Vernon Miles | ARLnow

North Arlington preschool to close after 50 years

Published May 16, 2025 at 3:45PM

Walker Chapel Preschool (staff photo)

After 50 years, Walker Chapel Preschool is shutting down due to a steady decline in enrollment.

Walker Chapel Preschool is a school for children ages 2-5 attached to Walker Chapel United Methodist Church at 4102 North Glebe Road. Suzanne Romness, director of Walker Chapel Preschool, said the decision to shut down the school was heartbreaking for students and staff at the program.

Around Town

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Willow

By Vernon Miles

Published May 16, 2025 at 3:15PM

Willow Grace (courtesy photo)

Willow is a loving pup looking for an equally loving home.

According to Willow’s foster owner, she’s a six-year-old terrier/pit bull mix who’s been in foster care via the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation for over a year.

Schools

Washington-Liberty High School principal stepping down for ‘new leadership opportunity’ in APS

By Vernon Miles

Published May 15, 2025 at 2:45PM | Updated May 15, 2025 at 3:29PM

Washington-Liberty Principal Tony Hall (photo courtesy APS)

Washington-Liberty High School Principal Tony Hall is stepping down to take a new, unnamed leadership job within Arlington Public Schools.

In a message to the Washington-Liberty High School community, Hall said he will continue serving the Arlington community in a different capacity.

News

Point-in-time count shows homeless in Arlington continues to rise

By Vernon Miles

Published May 14, 2025 at 3:45PM | Updated May 14, 2025 at 8:03PM

Person experiencing homelessness (photo via Jon Tyson/Unsplash)

While an annual point-in-time count showed the D.C. region has seen a slight decline in homelessness, Arlington’s count increased by 12%.

The point-in-time count from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is an annual snapshot tallying people experiencing homelessness around the region.

News

Bike to Work day kicks into gear on Thursday

By Vernon Miles

Published May 14, 2025 at 11:45AM

Bicyclists on the Mt. Vernon Trail while a boat on the Potomac passes by (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Bike to Work Day is rolling into town tomorrow (Thursday), rain or shine.

The annual local event encourages locals to, as the name suggests, bicycle to work.

News

Roosevelt Bridge rehabilitation kicks off this week with lane changes

By Vernon Miles

Published May 14, 2025 at 9:15AM

The Roosevelt Bridge and the Rosslyn skyline (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Theodore (Teddy, to his friends) Roosevelt Bridge’s two-year rehabilitation project started this week with new roadway changes that will be in place at least through 2027.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) started work Monday on a series of changes to the bridge described by DDOT as “structurally deficient and functionally obsolete.”

News

Arlington animal rescue puts fired feds to work fostering pets

By Vernon Miles

Published May 13, 2025 at 8:30AM

Roush, a dog available for fostering at Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (photo via Lucky Dog Animal Rescue/Facebook)

As plenty of former federal workers are likely feeling down, a local animal rescue organization wants to help lift some spirits.

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue — a regional nonprofit based along Langston Blvd in Arlington’s Yorktown neighborhood — is asking out-of-work federal employees to consider fostering a cat or dog.

News

Arlington Pride sponsors evaporate as LGBTQ+ leaders seek greater community support

By Vernon Miles

Published May 9, 2025 at 9:15AM

Annual Arlington Pride Pageant in 2024 (image via Arlington Pride)

Sponsorships for Arlington Pride’s annual LGBTQ+ pride events have plunged this year.

The number of sponsors for the group’s upcoming festivities at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City plummeted from 50 last year to two this year, organizer Lindsey Hinton told ARLnow.

News

85-year-old ‘narrowly escaped’ falling tree limb in Virginia Square park

By Vernon Miles

Published May 7, 2025 at 10:00AM

Marianne Beith and Xoco (photo courtesy Malcolm Beith)

An 85-year-old woman escaped with a broken wrist, a lucky dog and a scary story after she fled a falling tree branch in Virginia Square last weekend.

According to her son Malcolm Beith, Marianne Beith “narrowly escaped serious injury” when walking through Hayes Park with her dog Xoco on Saturday.

News

Arlington unemployment claims spiked in March, adding to region-wide pessimism

By Scott McCaffrey and Vernon Miles

Published April 30, 2025 at 3:55PM

A town hall for federal workers and contractors at Central Library in February (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Hundreds more Arlington County residents began seeking work in March as federal layoffs continue to drive a region-wide surge in unemployment, new data shows.

A total of 4,929 Arlington residents were counted as without jobs and seeking work in March, the Virginia Employment Commission reported yesterday (Tuesday). That’s up 16% from the 4,249 recorded in February, and up a hefty 60% from 3,116 in March 2024.

Around Town

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Bob the cautious kitten

By Vernon Miles

Published April 18, 2025 at 10:30AM

Bob (photo via Animal Welfare League of Arlington)

Bob, a black kitten at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA), is brand new to the world and a little unsure about all of this.

According to the AWLA, Bob is a young black cat — less than a year old — looking for adoption.

News

Dog and cat themed film festivals coming to Columbia Pike next month

By Vernon Miles

Published April 14, 2025 at 9:00AM

New York Dog Film Festival poster (image via NY Dog and Cat Film Festivals/Facebook)

Animal-loving filmmakers have tales to tell at a pair of upcoming dog- and cat-themed film festivals on Columbia Pike.

The 2025 New York Cat & Dog Film Festivals are coming to the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse at 2903 Columbia Pike. It’s a two-night event on Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7 “celebrating the love, charm, and companionship of our feline and canine friends.”