Megan Moos Detweiler organized the "Shovel ICE Out" fundraiser in Fairlington (courtesy of Megan Moos Detweiler)
A Fairlington resident from Minnesota has been providing snow shoveling services in exchange for donations supporting immigrants in the Twin Cities.
Megan Moos Detweiler, a teacher and Fairlington resident who grew up on the East Side of St. Paul, Minn., launched the “Shovel ICE Out” fundraiser to help immigrant families at her alma mater, Mississippi Creative Arts Elementary. Since last weekend’s storm, it has received about 300 donations, including $5,600 through GoFundMe.
Mason Cunningham was chosen as the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year (courtesy of Hampden-Sydney football)
For a season-long performance worthy of comeback-player-of-the-year honors, Arlington’s Mason Cunningham was chosen as the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
The Yorktown High School graduate and senior football standout for the Division III Hampden-Sydney College Tigers received the award, in addition to being chosen first-team all-conference, as a result of impressive statistics in 10 games as a wide receiver.
Circle time brings the classroom community together for group lessons led by experienced, certified Montessori teachers.
One of the most common questions from families before enrolling at Children’s House Montessori School (CHMS) is: “What does the day actually look like?”
The answer begins the moment a child walks through the door.
In CHMS toddler classrooms, children begin each morning with outdoor playground time, followed by a predictable routine that helps children navigate transitions with confidence. After coming inside, children hang up their tote bags on a low, child-sized hook, wash their hands at the sink, and then join their friends for circle time. This small but meaningful act of independence signals the start of their school day. These morning routines are intentional moments that help toddlers develop self-help skills, responsibility, and a sense of belonging within the classroom community.
Throughout the morning lesson time, children learn how to care for their classroom and surroundings. After working with an activity, they return it to the shelf just as they found it. If something spills, a child learns to clean it up with the small mop or cloths kept nearby for exactly that purpose. In Montessori education, these small courtesies reflect a child’s growing sense of responsibility and care for their surrounding environment.
Circle time brings the classroom community together for group lessons led by experienced, certified CHMS teachers. Children gather to sing songs, read books, and engage in discussions that build listening skills and early literacy. These moments foster a sense of connection and give toddlers a gentle, structured touchstone within the broader freedom of the Montessori day. After circle time, children move into individualized and small group hands-on learning. From child-sized shelves carefully organized by subject area, toddlers choose lessons that call to them. One child might practice pouring water between small pitchers. Another may work on a floor mat, carefully matching objects to their corresponding picture cards, building observation skills and vocabulary. (more…)
Commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary of the United States of America at Civic Jam! Celebrate the City of Falls Church’s diverse community, civic engagement, and classic summer fun. Jam out to live, local music, sip on local brews, enjoy tasty treats and eats, and a full evening of festivities for all ages on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m.
Play, connect, and earn points throughout the evening in the Civic Cup Competition with activities ranging from sack races and relays to collaborative community art and trivia in the beer garden. No pre-registration required, assemble a team of four, pick up a Civic Cup scorecard, and compete for the Civic Cup Trophy!
A giant pile of snow in Courthouse (via Arlington County/X)
A small mountain of snow and ice has risen over one block of 14th Street N. in Courthouse as large-scale clearing efforts continue around Arlington.
County crews have hauled over 2,500 truckloads of icy debris, which some are calling “snowcrete” because of its density and how difficult it is to remove it, since this weekend’s storm.
Looking down Fairfax Drive toward Virginia Square after a past snowfall (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The cost of rent in Arlington appeared to continue a slight decline in January after decreasing in 2025.
The median price of a two-bedroom apartment, $3,120, was down 0.6% month-over-month and 4.9% year-over-year in data reported Jan. 27 by Zumper. The median cost of a one-bedroom apartment, $2,330, was flat month-over-month but down 4.1% from this time last year.
A westbound Metro train and light traffic in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Falls Church City Council is preparing to vote on a region-wide proposal to increase annual spending for Metro by $460 million every year.
On Monday, Feb. 2, Council members are slated to discuss a request from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) to formally support the DMV Moves funding proposal to augment Metro service.
Snow removal operations in Rosslyn (courtesy Adrienne Salyards)
Senator Loves Arlington Outback — “Sen. Jim Justice’s favorite place to eat steak in the DMV isn’t one of the many swanky restaurants scattered across Washington… It’s an unassuming Outback Steakhouse tucked in a strip mall in the suburbs of Arlington, Virginia, where he and his constant canine companion, Babydog, a very plump English bulldog, have a regular table.” [NOTUS]
New Development Proposal — “Caruthers Properties wants to add a 15-story building at its Potomac Towers apartment complex in Arlington, just the latest example of infill development at midcentury mutltifamily projects across the county. The company’s land use attorney, Venable LLP, filed a conceptual site plan on Friday proposing the 310-unit building at 2001 N. Adams St., a massive property sitting between Interstate 66 and Langston Boulevard.” [WBJ]
Trash Collection Update — “Due to post-snow storm conditions, regular Friday residential curbside collection service will operate in a limited capacity on Jan. 30. Crews will ONLY collect trash and recycling carts. Please have carts placed at the curb by 6:30 a.m. Friday; we recognize that space may be challenging due to sidewalk conditions… If your carts are not collected by late afternoon, do not report it as a missed collection. Carts that are not collected will be serviced next Friday.” [Arlington County]
Midair Crash, One Year Later — “On the evening of January 29, 2025, an American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided over the Potomac River. The crash killed 67 people – everyone aboard both aircraft. The grief for the dozens of lives lost in the disaster reverberated around the D.C. region, and up and down the East Coast.” [WAMU]
Victims’ Belongings Recovered — “The brown teddy bear smelled like oil and jet fuel. It was tucked inside the pink backpack of 11-year-old Alydia Livingston, along with her headphones, journal and a pencil topped with a rubber unicorn. The backpack and its contents came home to her grandparents in Richmond. Alydia didn’t.” [Washington Post]
Alexandria Memorial Planned — “A new memorial in Alexandria will honor the lives of the 67 people killed in last year’s midair collision over the Potomac River, which happened one year ago today. A bench, newly planted trees and plaque bearing the names of the 67 victims will be installed on the Potomac waterfront on the northeastern portion of Rivergate Park, Mayor Alyia Gaskins announced.” [ALXnow]
Robbery Near Columbia Pike — “The female victim was in the area when the male suspect approached her from behind, implied a weapon, stole her bag and subsequently fled the scene. The victim suffered minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.” [ACPD]
Poll on Va. Amendments — “A slim majority of Virginia voters supports a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would let Democratic lawmakers draw new, blue-leaning congressional districts ahead of this fall’s midterm elections, according to a new poll… The poll shows even stronger support for two other proposed amendments to the state constitution that are priorities of Democratic lawmakers.” [Washington Post]
Little Snow, Lots of Wind — “While the snow probably misses the DMV, gusty winds generated by the storm — gusts near 25 to 50 mph — will likely drop our wind chills into the single digits to near or bit below zero for much of the period from Saturday evening through Monday morning.” [CWG/X]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of around 21 degrees during the day, with wind chill values dropping as low as -1 due to a 6 mph northwest wind. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 9 degrees. [NWS]