Eight new school zone speed cameras are being installed around Arlington.
The new cameras will start issuing warnings with the start of school after winter break, before issuing $100 tickets to speeders starting Feb. 5. Today’s announcement of the new cameras follows a similar announcement in August, which revealed plans for ten cameras that are now in operation around the county.
Utility work at the planned second site for Amazon’s HQ2 has concluded.
“All construction operations have concluded,” contractor Clark Construction told local residents in an email Friday. “Your engagement and support has helped us to efficiently carry out these community enhancements. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation.”
County Board members on Saturday (Dec. 14) rebuffed a staff-proposed increase in trespass-towing fees across Arlington, opting to keep the base rate at $135 for passenger vehicles.
At the same time, Board members followed a staff recommendation in rejecting — for now — a “second-signature” requirement before any tows can occur.
Weekend Wreath Laying Complete — “Arlington National Cemetery welcomed thousands of volunteers to help with this year’s National Wreaths Across America Day — one of the most hallowed holiday traditions in the D.C. area.” [WTOP]
VDOT Opening Lanes for Holidays — “VDOT will be suspending many highway work zones and lifting temporary lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 24, until noon on Thursday, Dec. 26, as well as from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 31, until noon on Thursday, Jan. 2.” [Press Release]
Little Snow in December — “It doesn’t seem to snow much in D.C. anymore during December, or at least like it used to. Climate change seems to be melting away the city’s snow chances… Over the past six Decembers combined, only 0.5 inches of snow has accumulated in the District. The average December snowfall each year, based on the period 1991 to 2020, is 1.7 inches. If this December turns out to be snowless, which is possible, the District will clinch its least snowy seven-year stretch of Decembers on record.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Tuesday — Patchy fog is expected to clear by 8am, making way for a mostly cloudy morning that will gradually turn sunny. The day will see a high of around 62, with southwest winds at 6-9 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. On Tuesday night, the sky will be partly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 37, accompanied by a light and variable wind. [NWS]
A woman suffered significant injuries after driving into the side of a building in the Clarendon area Monday evening.
The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. at the Courtland Park apartment building on the 2500 block of Clarendon Blvd, roughly between the Clarendon and Courthouse Metro stations.
A 39-year-old Arlington resident is in jail after a robbery of the Giant supermarket at Penrose Square.
The robbery happened around 2:40 p.m. Friday and involved an individual who allegedly shoplifted items and then implied having a weapon when confronted by employees.
Arlington County Board members approved higher fees for access to county-operated electric-vehicle charging stations this past Saturday (Dec. 14), among other actions.
“We’re not trying to make big bucks. We’re just trying to meet our costs,” Board chair Libby Garvey said after the vote to raise the base fee from the current 14.52 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 17.46 cents.
Incoming County Board member JD Spain, Sr., used his ceremonial swearing-in ceremony to promote the spirit of collaboration and community.
During the Dec. 14 ceremony, Spain — a Democrat — pledged to support a community “where everyone feels valued and safe.”
Arlington’s likely 2025 County Board chairman has economic-development and property-repurposing initiatives atop his to-do list for the coming year.
“One out of four square feet [of office space in the county] is unoccupied,” Takis Karantonis on Dec. 10 told members of Arlington Senior Democrats. “It’s the highest for us ever, and one of the highest in the nation. What is worse, it’s not looking like the business is coming back.”
Man Shot By Police Identified — “The deceased has been identified as Cedric Butler, 27, of No Fixed Address. This remains an active criminal investigation by the Critical Incident Response Team. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line.” [ACPD]
Central Library Garage Repairs — “The Central Library parking garage will be closed for structural repairs soon. The garage will not be accessible to the public or library patrons, and repairs could last through Spring 2025. Surface parking lots will be available, but parking will be a challenge.” [Arlington Public Library]
George Mason Drive Lane Closures — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “On weekdays during the week of December 15, crews will be working on signal foundations at the intersection of North George Mason Drive & North Park Drive.” [Twitter]
Tree Plantings on the Pike — Also from Arlington DES: “Timberrr, but opposite. Trees are being planted on Segment F of Columbia Pike, on medians and sidewalks.” [Twitter]
Mumu Cafe Gets By — “Having a set-up along Langston Boulevard isn’t ideal. Although MOM’s Organic brings customers on the other side of the block and he’s surrounded by residential buildings, Williams said foot traffic is slim. That was the same problem for Naked Lunch, as [ARLnow] reported after that restaurant closed. It limits what Williams can do to grow the business. Mumu Cafe gets enough traffic to stay afloat, and more customers would require hiring and paying more employees.” [WBJ]
Chef Makes Croissant Ornaments — “When a piece of art is also edible, it creates a dilemma — admire it, or eat it? Barbara Whettell is a pastry chef in Arlington County, Virginia, at Surreal, which is located on Crystal Drive in National Landing. She has created completely edible hanging ornament croissants.” [WTOP]
Collective Bargaining in F.C. — “Taking its place for the first time as a major factor in the City of Falls Church annual budget process, collective bargaining in the shaping of teacher and other employee compensations was felt in the first public steps toward a FY26 budget taken at the City Council meeting this Monday. This is the first year that collective bargaining has figured into the budget process, based on a new law passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2021.” [FCNP]
Short Film on F.C. Camera Shop — D.C.-based filmmaker Mo Salih released a short documentary on Dominion Camera’s closure after it spent 56 years in Falls Church. The short includes archived 1970s photographs, a behind-the-scenes look at the shop’s lab and “heartfelt reflections” from employees and customers. –Katie Taranto
It’s Monday — Expect rain until 1pm followed by possible showers after 4pm and patchy fog before 10am. The day will be cloudy with a high near 50 and calm winds turning southward at 6 mph in the afternoon. Monday evening might see rain until 1am, cloudy conditions continue with a low around 48, and south wind at 7-13 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. The chances of precipitation are 40% in the day and 60% at night, with new rainfall amounts under a tenth of an inch. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
A mother and an young child are fighting for their lives after being stabbed Saturday night in Pentagon City.
The stabbing happened around 9:45 p.m. near the entrance to the Target store at the corner of Army Navy Drive and S. Joyce Street. Initial reports suggest a mother and her baby were both stabbed and critically injured by a suspect said to be the child’s father.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has issued a statement amid reports of drone sightings around Northern Virginia and elsewhere.
The governor says his office is aware of “multiple sightings of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” and state agencies have been coordinating with law enforcement in response. Youngkin added that he’s “deeply concerned” with a lack of information from federal authorities.
