Falls Church city officials continue to do their best to evaluate the local impacts of federal downscaling and a barrage of other decisions coming out of the White House.
“It’s different every day,” said Cindy Mester, the city’s community relations and legislative affairs director.
First DCA Crash Legal Claim — “The family of one of the 67 people killed in the deadly collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport late last month has taken steps to sue both the federal government and the private airline.” [Washington Post]
Pentagon Firings Imminent — “The Trump administration has directed defense agencies to turn over a list of their probationary employees by the end of Tuesday, with the expectation that many could be fired as soon as this week, according to five people familiar with the matter. The directive coincides with the arrival at the Pentagon of personnel from billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service.” [Washington Post]
Another Local Musk Protest — “On a cold Tuesday afternoon, protesters bundled up and held up signs during a demonstration outside a Tesla dealership in Arlington, Virginia. The anti-Elon Musk protest is one of hundreds happening across the nation targeting the Musk-owned car company locations.” [WTOP]
Store Robbed By Six Men — “200 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 9:02 p.m. on February 17, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the six male suspects entered the business, collected merchandise and exited the store without payment. As the suspects left the business, one struck an employee before fleeing the scene on foot.” [ACPD]
Library Wedding Winners — “Getting a free wedding at an Arlington County Public Library sounds pretty great! On Wednesday, the winning couple of the giveaway joined Good Morning Washington to talk about their application. This comes after last week’s interview with a librarian ahead of the giveaway.” [WJLA]
Girl Scout Cookie Sales Underway — “At publication time, least 16 cookie booths are planned across the county, with at least six more in the Little City. They’ll appear on sidewalks outside local grocery stores, apartment buildings and more, beginning Friday, Feb. 7 and continuing through mid-March.” [ARLnow]
Reminder: Feel the Heritage Fest — “Get ready for Arlington’s 31st annual Feel the Heritage Festival on Sat., Feb. 22, noon-5 p.m. at Charles Drew Community Center. Celebrate Black History Month and Arlington’s rich African-American history as you groove to live music, savor delicious food, and explore an amazing lineup of vendors!” [Arlington County, Event Calendar]
It’s Thursday — Snow showers are expected mainly before 1pm, with a high near 29. The day will be blustery as the northwest wind increases from 9-14 mph to 15-20 mph in the afternoon, and gusts may reach 33 mph. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation, and new snow accumulation could be less than one inch. Thursday evening will be partly cloudy and continue to be blustery, with a low around 22 and northwest winds of 17-20 mph; gusts may still be as high as 33 mph. [NWS]
Ranked-choice voting, a climate resolution, the contentious Melwood development proposal and the draft Fiscal Year 2026 county budget are all on the agenda for a County Board meeting slated for Saturday (Feb. 22).
Among the highlights:
The driver of a pickup truck involved in a fatal crash in Ballston last month is still hospitalized, local officials told ARLnow.
A criminal investigation into the incident, which killed a 32-year-old doctoral candidate and snarled traffic in Ballston for hours, is still underway, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow.
Lyon Park residents, and those just passing through, can now learn a little more about the history of the community.
Three new historic markers celebrating the neighborhood were formally dedicated during a wintry event held Feb. 12.
Kids Rob Business in Pentagon City — “Police said they were looking for a group of young people involved in a robbery that took place in Pentagon City on Saturday, the youngest of whom may have been five years old.” [DC News Now]
Guns Seized at DCA — “On Friday, TSA stopped a man from McGaheysville, Virginia, who was in possession of a 9mm handgun loaded with six bullets along with six additional accessible bullets in a gun magazine, according to reports. Then on Sunday, they stopped a New Hampshire man with a 9mm handgun along with an accessible gun magazine that was loaded with 15 bullets.” [Patch]
Arlington Bakery Expands — “Arlington-based French pastry shop Eclairons could be moving into the former Firehook Bakery location in Old Town.” [ALXnow]
Hope’s Governance Bill Moves Forward — The House of Delegates on Tuesday accepted a legislative amendment from the Virginia Senate, pushing back to 2026 final consideration of legislation by Del. Patrick Hope (D-1) to allow referendums on changes to Arlington’s form of government. The Senate added a “re-enactment clause” that would require the measure to pass again next year in order to become law. –Scott McCaffrey
Shirlington Storage Facility Bought — “Continuing its expansion in the Washington, D.C. market, SecureSpace Self Storage is pleased to announce its newest acquisition at 2710 South Nelson Street in Arlington, VA.” [Morningstar]
Loud Car Bill in Doubt — “An effort by Fairfax County officials to crack down on excessively loud vehicle exhaust systems is facing an uncertain future in Richmond, where state legislators recently voiced concerns about the possible costs.” [FFXnow]
Snow Threat Dwindles — “The D.C. area won’t experience a blockbuster snowstorm this week but could still get a little accumulating snow Wednesday and Thursday. The forecast is especially tricky because the region lies along the northern edge of a winter storm expected to pass well to the south.” [CWG]
It’s Wednesday — Expect snow after 1pm today, with cloudy skies and a high near 27. Northwest winds will reach 5 to 9 mph by afternoon. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation, accumulating less than half an inch of new snow. Tonight, there’s a slight chance of snow before 7pm and isolated snow showers after 4am, wth lows around 22. The chance of precipitation is 20%. [NWS]
Mass resignations, layoffs and turmoil within the federal workforce present sweeping and potentially unprecedented challenges for Arlington’s economy, experts say.
As President Donald Trump’s plans to dramatically shrink the federal government have begun to take shape in recent weeks, so have projections for wide-ranging economic fallout throughout the D.C. area.
Firefighters from Arlington and other local departments are on scene of a fire in Falls Church.
A one-story building is on fire at the Falls Green apartment complex at 501 Roosevelt Blvd, just north of the Eden Center shopping center.
A pair of Arlington men are each facing a felony charge for alleged violent incidents over the weekend.
The first happened Friday afternoon in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, just south of Route 50. Police say two men got into a verbal dispute that escalated to one attacking the other with a pocketknife.
Arlington’s Ethiopian community works hard to successfully integrate into the broader community while retaining and celebrating its traditions.
That was the view of panelists as a Black History Month program convened Thursday (Feb. 13) by the Arlington Historical Society.
County Board Frowns on Bill — “A plan to change up Arlington County’s local government structure has advanced through the state legislature, potentially giving this Northern Virginia community the ability to reshape how many people it elects to its top governing body and how it elects them. But there’s one key player that isn’t on board: the Arlington County Board itself.” [Washington Post]
Real Estate Rumors Overblown — “This is factually incorrect. Many homes in this graphic aren’t even in Arlington. In Jan 2025, Arlington home prices were up 3% YoY, and sales increased 5%. A 5% sales increase ≠ “Everything is being put on the market.” The map is inaccurate at best, misleading at worst.” [Matt Leighton/X, MoCoShow]
Trauma for Crash Responders — “More details about the Reagan National crash are emerging, including how first responders were exposed to an enormous amount of jet fuel that had pooled in the river, essentially swimming in a pool of gasoline… ‘We’re talking about the cumulative effects of the trauma, of the horrible scene that they encountered, but also the physical effects.'” [WTOP]
Beyer Posts Resources for Feds — “Please know that your work is essential to the functioning of the U.S. government… It’s my hope that the resources provided below will address your questions and concerns, and provide you with as much information as possible. This page will continue to be updated as we navigate the changes brought by the new administration.” [Rep. Don Beyer]
New Tool for Mapping Vulnerability — “Arlington County released the Community Vulnerability Index Map (CVIM), a new tool to help identify concentrations of vulnerable populations in Arlington. The map ranks census tracts from the highest to the lowest concentrations of vulnerable populations and can assist in answering the Racial Equity Lens questions.” [Arlington County]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 36 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 11 to 15 mph with gusts reaching up to 25 mph. As Tuesday night arrives, anticipate increasing clouds and a low temperature around 20 degrees, along with a north wind blowing at 8 to 10 mph. [NWS]
Ongoing challenges for political candidates and elected officials of color were the topic of a recent discussion with several local leaders.
Representatives of minority groups who make it onto the ballot and into office too often are looked on as “representational symbols,” said Christian Dorsey, a former two-term Arlington County Board member.
