Author: ARLnow.com

Democratic Nominee Selected — “Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) has been declared the winner in a firehouse primary for Virginia’s 39th District Senate seat, defeating three opponents with 70.6% of the 4,647 ballots cast. Bennett Parker received 3,281 votes, followed by former Del. Mark Levine with 807 votes (17.4%), Charles Sumpter with 321 votes (6.9%) and former Vice Mayor Amy Jackson with 238 votes (5.1%).” [ALXnow]

Legislative Session Underway — “The proposed redistricting amendment could go before the state’s voters as soon as April if it clears the Senate as expected. Democratic leaders promised Wednesday to unveil potential new maps by the end of the month… The measure was among a group of big-issue amendment proposals that advanced on largely party-line votes. The others would enshrine same-sex marriage, secure access to abortions and automatically restore voting rights to people who complete felony sentences.” [Washington Post]

Governor’s Last Address — “In his final State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday evening, outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin offered a sweeping defense of his four-year tenure, arguing that Virginia is stronger economically, fiscally and educationally than when he took office in January 2022, as he prepares to hand power to Abigail Spanberger, who will be sworn in as the state’s 75th governor this weekend.” [Virginia Mercury]

Youngkin Touts State Finances — “Virginia’s revenues are $1.2B ahead of forecast! The strong year-over-year increase is not noise, it’s real. It reflects strong job creation, rising incomes, healthy consumer activity, and disciplined fiscal stewardship.” [Gov. Glenn Youngkin/X]

‘Inn’ Comes to F.C. Woman’s Bedside — “A few weeks ago, [Chef Patrick O’Connell of The Inn at Little Washington] received an email from Falls Church resident Ashley Brumbaugh, 42. She was hospitalized at UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center while being treated for life-threatening liver disease. A devoted foodie and seasoned traveler, Brumbaugh found herself longing for the pleasures of fine dining she once enjoyed while globe-trotting and visiting Michelin-starred restaurants.” [N. Va. Magazine]

Good Samaritans Help Driver — “Let’s hear it for the kind people who stopped to help a driver apparently having a seizure in the intersection of Army Navy and S. Fern Street in Arlington a few minutes ago.” [Dave Statter/X]

Verizon Outage Resolved — “Verizon Communications said Wednesday night that it had resolved an hourslong, widespread outage that prevented customers from making calls and sending messages. The problem, which started at around noon Eastern time, affected wireless voice and data services for some customers, particularly in the eastern half of the country, a Verizon spokesman said. The company said at around 10 p.m. ET that the outage had been fixed.” [WSJ, USA Today]

Letter: No to Rent Control — “There is a more humane and sustainable way to address housing affordability in Arlington. Rather than lobbying Richmond for anti rent gouging powers, local leaders should focus on removing barriers to building more housing—streamlining zoning, easing density limits, shortening permitting timelines, and letting a variety of housing types emerge where demand exists.” [Letter to the Editor]

Letter: No to Killing Deer — “Arlington parks are beautiful sanctuaries, natural spaces of peace, relaxation, and learning. Arlington residents cherish the presence of deer in our parks and neighborhoods. Deer bring joy to our lives and enhance the quality of our entire community. Killing deer with guns and teaching our children that violence is an acceptable approach to resolving environmental challenges does not reflect the values of Arlington County residents.” [Letter to the Editor]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 32 degrees with a west wind at 17 mph, gusting up to 30 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 22 degrees, a west wind of 9 to 14 mph, and gusts up to 26 mph. [NWS]

VRE Changes Take Effect — “A new bridge is being built across the Potomac River to handle rail traffic. But with construction comes travel delays. Some major impacts to Amtrak and VRE riders started Monday. A second span of Long Bridge will cross over the Potomac between D.C. and Arlington… The work is expected to last through 2030. A VRE commuter said she’s bracing for years of adjustments to her schedule, with some trains stopping and starting in Alexandria.” [NBC 4]

Va. Redistricting Process — “In what could be Democrats’ last wave of mid-cycle redistricting, the Virginia and Maryland legislatures will each convene on Wednesday with national party leaders pushing them to redraw congressional maps and net as many as five seats to help build an advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.” [Washington Post]

New Va. Laws — “Here are some of the new laws Virginians should be aware of in 2026. Kids under the age of 16 are now limited to one hour per day on social media unless a parent consents to more (or less) time. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are required to verify age and set the default hour limit… If you text “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE” to telemarketers they have to honor your request and remove you — for at least 10 years.” [Axios]

Spitting Suspect Charged — “N. Lexington Street at Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 7:25 p.m. on January 12, police were dispatched to the report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was in the area when the female suspect approached the victim and allegedly spat on her before fleeing the scene… responding officers located an individual matching the description of the suspect near the scene and took her into custody. While in custody, the suspect spat on two officers.” [ACPD]

Sheriff’s Office Promotion — “Arlington County Sheriff José Quiroz has announced the promotion of Juan Gelabert to Chief Deputy of the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Gelabert brings more than two decades of dedicated service to the agency and a deep, lifelong connection to the Arlington community.” [Arlington County]

Big Bucks for Local Solar Company — “Arlington solar company Summit Ridge Energy has secured a massive loan to fund the construction or operation of 20 solar facilities at a time when data centers are driving up demand for alternative sources of energy. The company closed a $290 million facility with the Tokyo-based Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to fuel an expansion as energy demands skyrocket across the U.S.” [WBJ]

Hotel Occupancy Falls — “Greater Washington hotel occupancy dipped in October to levels not seen during that month since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, contributing to another decline in the CBRE REVIVE Regional Vibrancy Index. Ian Anderson, the senior director of research at the real estate firm CBRE, said he was surprised by the declines in hotel occupancy, but he said some of the October drop may be attributable to the government shutdown.” [WBJ]

Beyer Opposes Bill — “I can’t support funding a status quo that accepts Trump’s illegal, immoral demolition of USAID. This minibus also fails to constrain the abject stupidity of Trump’s threats to attack Greenland, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, etc. I will vote no.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, Congressman Don Beyer]

Robbery at Home Depot — “The Home Depot, 6200 block of Seven Corners Center in Fairfax County— two males stole power tools and flashed a handgun at employees before fleeing.” [The DC MD VA Live/X]

It’s Wednesday — There is a slight chance of rain in the morning and late afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 52. Southwest winds will be around 6 mph. Rain is likely tonight before 1am, followed by a chance of rain and snow until 4am, then a slight chance of snow. The low will be around 25, with light winds becoming northwest at 6 to 11 mph and gusts up to 31 mph. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, but little or no snow accumulation is expected. [NWS]

Michael Wardian Still Racing — “On top of training up to six hours a day, the Arlington resident juggles a packed schedule as a husband, father of two teenage boys, and businessman… His brother, Matt, suspects Wardian’s ability to function on about five hours of sleep helps. ‘He ruthlessly prioritizes how he spends his time,’ says Matt… ‘He gets up early and runs, he runs at lunchtime, finishes work, and runs to his son’s game or practice.'” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Pickups Collide on I-395 — “Two white pickups met on I-395N at the express lane ramp across from the Pentagon this afternoon. The driver trying to take that left side ramp, even though they were in the right lane and beyond the entrance, is from a company whose motto includes “Safety” and “Damage Prevention”. Injuries not reported to be serious.” [Dave Statter/X]

More EDVA Drama — “A senior federal prosecutor in Virginia was fired after a disagreement about whether he would take charge of the Trump administration’s effort to reindict James B. Comey… Mr. McBride had been in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia for only a couple of months, temporarily serving as the top deputy to Lindsey Halligan after more than a decade as a federal prosecutor in Kentucky.” [NYT]

Local Record Store Floods — “Following significant flooding after a water leak this past weekend, a vinyl record store in Del Ray has closed for the foreseeable future and is considering a move. Crooked Beat Records owner Bill Daly told ALXnow today (Monday) that a pipe on the roof of the building burst, flooding the basement record shop at 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue with several inches of water and ruining merchandise.” [ALXnow]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 50, along with a calm wind turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. For Tuesday night, the sky will be mostly cloudy, accompanied by a low around 40. A southwest wind will blow at 8 to 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]

Son of Crash Victims Going to Milan — “Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova died Jan. 29 when an American Airlines plane crashed into an Army helicopter above the Potomac River. On Sunday, the moment arrived: Maxim Naumov was selected as one of the three men’s singles skaters on the U.S. team for next month’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.” [Washington Post, NBC News]

More Rainy SB I-395 Crashes — “I had a feeling we weren’t done for the day. Here’s crash 2 on I-395S at Arlington Ridge. It’s always the left lane. This video, as have others, gives the impression there’s standing water in that lane. @VaDOTNOVA what do you believe is behind all of the crashes at this spot and can anything be done?” [Dave Statter/X]

F.C. Council Member Lauded — Falls Church City Council member David Snyder was honored Jan. 8 by his colleagues on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). Snyder, chaired the commission in 2025, is “an absolute stalwart defender of transit, advocate of transit,” said Matthew Letourneau, a Loudoun County supervisor and longtime colleague of Snyder’s on the NVTC board. “His dedication to NVTC and the region is inspirational,” said Alexandria Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, who succeeded Snyder to chair the panel in 2026. –Scott McCaffrey

Alamo Drafthouse Changes — “The Texas-based cinema company is introducing a new mobile ordering service that will replace the traditional mode of pen-and-paper at the hands of servers. Starting in February, Alamo Drafthouse locations will utilize a digital system that will let the guests browse the menu, order prior to and during the film, and pay directly from their phones.” [Variety]

School Choice Tax Credit — “Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Virginia was the first state in the nation to opt in to the Education Freedom Tax Credit, also known as the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), a new federal program that incentivizes individuals and companies to donate funds to provide scholarships for K–12 students to expand school choice. On January 1, 2026, Virginia formally elected to participate in the FSTC. ” [Governor of Virginia]

Measles Case in N. Va. — “The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is reporting the state’s second measles case of 2026. The patient is a preschool-age child (0-4 years) in the Northern Region who recently traveled internationally.” [VDH]

Photojournalist Killed in D.C. — “We are heartbroken over the loss of Marckell Williams — a talented photographer, storyteller, and beautiful soul who was once part of the Washington Informer family. His passion for capturing people, culture, and truth will never be forgotten.” [Washington Informer/IG, Washington Post]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs reaching around 46 degrees, accompanied by west winds at about 8 mph. The night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 31 degrees. [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.