News

Police are looking for a man who ransacked a home in broad daylight in the Leeway-Overlee neighborhood.

The burglary happened around noon Tuesday on N. McKinley Street, just north of Langston Blvd. Arlington County police say a resident returned home and discovered the burglar, who ran off with stolen jewelry.


News

The race is on to succeed State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who announced Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 7) he would resign in February to take a post in the Spanberger administration.

In the hours after his announcement, one current and one former member of the House of Delegates launched bids for the seat.


Sponsored

Welcome to Kami’s Korner where we’ll take a deep dive into Arlington’s condominium market by focusing on what’s coming next. From emerging developments to shifting trends, this space will spotlight the opportunities and insights shaping the future of condo living in Arlington.

To understand where the market is today, let’s look at how the condo market has changed. What began as an affordable housing alternative for first-time homebuyers has become the pinnacle of true luxury urban living typical of a world-class city. Let’s explore the 20-year evolution of new condos in Arlington.

Early 2000s: Affordability Focused. Condominiums in the early 2000s were aimed primarily at first-time homebuyers. Affordability was key and this type of housing in Arlington wasn’t glamorous quite yet. The market was steady and interest rates, at just under 7% in 2001, were deemed attractive. Most buildings had 100- 200 units and the average size for a new condominium in Arlington was 950 sq ft.

Mid-2000s: Market Heats Up. In 2003 the market began to pick up speed, fueled by the abundance of financing and essentially loans that required no documentation or proof of affordability. During this time Ballston saw several apartment to condo conversions. Condo units were generally designed as apartments so unit sizes were smaller among all unit types. Finishes were acceptable but not great. This is when granite countertops became the epitome of quality.

New builds like Liberty Center in Ballston shifted the average size down while finish quality and livability of design improved. It was probably the best building of that generation. Like many others at that time there was a rush to buy and buildings were very successful in pre-sale. (more…)


News
A winter sunset in Courthouse (courtesy George Brazier)

D.C. Area Federal Employment — “It’s worse than we thought. The number of federal jobs Greater Washington has lost since President Donald Trump took office a year ago and began slashing the federal workforce is now said to be around 53,000, according to the Stephen Fuller Institute at George Mason University, or about 12,000 more than the institute had previously estimated. The research institute revised its numbers Wednesday after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data for November.” [WBJ]

Trump Threatens Arlington Company — “President Trump threatened to kneecap a division of RTX, the world’s second-largest defense contractor, if it did not step up and invest in “plants and equipment.” This was the most specific in a series of warnings Trump sent out to American defense firms on Wednesday, ordering them to cap executive pay, halt all dividends and stock buybacks, and speed up production.” [Axios]

Funding for Local Tech Firm — “Arlington tech unicorn Interos Inc. has raised millions in fresh funding to further refine its technology that can monitor and respond to threats affecting supply chains. In a LinkedIn post, Interos announced it landed a $20 million check from New York alternative investment asset management firm Blue Owl Capital Inc. and Menlo Park, California-based investment firm Structural Capital.” [WBJ]

Phoenix Bikes Profiled — “Reinaldo Fernandez dreams of joining the military and says he’s always been drawn to machines. “I have a passion for anything with wheels and an engine,” he said. “And I did have dreams of having a bike shop and starting a program like this one.” Even if their careers never involve bikes, Phoenix Bikes believes the skills — and confidence — last.” [WUSA 9]

New Drinking Fountains on Trail — “Thirsty? Try one of 14 new freeze-resistant drinking fountains and bottle-filling stations now along the Mount Vernon Trail! The park celebrated with a ribbon cutting yesterday.” [GWMP/X]

Compass May Be Sold — “‘After more than two months of active negotiations with one such suitor, the company has agreed, subject to this Court’s approval, to sell substantially all of its assets to a strategic buyer with a substantial, global presence in the retail coffee business,’ Haft said. ‘Compass expects to file with the Court within days of its bankruptcy filing an asset purchase agreement to document the proposed sale.'” [WBJ]

Gov. Touts Employment Growth — “Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Virginia added 8,600 nonfarm jobs in November, according to preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics survey. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 3.5 percent, 1.1 percentage points below the national rate. Since January 2022, nonfarm payroll employment in the Commonwealth has increased by 264,000 jobs.” [Governor of Virginia]

Spanberger on Making History — “Less than two weeks before her inauguration, Democrat Abigail Spanberger says she’s still digesting what it means to become the first female governor in Virginia’s nearly 250-year history.” [Associated Press]

New Legal Notice — ABC Internet Wine/Beer Off-Premises license application; objections within 30 days. [Public Notices]

New Legal Notice — Giftshop seeks wine/beer off-premises license; objections due in 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 53 degrees. Moving into Thursday night, the skies will become mostly cloudy with a low around 40 degrees. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 7, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 53 degrees and light, variable winds. Moving into Thursday night, the skies will become mostly cloudy with a low around 40 degrees, accompanied by a southeast wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”
– Aristotle

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.


Event

Online event (see link)

Since 2005, Mamistad has helped 1000’s of first-time moms find their new mom tribes. Let’s connect you with yours! Join us for a quick FREE virtual call and you’ll be all set to join your group – sometimes even the same day!

When you’re expecting or just had your first baby, you can be blindsided by all the newness that comes with it. All those feelings you’re having are normal – it’s NOT JUST YOU! Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for – mainly the changes YOU will go through as a mother.


News

Arlington National Cemetery’s southern expansion project continued to take shape in 2025, preparing the way for 80,000 additional spaces for graves and urns just north of Columbia Pike.

In a video update posted last week, the cemetery spotlighted a new parking garage and other buildings under construction in a forthcoming service complex, along with progress on improved pedestrian access to the Air Force Memorial and the realignment of a portion of Columbia Pike to accommodate the expansion.


News

Falls Church will be able to hold ranked-choice City Council elections as early as 2027, if current Council members want to make the switch.

The city is on track to acquire new voting equipment that would accommodate the ranked-choice format in time for the 2027 elections, city elections director David Bjerke told the Falls Church Electoral Board on Monday.


Around Town

A New York-style deli, a hot pot place, a French-inspired cafe and other restaurants are expected to open in Arlington in 2026.

Following an eventful 2025, which saw the opening of numerous restaurants like Nettie’s Tavern in Clarendon, Scolapasta in Ballston and Bar Chinois in Crystal City, dozens of restaurants are expected to open this year.


Around Town

Compass Coffee plans to close one of its two cafes in Ballston after filing for bankruptcy yesterday (Tuesday).

A coffeehouse at 4300 Wilson Blvd is one of 10 locations where the regional cafe chain is seeking to cancel its lease as soon as Jan. 30, according to a motion filed in D.C. bankruptcy court.


News

A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday (Tuesday) for stealing multiple vehicles from Reagan National Airport, including one belonging to a federal law enforcement agency.

Tyrese McKinnon, 25, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for conspiring to steal five vehicles from Reagan National, and another vehicle from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.