed ‘a toxic, unhealthy and unsafe environment’ at a number of libraries.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny conditions and a high near 91 today, with calm winds picking up from the south at around 6 mph in the afternoon. For Thursday night, the sky will be partly cloudy, with temperatures cooling down to around 70, accompanied by a 6 mph south wind. [NWS]
