Author: ARLnow.com

Federal Takeover of D.C. — “President Donald Trump will federalize D.C.’s police department and deploy National Guard troops, he announced Monday, in historic restrictions on local control over the District. “This is liberation day in D.C. and we’re going to take our capital back,” the president said at a White House news conference. A White House official told NBC News that National Guard troops are expected to be on the ground Tuesday morning.” [NBC 4]

Questioning Crime Claims — “Violent crime in D.C. has been on the decline since 2023, when a generational spike in killings rendered the nation’s capital one of America’s deadliest cities, plunging communities into grief and igniting a local political crisis that escalated to Congress.” [Washington Post]

Beyer Blasts Takeover — “Trump’s “temporary” takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is not intended to prevent crime, it is a soft launch of authoritarianism. Trump has a longstanding pattern of seeking showy displays of power.” [Press Release, Rep. Don Beyer/X]

Local Dems Release Statement — “Arlington Democrats stand in solidarity with our neighbors across the Potomac as they face Trump’s dangerous and undemocratic federal takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of the National Guard. This action is a stark reminder that until D.C. achieves full statehood, its 700,000 residents will remain vulnerable to interference from leaders they did not elect.” [Arlington Democrats/Bluesky]

Trump Torpedoing Tourism? — “Ferguson said he fears groups will be tempted to cancel their meetings in light of the president’s claims, exacerbating an already difficult climate since Trump’s inauguration. Ferguson previously disclosed 41 groups that had scheduled events or were considering booking meetings in the District had canceled those plans or withdrawn their interest.” [WBJ]

Shirlington Circle Crash — “[Sunday] night around 10:30pm, Arlington & @AlexandriaVAFD units responded to a multi-vehicle crash at the Shirlington Circle exit. One vehicle was pinned in a T-bone collision. R109 removed the doors & roof for extrication. Driver transported with non-life-threatening injuries.” [ACFD/X]

Firefighters Remove Handcuffs — “R109 assisted in the removal of handcuffs that a child had accidentally placed on themselves. Due to the keyhole being inaccessible, they were unable to unlock the cuffs using the key. As a result, personnel carefully cut the handcuffs off to safely free the child without injury.” [ACFD/X]

Fair Starts Tomorrow — “The Arlington County Fair, one of the largest free events on the East Coast and a beloved Arlington tradition for nearly 50 years, opens its gates on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. Held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center and Park, the County Fair beings five days of rides, food, live entertainment, and community spirit to the heart of Arlington.” [Arlington County]

New Flood Maps — “Large swaths of the Washington region, including many of its roadways, rail lines and bus stops, are more vulnerable to flooding than was previously known, according to a new analysis and flood mapping from the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.” [Washington Post]

It’s Tuesday — Expect patchy fog to clear by 8am, making way for partly sunny skies and a high near 91. A calm wind will pick up from the south around 6 mph in the afternoon. As for Tuesday night, it’ll be partly cloudy with a low of 74, and the south wind will continue at around 6 mph. [NWS]

Local College Student Drowns — “Authorities have released the name of a 19-year-old [Arlington] woman who drowned in Lake Anna on Saturday night after witnesses said she “jumped from a structure into the water,” resurfaced and then disappeared beneath the surface.” [WTVR]

More on Trash Collection Woes — “The transition to a new contractor, Bates Trucking & Trash Removal, has not gone as smoothly as expected and we apologize to those customers who have experienced missed collections… Trucks from Bates and the County will be working throughout this weekend in an attempt to catch up on all affected routes.” [Arlington County]

Weekend Water Main Break — “Crews in Arlington were working to make repairs to a 20-inch water main that broke Saturday afternoon, impacting traffic in the area. In a post on the X platform just before 4 p.m., the Arlington Department of Environmental Services said crews were conducting emergency repairs on the broken feeder main at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S Dinwiddie Street.” [DC News Now]

County Fair History — “The first Arlington County Fair, held in 1977, was a modest affair, held in the Thomas Jefferson school parking lot, without rides or a midway. The idea for the Fair emerged from the County’s community gardens program, with resident gardeners planning a Harvest Day to display their produce.” [FCNP]

County Wins Pair of Awards — “Arlington County has been awarded two Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) 2025 Achievement Awards, which recognize excellence in local government programs. Arlington was recognized for a pair of programs: On-Street Food Scraps Collection Program for Multi-Family Building Residents and Next Generation 9-1-1.” [Arlington County]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures peaking at around 88°F, accompanied by calm winds that will gradually shift to the southeast at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Towards Monday night, the sky will remain predominantly clear with lows settling at roughly 71°F and south winds blowing at a gentle 3 to 7 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 Dennis Dimick

Tesla Cybertruck Vandalized — “What began as a festive Fourth of July celebration on the water at the Columbia Island Marina ended in shock for Michael Sobhi. By the morning, his 2021 Tesla Cybertruck had been vandalized. When he went to the parking lot the next day, he noticed both side view mirrors had been ripped off his vehicle, and a note had been left behind that read: ‘How do you live with yourself and your small penis?'” [WTOP]

TV Broadcast in Pentagon City — “Your FOX 5 favorites will be at National Landing in Arlington, Virginia Friday morning! Join in on the fun at 1330 S Fair Street Arlington, VA 22202.” [Fox 5]

County Has New CTO — “Holly Hartell has been selected as Arlington County’s new Chief Information Officer and Director of the Department of Technology Services (DTS), County Manager Mark Schwartz announced this week. She will begin in the permanent role on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, after being appointed as acting director of DTS in January 2025.” [Arlington County]

Local Restaurant Struggles — “At a recent lunch hour, the long-time manager of a highly regarded, somewhat upscale restaurant in downtown Falls Church turned and looked to the barren tables and empty chairs in the well-appointed room. There was not a single other person there to eat. “Where is everybody?” she asked, exasperated. Sadly, this is an increasingly common scenario.” [FCNP]

Va. Sens. Blast Solar Cut — “As Virginians continue to struggle to pay their rising electricity bills, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are pushing back against the Trump administration’s plans to terminate a program designed to lower energy costs and support the deployment of affordable solar power to communities hardest hit by skyrocketing costs.” [Press Release]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching about 83°F, accompanied by a gentle northeast breeze at 6 to 8 mph. As night falls, the skies will remain mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 64°F. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick