A free community health fair focused primarily on Arlington’s immigrant communities brought numerous families to Carlin Springs Elementary School last weekend.
Health screenings, bicycle giveaways and information on county-government and nonprofit services were all part of the event, jointly sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Arlington and VHC Health’s Professional Development Council.
A preliminary design for a safer intersection in the Dominion Hills area includes a traffic signal, more separation for bike lanes and a flashing beacon for pedestrians.
Respondents have until Monday, Oct. 27 to submit feedback on plans for the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Livingston Street. This is located near Powhatan Springs Park, about half a mile west of another Wilson Blvd intersection where a bicyclist was seriously injured in a crash earlier this month.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats are taking steps to redraw their state’s U.S. House districts, hoping to boost their party’s chances in next year’s midterm elections and counter President Donald Trump’s push for more partisan districts in Republican-run states.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott sent a letter Thursday to members telling them to convene Monday for a special session but did not state a reason. The purpose includes congressional redistricting aimed at gaining more Democratic-held seats, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because they are not authorized to publicly discuss them.
Flyover Today — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, October 24, at approximately 11:00AM”
Va. Races Poll — “Support for Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones has tumbled among Virginia voters in the wake of a texting scandal that broke three weeks ago, but likely voters have not transferred much support to his opponent — Republican incumbent Jason S. Miyares — and the race is a tie, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll.” [Washington Post]
Reminder: MCM Sunday — “The Marine Corps Marathon is the most heavily attended special event of the year in Arlington. ACPD & our partner agencies are ready to serve & protect the runners, visitors & community during the race on Sunday. Learn about how ACPD protects the county during large-scale events.” [ACPD/X, NBC 4, ARLnow]
Teen Robbery in Ballston — “Three juvenile male suspects followed the juvenile male victim into a building during which they assaulted him and stole a clothing item before fleeing the scene. No injuries were reported. Medics responded and evaluated the victim on scene.” [ACPD]
Fight Feeds Political Narrative — “For days, MAGA media was up in arms over a scuffle at an Arlington GOP party, saying it was liberal agitators. Turns out, it was a pair of GOP operatives beefing with others there. Everyone quickly deleted their tweets.” [Sam Stein/X, The Bulwark]
Closure Causes Aging Concerns — “The recent announcement that Culpepper Garden will close its assisted living wing should alarm every policymaker in Arlington County. For years, Culpepper has been a lifeline for older residents of modest means—people who have lived, worked, and volunteered in Arlington for decades but can no longer afford the area’s soaring housing and care costs.” [Letter to the Editor]
Wonder Food Hall’s Big Expansion — “Upside co-founder Nick Freshman is a skeptic of the hall-less food hall model. ‘I’m not going to say it’s not going to work, but I do think that pushing capital behind a brand can’t solve everything. And while Washington welcomes out-of-towners, Washingtonians really appreciate their homegrown brands.'” [Axios]
State Tests Get Harder — “Schools across Virginia expect to see a dramatic increase in students failing end-of-year exams as the state prepares to implement higher benchmarks for standardized tests. But some state leaders, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), say the changes could give a more accurate picture of student performance.” [Washington Post]
Real Estate Market Eases — “Some good news for wanna-be DMV home buyers: House inventory is up across the region, and prices seem to be stalling, according to Bright MLS’ latest report. It’s another indicator of a softening market in Washington amid government cuts, President Trump’s crackdown and the ongoing shutdown.” [Axios]
No Va. Recession Yet? — “The Youngkin administration and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond are pushing back on a recent analysis saying Virginia is one of 22 states and districts in, or at risk of, a recession. Virginia isn’t immune to a downturn, but local economists and state leaders tell Axios they’re not seeing one yet — even as inflation fatigue, layoffs and a government shutdown make the “recession risk” narrative sound believable to many.” [Axios]
Stormy Halloween Week — “For the past couple of days, we’ve been discussing the possibility of a chilly, stormy weather pattern around Halloween… The best chance of rain is probably on Oct. 29 and 30, rather than on Halloween itself. There’s some chance, however, that storminess lingers into Halloween and it may be rather breezy in the wake of the potential storm.” [CWG]
It’s Friday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high temperature near 61, with a northwest wind at 8 to 13 mph in the morning and gusts up to 22 mph. Friday night, skies will be mostly clear and the temperature will drop to around 39, accompanied by a northwest wind at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
A federal food aid program that helps about one-eighth of Americans buy groceries stands to be paused Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown — but Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) says he has found a workaround.
The governor declared a state of emergency today (Thursday), which he said will let him spend emergency funds to provide hunger relief to recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is set to pause payments at the end of next week.
Three options have emerged as county leaders attempt to determine the future of the newly unoccupied Lee Community Center.
The county could upgrade the building, expand the facility or demolish it and construct something entirely new.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday rejected dueling partisan bills to pay federal workers during the government shutdown, with both Republicans and Democrats deflecting blame as many employees are set to miss their first full paycheck at the end of this week.
With unpaid staff and law enforcement standing nearby, Republicans objected as Democrats proposed a voice vote on their legislation to pay all federal workers and prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from mass firings. Democrats then blocked a Republican bill to pay employees who are working and not furloughed, 54-45.
The tennis courts at Bluemont Park are getting a multimillion-dollar overhaul aimed at creating a regional showplace for the sport.
County Board members unanimously approved a $6.5 million construction contract on Tuesday for a project that began the planning phase in 2018 but was halted during the pandemic era before being restarted. While advocates spoke to the need for improvements to the crumbling facilities, the vote also earned flak from a local pickleball enthusiast.
A recent forum quizzed Falls Church City Council candidates on what local governments can do to blunt ever-increasing costs of child care and preschool services in Northern Virginia.
It was, one incumbent noted, the first time the issue had been raised during a candidate forum in her memory.
Lost and Found Closed at DCA — “The ongoing federal government shutdown is starting to impact travelers at Reagan National Airport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that its Lost and Found office at the airport is now closed until further notice. A sign posted outside the office on Wednesday said to travelers that all inquiries must now be submitted online.” [DC News Now]
Beyer Blasts White House Work — “The White House belongs to the American people, not to one person. Past presidents rightly consulted with Congress before construction projects. Donald Trump taking a wrecking ball to one of America’s greatest symbols is awful and illegal, and sadly also an accurate metaphor.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, Axios]
Book Sale Starts Today — “Our Fall 2025 Book Sale will take place – October 23 to 26, 2025… The sale is held in the garage of the Central Library located at 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22201. The specialty books room is in the Quincy Room (first floor of the library by the Quincy Park entrance).” [FOAL]
F.C. School Board Debate — “The one and only actual debate among the five candidates seeking election to the Falls Church School Board was held on the Learning Stairs at the new Meridian High School last week, and while there was little of substance that the five women disagreed upon, the biggest matter may turn out to be not issues at all so much as basic qualifications. That would go to the question of whether or not concrete experience as an educator would be grounds for whether or not someone should be elected to the board.” [FCNP]
Lower Pet Adoption Fees — “The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) is lowering its adoption fees for adult cats and dogs to help potential adopters find their boo this weekend. From Oct. 24 to Oct. 26, adoption fees will be lowered to $70 for all adult dogs and cats.” [DC News Now]
Postal Drug Bust — “On October 22, 2025, the Postal Inspection Service Washington Division – Contraband Interdiction and Investigations Task Force seized approximately 10,000 pills containing fentanyl that were destined for Washington, DC.” [USPIS/X]
Lt. Gov. Race Fake Debate — “After his Democratic opponent declined all of his debate requests in the Virginia lieutenant governor race, Republican John Reid decided he’d hold a 40-minute one anyway — against a version of her generated by artificial intelligence. The fake voice of state Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi (D-Richmond) got to make the first opening statement.” [Washington Post]
New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks license for beer, wine, mixed beverages on/off-premises. [Public Notices]
It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with a high around 62 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 7 to 14 mph and gusts reaching up to 23 mph. On Thursday night, the skies will be mostly clear with the temperature dropping to around 41 degrees, and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
County Board members have taken the first steps in considering changes to the community’s 93-year-old governance structure.
The action marks “the beginning of a long discussion, a very long path,” Board Chair Takis Karantonis said at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
For the past two years, Marymount University has been among a small but growing group of higher education institutions leading the charge in offering degrees in AI.
The private university based in the Old Dominion neighborhood, which launched its AI program in fall 2023, currently offers a Bachelor of Science degree in the subject and an accompanying minor and graduate certificate.
