Author: Katie Taranto

Katie Taranto is a reporter at Local News Now, primarily covering business, public safety and the city of Falls Church. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2024, where she previously covered K-12 education at The Columbia Missourian. She is originally from Macungie, Pennsylvania.

Around Town

Animal hospital to join new cast of businesses under two Crystal City apartment buildings

By Katie Taranto
The two towers, 'The Grace' and 'Reva' at 1900 Crystal Drive by JBG Smith (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A whole new cast of retail and service characters is developing under The Grace and Reva apartments in Crystal City.

Veterinary hospital GoodVets is the newest in a series of tenants at 1900 Crystal Drive — including a cafe, a nail salon and a bar — announced by property owner JBG Smith. These will all join the recently opened Tatte and Van Leeuwen.

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Schools

New cellphone rules approved for APS, with permanent policy expected by year’s end

By Katie Taranto
People on smartphones (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New mobile phone policies are going into effect in Arlington Public Schools for the upcoming school year.

After a unanimous Arlington School Board vote yesterday (Thursday), high school students will be required to turn off their cellphones during class and elementary and middle school students will have to keep them off for the entire day.

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Events

Courthouse pizzeria to host blood drive benefitting D.C. area hospitals

By Katie Taranto
The Inova Bloodmobile (photo courtesy of Patrick Malone)

Fire Works Pizza in Courthouse is partnering with a D.C. area blood donor service to host a blood drive next week.

People who donate blood to Inova Blood Donor Services from 12:30-4:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 19, will receive $5 off any menu item at the pizzeria. Appointments will take place in Inova’s Bloodmobile, which will be parked outside the restaurant at 2350 Clarendon Blvd.

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Around Town

Tivoli bakery above Ballston Metro station reopens with new menu items

By Katie Taranto
The new interior of Tivoli's in Ballston (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Tivoli Gourmet & Pastry in Ballston has reopened after about two months of renovations.

The bakery above the Ballston Metro station at 901 N. Stuart Street returns with a simple, revamped interior design and new menu items alongside its usual breakfast offerings, assorted pastries and decorated cakes.

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Around Town

Dumpling District and Kung Fu Tea open doors at Pentagon City mall

By Katie Taranto
Kung Fu Tea and Dumpling District in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

After eight months in the making, Dumpling District opened its “flagship” location alongside a new Kung Fu Tea in Pentagon City last week.

The two businesses share a space in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, next to Häagen-Dazs on the mall’s Metro level entrance. Though Dumpling District has four other spots across the D.C. area, this is its first ever dine-in location with sit-down service.

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Around Town

At the Eden Center, historic businesses stand tall and new ones plant roots

By Katie Taranto
The main entrance of Fall Church's Eden Center (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Forty years since its founding, the Eden Center remains a community pillar of Falls Church and thriving destination for visitors from throughout the D.C. area and beyond.

Known for its immigrant-run restaurants and grocery stores, the expansive commercial center — situated just over the Arlington border on the 6700 block of Wilson Blvd — is a landmark of Northern Virginia’s Vietnamese community.

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Around Town

Upside on Moore transforms space above Rosslyn Metro with all-local food hall

By Katie Taranto
The main hallway of Upside on Moore (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Steps above the Rosslyn Metro station is a new food hall with hopes of becoming Arlington’s favorite destination for food, drinks and fun.

Upside on Moore debuted in late March, transforming the nearly 30,000-square-foot space of former Assembly food hall with a new slew of D.C.-area based vendors including Ghostburger, Lucky Dangr and La Michoacana.

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Around Town

Business owner steps in to help budding writer’s lemonade stand in Green Valley

By Katie Taranto
Nora Jacoby and Kevin Shaffer of Uncle Kebba's Lemonade at Jacoby's stand (courtesy of Maria Jacoby)

A young writer in Green Valley got a sweet helping hand from a local lemonade vendor last week.

Nora Jacoby, 10, is the author of “The Four Princesses,” a story of princesses who share their talents to help a new friend. Last Tuesday, Nora started a lemonade stand outside her house to raise funds to cover the cost of self-publishing her book on Amazon.

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Around Town

Longstanding Filipino market in Cherrydale expands offerings under new ownership

By Katie Taranto
The renovated exterior of POM and More (courtesy of Cherry Phatjareesakul)

A community haven for authentic Filipino food and groceries in Cherrydale has been renovated with an expanded focus under new ownership.

Philippine Oriental Market & Deli, aka POM, is now POM and More.

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Around Town

Sheriff’s office welcomes new puppy as a ‘wellness dog’

By Katie Taranto
Hope, a yellow Labrador Retriever puppy, has joined the Arlington County Sheriff's Office as a wellness dog (courtesy of the Sheriff's Office)

There’s a new sheriff’s dog in town.

Hope, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy, will serve as a “wellness dog” in the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 unit.

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Around Town

Columbia Pike Orangetheory to close, merge with Ballston studio

By Katie Taranto
Orangetheory on Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)

The Orangetheory on Columbia Pike is closing.

The fitness studio at 4231 Columbia Pike, which opened in late 2019 below Centro Arlington apartments and next to Harris Teeter, will hold its last day of classes on Saturday, Aug. 31, according to an email sent to members. After that, all Columbia Pike memberships will roll over to the Ballston studio at 4201 Wilson Blvd.

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News

Falls Church is nation’s healthiest community in new rankings, and Arlington is No. 19

By Katie Taranto
Pedestrians and bikers on the dual trails at Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Falls Church (photo courtesy of NOVA Parks)

Falls Church has returned to its No. 1 spot on the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s healthiest communities, and Arlington remains in the top 25.

The rankings, released today (Tuesday), gave Falls Church an overall score of 100 out of 100, particularly recognizing its high quality education, healthy populace, strong economy and good nutrition and infrastructure. Arlington County, meanwhile, received a score of 86.07, placing it at No. 19 on the list.

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