Spreading salt in a snowy Courthouse (courtesy George Brazier)

County Gov’t Reopens — “Due to inclement weather, Arlington County Government facilities will open & judicial court proceedings will begin at 10AM on Wed., Jan. 28, 2026, unless otherwise stated. Libraries will open at 12PM. County facilities will close at 6PM.” [Arlington County/X, Arlington County]

Cemetery Still Closed — “Due to extremely cold temperatures, Arlington National Cemetery will be closed to the public and family pass holders through Wednesday, Jan. 28. Funeral services will continue as scheduled.” [ANC/X]

Snow Crews Thinned By ICE — “As homeowners in Fairfax and Arlington counties try to clear neighborhood streets, a snow removal business reports that their crews are operating at lower capacity. The reason: the labor-intensive job of digging through the thick ice and the fear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.” [WUSA 9]

Remembering Crash Victims — “The figure skating community in Northern Virginia is remembering the skaters, coaches and family members killed a year ago in the midair collision over the Potomac River… The plane was heading back from Wichita, Kansas, where many of the passengers had just participated in a national skating competition and development camp. Seventeen of them had ties to the Ashburn Ice House and the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington.” [NBC 4]

Brandishing in Courthouse — “the male victim returned to a parking garage where he had parked his vehicle and determined it was missing. A short time later, the victim observed the vehicle being driven by the male suspect inside the parking garage and confronted him. The suspect then exited the vehicle, brandished what appeared to be a firearm and subsequently fled the scene on foot.” [ACPD]

Leadership Change at Local Startup — “Arlington cybersecurity startup Shift5 Inc. has tapped an executive from defense contracting giant L3Harris Technologies Inc. to serve as interim CEO and president. Toby Magsig succeeds CEO and co-founder Josh Lospinoso, who announced a transition out of day-to-day operations and will instead focus on long-term planning.” [WBJ]

Barcroft Apts. May Be Deemed Historic — Having been named to the Virginia Landmarks Register late last year, the Barcroft Apartments soon will be considered by the National Park Service for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, county staff said at the Jan. 21 meeting of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board. A determination usually follows within 45 days, staff said. –Scott McCaffrey

Design Award Winners — “The Arlington County Board honored nine projects on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, for the 2025 DESIGNArlington awards. The biennial program recognizes excellence in architectural and landscape design and public art, showcasing the best of Arlington.” [Arlington County]

Amazon Fresh Stores Closing — “Amazon is throwing in the towel on Amazon Fresh, announcing today (Tuesday) that it will close all locations in favor of a renewed focus on Whole Foods Market and other concepts. The last day of operation for Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores is Feb. 1.” [FFXnow]

Gun Bills Advance — “Democratic lawmakers on Monday advanced a sweeping slate of gun safety proposals — many of them previously vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin — as they test whether Virginia’s new Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, will take a more favorable view of firearm restrictions.” [FFXnow]

Voting Rights Ruling — “A federal judge in Richmond ruled last week that Virginia violated a post-Civil War law by automatically stripping the right to vote from everyone convicted of a felony, a decision that could restore voting rights to thousands of Virginians.” [Washington Post]

Possible Weekend Storm Update — “The majority of computer models suggest the storm will form too far east to bring substantial snow to the D.C. region, still reeling from 6 to 9 inches of cement-like snow and ice on Sunday and historically low temperatures. However, the American model — while mostly an outlier — does simulate substantial snow in D.C., and this slight possibility needs to be watched.” [CWG]

It’s Wednesday — Expect increasing clouds and a high near 22, along with wind chill values dropping to -1, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 5 to 9 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to a low of 6 and wind chill values as low as -3. A calm wind will turn into a northwest breeze around 6 mph after midnight. [NWS]


WASHINGTON (AP) — National Transportation Safety Board members were deeply troubled Tuesday over years of ignored warnings about helicopter traffic dangers and other problems, long before an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk collided a year ago, killing 67 people near Washington, D.C.

The placement of a helicopter route in the approach path of Reagan National Airport’s secondary runway created a dangerous airspace and a lack of regular safety risk reviews made it worse, the board said. That was a key factor in the crash along with air traffic controllers’ over reliance on asking helicopter pilots to avoid other aircraft.


RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia judge ruled Tuesday that a proposed constitutional amendment letting Democrats redraw the state’s Congressional maps was illegal, setting back the party’s efforts to pick up seats in the U.S. House in November. In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore testified for a new map that could enable Democrats to defeat the state’s only House Republican.

The latest developments are part of a national battle over unusual mid-decade redistricting attempts, launched last summer by President Donald Trump who urged Republican officials in Texas to redraw maps to help the GOP win more seats. He did so in hopes of holding on to a narrow House majority in the face of political headwinds that typically favor the party out of power in midterms.


Arlington’s snowplows have progressed through about three-quarters of the county’s residential roadways, though frigid temperatures after the heavy snowfall continue to pose challenges.

County Manager Mark Schwartz asked for residents’ patience and understanding as the county continues to plow streets, noting the unusual difficulties crews are facing.


Arlington Public Schools students will have a third consecutive snow day tomorrow (Wednesday) and no waste collection will take place as icy conditions continue.

“Freezing temperatures and icy roads, parking lots and sidewalks continue to make travel unsafe,” APS said in an announcement this afternoon. “Student and staff safety remains our top priority.”


Arlington would be a very different place today if all the road plans of the county’s first General Land Use Plan (GLUP) — enacted in 1961 — had been constructed.

A massive arterial named Bluemont Drive would have cut east to southwest across the county. S. Four Mile Run Drive would have been much larger than its current configuration. A freeway in the Donaldson Run area would have connected to the George Washington Memorial Parkway.


The Arlington County Police Department is investigating after a person was found dead at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City today (Tuesday).

Police were dispatched to 1100 S. Hayes Street for a report of a cardiac arrest shortly before noon, ACPD spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow. Mall security reported “an obviously deceased person” in a third-floor storage room, according to scanner traffic.


New legislation advancing in the General Assembly seeks to address overlooked challenges for men and boys amid growing concerns about educational, career and mental health outcomes.

The House of Delegates Rules Studies Subcommittee has recommended a bill from Del. Josh Thomas (D-21) to create a permanent Boys and Men Advisory Commission that would issue annual reports with legislative recommendations. Thomas says it would be the nation’s first commission with this focus.


Tests of water samples from the Potomac River are reporting dangerously high levels of E. coli following a rupture in a sewage pipe upstream from Arlington.

The Potomac Riverkeeper Network recorded bacteria levels 60 times higher than what is considered safe for human contact in a sample taken at Fletchers Cove on Friday, the organization announced in a press release yesterday (Monday). This is in D.C., across the river from Potomac Overlook Regional Park.


Arlington leaders say they are trying to lower the temperature in their sometimes-heated relationship with pro-Palestinian activists who appear at monthly County Board meetings.

In recent months, activists have held private meetings with individual Board members, which Board Chair Matt de Ferranti and County Board member Julius “J.D.” Spain, Sr. said have been constructive.


Reagan National Airport has seen a significant decline in the loudest aircraft types over the past decade, but some advocates say it’s not enough to mitigate the impacts of increased flight operations.

Stage 3 commercial aircraft — the noisiest in current fleets — have declined from 21% of all operations in 2015 to 2% in 2025 at Reagan National, while Stage 4 and Stage 5 aircraft have increased from 79% to 98% of the total, according to Michael Jeck, the noise office manager at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).


Neighbors in Waycroft-Woodlawn held a candlelight vigil Tuesday at Woodlawn Park in memory of Alex Pretti (courtesy anonymous)

Rosslyn Water Main Break — “Crews are repairing a 12-inch water main break at 18th St N & N Oak St. Some 50 customers in a high-rise building could be affected. N Oak St is closed to traffic between 18th St N & Wilson Blvd.” [Arlington DES/X]

Crash on I-395 — “It’s lucky this one stayed upright this morning or it could have been a lot worse. Northbound I-395 at Boundary Channel. No injuries reported.” [Dave Statter/X]

Beyer Supports Noem Impeachment — “Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today… called for the removal of ICE, CBP, and other DHS personnel from Minneapolis, a full, independent investigation of the killings of [Alex] Pretti and [Renee] Good, and the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.” [Press Release]

Bummer for Booz — “The U.S. Treasury Department has canceled $21 million in contracts with Tysons-based consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, claiming that the firm failed to protect sensitive taxpayer data.” [FFXnow]

Arlingtonians Have Shortest Commute — Arlington workers have an average one-way commute time of 31.04 minutes, lowest in the metro area, according to new data from the 2025 State of the Commute report. The District of Columbia (33.01 minutes) and Fairfax County (35.57 minutes) were second and third in the report, with Charles County, Md., recording the longest commute at 64.38 minutes. —Scott McCaffrey

Local Theaters Get Award Nods — The Arlington Players have received 15 nominations and Dominion Stage nine in the 24th annual Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (WATCH) awards program for community theaters across the D.C. region. The awards will be presented at a March 22 ceremony at the Birchmere in Alexandria. —Scott McCaffrey

Another Winter Storm? — “Potential is increasing for another significant winter storm to impact the eastern United States this coming weekend. It is too early to know the details, but please keep updated with the latest forecasts this week!” [NWS/X, WWG/X]

It’s Tuesday — After the wind chill dips to -6, expect sunshine and a high of 26 degrees. The west wind at 5 to 8 mph will shift south in the afternoon. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy and cool with a low of 8 degrees. Wind chill values may reach -1 as the northwest wind blows at 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]


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