Author: ARLnow.com

NYE Road Closures — “The Arlington County Police Department will implement road closures and parking restrictions in Clarendon on New Years Eve to help ensure public safety and accommodate the expected increase in foot traffic related to nightlife activity.” [ACPD]

Metro Changes in 2026 — Expect weekend closures of the Crystal City Metro station, starting in February, as a result of construction on the second station entrance project. [NBC 4]

DOJ Sues Virginia — “The Justice Department sued Virginia on Monday over its policy of granting unauthorized immigrants in-state financial aid at public colleges and universities, saying that the assistance violates federal law because it discriminates against U.S. citizens living in other states.” [NYT, Reuters]

More Kennedy Center Woes — “More musicians have canceled their upcoming concerts at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to rename the performing arts venue to include President Donald Trump’s name. The canceled performances to date include shows previously promoted for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Jan. 14.” [Associated Press, NBC 4]

Bad Flu Season — “The United States is seeing a massive surge in flu cases this winter, many of them attributed to the so-called “super flu.” An unprecedented rise in flu cases comes as other sicknesses — such as the “winter vomiting bug,” COVID and whooping cough — are slamming the United States this winter.” [Axios]

It’s Wednesday — Expect flurries and a slight chance of snow before 7am, followed by mostly cloudy skies becoming sunny later, with a high near 39 and southwest wind gusts up to 21 mph. Wednesday night brings more flurries and a low around 26, while New Year’s Day has flurries until noon, sunny skies, and a high near 33 with gusts up to 28 mph. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

No Drones in Arlington — “Received a drone this holiday season? Remember, all of Arlington County is a No Drone Zone due to our proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Help keep the airspace safe by keeping your drones grounded in Arlington County.” [ACPD/X]

Washington Monument Lights — “If you’re looking for something different and free for New Year’s Eve, how about fireworks at the Washington Monument? In addition to the fireworks, there will be video displayed on all four sides of the monument as a kickoff for the United States’ 250th birthday celebration in 2026.” [NBC 4, Dave Statter/X, Stefanie Johnson/X]

Free Rides on NYE — “Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) the 2025 Holiday SoberRide® program – which has run nightly since December 19th – will be in operation beginning at 10:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve (Wednesday, December 31, 2025) and operate until 4:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1, 2026) as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday period.” [Press Release]

New Governor’s Cabinet — “Three Democratic state delegates and a former FBI agent are among the Cabinet secretaries Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) has nominated as she builds out the team that will advise her and help administer state government after she is sworn in on Jan. 17.” [Washington Post]

Youngkin Talks Va. Investments — “During Glenn Youngkin’s term as Governor of Virginia, CEOs committed $156 billion of investment to the Commonwealth – more than the previous six gubernatorial administrations combined. As he prepares to leave office, we spoke with Youngkin about how he pulled it off.” [Standard and Works]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a sunny day with a high of 35 degrees accompanied by breezy west winds ranging from 17 to 23 mph, gusting up to 37 mph. Tuesday night, the clouds will increase while the temperature drops to a low of 26 degrees. The west wind will settle down to 7 to 10 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]

Where to Party on NYE — “Ready to bid farewell to 2025 and welcome in a sparkly, fresh 2026? Raise a glass and dance your heart out into the wee hours at these kid-free blow-out parties.” [Arlington Magazine]

Where to Dine on NYE — “Ring in 2026 with one of Northern Virginia’s exceptional New Year’s Eve dining experiences. From seafood and steak to rich, celebratory dishes, there’s no shortage of unforgettable menus to make your night sparkle.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Monday — Showers are likely before 10am, followed by cloudy conditions that will gradually clear up. Temperatures will peak at 58°F around 11am, but will then drop to around 41°F. Expect windy conditions, with southwest winds of 17-22 mph becoming 24-29 mph from the west in the afternoon, and gusts of up to 47 mph. There is a 50% chance of precipitation. Tonight, partly cloudy skies and a low of 27°F can be anticipated, accompanied by a breezy west wind of 22-24 mph and gusts as high as 48 mph. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been ringing in productive years at an Industrious office 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 to help you start 2026 strong.

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

‘Fire Station 8 Saved My House’ — “Before anyone could call 911, a firefighter, Lt. Murphy, at Fire Station 8 saw the flames at my house from the glass-enclosed stairwell of the station. He alerted the rest of the firefighters and they jumped in the truck and headed down Langston Boulevard to find the fire. Before they even received the call!” [Wilma Jones]

Bipartisan Report on DCA Crash — “A congressional panel examining January’s fatal midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet found fault with the military’s procedures for operating in the airspace around D.C., according to a report issued Monday.” [Washington Post]

Role of City Lights in Crash — “Though a cause has yet to be determined, and investigators expect to release their findings early next year, one factor could have been the bright skyline around the airport. The National Transportation Safety Board has examined whether those lights could have made it more difficult for the helicopter crew to keep tabs on the plane and whether night vision goggles it believes the crew was using could have made their difficult task even more challenging.” [Washington Post]

Funding for Legal AI Tool — “BriefCatch, an Arlington startup, is hoping to change that narrative with its legal writing assistant tool, and it just scored $6 million in new funding to ramp up hiring and product development centered on its flagship product. BriefCatch embeds directly into Microsoft Word or Outlook to offer real‑time editing suggestions tailored to legal prose. It also offers optional features designed to help lawyers sharpen arguments and improve clarity.” [WBJ]

Burglary in Arlington Heights — “At approximately 12:09 p.m. on December 22, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect forced entry into the residence, causing property damage, stole jewelry and electronics and subsequently fled the scene. Responding officers conducted a canvass of the area for the suspect yielding negative results.” [ACPD]

ACPD Captain Gets FBI Training — “#FBIWFO congratulates @ArlingtonVaPD Capt. Matthew Puia on his recent graduation from the FBI National Academy.” [FBI WFO/X]

F.C. Affordable Housing — “To us, the greatest achievement of the City of Falls Church government in the last period has been its resolve around affordable housing such that units in new mixed use and residential projects designated as “affordable” in the proffering process not only now approach 10 percent or even higher of all the units in a project, but that, even more importantly, that they are maintained as “affordable” in perpetuity, and not just for 10 or 15 years.” [FCNP]

Decline in DUI Deaths — “Across Northern Virginia, alcohol/drug-related fatalities decreased from 40 in 2023 to 34 in 2024, according to the 22-page report. Among other major Northern Virginia jurisdictions: Alexandria saw no fatalities in that category in 2023 or 2024. Arlington’s rate declined from six to one.” [FFXnow]

It’s Friday — Rain is likely between noon and 4pm, followed by a chance of sleet after 4pm. The day will be mostly cloudy with a high near 35. Friday night, expect rain mixed with sleet before 10pm, turning to rain until 1am, with a slight chance of drizzle afterwards. The low will be around 35. [NWS]