The hallways of Arlington Mill Community Center resounded with Beatles songs on Monday afternoon.
But instead of John, Paul, George and Ringo, it was Ken, Judy, Sherry and Cameron performing hits — and a few obscurities — from the 1962-69 period when the Fab Four dominated the airwaves.
Arlington County staff and an advisory panel are seeking ways to become more active in Pride Month celebrations next June.
And the clock is ticking, one leader in that effort said.
An annual Halloween bonfire scheduled tonight (Friday) in Madison Manor will represent a passing of the torch for the four-decade-old community tradition.
Hundreds are expected to turn out for this year’s blaze, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at Madison Manor Park (6225 12th Road N.). It will be the last hurrah for organizers James Riley and Brice Henderson, who have been hosting the fires since 1984.
For the second time in three years, Arlington is on the hunt for a new economic development director.
Ryan Touhill will be departing Arlington Economic Development (AED) in early November. Katharine Ange, currently deputy director, will serve as acting director during the search for a successor.
A key county advisory panel likes the proposal to ban gas-powered leaf blowers countywide, but doesn’t want to get too far into the weeds on specifics right now.
Members of the Arlington Park and Recreation Commission on Oct. 28 agreed to send a letter to County Board members, expressing support for the concept of outlawing gas blowers.
Reminder: Drive Safely Tonight — “To help spread the message that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, the Arlington County Police Department, in partnership with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), is hosting a Halloween anti-drunk driving event to highlight the impact alcohol has on motor skills. This free event is open to the public and will take place on Friday, October 31 at the intersection of N. Hudson Street and Wilson Boulevard, beginning at 8:00 p.m.” [ACPD, ARLnow]
FAA Staffing Shortage at DCA — “A ground stop at Reagan National Airport has been canceled on Thursday afternoon, but ground delays are averaging 90 minutes due to “staffing,” per the FAA.” [Fox 5, WJLA]
Robbery on Langston Blvd — “4700 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 8:00 p.m. on October 29, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business and asked an employee for cigarettes behind the counter. The suspect then allegedly grabbed the cigarettes from the employee’s hand and fled the scene on foot with the merchandise. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]
Statewide Vape Store Bust — “VSP had observed an alarming increase in criminal activity occurring within and around businesses publicly focused on the sale of electronic cigarettes. In response, VSP initiated a multi-month investigation into these establishments in western Virginia, uncovering extensive illegal drug activity and illegal weapons offenses.” [Press Release]
F.C. Approves More Aid — “The Falls Church City Council last night shifted an additional $25,000 toward an emergency aid fund, now to total $50,000, in light of the heightened food insecurity facing the entire region due to federal and contractor employee layoffs and the ongoing federal government shutdown.” [FCNP]
Awards for Parks Dept. — “Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) received four honors at the Virginia Parks and Recreation Society (VRPS) annual conference, winning awards for Best New Special Event, Best New Program, Most Creative Marketing Strategy, and Best Health and Wellness Initiative in the population category of 200,000 and above.” [Arlington County]
Concern About Left Turns — “As a parent of two children attending Key Escuela, I want to highlight an ongoing issue that affects not only parents but also all Arlington commuters—the lack of left turn traffic signals at several key intersections. Many other parents share my concerns, as these conditions create dangerous situations daily.” [Letters to the Editor]
Tech Firms Leasing More Space — “The tech industry — and its defense-focused subsector — are placing more importance on securing office space in and around D.C., fueled by a perception the federal government, especially the Pentagon, is more willing to work with emerging startups and established tech firms than in the past. The trend started last year, but it has accelerated under the Trump administration.” [WBJ]
D.C. Streetcar Service Ending — “If you’ve come to depend on the D.C. Streetcar to get around the H Street corridor, you might not be able to for much longer. The District Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that the service is ending on March 31, 2026. The closure comes a year earlier than initially planned, for March 2027.” [WTOP, PoPville]
Soaking Rain Measures Up — “After less than 1″ of rain over the last 40 days, DC area picked up 1-2″ since Wednesday night. (A few lingering showers could fall thru midday, but it’s mostly over) This will help lessen the drought a bit.” [CWG/X]
It’s Friday — Expect a sunny but breezy day, with a high near 59, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 15 to 20 mph and gusting up to 38 mph. For Halloween night, the sky will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 42. The west wind will remain persistent, blowing at 8 to 11 mph and gusting as high as 24 mph. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and his family moved from their home in Arlington to military housing in D.C.
That’s according to new reporting by The Atlantic and a source with knowledge of the situation who spoke to ARLnow after our exclusive reporting that Miller’s north Arlington home was listed for sale.
Arlington County is sending $350,000 to the county’s largest food pantry in response to possible disruptions in food aid for thousands of residents.
The funding transfer is intended to expand the Arlington Food Assistance Center’s capacity to help the roughly 10,000 local residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is expected to go on pause beginning Saturday because of the government shutdown.
A 21-year-old man is behind bars after police say he robbed the same tobacco shop in Virginia Square multiple times.
Arlington County police made the announcement early Thursday afternoon. Police say the suspect robbed the store — understood to be the Tobacco Hut at 3528 Wilson Blvd — and stabbed an employee last month, resulting in serious injuries.
Amazon is slashing about 14,000 jobs, but the company’s HQ2 in Pentagon City will mostly be spared, ARLnow is told.
The company said in a Tuesday letter to employees that it is laying off thousands of corporate workers to reduce bureaucracy and “realize efficiency gains” in “this generation of AI.”
Military Prompts Delays at DCA — “Flights were impacted at Arlington, Virginia’s Reagan National Airport for a period on [Wednesday] afternoon after two jets and a Coast Guard helicopter were called to an airspace violation north of D.C., though no aircraft was actually found, sources told ABC News.” [WJLA, WUSA 9]
Tech Glitch In Juror System — Arlington Circuit Court officials yesterday grappled with a technical glitch related to a vendor’s website that left those seeking to fill out juror questionnaires for 2026 unable to respond. Clerk of Court Paul Ferguson told ARLnow the problem was rectified by the early afternoon, acknowledging his office had fielded “hundreds of calls” from those trying to complete the online response form, which is required by law, but unable to do so. –Scott McCaffrey
Feds Struggle With Finances — “While on intermittent family medical leave for an illness, Brown fell behind on car payments. However, she had an arrangement to make them up, as soon as she returned to work and received her first paycheck in October. But just as she returned to work, the federal government shut down. She received a partial paycheck, but when she left her Arlington, Virginia, condo one day, she noticed the car had been taken.” [WTOP, Axios]
Regional Spending Is Down — “Credit card spending is down in the DMV, per new Bank of America data. The shutdown is likely to blame, the bank says. Compared to last year, card spending per household in the D.C. area dropped 1.4% in the week ending Oct. 18.” [Axios]
Pentagon Wants Faster Firings — “The Pentagon removed key protections for defense civilian workers and directed that managers move with “speed and conviction” to fire employees with “unacceptable” performance reviews last month, just a day before the government shut down.” [Washington Post]
Cox Case in Court — “Registered sex offender Richard Cox was back in an Arlington County Courtroom Wednesday, asking the judge to represent himself on some of the charges he faces… The Arlington prosecutor said if Cox chooses to represent himself on all charges, the prosecutor will file motions to try to stop that. The prosecutor doesn’t want Cox to be able to cross-examine alleged child victims.” [WJLA]
More on Va. Redistricting — “Democrats argued that’s precisely why they propose opening this process. “Potentially giving the voters a choice to revisit their past decision in a small way under extraordinary circumstances undermines no one,” said Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria).” [Washington Post]
Gov. Race Has Wide Impact — “Spanberger’s stump speech, however, hints at the possible national implications of her race. House Democrats plan to center affordability and the needs of the working class in their push to retake the House next year, and Spanberger’s speech seems to provide a blueprint for that strategy. After invoking the issues that matter most to voters, Spanberger was quick to list three issues that make life unaffordable: the cost of housing, health care and energy.” [Washington Post]
F.C. Field Hockey in Finals — “The Meridian Mustangs earned their third overtime win in the past seven days, with Zorah Randhawa’s goal completing an improbable rally to defeat James Monroe 2-1 in the Regional Semifinals. If you haven’t been riding the emotional roller coaster that is the Meridian High School field hockey team, jump on now.” [FCNP]
Coastal Flooding Possible — “A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued for Arlington County for tomorrow, October 30, from 9 AM to 6 PM. Tidal flooding possible, with up to a foot of water in low-lying areas. Avoid flooded roads.” [Arlington Alert/X]
It’s Thursday — Expect rain and possible storms in the morning, followed by midday showers and then clearing conditions later in the afternoon, with a high of 66 degrees. Southeast winds of 13-15 mph will turn south, with gusts up to 24 mph. There is a 90% chance of precipitation, with half to three-quarters of an inch of rainfall possible. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low of 47 degrees and west winds of 9-11 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. [NWS]
Three years of pedestrian- and bicyclist-friendly upgrades along Army Navy Drive culminated in a ribbon cutting in Pentagon City today (Wednesday).
Four members of the Arlington County Board, the chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and other transit advocates attended the ceremony at the intersection of Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street, along the 0.6-mile stretch of road that received improvements between S. Joyce Street and 12th Street S.
