Falls Church officials are awaiting developments in Richmond to determine whether the city’s Planning Commission will get back powers that the General Assembly stripped last year.
However, legislation to restore the old arrangement could face an uphill battle.
Courthouse Market Returns — “Hey, Market-goers! The Arlington Farmers Market is back this weekend with some slight adjustments.” [Arlington DPR/X]
Startup Raises Millions — “GenLogs, an Arlington-based developer of intelligence technology for the trucking and logistics industries, announced that it has closed on a $60 million Series B round.” [Potomac Tech Wire]
Historical Society Puts Articles Online — The Arlington Historical Society has placed articles from its 2024 Arlington Historical Magazine online. The magazine, edited by Jessica Kaplan, traces its history to 1957, with articles typically available in digital format a year after the print edition is published. –Scott McCaffrey
Clearing Fire Hydrants — “Snow and ice accumulation can create serious fire safety hazards, including obstructed fire hydrants. By helping keep hydrants clear, you play a direct role in protecting your neighborhood and supporting your firefighters during emergencies… Remove snow and debris from the hydrant and maintain a 3‑foot clearance on all sides. This space allows firefighters to connect hoses, operate the hydrant efficiently, and minimize kinks that can reduce water flow.” [Arlington County]
Kennedy Center Show to GMU — “A New York dance company that recently nixed scheduled appearances at the Kennedy Center is coming to George Mason University’s Center for the Arts instead. Doug Varone and Dancers will visit the Fairfax performing arts venue (4373 Mason Pond Drive) on Saturday, April 25 for a free show in the concert hall, the Center for the Arts announced today.” [FFXnow]
Fairfax Schools Still on Delay — “Fairfax County Public Schools will start classes two hours late for the rest of this week, as lingering “snowcrete” continues to hinder travel.” Arlington Public Schools are opening on time today. [FFXnow]
Spanberger Ends ICE Agreement — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger has formally ended an agreement with the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement that had allowed Virginia State Police troopers and Virginia Department of Corrections officers to assist ICE.” [Virginia Mercury, Fox News]
Chance of Snow Ahead of Wind Threat — “A powerful cold front, set to arrive Friday afternoon and evening, will bring the possibility of snow showers before frigid air returns to the region. And very strong winds, possibly intense enough to trigger power outages, will surge into the area in its wake.” [CWG/X, CWG]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature of about 31 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 7 to 9 mph. As night falls, clouds will increase, leading to a low temperature around 16 degrees. [NWS]
Mass layoffs at The Washington Post today (Wednesday) have prompted grief and outrage among D.C.-area reporters and a pointed rebuke of the newspaper’s owner from U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).
The publication eliminated about one-third of its staff today, cutting the jobs of numerous respected journalists on its Metro desk while eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands.
Nearly seven years after a failed first attempt, Falls Church officials are trying again to entice e-scooter and e-bike operators to the city.
Council members are considering a proposal to allow a maximum of 100 total operating certificates for “shared mobility devices”: motorized skateboards, scooters, bicycles and electrically assisted bicycles.
Arlington County Board member JD Spain Sr. is throwing his support behind a state bill to accelerate affordable housing development on church properties.
Spain joined the Rev. Alice Tewell of Clarendon Presbyterian Church — which put its affordable housing proposal in Lyon Village on pause last year amid rising costs coupled with a lengthy approval process — in testifying on behalf of State Sen. Jeremy McPike’s (D-29) Faith in Housing Act.
Arlington officials say they’ve exhausted all options to settle up to half a million dollars in debts from Arlington Independent Media (AIM) after the organization’s operational collapse.
Local leaders have “spent a lot of time and energy” to make sure there is no replication of the situation with other grantees, County Manager Mark Schwartz said at a Jan. 22 meeting of the county’s Audit Committee.
Black History Month Events — “This February (and all year long) there are countless ways to celebrate Black history and culture in Northern Virginia. Visit a historic site or museum, catch a performance highlighting famous African Americans, witness a traditional “broom-jumping” marriage ceremony and celebrate Black culture as an essential part of the American story.” [Arlington Magazine]
Courthouse Library Still Closed — “Due to a water pipe leak and heating issues at Courthouse Library, the location will remain closed as of Monday, February 2 until further notice as repairs are evaluated. Please continue to check the Library’s website for the Courthouse Library’s status this week.” [APL, APL/X]
Body Found Near Bridge — “[Firefighters] are on the Potomac recovering a body on the ice discovered a short time ago just north of the 14th Street Bridge complex. Only one lane is getting by to the left on the George Mason Bridge, carrying the outbound main lanes.” [Dave Statter/X]
Car Chase in Pentagon City — “@VSPPIO chased a vehicle twice through Pentagon City. The first time, around 1:15 a.m., the driver got away as they passed the Fashion Center. About 15 minutes later, it showed up at S. Joyce and Army Navy, passing an @ArlingtonVaPD officer and making a path to DC via the I-395 express lanes.” [Dave Statter/X]
Gov’t Shutdown Ends — “President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding. The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.” [Associated Press]
Indecent Exposure in Rosslyn — “On February 2, police received an online report for a late exposure. It was determined at approximately 5:35 p.m. on January 30, the female victim was walking in the area when she observed the male suspect expose himself.” [ACPD]
County’s New Service Dog — “Arlington County’s public safety agencies are proud to welcome Wellness K9 Dottie, a 15 m/o Black Lab, to the team! Dottie joins our Office of Public Safety Wellness from @HeelingHouse & will provide comfort & support to our first responders. Say hi if you see her out & about!” [ACPD/X]
New Legal Notice — Restaurant applying for on/off-premises wine, beer, and mixed-beverage license. [Public Notices]
It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high of 33 degrees with a north wind at 9 mph. Wednesday night brings a 20% chance of snow before 10 pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies that will gradually clear up. The low temperature will be around 17 degrees. [NWS]
The following in-depth local history feature was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support local journalism and to get an exclusive version of our afternoon newsletter, plus an early look at what we’re covering each day.
This week marks the 67th anniversary of the integration of Arlington’s Stratford Junior High School by four Black seventh-grade students: Lance Newman, Michael Deskins, Gloria Thompson and Michael Jones.
The future of increased parking rates along Arlington’s commercial corridors is expected to go before the County Board later this month.
The Board is on track to decide whether to eliminate the “performance parking” pilot project or make the rate changes for about 4,500 parking spaces permanent.
Arlington residents and businesses with icy sidewalks may begin hearing from the county starting today (Tuesday).
County Manager Mark Schwartz ended a pause on enforcement of Arlington’s snow removal ordinance at 9 a.m. today, dispatching code enforcement inspectors to begin ensuring compliance. Parking enforcement will also resume “on a limited basis” this week, according to a press release.
Reduced hours at the Shirlington Transit Center, driven by vandalism concerns and budget constraints, prompted criticisms during last week’s bitter cold.
The transit center at 2975 S. Quincy Street cut its hours to 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and eliminated Saturday hours entirely on Nov. 14. It was a significant reduction from the center’s previous hours of 5:30 a.m. to midnight.
A rising number of syphilis infections in Arlington is driving a push to do better at testing and treating the sexually transmitted infection.
In the most recent data, from 2024, Arlington’s rate of syphilis infection — 31.2 cases per 100,000 population — was nearly 50% higher than the Virginia rate of 21.4 cases per 100,000, and was more than double that of Northern Virginia as a whole (14.3 cases per 100,000).
