A pair of good Samaritans rescued a kayaker knocked into the Potomac River without a life vest during a sudden thunderstorm last week.
The kayaker, an older man who has been paddling the Potomac for the last 25 years, had been caught off guard by heavy winds and rain on June 11. Forced out of his kayak by the waves, he was left stranded in the river and unsuccessfully tried to catch the attention of several other vessels before boaters Orlando Karpf and Madison Cutlip heard his cries for help.
It could now be 2027 before any community task force is empaneled to consider structural changes to county governance.
A timetable put in place last December suggested that a task force could be appointed sometime in the second half of 2026. But getting past a number of procedural steps has taken longer than anticipated, County Board members were told at their June 17 meeting.
Falls Church could consolidate all Election Day voting in a single location, if the General Assembly supports doing so next year.
The city currently is divided into three voting wards, with two voting in different parts of the Falls Church Community Center and the third at Oak Street Elementary School.
Recent trends in Arlington’s hotel-occupancy and room rates are pointing modestly upward after a downturn in 2025.
For the first four months of 2026, the county’s hotel-occupancy rate was up 2% year-over-year, while the revenue per available room was up nearly 6%, according to new data.
Car Windows Smashed — Police found 12 vehicles with their driver’s-side windows broken across several South Arlington blocks, including near 10th Street S. and S. Columbus Street, in a series of reports filed June 17. The vehicles vary in make and model and there are no suspect descriptions, according to police. The case remains under investigation. [ACPD]
Rosslyn Cyberwarfare Unicorn — Twenty Technologies, a Rosslyn-based startup, raised $100 million at a $1 billion valuation, becoming what it calls the first venture-backed cyberwarfare unicorn in America. The company builds offensive cyber tools for the Defense Department and intelligence community. “We’re building software that enables our war fighters, our elite cyberoperators, to move even faster,” CEO Joe Lin said. [WBJ]
JFK Agent Laid to Rest — Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who threw himself over President Kennedy and the first lady after shots rang out in Dallas in 1963, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors Thursday. Hill, who died at 93, served under five presidents. Asked why the family chose Arlington, his widow Lisa McCubbin Hill said, “There was no other place.” [Arlington National Cemetery]
Juneteenth Holiday Schedule — Arlington County government offices are closed today for the Juneteenth holiday. Trash, recycling and organics curbside collection will run on its regular schedule, and parking meters won’t be enforced, though permit parking remains in effect. [Arlington County]
Toilet, Not Trash Can — Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services tied the Wizards’ expected No. 1 NBA draft pick to a sewer-system reminder on social media. “If you go No. 1 or even No. 2, only flush paper from the roll alongside. Everything else is a threat to sewer lines. Let’s go Wiz!” [Arlington DES/X]
Chiefs Reaffirm Mutual Aid — Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn joined regional public safety leaders at an Alexandria Police Department summit Thursday, where chiefs reaffirmed a commitment to mutual aid. “I’m confident that if I need something and I call Pete [Newsham] or Tarrick [McGuire], they’re going to help me,” Penn said. [ALXnow]
Driest Spell Since 1941 — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) is urging Virginians to voluntarily conserve water as the state endures its driest period since 1941, with precipitation about eight inches below average. “All Virginians can play a role in protecting our water supply during this historic dry period,” she said. The Department of Environmental Quality reports 100% of the commonwealth in drought. [Press Release]
It’s Friday — Expect scattered rain showers before 10 a.m. today, then partly sunny skies with a high near 83 and northwest winds of 3–10 mph gusting to 20. Skies turn mostly clear overnight, with a low around 64. [NWS]
New Legal Notice — Convenience grocery store applying for off-premises beer and wine license. [Public Notices]
After months of buildup, County Board members have rejected a request to provide historic status to portions of a site approved for an affordable housing project.
In a 4-0 vote last night (Wednesday), with one abstention, the County Board paved the way for development partners Melwood and Wesley Housing to move forward with plans for construction of a five-story, 105-unit mixed-use affordable-housing project in place of the former Nelly Custis School.
The County Board has provided a three-year extension to redevelopment plans for a shuttered Days Inn hotel on Arlington Blvd.
In a 5-0 vote last night (Wednesday), County Board members provided more time for the owner — a limited-liability company that has been unable to move forward on redevelopment plans at 2201 Arlington Blvd — to attempt to sell the 2.4-acre parcel with the approved site plan in place.
Arlington Republicans are deciding on whether to take a position on upcoming referendums connected to several controversial topics.
The local party is expected to decide on Monday, June 22 whether to take a public stance on amendments approved by Democratic majorities in the General Assembly.
More owners of low-valued vehicles could receive a full exemption from car taxes in Falls Church.
Vehicles assessed at $1,500 or less are currently exempt from the city’s car tax of $4.80 per $100 assessed valuation. Under a proposal brought to Council members by Commissioner of Revenue Tom Clinton and city staff, the exemption level would double to $3,000.
County, School Board Fields Set — Audrey Clement and David Sisson were the only independents to qualify for the Nov. 3 County Board ballot, and will join the winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary that includes James DeVita, Julie Farnam and incumbent Matt de Ferranti. For School Board, incumbent Bethany Zecher Sutton and challenger James “Vell” Rives IV qualified for the ballot before the June 16 deadline, county election officials told ARLnow yesterday. —Scott McCaffrey
Ballston Metro Entrance Funded — The Commonwealth Transportation Board on Tuesday approved $20 million to support a second entrance to the Ballston Metro station, plus $475,000 for enhanced service on Arlington Transit Route 55 between East Falls Church and Rosslyn. Funding comes from the Commuter Choice revenue stream. —Scott McCaffrey
Daily Show Features Duffin — Michael Duffin, a Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, was featured on The Daily Show on Tuesday night during a segment on fired federal workers running for office. [The Daily Show]
World Cup Watch Party — The Arlington Sister City Association will host a World Cup watch party on Saturday, June 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Bronson Bierhall. The German team taking on Ivory Coast features Kai Havertz, a native of Arlington’s sister city of Aachen. It is his second World Cup appearance for Germany. [Arlington Sister City Association]
Farmers Market Pushback — A community group’s push to expand the award-winning Falls Church Farmers Market onto adjacent streets has drawn opposition from vendors and restaurant owners, who raised concerns about parking, competition and lost revenue. The Economic Development Authority declined to formally endorse the pilot, which would ultimately require City Council approval. [Falls Church Pulse]
Spanberger Signs Contraception Bills — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed the Right to Contraception Act and the Contraception Equity Act into law, guaranteeing access to birth control and requiring insurers to cover it. “Virginia is the only state in the South where a woman has the same freedom to make her own healthcare decisions as she did before the Dobbs decision,” Spanberger said. The measure had twice been vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). [Press Release]
It’s Thursday — Expect a high near 94 with partly sunny skies and a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Southwest winds of 13–22 mph could gust as high as 33 mph, with overnight lows around 69. [NWS]
New Public Notice — ABC permit application: limited mixed beverage restaurant, beer/wine/liqueurs, on/off-premises. [Public Notices]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Despite an increase in annual trash-collection costs, Arlington’s single-family homeowners will end up paying less over the coming year.
Customers will receive a one-time, $30-per-household rebate, County Manager Mark Schwartz said at the June 13 County Board meeting.
Three suspects are accused of conspiring to steal minifigures from numerous Lego sets across the D.C. area, making a tidy profit reselling them online.
Collectible minifigures from fandoms such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Zelda were secretly swiped in 29 incidents, supplying a high-volume eBay storefront that netted over $36,000 in 12 months, according to a criminal complaint.
