The safety of residents is on the minds of Arlington law enforcement following last week’s terror attack and the upcoming presidential inauguration.
There are currently no known threats in the county, ACPD spokesperson Kiyah Daniell confirmed with ARLnow. However, residents should expect to see increased law enforcement presence in Arlington around the swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, Jan. 20.
An update to the Falls Church Bicycle Master Plan has the potential to remake some city streets.
But only if there is more effort put into turning aspirations to reality than has been the case with the existing plan, adopted in 2015, according to some members of a key advisory panel.
Feds, County Both Open — The federal government and Arlington County government are both opening on time today. Arlington Public Schools, like other Northern Virginia districts, is closed — though D.C. schools are open. [Twitter, Twitter, ARLnow]
Snow Removal Now in Phase 4 — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “County winter storm response has shifted to Phase 4: aka ‘the cleanup.’ Areas still needing attention can be flagged for crews with the online form, which also includes other contact options.” [Twitter]
Falls Church Trash Pickup Delayed — “No curbside services will be provided on Wednesday, January 8. Services for trash, recycling, yard waste, and curbside composting will be provided on Thursday, January 9.” [City of Falls Church]
Rosslyn Offices Change Hands — “After defaulting on loans in 2023, Monday Properties has lost a seven-building Rosslyn office portfolio, including the marquee two-building project known as The Towers, to Beacon Capital Partners. The details about what happened aren’t clear, but multiple sources confirm that Monday is out.” [WBJ]
Public Safety Encryption Bill — From Dave Statter: “As a strong believer in government transparency – particularly public safety agencies – I’m happy to report that Del. Marcus Simon introduced a bill to look at law-enforcement radio encryption in Virginia.” [Twitter]
It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 30 degrees, and a west wind ranging between 10-14 mph, gusting up to 24 mph. The night will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 17 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind of 10-14 mph, gusting as high as 22 mph. [NWS]
Arlington residents and its county government need to face an uncertain future by remaining committed to community values, Arlington’s new County Board chair says.
Takis Karantonis, who has sat on the Board since 2020, on Tuesday (Jan. 7) was elected unanimously to serve as chair for the coming year. After the vote, he laid out his priorities for 2025 and expressed his emotions about elevation to the top position in county leadership.
Arlington Republicans are setting their sights on the 2027 Commonwealth’s Attorney race amid an ongoing dispute between the county’s police union and its top prosecutor.
It’s been decades since the GOP has fielded a candidate in that particular race. However, local Republican chair Matthew Hurtt has joined the Arlington Coalition of Police in sharply criticizing Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti following a Pentagon City homicide.
Arlington’s snow removal ordinance is in effect after yesterday’s storm.
According to the National Weather Service, 7.2 inches of snow fell at Reagan National Airport (totals of up to 9.3 inches were reported elsewhere in Arlington and Falls Church).
Delayed Opening for County — “Due to inclement weather, Arlington County Government facilities will open, and judicial court proceedings will begin at 10 a.m. on Tues., Jan. 7, 2025… The County Courthouse is closed. All scheduled court cases are postponed.” [Arlington County]
Be Careful Out There — “Even after roads have been plowed and treated, drivers should still use caution because they may encounter icy spots on the roadway. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and motorists should use extra caution when approaching bridges, overpasses, highway ramps and shady areas where ice can form.” [VDOT]
Local Man Faces Explosives Charges — “A Virginia man arrested on New Year’s Day is facing multiple charges in connection with homemade explosives that were discovered in a suspected stolen vehicle, authorities said… Deputies responded, but could not immediately locate the vehicle. However, they later found it and its suspected driver, 19-year-old Jordan Alexander Sweetman of Arlington, at a nearby 7-Eleven.” [CBS News]
Man Bites Firefighter — “5000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 8:08 p.m. on January 3, police were dispatched to assist fire personnel on a medical call for service. While being transported to an area hospital, the male suspect bit a firefighter. The firefighter sustained minor injuries and did not require medical attention.” [ACPD]
Arlington Helps Out at Capitol — From ACPD: “Members of ACPD and ACFD, along with our law enforcement and military partners, provided enhanced security at the US Capitol today during the counting and certification of the electoral vote for the 2024 election. No matter the forecast, Arlington’s first responders are hard at work ensuring public safety.” [Facebook]
Community Police Academy Opens Apps — “The Arlington County Police Department is now accepting applications for the 29th Community Police Academy (CPA). The CPA is an educational program designed to enhance communication, collaboration, and mutual understanding between the police and the community they serve. Its goal is to increase participants’ awareness of how the Arlington County Police Department operates and its vital role within the community.” [ACPD]
Cemetery Closed Today — From Arlington National Cemetery: “Arlington National Cemetery will be CLOSED to the public and family pass holders on Tuesday, Jan. 7 due to inclement weather. Funeral services will be conducted as scheduled.” [Twitter]
Another Winter Storm? — “Another storm is possible, but far from definite, for the D.C. region on Saturday, possibly starting late Friday night. We’ll still have plenty of cold air in place so there’s definitely wintry potential. Some models show a storm coming north from the Gulf of Mexico, its low-pressure center hugging the Atlantic coast and giving us significant accumulating snow or a wintry mix.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 32 degrees accompanied by a northwest wind of 15 to 17 mph with gusts reaching 36 mph. Tonight, the skies will be partly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 18 degrees. The northwest wind will blow at 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. [NWS]
Bad news if you receive Arlington County’s trash collection service on Mondays: you’re going to have to wait another week.
With snow expected to continue accumulating Monday night, the Dept. of Environmental Services announced this evening that trash collection for Tuesday through Friday customers will be pushed back a day, starting Wednesday. Monday customers, meanwhile, will have to keep piling up their trash bags for another week.
Federal-government employees irked at the prospect of being forced back into the office five days a week might want to check out job opportunities with the Arlington County government.
Arlington continues to offer a relatively flexible work-from-home policy, and would be happy to talk with those who might wish to avail themselves of it, the county’s top staffer said.
Arlington County has recorded its first carjacking of 2025.
A delivery driver was carjacked on Thursday, Jan. 2 near the Pentagon City Metro station, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.
Snow is continuing to heap up in Arlington, bringing a flurry of closures and changes — as well as dangers for anyone caught out in the storm.
The county has activated its fleet of fancifully named snowplows, with a total of 70 currently available, county spokesperson Katie O’Brien told ARLnow. They cleared about 30% of residential streets on their first pass this morning, and the county expects to continue operations throughout the day and into tomorrow.
It’s a snow day for dozens of local businesses and services around Arlington and Falls Church.
Some grocers, department stores and shopping centers remain open for urgent purchases, in addition to a handful of local restaurants, which have advertised some snowed-in specials and entertainment. These include:
