Author: ARLnow.com

Robbery Near Yorktown HS — “Three juvenile male suspects approached two juvenile female victims, all in their teens, at Chestnut Hills Park and engaged them in conversation. Suspect One then stole cash from Victim One’s hand before all three suspects ran towards the parking lot. The victims ran after the suspects and confronted them, during which Suspect One and Suspect Two shoved the victims and Suspect Two subsequently displayed what appeared to be a pocketknife before all three suspects fled the scene.” [ACPD]

Another Crash in EFC — “This might look familiar. There was another red light runner crash at Langston and Fairfax early today.” [Dave Statter/X]

E-CARE Coming Soon — “Arlington residents can gather their old electronics, household hazardous materials (HHMs) and other hard-to-dispose-of items for drop-off at the County’s free fall Environmental Collection and Recycling (E-CARE) event on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain or shine) at 1425 N. Quincy Street.” [Arlington County]

Long Bridge Project Video — “The Long Bridge Project will expand rail capacity across the Potomac River, improving reliability and efficiency for both passenger and freight trains traveling between Virginia and Washington, DC. This animation illustrates the planned new two-track rail bridge that will run parallel to the existing Long Bridge, as well as related improvements between Arlington and DC.” [Va. Passenger Rail Authority/YouTube]

Police Toy Drive Underway — “It’s the season of giving! The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is proud to once again host the Fill the Cruiser Toy Drive—now in its 11th year—benefiting children in need across Arlington. Help make the holidays brighter by donating new, unwrapped toys at one of our collection events or convenient drop box locations!” [ACPD]

Rotarian Named ‘Service Leader of Year’ — The Inter-Service Club Council of Arlington has named Liz Nohra of the Rotary Club of Arlington as its 2025 Service Leader of the Year. Nohra will be celebrated at a Nov. 19 luncheon, receiving an honor that has been bestowed since the 1950s. — Scott McCaffrey

It’s Monday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of around 62°F. Calm winds will shift to the west at 5 to 7 mph during the afternoon. Monday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to about 44°F. Expect a northwest wind at around 10 mph and gusts up to 18 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.

Reminder: Drive Safely Tonight — “To help spread the message that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, the Arlington County Police Department, in partnership with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), is hosting a Halloween anti-drunk driving event to highlight the impact alcohol has on motor skills. This free event is open to the public and will take place on Friday, October 31 at the intersection of N. Hudson Street and Wilson Boulevard, beginning at 8:00 p.m.” [ACPD, ARLnow]

FAA Staffing Shortage at DCA — “A ground stop at Reagan National Airport has been canceled on Thursday afternoon, but ground delays are averaging 90 minutes due to “staffing,” per the FAA.” [Fox 5, WJLA]

Robbery on Langston Blvd — “4700 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 8:00 p.m. on October 29, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business and asked an employee for cigarettes behind the counter. The suspect then allegedly grabbed the cigarettes from the employee’s hand and fled the scene on foot with the merchandise. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]

Statewide Vape Store Bust — “VSP had observed an alarming increase in criminal activity occurring within and around businesses publicly focused on the sale of electronic cigarettes. In response, VSP initiated a multi-month investigation into these establishments in western Virginia, uncovering extensive illegal drug activity and illegal weapons offenses.” [Press Release]

F.C. Approves More Aid — “The Falls Church City Council last night shifted an additional $25,000 toward an emergency aid fund, now to total $50,000, in light of the heightened food insecurity facing the entire region due to federal and contractor employee layoffs and the ongoing federal government shutdown.” [FCNP]

Awards for Parks Dept. — “Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) received four honors at the Virginia Parks and Recreation Society (VRPS) annual conference, winning awards for Best New Special Event, Best New Program, Most Creative Marketing Strategy, and Best Health and Wellness Initiative in the population category of 200,000 and above.” [Arlington County]

Concern About Left Turns — “As a parent of two children attending Key Escuela, I want to highlight an ongoing issue that affects not only parents but also all Arlington commuters—the lack of left turn traffic signals at several key intersections. Many other parents share my concerns, as these conditions create dangerous situations daily.” [Letters to the Editor]

Tech Firms Leasing More Space — “The tech industry — and its defense-focused subsector — are placing more importance on securing office space in and around D.C., fueled by a perception the federal government, especially the Pentagon, is more willing to work with emerging startups and established tech firms than in the past. The trend started last year, but it has accelerated under the Trump administration.” [WBJ]

D.C. Streetcar Service Ending — “If you’ve come to depend on the D.C. Streetcar to get around the H Street corridor, you might not be able to for much longer. The District Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that the service is ending on March 31, 2026. The closure comes a year earlier than initially planned, for March 2027.” [WTOP, PoPville]

Soaking Rain Measures Up — “After less than 1″ of rain over the last 40 days, DC area picked up 1-2″ since Wednesday night. (A few lingering showers could fall thru midday, but it’s mostly over) This will help lessen the drought a bit.” [CWG/X]

It’s Friday — Expect a sunny but breezy day, with a high near 59, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 15 to 20 mph and gusting up to 38 mph. For Halloween night, the sky will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 42. The west wind will remain persistent, blowing at 8 to 11 mph and gusting as high as 24 mph. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

Military Prompts Delays at DCA  — “Flights were impacted at Arlington, Virginia’s Reagan National Airport for a period on [Wednesday] afternoon after two jets and a Coast Guard helicopter were called to an airspace violation north of D.C., though no aircraft was actually found, sources told ABC News.” [WJLA, WUSA 9]

Tech Glitch In Juror System — Arlington Circuit Court officials yesterday grappled with a technical glitch related to a vendor’s website that left those seeking to fill out juror questionnaires for 2026 unable to respond. Clerk of Court Paul Ferguson told ARLnow the problem was rectified by the early afternoon, acknowledging his office had fielded “hundreds of calls” from those trying to complete the online response form, which is required by law, but unable to do so. –Scott McCaffrey

Feds Struggle With Finances — “While on intermittent family medical leave for an illness, Brown fell behind on car payments. However, she had an arrangement to make them up, as soon as she returned to work and received her first paycheck in October. But just as she returned to work, the federal government shut down. She received a partial paycheck, but when she left her Arlington, Virginia, condo one day, she noticed the car had been taken.” [WTOP, Axios]

Regional Spending Is Down — “Credit card spending is down in the DMV, per new Bank of America data. The shutdown is likely to blame, the bank says. Compared to last year, card spending per household in the D.C. area dropped 1.4% in the week ending Oct. 18.” [Axios]

Pentagon Wants Faster Firings — “The Pentagon removed key protections for defense civilian workers and directed that managers move with “speed and conviction” to fire employees with “unacceptable” performance reviews last month, just a day before the government shut down.” [Washington Post]

Cox Case in Court — “Registered sex offender Richard Cox was back in an Arlington County Courtroom Wednesday, asking the judge to represent himself on some of the charges he faces… The Arlington prosecutor said if Cox chooses to represent himself on all charges, the prosecutor will file motions to try to stop that. The prosecutor doesn’t want Cox to be able to cross-examine alleged child victims.” [WJLA]

More on Va. Redistricting — “Democrats argued that’s precisely why they propose opening this process. “Potentially giving the voters a choice to revisit their past decision in a small way under extraordinary circumstances undermines no one,” said Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria).” [Washington Post]

Gov. Race Has Wide Impact — “Spanberger’s stump speech, however, hints at the possible national implications of her race. House Democrats plan to center affordability and the needs of the working class in their push to retake the House next year, and Spanberger’s speech seems to provide a blueprint for that strategy. After invoking the issues that matter most to voters, Spanberger was quick to list three issues that make life unaffordable: the cost of housing, health care and energy.” [Washington Post]

F.C. Field Hockey in Finals — “The Meridian Mustangs earned their third overtime win in the past seven days, with Zorah Randhawa’s goal completing an improbable rally to defeat James Monroe 2-1 in the Regional Semifinals. If you haven’t been riding the emotional roller coaster that is the Meridian High School field hockey team, jump on now.” [FCNP]

Coastal Flooding Possible — “A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued for Arlington County for tomorrow, October 30, from 9 AM to 6 PM. Tidal flooding possible, with up to a foot of water in low-lying areas. Avoid flooded roads.” [Arlington Alert/X]

It’s Thursday — Expect rain and possible storms in the morning, followed by midday showers and then clearing conditions later in the afternoon, with a high of 66 degrees. Southeast winds of 13-15 mph will turn south, with gusts up to 24 mph. There is a 90% chance of precipitation, with half to three-quarters of an inch of rainfall possible. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low of 47 degrees and west winds of 9-11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. [NWS]