Author: ARLnow.com

Last Night’s Fireworks — “Washington Monument – Freedom 250 Fireworks Display – Monday, January 5, 2026.” [DCFEMS/X]

Fantasy League for Seniors — “If you wander into Sunrise at Bluemont Park on a Sunday afternoon, you’ll likely hear it long before you see it — laughter, lively cheers, and a spirited back-and-forth… Walker and Colby first arrived at this assisted living and memory care community earlier this fall, eager to launch their community service project: a fantasy football league for seniors.” [Sunrise Senior Living]

Community Police Academy Applications — “The Arlington County Police Department is now accepting applications for its 30th Community Police Academy… The CPA is an immersive educational program that strengthens communication, collaboration and mutual understanding between the department and those we serve.” [ACPD]

Local Burial Ground Profiled — “One of Arlington’s oldest family burial grounds, the Old Ball Family Burial Ground, is the final resting place of Ballston’s namesake… The individuals buried at this cemetery are interesting enough to warrant a visit, but it’s the hidden location — behind the parking lot of an auto mechanic shop — that makes it a must see.” [Atlas Obscura]

Honoring LGBTQ+ Journalism Pioneers — A celebration of the Falls Church News-Press’ Nicholas Benton and the Washington Blade’s Lou Chibbaro, Jr., two trailblazing LGBTQ+ journalists, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Woman’s National Democratic Club of Washington. D.C. Both in-person and online participation options are available. —Scott McCaffrey

Traffic Deaths Down — “Traffic deaths in the D.C. region fell roughly 18 percent in 2025, continuing a trend from the previous year that is reflected across the country: A spike in fatalities during the pandemic is now on the decline.” [Washington Post]

New Starbucks Winter Menu — “Starbucks is kicking off 2026 by betting on viral Dubai chocolate-inspired beverages — alongside more protein-forward drinks. The menu push is part of the coffee giant’s broader turnaround effort to boost traffic and revive sales.” [Axios]

Sunsets Getting Later — “Sunset cracked 5 pm in DC today, for the first time since early November. Goodbye to the 57-day streak of 4-o’clock darkness… and now we’re gaining a minute of evening light daily. Onward!” [CWG/Bluesky]

It’s Tuesday — Expect patchy fog to clear by 10am, giving way to mostly cloudy skies and a high near 51°F, accompanied by a calm southeasterly wind at 6 mph in the afternoon. Tuesday night, it will remain mostly cloudy with a low around 44°F and a westerly wind at 7 mph. [NWS]

Arch Construction Imminent? — “President Donald Trump said in an interview Wednesday that construction of his long-teased Triumphal Arch is expected to begin “sometime in the next two months.” That would put the start date ahead of July 4, 2026 — as the White House ramps up preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.” [Politico, WJLA]

Roosevelt Bridge Rescue — “Below Grade Rescue: Inbound Theodore Roosevelt Bridge #DCsBravest responded/located a person beneath the bridge within construction scaffolding. A rope rescue operation was conducted by special operations units. One adult male transported serious/non-life threatening.” [DCFEMS/X, WJLA]

Venezuela Operation Reaction — “I’ve always opposed American attacks on Venezuela and I oppose them now. You don’t need sympathy for Maduro to grasp that attacking another country for unclear, shifting rationales without domestic support or a clear plan for the day after won’t make us safer. The Administration lied to Congress and launched an illegal war for regime change and oil. Foolhardy and wrong.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, Press Release]

More on Hall’s Hill Fire — “The smoke was also visible from nearby Fire Station 8, located just off Langston Boulevard. Firefighters saw the smoke and rushed to Jones’ home on North Emerson Street, quickly working to put out the flames. The quick response was especially meaningful for Jones. In 2016, the Arlington fire station was nearly relocated to a less populated area. Jones and others in the community fought to keep it in place.” [WUSA 9]

Va. Dems Plan Amendments — “Some of the furthest-reaching actions the Virginia General Assembly is likely to take this year could happen in the first few days after the legislature convenes: votes on four proposed amendments to the state constitution affecting same-sex marriage, abortion access, voting rights and redistricting.” [Washington Post]

New Va. Laws — “Starting Thursday, technology companies must limit social media use among children under 16 in Virginia… The Virginia social media law that passed last year will require platforms like Instagram and TikTok to limit use among minors under 16 to one hour a day in an effort to address concerns about the effects on youth mental health.” [Washington Post]

Companies Say Tow Fee Too Low — “Michael Reynolds, of the A-1 Associates towing firm, said his company was forced to move out of Arlington prior to the pandemic “because it was too expensive to operate,” adding that Arlington now has only one towing business that does trespass towing. Reynolds told the board that tow fees provide for many things, including real estate, location and cost, and hiring qualified employees.” [WTOP]

Crash on 14th Street Bridge — “Another right lane driver just had to get to left side exit 10C on I-395N just before the 14th Street Bridge. They got there, but also sent a pickup truck across three lanes to the other side of the highway, and apparently hitting another vehicle in the process.” [Dave Statter/X]

Snowy Owl Spotting — “DC bird spotters are heading to Hains Point right now after a Snowy Owl was spotted on the shore at National Airport. Don’t have my big lens today sadly.” [Andrew Leyden/X]

It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 45 and a southeast wind shifting to the south between 5 and 10 mph in the morning. Winds may gust up to 18 mph. By Monday night, skies will be mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 35. The south wind will decrease to about 6 mph. [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.

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

Redevelopment Site Sold — “A pair of south Arlington hotel properties at the South Glebe Road interchange with Interstate 395 slated for redevelopment as more than 500 residential units have sold for $50 million. CC Rock Arlington Owner LLC, an affiliate of Crescent Communities and the Rockefeller Group, acquired the Green Valley site of its fully entitled future development in two transactions.” [WBJ]

PTAs Respond to Food Need — “PTAs and parent teacher student organizations across Arlington have long considered ways to help students who might be experiencing food insecurity. But in recent months, in the aftermath of the government shutdown and uncertainty surrounding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, they’ve stepped in to address the increased need.” [WTOP]

Photo: A Very Bad Idea — “Someone made a balcony bonfire tonight in Pentagon City… Fire department came [shortly] after the fire started.” [Reddit]

Robbery in Courthouse — “at approximately 3:10 p.m., the male suspect attempted to exit a store without paying for merchandise when he was confronted by employees. The suspect allegedly became aggressive, threatened employees and spat on an employee before fleeing the scene on foot.” [ACPD]

Local Civic Figure Dies — “Linda Kathleen Stalls Beverly, 76, died Thursday, December 11… She was a longtime member of Arlington County’s Civic Coalition for Minority Affairs. Linda also founded the advocacy group Concerned Parents of Arlington and co-chaired the African-American Parent Network. In 2003, she was among 14 residents to be recognized by the Arlington School Board as “Honored Citizens” for outstanding volunteer service to Arlington Public Schools.” [Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home]

Yellow Line Changes — “Metro riders on the Yellow Line can travel further into D.C. and Maryland beginning today (Wednesday). The Yellow Line has extended with service to Maryland’s Greenbelt station for the first time since 2023, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Trains on that line previously ended service at Mount Vernon Square in D.C.” [ALXnow]

Changes Coming to Golf Courses — “President Donald Trump’s campaign to reshape the nation’s capital in his image is setting its focus on Washington’s public golf courses. The National Links Trust — the nonprofit organization that has managed East Potomac Golf Links, Rock Creek Park Golf and Langston Golf Course since 2020 — said on Wednesday that the Trump administration has terminated the group’s 50-year lease with the National Park Service.” [Politico, CBS News]

It’s Friday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of around 41 degrees. In the afternoon, calm winds will shift to northwest at approximately 6 mph. During Friday night, expect mostly cloudy skies and a low temperature of around 26 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]