A marker celebrating a former cluster of Vietnamese businesses known as “Little Saigon” could be coming soon to Clarendon.
The concept design for a tabletop marker saluting the collection of Vietnamese restaurants and stores that once flourished in the neighborhood received approval from Arlington’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) on Wednesday.
Firefighters from Arlington and Alexandria battled a blaze in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood this morning.
The fire, in the attic area of at least two adjacent townhomes, was reported around 11 a.m. Friday on the 2300 block of S. Queen Street.
The Arlington Housing Commission plans to spend the year exploring ways to include more diverse voices in conversations about housing policy.
But trying to get fuller representation of residents of color and those at the lower end of the economic scale will not necessarily be easy, the commission’s chair said.
Big Cuts Coming to Pentagon — “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior leaders at the Pentagon and throughout the U.S. military to develop plans for cutting 8 percent from the defense budget in each of the next five years.” [Washington Post]
Top Brass May Be Fired — “Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could soon move to fire more than half a dozen generals and flag officers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, part of an effort to purge the department of senior leaders perceived as either too political or too close to former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.” [CNN]
Wrong-Way Crash in Rosslyn — “Wrong way driver causes 4 car crash: A driver coming off of I-66W in Rosslyn went the wrong way on N. Lynn Street. They hit a curb, sideswiped one car, hit a second car head-on, and that car was pushed into a third vehicle. It happened around 6:45 p.m.” [Dave Statter/X]
Street Racing Legislation — “Reckless drivers tearing up Virginia’s highways and public spaces may soon face tougher penalties, as legislation targeting exhibition driving heads to the governor’s desk. Lawmakers moved swiftly this week, approving legislation that aims to curb street racing, burnouts, and illegal road takeovers — dangerous stunts that have turned deadly in recent years.” [Virginia Mercury]
FCPD Video of Sex Offender — “Police body camera video first obtained by 7News, shows 58-year-old Richard Cox, who identifies as transgender, telling Fairfax County police that he should be allowed to use a women’s locker room in Oakton despite being a registered sex offender. Cox is facing more than 20 charges in Arlington, Va. after allegedly exposing himself in women’s locker rooms.” [WJLA]
Trump Floats D.C. Takeover — “President Donald Trump said Wednesday night that the federal government ‘should take over the governance of D.C.,’ claiming that leaders of the nation’s capital are not doing enough to reduce crime, clean up graffiti and remove homeless encampments.” [Washington Post, Axios]
Beyer Blasts IRS Cuts — From Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.): “Purging thousands of IRS workers in the middle of tax filing season is another act of plain corruption designed to benefit Musk, Trump, and their wealthy friends. These firings appear to particularly target tax enforcement on the wealthy, which will make it easier for tax cheats to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.” [Press Release]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny and breezy conditions with a high around 37 degrees and northwest winds at 17 to 20 mph, gusting up to 32 mph. Friday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 22 degrees. Winds will decrease to 5 to 10 mph, still gusting up to 18 mph from the northwest. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Deckerme
The civic association representing residents living adjacent to the planned Melwood development project near Crystal City is taking a last stab at slowing down the approval process.
“It is time to take a pause and do better for this neighborhood,” said Stacy Meyer, vice president of the Aurora Highlands Civic Association, in a letter to County Board members. “We need the County Board to listen to its residents who have been very clear about opposing this project.”
An Arlington teen awaiting trial over his alleged role in a 2023 stabbing has been arrested on a robbery charge.
Police took Kamron Tartt, 19, into custody in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood on Feb. 6, shortly after he was identified as a person of interest in a robbery, an ACPD spokesperson told ARLnow.
Arlington County is currently seeking feedback on three development projects with a total of 1,255 proposed units.
Online engagement periods for all three proposals, located in Rosslyn, Ballston and Shirlington, are wrapping up soon. A list of the projects and their locations is below.
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.
