The GW Parkway was closed in Arlington for hours after a fatal crash caused by a falling tree.
The incident happened in rainy weather just after 7:30 a.m., in the southbound lanes of the parkway near Chain Bridge.
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Demolition has begun at the site of an eight-story former office building off of Columbia Pike, making way for a 16-home townhouse redevelopment.
Crews got to work last week tearing down a garage structure at 2300 9th Street S., preparing to demolish the 1970s-era office building beginning next week. That teardown is expected to take four to six weeks, according to a notice shared with nearby residents.
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County Defends Rescue Merger — Arlington County pushed back on what it called “incorrect information circulating” about the proposed FY27 budget, clarifying that Fire Stations 2 and 9 will remain open. The proposal consolidates ACFD’s two heavy rescue companies into a single unit at Fire Station 1 (500 S. Glebe Road), boosting per-shift staffing from four to six. The County Board work session on the fire department budget is set for March 19. [Arlington County/X, Arlington County]
Pepper Spray Road Rage — A man, 46, of Arlington was charged with attempted malicious wounding by caustic substance after he allegedly rear-ended another vehicle near Arlington Blvd and S. George Mason Drive, then attempted to pepper spray the other driver before fleeing. He was later located on Columbia Pike, according to police. [ACPD]
Three Seasons in One Day — After record highs of 85–86 degrees Wednesday, evening thunderstorms and tornado warnings, the D.C. area faces a 45–50 degree temperature plunge today as a strong cold front barrels through. Rain showers will change to a brief rain-snow mix this afternoon before ending, though accumulation should be minimal given the warm ground. [CWG/X, WWG/X]
Metro Grout Pad Work — Metro crews replaced grout pads — which elevate the tracks and hold them in place — between Pentagon City and Braddock Road on the Yellow and Blue lines this past weekend. [WMATA/X]
Arlington Restaurant Churn — An AI-assisted analysis of closure data found the county has about 700 restaurants, with roughly 25 closing over the past year — a rate of about 4%, below the national average. The median closed restaurant was about 5 years old, and an estimated 25–30% of current restaurants are 10+ years old. [ARLnow/X]
McAuliffe Eyes Congress — Former Va. first lady Dorothy McAuliffe announced she will run for the proposed 7th Congressional District, which would stretch from Arlington to western Augusta County. She joins Del. Dan Helmer and former federal prosecutor J.P. Cooney, who served as a deputy to special counsel Jack Smith, in a crowded Democratic primary. [FFXnow]
N. Va. Leads Job Losses — The D.C. metro area lost more jobs on a percentage basis than any other U.S. metro with 1 million+ residents last year, shedding around 56,000 positions — 96% from federal layoffs, according to the Brookings Institution. The UVA Weldon Cooper Center now forecasts Virginia employment will shrink by 0.2% in 2026. [Cardinal News]
It’s Thursday — Rain showers will transition to a mix of rain and snow by 2pm, with temperatures dropping to around 40°F. Expect breezy conditions with northwest winds at 14-21 mph and gusts up to 38 mph. Precipitation chances are at 90%, but snow accumulation should be minimal. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 33°F, northwest winds at 5-9 mph becoming calm after midnight, and gusts up to 18 mph. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Pentagon MMA has brought a special honor home to Arlington from the birthplace of Muay Thai.
The Arlington Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu Academy is now officially a certified and registered Muay Thai Gym Partner through the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, making Pentagon MMA the only Muay Thai academy on the East Coast to have earned this distinction.
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 — Mar 11, 2026.
- 7:30 am: Morning Notes for March 11, 2026 | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:35 am: Unauthorized vehicles and renovation work add to parking woes at Central Library | 🗣️ Comments
- 9:15 am: Falls Church approves e-scooter pilot program, looks for companies to sign on | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:00 am: Arlingtonians can use digital IDs at the airport or the Ballston ABC, but not with ACPD | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:45 am: Launch event for VHC Health’s proposed South Arlington facility happening next week | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: St. Patrick’s Day in Arlington and Falls Church: where to find drinks, music and more | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:15 pm: Virginia officials debate whether it’s time to scrap data center tax break amid AI boom | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: Falls Church leads the pack in Virginia’s most ‘dog-loving’ cities | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: What a possible $25 D.C. minimum wage could mean for the region’s restaurant industry | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 5:00 pm: The Pike – Happy Hour at Takohachi
- 7:00 pm: Please Don’t Eat Your Children With Local Author Nicholas Benton
- 7:00 pm: Dark Star Park and the Birth of Arlington’s Public Art Program
🌦️ Thursday’s forecast
Rain showers will transition to a mix of rain and snow by 2pm, with temperatures dropping to around 40°F. Expect breezy conditions with northwest winds at 14-21 mph and gusts up to 38 mph. Precipitation chances are at 90%, but snow accumulation should be minimal. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 33°F, northwest winds at 5-9 mph becoming calm after midnight, and gusts up to 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
– Aesop
🌅 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.
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For over 400 years, humans have studied the cosmos through telescopes anchored to the ground. That changed with the rise of spaceflight; only in the last 50 years have telescopes escaped the Earth's atmosphere entirely and opened a new window on the universe.
Join us for a talk from two NASA astrophysicists on the space telescopes of yesterday, today, and tomorrow—from Hubble's nearly four decades of discovery to James Webb, Nancy Grace Roman, and more. Learn about some of their most striking discoveries and what the future holds.
A ballot measure to substantially increase D.C.’s minimum wage would undoubtedly have major effects on Arlington’s neighbor, but the region-wide impacts are murkier.
One Fair Wage’s proposal to raise the District’s minimum wage to $25 per hour by July 2029 has earned support from labor advocates seeking to make D.C. more affordable for the working class, but criticism from business owners worried about going out of business or having to lay off employees.
Falls Church is top dog in Virginia when it comes to devotion to adopting canines and showering them with purchases, according to one metric.
The Little City was crowned the No. 1 most “dog-loving” city in the commonwealth and No. 5 in the nation in a new ranking from PetSmart.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Nearly two decades ago, Virginia gave tech companies a tax break on equipment and software, and they began to build. The state became a data center hub, and they kept building. Residents bemoaned the noise while they built some more. Artificial intelligence boomed, and the power grid strained — still, more building.
Now, amid a growing national pushback on data centers, Virginia senators have voted to end a projected $1.6 billion annual tax break, requiring the industry to resume paying a minimum 5.3% sales tax. The proposal has left some opponents warning that it would bring construction of data centers in Virginia to a screeching halt.
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There’s no better time than March to stop into one of Arlington’s many Irish establishments.
Several pubs, bars and restaurants in Arlington and Falls Church are celebrating the drink, music and food of the Emerald Isle in the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, which is next Tuesday, March 17. Here’s a look at what is happening in the days ahead.
A community launch event for VHC Health’s proposed behavioral health facility in Glencarlyn is taking place next week.
The meeting, the first in a series of community engagement efforts for the proposed 146-bed rehabilitation and mental health center at 601 S. Carlin Springs Road, will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. next Monday at the Kenmore Middle School auditorium (200 S. Carlin Springs Road).
Ever Wanted to Duel with a Sword or Hit a Bullseye? Fall Registration Is Open at Nova Fencing & Arch
There’s something a little bit magical about picking up a foil for the first time — or drawing back a bow and watching your arrow fly true. It’s why fencing and archery have such a hold on kids and adults alike: real focus, real skill, and a thrill you don’t get from the usual sports lineup.
This fall, Nova Fencing & Archery Club in Bailey’s Crossroads is opening registration for both, with beginner classes for every age starting the week of September 12th. Fencing welcomes ages 7 to 12 and teens and adults 13 and up. Explore Archery, coached by USA Archery certified instructors, welcomes ages 8 to 12 and meets Tuesdays or Saturdays. And for our youngest fencers, ages 4 to 6, ABC’s of Fencing meets on Saturdays. All classes run eight sessions for $195, equipment provided, no experience needed — yes, even for grown-ups who’ve never held a sword or a bow before.