News

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]

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]

Latest on Crash Investigation — “A preliminary analysis of the flight data and voice recorder on board a Black Hawk helicopter leading up to the collision with a commercial flight over Washington, DC, on January 29, indicated the helicopter’s altimeter may have been inaccurate and the pilots may not have heard some calls from the Reagan National Airport control tower, officials said.” [CNN, Washington Post]

Clarendon Post Office Closing at Night — “A USPS Post Office in Clarendon is locking up the building overnight because of concerns related to homelessness. The post office said it’s had to address a number of sanitary and safety issues, prompting flyers on the facility’s doors to state the building will close from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day… The U.S. Postal Service said people experiencing homelessness have been urinating, defecating and starting fires at that location.” [DC News Now]

Driver Confused By Fire Engine — “A bit of a close-call for firefighters from @ArlingtonVaFD Engine 102. They ran out of the way as the red car in the video suddenly backed up and slammed into another vehicle. I’m told two elderly women inside were startled by the fire engine and may have been suffering from a medical condition.” [Dave Statter/X]

‘Day of Student Action’ Tomorrow — “A group of middle school students was looking to organize a demonstration against efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and divert public school funding to private schools, and we thought this was a great idea to share out! It’s also consistent with Virginia PTA advocacy efforts. So, the Arlington CCPTA is facilitating the efforts of these and all APS students (and their parents!) to speak up together.” [Arlington CCPTA]

Officer Assaulted in Pentagon City — “Two juvenile female suspects entered the business, concealed merchandise and exited the store without payment. Responding officers observed the suspects exit the business and attempted to take them into custody. While detaining Suspect One, she became irate and kicked an officer before being taken into custody along with Suspect Two.” [ACPD]

Protests at Tesla Store — A number of protesters braved rainy weather over the weekend to protest outside of the Tesla store on S. Glebe Road, decrying company leader Elon Musk and his controversial moves to downsize the federal bureaucracy. [Bluesky]

‘Bridgerton’ Author Talks in Arlington — “With sales surging since 2020, romance novels are having a moment, and Julia Quinn is here for it. The author of the steamy stories on which the Netflix series Bridgerton is based credits passionate fans on social media for rekindling the genre’s resurgence—more than the so-called “Bridgerton effect,” although the show has inspired an interest in “regency-core” fashion and home décor since it premiered on the streaming service in late 2020.” [Arlington Magazine]

Last Call for Kenmore Field Feedback — “The second and final community feedback opportunity for the Kenmore Field Conversion project closes next Friday, February 21… The Kenmore Field Conversion project will provide combination fields to support multiple sports, enhance our community’s recreational opportunities, and increase overall field usage by allowing for play through various weather conditions.” [Arlington County]

It’s Monday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love having a workspace where someone else handles the coffee runs and fridge clean-outs. Check out their Metro-accessible Arlington locations today.

Flickr pool photo by Deckerme