Author: ARLnow.com

Beyer Blasts Federal Layoffs — “The mass firings Russ Vought and the Trump Administration announced today are cruel, illegal, and yet another attack on our economy. This is a disaster for Virginia, intentionally inflicted by President Trump and his Republican allies. These firings are also already being fought in court.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]

Cox Emailed School Board Member — “According to an email obtained in the FOIA, “Riki Cox” sent an email to Arlington School Board Member Kathleen Clark on October 28, 2024. Cox told Clark that if people complained of a transgender person using the female-designated showers at APS, the complainers should be invited to use single locker rooms, and Cox wanted to know where Clark stood on the issue before Cox cast his vote.” [WJLA]

Rives Reacts to Cox Emails — “Newly revealed email exchanges between a sex offender and School Board Member Clark demonstrate how our gender policy fails. Arlington Schools are endangering girls and denying their rights under Title IX. Our board needs to set specific expectations of who can be in a girls’ facility.” [Rives for School Board/Facebook]

Brandishing on Arlington Border — “4600 block of King Street. At approximately 3:27 a.m. on October 8, police were dispatched to the report of a weapons violation. Upon arrival, a witness reported observing a male suspect exit a vehicle and approach another vehicle. A verbal dispute ensued during which the suspect allegedly displayed a firearm.” [ACPD]

Police Reminder About Scams — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is raising public awareness about national and reoccurring scams and ways the community can spot, avoid and report them. ACPD is cautioning the community to remain alert when receiving unsolicited calls, emails or text messages and sharing tips to help keep your personal information and finances safe.” [ACPD]

Ten-Miler Runs Through Arlington — “Thousands of people came out for the Army 10-Miler on Sunday after it was uncertain if the event would happen due to the government shutdown. ” [NBC 4]

FCPD Chopper Denied by ATC — “The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) rule changes regarding helicopters flying near Reagan National Airport (DCA) have been widely praised by safety advocates, but an incident early Friday morning raises questions about whether the rules need to be tweaked for police helicopters.” [WJLA]

New Legal Notice — Wholesale beer license; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Monday — Patchy drizzle with a chance of showers before 11am, then showers likely after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 62. North wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Tonight, expect patchy drizzle with a chance of showers before midnight, then a chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. North wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. [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.

Grand Opening for Mobile Bookstore — The Wandering Shelf is hosting festivities this Saturday to celebrate its first few months on the road. A grand opening with raffle prizes, custom art portraits, desserts and more kicks off at 11 a.m. in the National Capital Bank parking lot, at 2505 Wilson Blvd, across from Simona Cafe. –Katie Taranto

Capital for Ballston Development — “FCP announces it has provided $47.1 million in capital… to finance the construction of a mixed-use development comprised of 553 luxury apartments, Mira and Ador, in two adjacent towers, anchored by an approximately 40,000 square foot grocery store. The development, located at the former Macy’s building site at 685 N. Glebe Road, adjacent to the Ballston Quarter shopping mall, is being developed by Arlington-based Insight Property Group.” [PR Newsroom]

Pentagon vs. Press — “The Pentagon’s latest revisions of its new rules for journalists covering the Defense Department are inadequate, the Pentagon Press Association said Wednesday, auguring a broader rejection by media outlets that have been told they must pledge to adhere to the restrictive regulations by Tuesday.” [Washington Post]

More Data Centers in Va. — “Virginia is for data centers. Big ones. Big Tech companies filed permits for 54 new data centers in the state in the first nine months of 2025, according to a Business Insider tally. The number represents the state’s single largest spike in planned data centers in any one year, and a 16% increase from Virginia’s 2024 total. Amazon-built data centers represent the bulk of the new construction, with 28 planned facilities.” [Business Insider]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 65, with northeast winds at 6 to 9 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon. Friday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 53 and southeast winds at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]

ATC Staffing Leads to DCA Delays — “The FAA is now delaying flights into Reagan National Airport (DCA) due to low air traffic controller staffing. Day 8 of the government shutdown and staffing shortages are hitting Congress’ favorite airport.” [Pete Muntean/X]

Ballston Crash Leads to Pot Bust — “800 block of N. Randolph Street. At approximately 2:40 a.m. on October 5, police responded to the report of a single-vehicle crash. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the driver of the vehicle and following an investigation, he was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. During an inventory search of the vehicle prior to towing, a distribution amount of marijuana was recovered.” [ACPD, ACPD/X]

Cherrydale Truck Traffic Complaints — “When it was built decades ago, Galdes said the rehab center was designed to be a quiet, nursing-home-type residential facility. But since then, she said, it’s evolved to handle more and more medical needs — which means more deliveries. “Locally, in the neighborhood, we call it a small hospital,” she said Tuesday.” [WTOP]

Long Bridge Construction Plan — “Video from @vapassengerrail that shows how the new Long Bridge for trains and a parallel bridge for pedestrians & bikers will be constructed over the Potomac River. Major construction work is expected to start next year, currently the projected completion date is 2030.” [Tom Roussey/X]

Flyover This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 9:15AM.”

New Bill for Federal Workers — “Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act. This legislation would protect federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown.” [Press Release]

Arlington Food Insecurity — Arlington’s rate of food-insecure households, 22%, was lowest in the Washington region in a new report from the Capital Area Food Bank, presented Wednesday to the Council of Governments. Though down slightly from 23% last year, both the county rate and the regional rate of 36% are expected to grow in coming months due to federal downsizing and resulting economic impacts. –Scott McCaffrey

Warner on Peace Deal — From Sen. Mark Warner: “I welcome the announcement that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to bring about a ceasefire, secure the release of hostages, and lay the groundwork for a more durable peace following the conflict.” [Press Release]

W-L Crew Anniversary — “On October 4, 2025, the Washington-Liberty (W-L) High School Crew Boosters hosted a special event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of W-L’s s women’s rowing program.” [Press Release]

F.C. Budget Update — “A final report of the City of Falls Church budgetary performance for its FY25 fiscal year ending last June 30 showed a healthy net surplus of revenue over expenditures, but some areas signal cause for concern going forward.” [FCNP]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 63 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind between 9 and 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Thursday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 43 degrees. [NWS]

Virginia Reps on Fed Furlough Pay — “Today, the Democratic members of Virginia’s congressional delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to OMB Director Russ Vought clarifying that threats to withhold or cancel back pay to furloughed federal workers would be illegal.” [Press Release]

Beyer Blasts Back Pay Backtrack — “The Trump Administration is trying to frighten federal employees and their families as a negotiating tactic… Federal employees should know that these threats are hollow, and they will be paid when this shutdown ends, as the law requires.” [Press Release]

Kaine Says Suit Likely — “I was proud to work across the aisle in 2019 to pass legislation that Trump himself signed to guarantee backpay to federal workers during shutdowns. If OMB chooses thuggish intimidation tactics over following the law, it better prepare to face the American people in court.” [Sen. Tim Kaine/X]

Sens. Slam Shutdown Messages — “Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined 22 Senate colleagues Monday in demanding the Trump administration remove partisan political messages from federal agency websites and employee email accounts.” [ALXnow]

Gravelly Point Closed — “On an 80-degree day in October, you’d expect to see a full parking lot and picnic setups at Gravelly Point Park near Reagan National Airport, but not this time. The park, along with several others in Northern Virginia, is partially closed during the federal government shutdown.” [DC News Now]

Commission Backs Ballston Conversion — The Arlington Planning Commission on Monday voted 11-0 in support of a proposal to convert the existing office building at 4100 Fairfax Drive in Ballston to apartment use. The proposal later this month will go to the County Board for final action. —Scott McCaffrey

Flyover Planned This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at 11:10AM.”

New Metro Elevator — “Have you heard? The new elevator from South Hayes Street to the Pentagon City station mezzanine is now OPEN on the west side! Thank you to our partners @ArlingtonVA, @fta_dot, & @VirginiaDRPT for helping us bring more accessibility to our customers!” [WMATA/X]

More on AG Race Fallout — “A scandal over resurfaced texts from Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones has Democrats in a catch-22. A month before Election Day, pushing Jones off the ticket could fracture Democrats’ chances in a pivotal statewide race seen as a bellwether for next year. But standing by him risks reinforcing Republican attacks.” [Axios, New York Post]

Longtime Food Critic Leaving — From Tom Sietsema: “This week, I’m saying goodbye to my high-calorie job as food critic at The Washington Post. I’ve held the position since 2000, following the legendary work of my predecessor, Phyllis C. Richman. Far from retiring, I’ve got plans to cook more, travel more and stay connected with fellow food enthusiasts.” [Washington Post]

It’s Wednesday — Expect showers before 2pm with a high temperature near 70°F. The southwest wind at 7-14 mph will shift to the north in the afternoon, gusting up to 25 mph. There is an 80% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts ranging from a quarter to half an inch. Wednesday night, the sky will be mostly clear, with a low temperature around 47°F and a north wind at about 10 mph. [NWS]