Author: ARLnow.com

Senator Loves Arlington Outback — “Sen. Jim Justice’s favorite place to eat steak in the DMV isn’t one of the many swanky restaurants scattered across Washington… It’s an unassuming Outback Steakhouse tucked in a strip mall in the suburbs of Arlington, Virginia, where he and his constant canine companion, Babydog, a very plump English bulldog, have a regular table.” [NOTUS]

New Development Proposal — “Caruthers Properties wants to add a 15-story building at its Potomac Towers apartment complex in Arlington, just the latest example of infill development at midcentury mutltifamily projects across the county. The company’s land use attorney, Venable LLP, filed a conceptual site plan on Friday proposing the 310-unit building at 2001 N. Adams St., a massive property sitting between Interstate 66 and Langston Boulevard.” [WBJ]

Trash Collection Update — “Due to post-snow storm conditions, regular Friday residential curbside collection service will operate in a limited capacity on Jan. 30. Crews will ONLY collect trash and recycling carts. Please have carts placed at the curb by 6:30 a.m. Friday; we recognize that space may be challenging due to sidewalk conditions… If your carts are not collected by late afternoon, do not report it as a missed collection. Carts that are not collected will be serviced next Friday.” [Arlington County]

Midair Crash, One Year Later — “On the evening of January 29, 2025, an American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided over the Potomac River. The crash killed 67 people – everyone aboard both aircraft. The grief for the dozens of lives lost in the disaster reverberated around the D.C. region, and up and down the East Coast.” [WAMU]

Victims’ Belongings Recovered — “The brown teddy bear smelled like oil and jet fuel. It was tucked inside the pink backpack of 11-year-old Alydia Livingston, along with her headphones, journal and a pencil topped with a rubber unicorn. The backpack and its contents came home to her grandparents in Richmond. Alydia didn’t.” [Washington Post]

Alexandria Memorial Planned — “A new memorial in Alexandria will honor the lives of the 67 people killed in last year’s midair collision over the Potomac River, which happened one year ago today. A bench, newly planted trees and plaque bearing the names of the 67 victims will be installed on the Potomac waterfront on the northeastern portion of Rivergate Park, Mayor Alyia Gaskins announced.” [ALXnow]

Robbery Near Columbia Pike — “The female victim was in the area when the male suspect approached her from behind, implied a weapon, stole her bag and subsequently fled the scene. The victim suffered minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.” [ACPD]

Poll on Va. Amendments — “A slim majority of Virginia voters supports a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would let Democratic lawmakers draw new, blue-leaning congressional districts ahead of this fall’s midterm elections, according to a new poll… The poll shows even stronger support for two other proposed amendments to the state constitution that are priorities of Democratic lawmakers.” [Washington Post]

Little Snow, Lots of Wind — “While the snow probably misses the DMV, gusty winds generated by the storm — gusts near 25 to 50 mph — will likely drop our wind chills into the single digits to near or bit below zero for much of the period from Saturday evening through Monday morning.” [CWG/X]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of around 21 degrees during the day, with wind chill values dropping as low as -1 due to a 6 mph northwest wind. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 9 degrees. [NWS]

New Snow Removal Phase — “Phase 4 clean-up continues, with crews working roads needing more attention and transferring snow from narrow areas. The storage space opened last night on 14th Street N behind the Bozman Center is now full. A Farmers Market on Saturday is unlikely.” [Arlington DES/X]

County Hauling Snow — “The commercial corridors are particularly challenging because there’s limited space available. To help make space, we have been conducting a once-in-a-generation snow hauling effort — so far, we’ve hauled over 1,000+ truck loads of snow to locations around the County.” [Arlington County/X, Arlington County/X]

Later Opening for Rec Centers — “Tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 29, Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and all other Parks and Recreation facilities will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.” [Arlington DPR/X]

‘Severe Service’ for ART — “Due to icy road conditions ART will continue to run Severe Service Thur. Jan. 29, 2026. Only ART 41, 45, 51, 55, 77, and 87 will run, expect possible delays. Once remainder of routes are in passable conditions, we will reassess service levels.” [ART Alert/X]

Consultant for DCA Noise? — “A citizens’ advisory panel is formally pressing for an outside consultant to be hired to analyze noise related to air traffic at Reagan National Airport. But the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) appears disinclined to acquiesce to that request.” [FFXnow]

Upcoming Special Election — “A Special Election will be held on Feb. 10 for State Senate District 39! Only voters who reside in this district are eligible to vote. This includes Pentagon/Crystal City, Aurora Highlands, & east Arlington Ridge.” [Arlington Elections/X]

Letter: Minnesota Matters — “People in Minnesota are grieving after federal immigration agents killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Their deaths have shaken communities far beyond Minneapolis. We mourn them and extend our sympathy to their families and loved ones. What happened there matters here in Arlington.” [Letter to the Editor]

Care Sought for Cold — “There has been a recent increase in visits to emergency departments and urgent care facilities related to hypothermia and cold exposure in Virginia. Call 2-1-1 to find a warming center near you.” [VDH/X]

Historic Cold Spell — “D.C. plunged to 13 degrees on Tuesday morning, while many locations in the region dipped into the single digits and below zero. The frigid morning was part of a punishing cold snap that ramped up Saturday and may not relax until around Groundhog Day on Feb. 2. By some measures, it could rank among the most severe cold spells since the late 1800s.” [CWG/X]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks ABC license: wine and beer, on/off premises. [Public Notices]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny conditions and a high of 23 degrees, but wind chills could reach as low as -5 due to a west wind blowing at 6 to 10 mph, and gusts reaching up to 20 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 6 degrees and wind chills as low as -2, accompanied by a northwest wind at around 6 mph. [NWS]

County Gov’t Reopens — “Due to inclement weather, Arlington County Government facilities will open & judicial court proceedings will begin at 10AM on Wed., Jan. 28, 2026, unless otherwise stated. Libraries will open at 12PM. County facilities will close at 6PM.” [Arlington County/X, Arlington County]

Cemetery Still Closed — “Due to extremely cold temperatures, Arlington National Cemetery will be closed to the public and family pass holders through Wednesday, Jan. 28. Funeral services will continue as scheduled.” [ANC/X]

Snow Crews Thinned By ICE — “As homeowners in Fairfax and Arlington counties try to clear neighborhood streets, a snow removal business reports that their crews are operating at lower capacity. The reason: the labor-intensive job of digging through the thick ice and the fear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.” [WUSA 9]

Remembering Crash Victims — “The figure skating community in Northern Virginia is remembering the skaters, coaches and family members killed a year ago in the midair collision over the Potomac River… The plane was heading back from Wichita, Kansas, where many of the passengers had just participated in a national skating competition and development camp. Seventeen of them had ties to the Ashburn Ice House and the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington.” [NBC 4]

Brandishing in Courthouse — “the male victim returned to a parking garage where he had parked his vehicle and determined it was missing. A short time later, the victim observed the vehicle being driven by the male suspect inside the parking garage and confronted him. The suspect then exited the vehicle, brandished what appeared to be a firearm and subsequently fled the scene on foot.” [ACPD]

Leadership Change at Local Startup — “Arlington cybersecurity startup Shift5 Inc. has tapped an executive from defense contracting giant L3Harris Technologies Inc. to serve as interim CEO and president. Toby Magsig succeeds CEO and co-founder Josh Lospinoso, who announced a transition out of day-to-day operations and will instead focus on long-term planning.” [WBJ]

Barcroft Apts. May Be Deemed Historic — Having been named to the Virginia Landmarks Register late last year, the Barcroft Apartments soon will be considered by the National Park Service for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, county staff said at the Jan. 21 meeting of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board. A determination usually follows within 45 days, staff said. –Scott McCaffrey

Design Award Winners — “The Arlington County Board honored nine projects on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, for the 2025 DESIGNArlington awards. The biennial program recognizes excellence in architectural and landscape design and public art, showcasing the best of Arlington.” [Arlington County]

Amazon Fresh Stores Closing — “Amazon is throwing in the towel on Amazon Fresh, announcing today (Tuesday) that it will close all locations in favor of a renewed focus on Whole Foods Market and other concepts. The last day of operation for Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores is Feb. 1.” [FFXnow]

Gun Bills Advance — “Democratic lawmakers on Monday advanced a sweeping slate of gun safety proposals — many of them previously vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin — as they test whether Virginia’s new Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, will take a more favorable view of firearm restrictions.” [FFXnow]

Voting Rights Ruling — “A federal judge in Richmond ruled last week that Virginia violated a post-Civil War law by automatically stripping the right to vote from everyone convicted of a felony, a decision that could restore voting rights to thousands of Virginians.” [Washington Post]

Possible Weekend Storm Update — “The majority of computer models suggest the storm will form too far east to bring substantial snow to the D.C. region, still reeling from 6 to 9 inches of cement-like snow and ice on Sunday and historically low temperatures. However, the American model — while mostly an outlier — does simulate substantial snow in D.C., and this slight possibility needs to be watched.” [CWG]

It’s Wednesday — Expect increasing clouds and a high near 22, along with wind chill values dropping to -1, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 5 to 9 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to a low of 6 and wind chill values as low as -3. A calm wind will turn into a northwest breeze around 6 mph after midnight. [NWS]