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.
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]
Expect partly cloudy skies throughout the day, with a high temperature of 75°F and a low of 58°F. There will be a 40% chance of scattered showers, which may be most prominent in late afternoon and early evening. Winds will be moderate, coming from the southwest at 10 to 15 mph, potentially gusting up to 20 mph at times. Humidity levels will hover around 60%, making for a comfortable day overall. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein
Flag at Iwo Jima Memorial on a sunny July day (file photo)
It’s going to be a scorching July 4 in the D.C. area.
Arlington County, along with D.C. and other surrounding areas, are under a Heat Advisory from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday. Potentially dangerous heat is expected amid Independence Day festivities — and there’s a possibility of storms throughout the day as well.
Arlington County police are investigating a somewhat unusual road rage incident in Rosslyn.
It happened Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Key Blvd and N. Nash Street. According to police, two male drivers “were stopped in their vehicles at a stop sign when they became involved in a verbal dispute.” The suspect then allegedly threw a can at the other driver, reached into his car and stole his phone, before driving off.
Whitlow's on Wilson in 2020 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
What are some of the iconic places, buildings, monuments or businesses that most exemplify “old school Arlington?”
That’s what we were asking ourselves recently as our staff contemplated new designs for the ARLnow Shop. While some things immediately came to mind — see: photos in the gallery — we wanted to open it up to readers to make sure we’re not forgetting something.
Online Fireworks Viewing — From the Trust for the National Mall: “Can’t make it to the most iconic fireworks show in the U.S.? Catch the iconic National Mall fireworks on Independence Day on #MonumentCam at 9:09PM on July 4th! We’re broadcasting the entire show LIVE from the top of the Washington Monument! Click here: http://nationalmall.org/monumentcam.” [Twitter]
Fourth of July Bell Ringing — “The Arlington Historical Society will celebrate the nation’s 248th birthday with a bell-ringing at the Arlington Historical Museum on Thursday, July 4 at 5 p.m. ‘We’ll be doing this alongside bells all over the state,’ said Annette Benbow, who is leading the Arlington effort to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.” [Gazette Leader]
New Mental Health Crisis System — “Arlington County launched a new system to better respond to individuals who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. The system is in place to tailor a more effective response to those in need when someone dials 911. The Marcus Alert System establishes coordination between the 911 call center, the regional crisis center and law enforcement to enhance services and responses for people experiencing a crisis related to mental health, substance abuse or a developmental disability.” [NBC 4]
Local Appointed to GMU Board — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday, June 28, announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the George Mason University Board of Visitors… [including] Marc Short of Arlington, Partner, Advance Strategies, and former Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence.” [Patch]
New D.C. Eatery Has Arlington Ties — “A popular sandwich shop with ties to the Italian Store in Arlington plans to open a second location on Barracks Row, three-and-a-half years after Compliments Only debuted from temporary space in Logan Circle. The restaurant from Pete Sitcov and Emily Cipes is tentatively slated to open by the end of the summer from a roughly 1,600-square-foot space at 526 Eighth St. SE.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 88, accompanied by a 6-10 mph south wind. As night falls, the weather will shift to partly cloudy skies with a low of approximately 72 and a 7-9 mph south wind. Independence Day brings a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 pm, partly sunny skies, and a high of 95. The heat index may reach up to 101 with a southwest 6 mph wind. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high of 88, accompanied by a 6-10 mph south wind. As night falls, the weather will shift to partly cloudy skies with a low of approximately 72 and a 7-9 mph south wind. Independence Day brings a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 pm, partly sunny skies, and a high of 95. The heat index may reach up to 101 with a southwest 6 mph wind. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Should the former president get elected to another term, there might be some chatter among Arlington’s most progressive residents of potentially moving out of the country — particularly among affluent progressives with the means to do so.
People on smartphones (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Telemarketing calls have been the bane of phone owners for decades, but an escalation led to action against “robocalls” by state and federal elected officials alike over the past couple of years.
A more modern telecommunications annoyance, meanwhile, may be taking the spotlight away from such calls.
