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.
Arlington County police are investigating gunshots fired in the Shirlington neighborhood this morning.
Several shots were fired around 2:30 a.m. Friday inside one of the neighborhood’s parking garages, on S. Randolph Street. Police searched the area but could not find anyone injured or anything damaged, nor did they find the shooter.
Donald Trump did slightly better in Arlington in 2024 than 2020 and 2016. But the difference was slight, the chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee told his party’s rank-and-file.
“Arlington did its job” in turning out the vote for presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Democratic chair Steve Baker said at the committee’s Dec. 4 monthly meeting.
FDIC on Chopping Block? — “The Trump transition team has started to explore pathways to dramatically shrink, consolidate or even eliminate the top bank watchdogs in Washington. In recent interviews with potential nominees to lead bank regulatory agencies, Trump advisers and officials from his newfound Department of Government Efficiency have, for example, asked whether the president-elect could abolish the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., people familiar with the matter said.” [WSJ]
Reminder: Wreath Weekend — “About 75 tractor-trailers loaded with handmade balsam wreaths will arrive in the county starting on Friday in preparation for the event expected to draw several thousand volunteers. Large crowds and heavy traffic are expected during the annual Wreaths Across America event on Saturday, which is one of two events bringing road closures to Arlington this weekend.” [ARLnow]
Summer Camp Registration Dates — “We’re excited to announce the registration dates for 2025 Summer Camps in Arlington County! Feb. 3: Early registration for those who are enrolled in DPR’s fee reduction program. Feb. 12: Registration for camps led by our partners. Feb. 19: Registration for Parks & Rec Camps.” [Arlington County]
Fairfax Leader Blasts Maryland — “A Virginia elected official said Maryland leaders don’t want traffic on the Capital Beltway to get better, and the reason, he said, is jobs. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay was referring to traffic near the Wilson Bridge and the Legion Bridge.” [NBC 4, Twitter]
Housing Proposal for Potomac Yard — “Developer JBG Smith announced plans today for 750 new residential units in Potomac Yard. The developer said the plan is to build a mix of multifamily, townhome and committed affordable units on the southern portion of the neighborhood across from the Potomac Yard Metro station… The proposed developments are on vacant lots south of the Metro station and south of where the planned arena would have been.” [ALXnow]
Storm Next Week? — From the Capital Weather Gang: “Watching — possible signal for some kind of Mid-Atlantic storm in about a week. We don’t think cold will be entrenched enough for a snowstorm in DC but mountains have a better chance. It’s worth monitoring. 3 model scenarios shown here.” [Twitter]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies during the day with a high temperature close to 41°F and a gentle breeze from the northeast. Heading into Friday night, the skies will turn mostly cloudy with temperatures dipping to about 28°F, accompanied by a 6 mph northeast wind. [NWS]
Flick pool photo by Jason Gooljar
A vehicle illegally parked in front of the Rosslyn fire station led to a delayed response to a crash last night — the latest example of parking issues along one of Arlington’s busiest corridors.
Following a call about a crash with injuries shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday, Fire Engine 110 notified dispatch that it could not leave the station at 1535 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington leaders will likely seek regional funding for a major pedestrian/bicycle connector trail in Crystal City.
County Board members on Saturday (Dec. 14) are expected to request $8 million from the pool of $25 million to $30 million that will be available next year from tolling on I-395 and I-95.
