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.
Arlington County police believe there may be more victims in a serial indecent exposure case.
As previously reported, a man was alleged to have exposed himself to two women and two children in a pair of separate incidents on a Saturday afternoon late last month, in the Clarendon area and near Lacey Woods Park.
Construction workers at Amazon's HQ2 near in Pentagon City, on April 5, 2021 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Virginia is experiencing a boom in skilled trades interest, with the state on track to receive more than 14,000 new contractor and tradesman license applications this year.
The projected number represents a 10% increase from 2024 and nearly double the application volume from a decade ago, according to new data from the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
Rainy day in Arlington (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
The National Weather Service has issued a pair of watches for Arlington and much of the D.C. area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued around 12:40 p.m. and will remain in effect until 7 p.m. today (Wednesday). Another Flood Watch, meanwhile, was issued a bit earlier and is effective until 8 p.m.
A path through the trees along N. Harrison Street (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
New DCA Helicopter Rules — “The FAA is making some tweaks when it comes to helicopters and planes to prevent the possibility of any more close calls. Helicopter traffic will now be pushed further to the southeast of the airport, limiting how much airspace they can occupy.” [NBC 4]
More on Coffey Threats — “Coffey emphasized that the current political climate nationally can trickle down to local lawmakers. “If you feel like it’s somehow acceptable to threaten a member of Congress, how is it that different to send a message to one of your local elected officials or your state lawmakers?” she said to DC News Now.” [DC News Now, WTOP]
Shots Fired in Crystal City — “The four victims were inside their residence when they heard a loud noise and observed a broken window and a shell casing. During the course of the investigation, responding officers recovered evidence confirming several shots had been fired in the area and did not locate any injuries.” [ACPD]
Pizza Monitor on High Alert — “While some other pizzerias to the Pentagon are experiencing a slower day, Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, and Extreme Pizza are experiencing heightened activity. As of about 2:13pm ET” [Pentagon Pizza Report/X]
YIMBYs Celebrate Election — From a press release: “The YIMBYs of NoVA congratulate winning pro-housing candidates, including State Senator Ghazala Hashmi, for Lieutenant Governor, and Arlington County Board Member Takis Karantonis. We look forward to working with all candidates and elected officeholders to advance pro-housing reforms at all levels of government.”
AI to Reduce Amazon Hiring — “Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Tuesday that the company expects artificial intelligence “will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains” over time. “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people do other types of jobs,” Jassy added in a memo to Amazon’s workforce.” [NBC News]
County Closures for Juneteenth — “Arlington County Government offices and facilities are closed on all federal holidays except Columbus Day. Permit parking is always in effect unless specifically noted on the sign. Meters are not enforced on Federal holidays.” [Arlington County]
New Police Recruits — “Friends, family and coworkers gathered on June 16, 2025, to celebrate a significant milestone in the careers of Arlington County Police Department’s 14 newest officers as Session 152 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.” [ACPD]
City Council Member Not Running — “Today, the deadline for candidates in the November 2025 Falls Church City Council election to file, Council member Debora Schantz-Hiscott has announced that she will not seek election to another term.” [FCNP]
It’s Wednesday — After some morning sunshine, showers are possible and a storm threat starts mid-afternoon. Highs reach around 90°F with a southwest wind of 6-9 mph. Expect a mostly clear Wednesday night with lows around 74°F and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. For Juneteenth, showers and thunderstorms are likely after 2pm, with highs around 93°F, southwest winds of 7-11 mph, and gusts up to 20 mph. The chance of precipitation on Thursday is 70%. [NWS]
A polling place at the Lubber Run Community Center, during the Democratic primary on June 17, 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
Incumbents are advancing after today’s Democratic primary in Arlington.
There were two local races on the ballot — for a County Board seat and for the 1st District House of Delegates seat — and the incumbent candidate is well ahead in both.
Showers may occur before 2pm, with chances of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, and more likely showers and possible thunderstorms after 4pm. Highs reach around 90°F with a southwest wind of 6-9 mph. Rainfall amounts range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. Expect a mostly clear Wednesday night with lows around 74°F and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. For Juneteenth, showers and thunderstorms are likely after 2pm, with highs around 93°F, southwest winds of 7-11 mph, and gusts up to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Helen Keller
A 35-year-old man accused of exposing himself and masturbating near children has a lengthy list of recent arrests.
Police say Sami Kasawat committed the lewd act around 3 p.m. last Tuesday in the area of Oakland Park in Virginia Square. He fled the scene but was arrested the next day in Courthouse.
Heavy rain along Four Mile Run Drive near Shirlington (file photo by Jay Westcott)
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and surrounding areas of Northern Virginia, effective from 5 p.m. tonight (Tuesday).
Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms could produce 1 to 2 inches of rain in a short period, with some areas potentially seeing 3 to 5 inches where storms train over the same locations.
Rainy night in Virginia Square (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Primary Day Today — “Today is Virginia’s Democratic primary election, with Arlington voters choosing nominees for Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, House of Delegates District 1, and County Board in contested races. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.” [Arlington County]
School Board Field Stands at Three — With the filing deadline set for today at 7 p.m., it appears it likely will be a three-person field for the lone School Board seat on the Nov. 4 ballot. Independent James “Vell” Rives IV and Democratic endorsee Monique “Moe” Bryant have qualified for the ballot access, county election officials tell ARLnow, joining Major Webb in the race to succeed Mary Kadera. –Scott McCaffrey
Trash-Collection Rate Unchanged — County Board members on Saturday voted to leave unchanged, for the coming year, the annual rate of $415.75 for trash/recycling services to single-family homes. The rate will be enough to fully recoup the $13.85 million cost of the program for fiscal 2026, which begins on July 1. –Scott McCaffrey
Assault on Police at Metro Station — “At approximately 4:40 p.m. on June 13, an officer on patrol in the Pentagon City Metro Station stopped a male subject for fare evasion. As the officer spoke to the subject, the female suspect, who is known to the subject, attempted to intervene and grabbed the officer before walking away. The officer issued commands to the suspect, who was noncompliant. With the assistance of additional responding officers, the suspect was taken into custody.” [ACPD]
Sustainability Accolade for ART — “Arlington Transit’s new bus Operations and Maintenance Facility (AOMF) has received the highest sustainability rating possible for a public service site: the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum for Communities certification.” [Arlington County]
Tech Event at Amazon HQ2 — “CivStart, a nonprofit innovation hub dedicated to advancing state and local government technology, in partnership with Arlington County, is gearing up for a groundbreaking State of GovTech event in Arlington, Virginia, on June 17–18, 2025. This event will bring together top government officials, tech innovators, and industry leaders.” [Arlington County]
It’s Tuesday — Expect scattered rain until 2pm followed by showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm, while patchy fog clears before 9am. The mostly cloudy day will have a high near 82, with a south wind around 6 mph and a 30% chance of precipitation. For Tuesday night, anticipate scattered showers and thunderstorms, a mostly cloudy sky, a low around 71, a southeast wind of 3 to 5 mph, and a 50% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Expect scattered rain until 2pm followed by showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm, while patchy fog clears before 9am. The mostly cloudy day will have a high near 82, with a south wind around 6 mph and a 30% chance of precipitation. For Tuesday night, anticipate scattered showers and thunderstorms, a mostly cloudy sky, a low around 71, a southeast wind of 3 to 5 mph, and a 50% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
A set of garden apartments in Westover neighborhoods (file photo)
A local nonprofit is sounding the alarm about a worsening affordable housing crisis that’s driving homelessness to new heights across Northern Virginia.
Falls Church-based Homestretch released new data showing that finding affordable housing in the region has become increasingly difficult for many residents.
Protesters sit in the shade in Courthouse on Saturday (courtesy George Brazier)
Threats Sent to County Board Member — “It’s genuinely unreal sometimes. Here’s two recent threats I’ve received as a local Democratic elected – there are more like this Its ALWAYS unsettling & I’m grateful for our local public safety team that vets every message, what happened in Minnesota is part of a broader problem.” [Maureen Coffey/X — NSFW]
1950s Clarendon Pedestrian Proposal — “Locally, there was an intriguing story of a missed opportunity, with the headline of “Wilson Boulevard Mall Shaped By Planners”. The article described a “bold plan to revamp Clarendon into the largest and most modern business district in Northern Virginia”. The idea was to close down large portions of Wilson Boulevard and convert the area into a pedestrian mall. Who knows, maybe 77 years later it is time to revive the idea?” [FCNP]
Remembering Gov’t Farm in Arlington — “On this day in Arlington history, November 29, 1940: All official activity ends at the Arlington Experimental Farm. The Arlington Experimental Farm, located on a portion of the Arlington estate close to the Potomac River, had been the main research facility for the US Department of Agriculture in the Washington area since 1900.” [AHS]
Trash Fire in Pentagon City — “Per scanner, trash fire in a RiverHouse apt bldg spread lots of smoke to upper floors. ACFD extinguished the fire and set up ventilation. Scaled back response around 7:30p.” [ARLnow/X]
Flash Flooding Friday Night — “Some streets around me, including N Fillmore in Clarendon, are flooded.” “Many reports of 1-3″ in an hour in N. Va that caused streams to rise 6-7 feet.” [Adam Theo/Bluesky, CWG/X, IEMBot LWX/X]
Automatic Train Control Returns — “Six months after launching Automatic Train Operation (ATO) on the Red Line, the entire Metrorail system will be operating in ATO starting Sunday, June 15, when the mode rolls out to the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines. This development marks the first full return to ATO since 2009.” [WMATA]
It’s Monday — Showers are most likely in the afternoon, with cloudy skies and temperatures reaching around 73°F. There will be a northeast wind at around 8 mph and a 50% chance of precipitation. Expect another chance of showers Monday night, as cloudy conditions persist with lows near 66°F and a light east wind of 3-6 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.
