Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.
Unfortunately, inside jokes about the gondola and brown flip flops are getting a bit long in the tooth, so we’re in need of new ideas. That’s where you come in — this year we’re asking readers to help us with design ideas.
Blue Angels flying over D.C. (courtesy James Mahony)
Blue Angels flying over Arlington and D.C. (courtesy anonymous)
Blue Angels flying over Arlington and D.C. (staff photo)
Surprise Blue Angels Flyover — “The Blue Angels were spotted over parts of D.C. and surrounding areas midday on Tuesday… D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the flyover was to celebrate the Navy’s 250th Birthday, which was on October 13.” [Fox 5, Andrew Leyden/X, ARLnow/X]
Latest on Redistricting Battle — “The amendment’s release followed hours of heated debate in the state Senate earlier on Tuesday, where Democrats and Republicans clashed over the timing and legality of advancing the proposal, introduced after more than a million Virginians have already voted… Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on Tuesday argued that the Democratic proposal violates the state Constitution’s intent that voters have a meaningful say before such measures move forward.” [Virginia Mercury, Press Release, Press Release]
Feds Facing Financial Strains — “The federal government shutdown led 658,000 civilian employees to miss out on their first full paychecks on Friday. The average federal worker makes more than the average U.S. worker, but many are still struggling financially.” [Axios]
Va. Emergency SNAP Plan — “VENA benefits will be issued weekly, not monthly, in hopes the federal shutdown will end soon. For example: If a household normally receives $200 for a monthly benefit, a $50 benefit will be issued on a weekly basis. Recipients and households should adjust to this new schedule and plan accordingly.” [Press Release]
Bus Brandishing in Buckingham — “Between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on October 20, the male suspect boarded a transit bus and engaged the driver in a verbal dispute. As the suspect was exiting the bus, he made threatening statements and displayed what appeared to be a firearm before fleeing the scene on foot.” [ACPD]
Acquisition for AI Firm — “Istari Digital, an Arlington-based developer of infrastructure enabling AI-directed workflows across teams, tools and classification levels, said it has acquired Dgraph, a graph database most commonly used for building knowledge graphs, from San Francisco-based owner Hypermode.” [Potomac Tech Wire]
Rosslyn’s CoStar Keeps Growing — “CoStar Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP), a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information, analytics, and 3D digital twin technology in the property markets, announced today that revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 was $834 million, up 20% over revenue of $693 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. Net loss was $31 million.” [BusinessWire]
It’s Wednesday — Isolated showers are expected before 10am and after 2pm, with otherwise partly sunny skies and a high of 57°F. Winds from the northeast at 8-10 mph, gusting up to 18 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. On Wednesday night, expect rain and possible thunderstorms after 5am, a low of 51°F, east winds at 9-13 mph with gusts up to 21 mph, and a 90% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Isolated showers are expected before 10am and after 2pm, with partly sunny skies and a high of 57°F. Winds from the northeast at 8-10 mph, gusting up to 18 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. On Wednesday night, expect rain and possible thunderstorms after 5am, a low of 51°F, east winds at 9-13 mph with gusts up to 21 mph, and a 90% chance of precipitation. New rainfall could measure between three quarters and one inch. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Success is not in what you have, but who you are.” – Bo Bennett
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
Skeleton lawn crew in Waycroft-Woodlawn (courtesy George Brazier)
Leaf Blower Ban Feedback — “Arlington County is considering prohibiting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers with a possible phase-out period of up to three years. Your input is essential in shaping how we move forward. Share your thoughts in this questionnaire by October 29. The County is also hosting an Electric Leaf Blower Webinar on October 29 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.” [Arlington County]
Scam Alert from ACPD — “Community members have reported receiving voicemail messages from individual(s) claiming to be Arlington County law enforcement wanting to discuss an urgent legal matter. REMINDER: ACPD and @acso_va will never call, email or text to solicit funds or collect fines.” [ACPD/X]
Marymount Raising Money — “Marymount University in Arlington has launched a $50 million fundraising campaign it says will set the private Catholic university up for a new era. The effort, tabbed “Momentum: The Campaign for Marymount,” has already raised more than $20 million over the past three years, the university said Friday. The new funds will be used to increase access to scholarships and financial aid, expand learning and innovation spaces on the campus.” [WBJ]
Amazon Corporate Layoffs — “Amazon is planning to cut as many as 30,000 corporate jobs beginning on Tuesday, as the company pares expenses and compensates for overhiring during the peak demand of the pandemic, according to three people familiar with the matter. The figure represents a small percentage of Amazon’s 1.55 million total employees, but nearly 10% of its roughly 350,000 corporate employees.” [Reuters]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching near 57 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind at 10 to 14 mph and gusts up to 24 mph. On Tuesday night, there is a 30% chance of showers primarily after 2am, with mostly cloudy conditions, a northwest wind around 9 mph, and a low of 45 degrees. [NWS]
Expect mostly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching near 57 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind at 10 to 14 mph and gusts up to 24 mph. On Tuesday night, there is a 30% chance of showers primarily after 2am, with mostly cloudy conditions and a low around 45 degrees. The northeast wind will be around 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
Police in the Ballston Metro station in June 2025 (staff photo by Katie Taranto)
A 32-year-old man is facing charges after police say he made threats while wielding a boxcutter in a Metro station over the weekend.
It happened just before 7 a.m. Saturday at the Ballston Metro station. Police say they were dispatched after reports that a man was “throwing items at people” in the station. The man allegedly threatened an arriving officer while holding a boxcutter, leading to a taser being used to subdue him.
Autumn canopy in Clarendon (courtesy George Brazier)
Arlington Woman Wins MCM — “In the journey to the Olympic Trials, Tessa Barrett wins the women’s race in the Marine Corps Marathon. News4’s Tommy McFly talks to her about her Olympic goals.” [NBC 4/YouTube]
Marathon Recap — “Despite the government shutdown, more than 40,000 runners participated Sunday in the 50th Marine Corps Marathon. In the men’s division, Kyle King won with a time of 2:18:51. In the women’s division, Tessa Barrett won with a time of 2:34:11.” [Stars and Stripes]
Ukrainian Troops Run MCM — “A group of active-duty members of the Ukrainian armed forces crossed the finish line Sunday at the 50th Marine Corps Marathon. Another of their brothers in arms was supposed to be with them, but he recently died in combat.” [Stars and Stripes]
Arlington Stands Out in Chart — “CHART OF THE DAY: In 2020, 65.7% of Virginia voters overwhelmingly voted to codify nonpartisan redistricting in our Constitution. The popular amendment won a majority vote in every Virginia locality but one.” [Gov. Glenn Youngkin/X]
Bird Removal at DCA — “If you’ve ever reached out to us about birds in the Terminal, THIS IS FOR YOU! Travelers may notice equipment and personnel related to humane bird removal in Terminal 1 over the next two days. Once humanely captured, the birds will be released at a safe outdoor location.” [Reagan Airport/X]
Local Co. Benefits from Bill — “Geothermal heating and cooling systems are getting a fresh look from some homebuilders after Arlington-based Dandelion Energy rolled out a new program Wednesday aimed at making the long-term cost-saving technology more accessible. CEO Dan Yates said the new leasing program — enabled by provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4 — has already drawn several homebuilders in Maryland.” [WBJ]
New Whole Foods Store Open — “On Thursday, the Amazon-owned chain expanded its Whole Foods Market Daily Shop concept with the first location outside New York City. The store is located across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, in Arlington, Virginia — right around the corner from Amazon’s HQ2. At about 10,000 square feet, this Daily Shop location is about a quarter of the size of a normal Whole Foods store. And, as the name implies, Amazon’s goal isn’t really to offer the store’s patrons everything they might need for their weekly grocery haul.” [Business Insider]
It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 60 degrees and a northeast wind between 6 and 9 mph. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 43 degrees and a northeast wind at 6 to 8 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.
Expect increasing clouds and a high near 59 with a northwest wind around 6 mph. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy and have a low around 42, accompanied by calm wind. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum. 👋
As cooler temperatures settle in, pest control service providers in Arlington are ready to assist for a range of needs, from general maintenance to pesky infestations.
Early voting at the Madion Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (staff photo)
Flyover Today — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, October 24, at approximately 11:00AM”
Va. Races Poll — “Support for Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones has tumbled among Virginia voters in the wake of a texting scandal that broke three weeks ago, but likely voters have not transferred much support to his opponent — Republican incumbent Jason S. Miyares — and the race is a tie, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll.” [Washington Post]
Reminder: MCM Sunday — “The Marine Corps Marathon is the most heavily attended special event of the year in Arlington. ACPD & our partner agencies are ready to serve & protect the runners, visitors & community during the race on Sunday. Learn about how ACPD protects the county during large-scale events.” [ACPD/X, NBC 4, ARLnow]
Teen Robbery in Ballston — “Three juvenile male suspects followed the juvenile male victim into a building during which they assaulted him and stole a clothing item before fleeing the scene. No injuries were reported. Medics responded and evaluated the victim on scene.” [ACPD]
Fight Feeds Political Narrative — “For days, MAGA media was up in arms over a scuffle at an Arlington GOP party, saying it was liberal agitators. Turns out, it was a pair of GOP operatives beefing with others there. Everyone quickly deleted their tweets.” [Sam Stein/X, The Bulwark]
Closure Causes Aging Concerns — “The recent announcement that Culpepper Garden will close its assisted living wing should alarm every policymaker in Arlington County. For years, Culpepper has been a lifeline for older residents of modest means—people who have lived, worked, and volunteered in Arlington for decades but can no longer afford the area’s soaring housing and care costs.” [Letter to the Editor]
Wonder Food Hall’s Big Expansion — “Upside co-founder Nick Freshman is a skeptic of the hall-less food hall model. ‘I’m not going to say it’s not going to work, but I do think that pushing capital behind a brand can’t solve everything. And while Washington welcomes out-of-towners, Washingtonians really appreciate their homegrown brands.'” [Axios]
State Tests Get Harder — “Schools across Virginia expect to see a dramatic increase in students failing end-of-year exams as the state prepares to implement higher benchmarks for standardized tests. But some state leaders, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), say the changes could give a more accurate picture of student performance.” [Washington Post]
Real Estate Market Eases — “Some good news for wanna-be DMV home buyers: House inventory is up across the region, and prices seem to be stalling, according to Bright MLS’ latest report. It’s another indicator of a softening market in Washington amid government cuts, President Trump’s crackdown and the ongoing shutdown.” [Axios]
No Va. Recession Yet? — “The Youngkin administration and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond are pushing back on a recent analysis saying Virginia is one of 22 states and districts in, or at risk of, a recession. Virginia isn’t immune to a downturn, but local economists and state leaders tell Axios they’re not seeing one yet — even as inflation fatigue, layoffs and a government shutdown make the “recession risk” narrative sound believable to many.” [Axios]
Stormy Halloween Week — “For the past couple of days, we’ve been discussing the possibility of a chilly, stormy weather pattern around Halloween… The best chance of rain is probably on Oct. 29 and 30, rather than on Halloween itself. There’s some chance, however, that storminess lingers into Halloween and it may be rather breezy in the wake of the potential storm.” [CWG]
It’s Friday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high temperature near 61, with a northwest wind at 8 to 13 mph in the morning and gusts up to 22 mph. Friday night, skies will be mostly clear and the temperature will drop to around 39, accompanied by a northwest wind at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
