Virginia is for lovers, and so is a new public art installation near Falls Church City Hall.
The art piece, which plays into the commonwealth’s iconic slogan while promoting the Little City as “a unique travel destination,” consists of a set of steel letters spelling out LOVE.
An open house about a planned expansion to Green Valley’s Drew Park is happening next week.
Part of a long-anticipated project to create a new Drew Park Master Plan, the event will let community members provide input and learn more about the future of the recreation area at 2310 S. Kenmore Street, between John Robinson, Jr. Town Square and Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School.
The effort to memorialize people enslaved in Arlington is receiving an additional push over the coming month before it takes a winter break.
Six “stumbling stone” ceremonies have been planned through mid-November at locations across the county. They began Saturday in the Arlington View neighborhood with the unveiling of three new bronze markers embedded into the sidewalk.
A proposal to designate an Arlington Mill garden-apartment complex as a local historic district will not move forward following opposition from the property owner and neighborhood civic association.
Members of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) voted Oct. 15 not to embark on a staff study of the historical significance of the 1940s-era Haven Columbia Pike apartments. The vote concluded a three-year gestation period after the proposal was submitted by local activist Bernie Berne.
Cybersecurity Firm Acquired — “Dataminr, a New York tech firm that helps businesses and government agencies spot threats to their operations, has acquired Arlington cybersecurity company ThreatConnect Inc. for $290 million… Datminr’s local office is in the Courthouse section of Arlington and ThreatConnect’s office is nearby in Ballston. Bailey said both local offices will remain open for now, though he’s open to a potential consolidation in the future.” [WBJ]
Local Consumer Sentiment Turns Negative — “Consumers and businesses in Greater Washington are growing more pessimistic about economic conditions locally, as the region faces rising unemployment from federal cuts and the uncertain economic effects of a government shutdown. That’s according to the Metropolitan Consumer Sentiment Index, a quarterly index.” [WBJ]
Unemployment Measure Rising in Va. — “In the first two weeks since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, about 1,250 initial claims for unemployment listed a federal employer, VEC Commissioner Mitch Melis told the Commission on Unemployment Compensation Monday.” [VPM]
Leaf Collection Coming Soon — “The fall vacuum leaf collection season starts in a few weeks… Vacuum Leaf Collection Program: Nov. 10–Dec. 19 (no collection on Nov. 27 – Thanksgiving Day).” [Arlington County]
Chatty Robber in Va. Square — “3300 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:34 a.m. on October 19, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the store, engaged an employee in conversation, assaulted them, collected merchandise and exited the business without payment. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]
ACFD Training in Ashton Heights — “You may notice fire department crews training in the 3400 block of 3rd St N this week. Training will occur daily from 0800–1700 through October 25, 2025. Please use caution in the area and allow crews space to work safely.” [ACFD/X]
Day of the Dead Events — “Dia de los Muertos—or Day of the Dead—is a Mexican holiday that falls on Nov. 1 and 2, when families and friends celebrate the lives of loved ones who have died. Unlike Halloween, the idea is not to spook, but rather embrace the spirits of the dead. Here are some spots where you can honor lives well lived.” [Arlington Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Clouds will increase throughout the day as the temperature reaches a high near 64°F. West winds will blow at 8 to 14 mph, occasionally gusting as high as 24 mph. For Wednesday night, expect mostly clear skies with a low of 44°F and a west wind of approximately 7 mph. [NWS]
Arlington Economic Development is pursuing new options to market the county as a travel destination after the county attorney’s office halted its original plans.
At issue is whether Arlington County could use a 2021 state law to set up a tourism improvement district, or TID, to fund promotional efforts on behalf of the county’s hospitality industry. The county currently pursues such efforts in-house through the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service.
PETERSBURG, Va. (AP) — Rae Pickett stepped onto Richell Hines’ front stoop wearing a pink T-shirt that foretold the case she hoped to make to Virginia voters as she knocked on doors on a sunny Saturday in early October.
“Abortion is on the ballot,” it read.
A home that could be Arlington’s next local historic district comes with ghost stories attached.
“It has had, over the years, a reputation of having paranormal activity,” said Pierre Yves Cossard, who has owned “Happinest” since 1980.
The Marine Corps Marathon is still happening this weekend despite the government shutdown, bringing numerous road closures to Arlington.
Now in its 50th year, the sold-out race — one of the largest marathons in the country — will begin as scheduled on Sunday morning, just like the Army Ten-Miler last week, organizers announced in an Instagram post.
The Arlington County Board has requested more study on possible increases to towing rates before making a decision.
Board members unanimously rejected a staff and advisory-panel recommendation to hold a November public hearing and potentially increase maximum towing rates from the current $155 ($135 plus $20 surcharge) to as much as $210.
Rosslyn Office Building Sells — “Velocis sold 1530 Wilson Blvd. for $28 million, less than half its 2020 price. Douglas Development affiliates purchased the 78% leased Rosslyn office building. The 10-story building houses tenants including SAS, Blue Origin, and Cailabs.” [WBJ]
More on ‘No Kings’ Protest — ”Everyone out here is an unpaid protester who came because they love the United States of America,’ said Maria Powers of We of Action Virginia, which organized Saturday’s overpass protests. ‘They are patriots who say, ‘I love the Constitution.’ I love the fact that we have rules that reign supreme here and we don’t bow down to any dictators, to any kings.'” [Patch]
Va. State Race Recap — “The Virginia governor’s race was supposed to be the marquee contest of 2025, a historic showdown between two women who national Democrats and Republicans alike hope can rally their parties into next year’s congressional midterms. But two downballot contests keep stealing the limelight in unpredictable ways.” [Washington Post]
Drug Take-Back Day Locations — “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) fall National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, October 25… Arlington County offers four permanent drug take-back boxes where community members can anonymously dispose of prescription medications for free.” [ACPD]
Amazon Web Services Disruption — “The far-reaching Amazon Web Services outage that crippled some financial services, retail sales, video games, airlines and more throughout Monday is being traced to the company’s data center cluster in Northern Virginia. Popular sites and apps were struggling to recover Monday afternoon from the stubborn outage.” [WBJ, Axios]
ARLnow Affected By AWS Issue — ARLnow’s social media posts, email newsletters and event calendar approvals, among other online functions, were delayed by yesterday’s major Amazon issues. Full service was restored by Monday evening. [ARLnow/X]
La Niña Is Back — “With winter fast approaching, the recent declaration that La Niña has officially arrived may leave Washingtonians wondering what the climate pattern will mean locally. The answer may not thrill snow lovers. During La Niñas, the prevailing storm track usually runs north of Washington. That tends to pull in milder air during storms, leading to more wintry mixes or rain instead of snow.” [CWG]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 71 degrees, accompanied by a south wind ranging from 5 to 11 mph and gusts reaching 22 mph. Tonight, there is a 40% chance of showers before 2 am; however, the mostly cloudy skies will gradually clear with a low of around 49 degrees. The west wind will be around 7 mph. [NWS]
Update 2/20/26: The felony charge has been dropped, but the driver was found guilty of two misdemeanors: assault and battery and property damage under $1,000. He has received a suspended six-month sentence.
A 58-year-old Arlington man is in jail after police say he purposely struck a bicyclist with his car following an argument.
