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

Lost Dog Cafe to close on Columbia Pike this week after months of declining sales

By Katie Taranto
Lost Dog Cafe on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A longtime Columbia Pike pizzeria is closing its doors for good.

Lost Dog Cafe will serve its last pies at 2920 Columbia Pike this week after 16 years in business there. The closure comes months after the local business’s owner shared concerns of flagging sales amid ongoing roadwork.

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Around Town

H-B Woodlawn music teacher named semifinalist for Grammy educator award

By Katie Taranto
Bill Podolski (photo by Kathleen Akerley, courtesy of Bill Podolski)

An Arlington Public Schools teacher is in the final rounds for a Grammy award honoring outstanding music educators.

Bill Podolski, the choral director at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, is one of 25 nationwide semifinalists for the 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award, announced last week. The accolade is bestowed on one music teacher each year who is honored during the week of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

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Around Town

New bridal boutique and hair salon opening this weekend in Green Valley

By Katie Taranto
2112 and 2114 S. Shirlington Road (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A joint grand opening is planned in Green Valley this weekend for a new hair salon and bridal boutique under the same roof.

The Dahnistry Room and Root & Bloom, located at 2112 and 2114 S. Shirlington Road, both open for business at noon on Saturday. Root & Bloom owner Nataki Green described the ventures as “two Black woman-owned businesses proudly rooted in South Arlington.”

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Around Town

Van Leeuwen opens in Clarendon this Friday with discount ice cream scoops

By Katie Taranto
Signs for Van Leeuwen in Clarendon (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Van Leeuwen’s new Clarendon shop will celebrate a grand opening this week with discounted scoops and a tote bag giveaway.

The New York City-based chain is set to open its doors at 2831 Clarendon Blvd this Friday, Oct. 17. The incoming business replaces the longtime ice cream parlor Nicecream, which closed in August after 11 years at the address.

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Around Town

Arlington amputee to participate in charitable Mount Kilimanjaro hike

By Katie Taranto
Jacob Rainey (courtesy of Jacob Rainey)

An Arlington man is preparing to scale the highest peak in Africa with a prosthetic leg, aiming to fundraise for clean water and inspire other amputees.

Jacob Rainey, who walks with an artificial right leg, is embarking on a seven-day, 43-mile challenge to hike Mount Kilimanjaro this February. Alongside a group including veterans and former athletes, he is raising funds for Waterboys, a clean water advocacy initiative by former NFL defensive end Chris Long.

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Around Town

Local photographer documents Ballston construction crew across months of hard-won progress

By Katie Taranto
UrbA II site construction workers (photo courtesy of David Moss)

A tight-knit construction crew’s months of labor and progress in Ballston are the subject of an online photo album by a neighborhood photographer.

Since the spring, David Moss has captured dozens of scenes conveying the teamwork and physical feats of construction workers at the UrbA phase II redevelopment site next to Harris Teeter, where a 197-unit apartment building is getting built at 600 N. Glebe Road.

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Around Town

New ‘modernized’ McDonald’s on Langston Blvd expected to reopen next month

By Katie Taranto
Newly constructed McDonald's on Langston Blvd (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Langston Blvd has been without its McDonald’s for about seven months, but that’s about to change.

The company is in the final stages of constructing a “modernized” restaurant on the grounds of its former red-roofed joint at 4834 Langston Blvd. The new build, which replaces the old-school look with the franchise’s updated, neutral color palette, is expected to open next month.

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Around Town

Two Arlington restaurants featured in Washington Post’s ’40 Best Restaurants’ list

By Katie Taranto
Guests at Ruthie's All-Day (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Ruthie’s All-Day and Our Mom Eugenia made it in The Washington Post’s new “40 Best Restaurants in and Around D.C.” list.

Departing Post food critic Tom Sietsema featured the two restaurants in his annual list of the top 40 restaurants across D.C., Maryland and Virginia, which came out yesterday (Wednesday).

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Around Town

Pirouette Cafe & Wine Shop is closing after months of struggling to increase business in Ballston

By Katie Taranto
Pirouette Cafe and Wine Shop (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

The owners of a small wine bar and restaurant in Ballston are closing their doors for good this month, citing rising operating costs, flagging sales and a struggling region-wide economy.

Pirouette Cafe & Wine Shop’s last day of service is Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4000 Fairfax Drive, owners Jackie and Philippe Loustaunau announced on social media and in an email to customers yesterday (Wednesday).

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Around Town

Arlington Restaurant Week returns Monday with over 80 participating businesses

By Katie Taranto
Kimchi ramen with beef, bean sprouts, kimchee, seaweed and a poached egg from Ryu Izakaya (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A week of countywide dining deals kicks off on Monday with the return of the annual Arlington Restaurant Week.

Over 80 Arlington restaurants plan to offer discounts, specials and prix fixe meals from Oct. 13-20 as part of the yearly promotion by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Participants range from fast-casual to formal dining and include local favorites like The Italian Store.

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News

Local artist plans new Arlington-focused Roku channel following AIM’s collapse

By Katie Taranto
Wilson Bender (photo by Joe Flood, courtesy of Wilson Bender)

An Arlington artist with a growing involvement in civic life is planning a new project in the aftermath of Arlington Independent Media’s demise.

Wilson Bender — the Penrose-based satirist behind numerous posters poking fun at local public figures, a new zine about life in Arlington, and a pop-up art studio in Clarendon and Courthouse — has announced plans to launch “Arlington Autonomous Media,” an independently funded Roku channel with a focus on local happenings and political commentary.

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News

Goodwill on Glebe Road will close this month for affordable housing redevelopment

By Katie Taranto
The Goodwill at 10 S. Glebe Road (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

The Goodwill on S. Glebe Road is closing this month to redevelop as a mixed-use affordable housing project.

The donation center, retail store and career center at 10 S. Glebe Road is set to close for about two years beginning on Monday, Oct. 27. Goodwill expects to begin demolition this winter, making way for a six-story building with 128 units of affordable housing, a 3,000-square-foot child care, and a modernized retail and donation center.

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