The unexpected departure of a major pro-transit voice in the Virginia General Assembly has created a void that an Arlington legislator appears primed to fill.
Del. Adele McClure (D-2), who sits on the House Committee on Transportation, has provided a key voice in various recent discussions on transit. In the 2026 General Assembly session, she could step into the shoes left behind by former Del. Mark Sickles (D-17), who is leaving his elected post to become Virginia’s next Secretary of Finance.
A Democrat is taking over for a Republican on the Arlington Electoral Board in the new year.
David Leichtman, a veteran political activist, will succeed electoral board vice chair Richard Samp, a Republican whose term expires Dec. 31.
Redevelopment Site Sold — “A pair of south Arlington hotel properties at the South Glebe Road interchange with Interstate 395 slated for redevelopment as more than 500 residential units have sold for $50 million. CC Rock Arlington Owner LLC, an affiliate of Crescent Communities and the Rockefeller Group, acquired the Green Valley site of its fully entitled future development in two transactions.” [WBJ]
PTAs Respond to Food Need — “PTAs and parent teacher student organizations across Arlington have long considered ways to help students who might be experiencing food insecurity. But in recent months, in the aftermath of the government shutdown and uncertainty surrounding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, they’ve stepped in to address the increased need.” [WTOP]
Photo: A Very Bad Idea — “Someone made a balcony bonfire tonight in Pentagon City… Fire department came [shortly] after the fire started.” [Reddit]
Robbery in Courthouse — “at approximately 3:10 p.m., the male suspect attempted to exit a store without paying for merchandise when he was confronted by employees. The suspect allegedly became aggressive, threatened employees and spat on an employee before fleeing the scene on foot.” [ACPD]
Local Civic Figure Dies — “Linda Kathleen Stalls Beverly, 76, died Thursday, December 11… She was a longtime member of Arlington County’s Civic Coalition for Minority Affairs. Linda also founded the advocacy group Concerned Parents of Arlington and co-chaired the African-American Parent Network. In 2003, she was among 14 residents to be recognized by the Arlington School Board as “Honored Citizens” for outstanding volunteer service to Arlington Public Schools.” [Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home]
Yellow Line Changes — “Metro riders on the Yellow Line can travel further into D.C. and Maryland beginning today (Wednesday). The Yellow Line has extended with service to Maryland’s Greenbelt station for the first time since 2023, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Trains on that line previously ended service at Mount Vernon Square in D.C.” [ALXnow]
Changes Coming to Golf Courses — “President Donald Trump’s campaign to reshape the nation’s capital in his image is setting its focus on Washington’s public golf courses. The National Links Trust — the nonprofit organization that has managed East Potomac Golf Links, Rock Creek Park Golf and Langston Golf Course since 2020 — said on Wednesday that the Trump administration has terminated the group’s 50-year lease with the National Park Service.” [Politico, CBS News]
It’s Friday — The weather will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, reaching a high of around 41 degrees. In the afternoon, calm winds will shift to northwest at approximately 6 mph. During Friday night, expect mostly cloudy skies and a low temperature of around 26 degrees, accompanied by a north wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]
Firefighters quickly extinguished a house fire in the Rock Spring neighborhood early Wednesday morning.
The fire started around 1:30 a.m. in the kitchen and extended to the rear of the house, on the 3400 block of N. George Mason Drive, according to the Arlington County Fire Department.
Four D.C. teenagers were arrested after a series of overnight break-ins at businesses in Pentagon City yesterday (Tuesday).
They’re accused of hitting a total of at least five businesses, stealing cash and electronics before being arrested while trespassing inside an apartment building on S. Eads Street, according to a press release from the Arlington County Police Department.
For nearly 65 years, Arlington County Board members rang in the new year with a Jan. 1 organization meeting.
Often drawing large crowds and extensive media coverage, the event was a chance for county leaders to lay out their priorities for the coming year after first voting in a chair to serve for the 365 — sometimes 366 — days ahead.
NYE Road Closures — “The Arlington County Police Department will implement road closures and parking restrictions in Clarendon on New Years Eve to help ensure public safety and accommodate the expected increase in foot traffic related to nightlife activity.” [ACPD]
Metro Changes in 2026 — Expect weekend closures of the Crystal City Metro station, starting in February, as a result of construction on the second station entrance project. [NBC 4]
DOJ Sues Virginia — “The Justice Department sued Virginia on Monday over its policy of granting unauthorized immigrants in-state financial aid at public colleges and universities, saying that the assistance violates federal law because it discriminates against U.S. citizens living in other states.” [NYT, Reuters]
More Kennedy Center Woes — “More musicians have canceled their upcoming concerts at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to rename the performing arts venue to include President Donald Trump’s name. The canceled performances to date include shows previously promoted for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Jan. 14.” [Associated Press, NBC 4]
Bad Flu Season — “The United States is seeing a massive surge in flu cases this winter, many of them attributed to the so-called “super flu.” An unprecedented rise in flu cases comes as other sicknesses — such as the “winter vomiting bug,” COVID and whooping cough — are slamming the United States this winter.” [Axios]
It’s Wednesday — Expect flurries and a slight chance of snow before 7am, followed by mostly cloudy skies becoming sunny later, with a high near 39 and southwest wind gusts up to 21 mph. Wednesday night brings more flurries and a low around 26, while New Year’s Day has flurries until noon, sunny skies, and a high near 33 with gusts up to 28 mph. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar
Arlington County will begin its yearly post-holiday collection of Christmas trees starting next week.
A special pickup of the expired evergreens will begin next Monday, Jan. 5 and continue through Friday, Jan. 16.
Waste collection will once again be pushed back in Arlington as various government offices close in honor of New Year’s Day this Thursday.
Thursday’s collection routes will be serviced on Friday, and Friday routes will be pushed back to Saturday this week. Parking meters also will not be enforced on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1).
Arlington’s summertime experiment using high tech to evaluate the state of sidewalks delivered mixed results.
The county used Kiwibots — laser-equipped robots — to roll up and down the sidewalks of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor for two weeks in July, assessing conditions.
No Drones in Arlington — “Received a drone this holiday season? Remember, all of Arlington County is a No Drone Zone due to our proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Help keep the airspace safe by keeping your drones grounded in Arlington County.” [ACPD/X]
Washington Monument Lights — “If you’re looking for something different and free for New Year’s Eve, how about fireworks at the Washington Monument? In addition to the fireworks, there will be video displayed on all four sides of the monument as a kickoff for the United States’ 250th birthday celebration in 2026.” [NBC 4, Dave Statter/X, Stefanie Johnson/X]
Free Rides on NYE — “Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) the 2025 Holiday SoberRide® program – which has run nightly since December 19th – will be in operation beginning at 10:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve (Wednesday, December 31, 2025) and operate until 4:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1, 2026) as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday period.” [Press Release]
New Governor’s Cabinet — “Three Democratic state delegates and a former FBI agent are among the Cabinet secretaries Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) has nominated as she builds out the team that will advise her and help administer state government after she is sworn in on Jan. 17.” [Washington Post]
Youngkin Talks Va. Investments — “During Glenn Youngkin’s term as Governor of Virginia, CEOs committed $156 billion of investment to the Commonwealth – more than the previous six gubernatorial administrations combined. As he prepares to leave office, we spoke with Youngkin about how he pulled it off.” [Standard and Works]
It’s Tuesday — Expect a sunny day with a high of 35 degrees accompanied by breezy west winds ranging from 17 to 23 mph, gusting up to 37 mph. Tuesday night, the clouds will increase while the temperature drops to a low of 26 degrees. The west wind will settle down to 7 to 10 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]
Arlington County police are looking for a man who fired a gunshot in the Arlington View neighborhood Saturday night.
The incident happened shortly before 11 p.m. on Dec. 27, on the 1700 block of 14th Road S., according to the latest ACPD crime report. That’s near Army Navy Country Club and Hoffman-Boston Elementary — and across I-395 from Pentagon City.
