Author: Emily Leayman

Emily Leayman is a senior reporter at ARLnow, ALXnow and FFXnow. She was previously a field editor covering parts of Northern Virginia for Patch for more than eight years. A native of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, she lives in Northern Virginia.

Around Town

Overlooked dog’s adoption story earns $100K for Falls Church animal rescue

By Emily Leayman
Adopter Anna Ridge with Yuki (courtesy of Petco Love)

A Falls Church animal rescue center has received a $100,000 grant thanks to the story of an overlooked mother dog who got adopted.

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation was one of 10 national winners of the Petco Love Stories initiative, which provided grants of $10,000 to $100,000 to animal rescues and shelters. Petco Love surprised the foundation on Wednesday with a check to support its rescue work.

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News

Kaine again seeks to remove Robert E. Lee reference from Arlington House

By Emily Leayman
Arlington House in the snow (via Arlington House/Facebook)

Sen. Tim Kaine (D) has reintroduced legislation to remove the reference to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at Arlington House.

The legislation would rename Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery as the Arlington House National Historic Site. Rep. Don Beyer (D), who represents Arlington in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, has introduced companion legislation in the House.

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Events

Lunar New Year celebrations begin this week in Arlington and Falls Church

By Emily Leayman
Lion dance at Rosslyn's Lunar New Year event (courtesy of Rosslyn BID)

An earlier version of this story indicated the Rosslyn Lunar New Year Celebration was happening on Feb. 19, but the event has been rescheduled to Feb. 25.

Festivals and other events in celebration of Lunar New Year are coming to Arlington and Falls Church starting this week, kicking off the Year of the Horse.

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News

County Board member joins push to help churches redevelop with affordable housing

By Emily Leayman
Arlington County Board member Julius "JD" Spain, Sr. (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington County Board member JD Spain Sr. is throwing his support behind a state bill to accelerate affordable housing development on church properties.

Spain joined the Rev. Alice Tewell of Clarendon Presbyterian Church — which put its affordable housing proposal in Lyon Village on pause last year amid rising costs coupled with a lengthy approval process — in testifying on behalf of State Sen. Jeremy McPike’s (D-29) Faith in Housing Act.

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News

Shirlington Transit Center cuts hours, earning backlash during winter storm

By Emily Leayman
Shirlington Transit Center (via Google Maps)

Reduced hours at the Shirlington Transit Center, driven by vandalism concerns and budget constraints, prompted criticisms during last week’s bitter cold.

The transit center at 2975 S. Quincy Street cut its hours to 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and eliminated Saturday hours entirely on Nov. 14. It was a significant reduction from the center’s previous hours of 5:30 a.m. to midnight.

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Around Town

Profs and Pints lecture series expanding into Crystal City bar this month

By Emily Leayman
Profs and Pints founder Peter Schmidt hosting a lecture at Penn Social (courtesy of Profs and Pints)

A scholar-led lecture series based in D.C. is expanding into Arlington for the first time later this month.

Profs and Pints, which launched in 2017 and has since expanded into several other metro areas, is coming to Highline RxR (2010 Crystal Drive) beginning on Feb. 22.

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Around Town

‘Shovel ICE Out’ fundraiser digs Fairlington cars out of snow to support Minnesota

By Emily Leayman
Megan Moos Detweiler organized the "Shovel ICE Out" fundraiser in Fairlington (courtesy of Megan Moos Detweiler)

A Fairlington resident from Minnesota has been providing snow shoveling services in exchange for donations supporting immigrants in the Twin Cities.

Megan Moos Detweiler, a teacher and Fairlington resident who grew up on the East Side of St. Paul, Minn., launched the “Shovel ICE Out” fundraiser to help immigrant families at her alma mater, Mississippi Creative Arts Elementary. Since last weekend’s storm, it has received about 300 donations, including $5,600 through GoFundMe.

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News

Del. Lopez introduces bills to limit immigration enforcement at polling places and schools

By Emily Leayman
Del. Alfonso Lopez 2025 campaign kickoff (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3) is proposing several pieces of legislation to place restrictions on federal immigration enforcement in Virginia, including at sensitive locations like schools and polling places.

One bill introduced by Lopez would prohibit federal immigration enforcement within 40 feet of polling places, as well as near local electoral board locations to certify or recount election results. Activities like loitering and handing political materials are already restricted within 40 feet of polling places, but immigration enforcement is not explicitly mentioned under current Virginia law.

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News

Rep. Beyer has ‘mixed feelings’ on redistricting during his reelection bid

By Emily Leayman
Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

U.S. Rep Don Beyer (D-Va.), currently seeking a seventh term in Congress, says he has “mixed feelings” on Virginia legislators’ redistricting proposal that is being blocked by a state judge.

Beyer, who represents Arlington and several neighboring localities in the 8th Congressional District, told ARLnow the current maps approved through the 2021 redistricting process made Virginia “one of the least gerrymandered in the country.”

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News

New bill seeks first advisory commission on boys’ and men’s issues in Virginia

By Emily Leayman
Del. Josh Thomas speaks at a Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee meeting on Jan. 23, 2026 (courtesy of Virginia General Assembly)

New legislation advancing in the General Assembly seeks to address overlooked challenges for men and boys amid growing concerns about educational, career and mental health outcomes.

The House of Delegates Rules Studies Subcommittee has recommended a bill from Del. Josh Thomas (D-21) to create a permanent Boys and Men Advisory Commission that would issue annual reports with legislative recommendations. Thomas says it would be the nation’s first commission with this focus.

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Around Town

All-day cafe from Michelin-starred chef coming to Rosslyn

By Emily Leayman
1100 Wilson Blvd (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A cafe from the team behind Sfoglina is opening in Rosslyn, in the same office building as the Italian restaurant.

Signage for the all-day cafe by Michelin-starred chef Fabio Trabocchi, first reported by the Washington Business Journal, has appeared in the lobby at The Towers at 1100 Wilson Blvd.

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Around Town

Virginia ABC stores closing in Crystal City and Lee Harrison Shopping Center

By Emily Leayman
The Virginia ABC store at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Two Virginia ABC stores, one in Crystal City and one just off of Langston Blvd, are closing their doors.

The first is expected to close in February and the other will close in March.

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