News
A few brown leaves among the green on a street tree in Ballston (staff photo)

Shutdown Worries for Fed Contractors — “The PSC, an Arlington-based trade group for government contractors, had already been bracing for staff reductions in contracting offices across the U.S. government amid the Trump administration’s voluntary early retirement plan… the trade group is warning the government shutdown could bring larger setbacks for the contracting world.” [WBJ]

Home With a View for Sale — “The owners of Hard Times Cafe are asking $3.85 million for their 13,000-square-foot home at 1701 S. Arlington Ridge Road. The half-acre property sits on the ridge overlooking RiverHouse, the apartment complex, with Crystal City’s skyline clear as day, Fashion Centre at Pentagon City a 15-minute walk and the District in the distance.” [WBJ]

Design Submissions Open — “Arlington County’s design awards program, DESIGNArlington, is now accepting submissions for architectural, historic preservation, landscape, and public art projects. Submissions will be accepted through November 14, 2025.” [Arlington County]

ACPD Officers Attend Conference — “Last week, members of ACPD proudly attended the 2nd Annual She is Beyond the Badge: Women in Law Enforcement Conference. Women leaders attended to exchange best practices, highlight real-world tools, provide actionable strategies to address challenges and inspire excellence.” [ACPD/X]

Bishop Celebrates Migrant Mass — “Yesterday, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated a special Mass in honor of World Day of Migrants and Refugees at Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Church in Arlington. Present at the Mass were members of Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), which turns 50 this year.” [Arlington Catholic Herald/X]

Another Dry Stretch — “Great for outdoor plans, bad for drought: Rain prospects look bleak for the foreseeable future. After the chance of a few showers today into early Tuesday, rain chances in the DC area are slim for almost 2 weeks according to most models.” [CWG/Bluesky]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a cloudy day with highs near 77°F and a northeast wind at 5 to 8 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly cloudy as well, with lows around 59°F and a north wind at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Monday 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 — Sep 29, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect a cloudy day with highs near 77°F and a northeast wind at 5 to 8 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly cloudy as well, with lows around 59°F and a north wind at 6 to 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
– Walt Disney

🌅 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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News

Arlington’s swarms of spotted lanternflies will finally go away over the winter, but residents should expect to see even more next year, experts say.

The invasive insects, which have appeared en masse in Arlington this year after sporadic sightings for the last few years, will die with the first frost, Alonso Abugattas, natural resources program manager for Arlington County, told ARLnow. This typically takes place around Oct. 25.


News

Arlington County police are investigating an armed robbery Sunday night in Ballston, among several notable incidents in the latest ACPD crime reports.

The robbery happened shortly before 8:30 p.m., along the 1000 block of N. Glebe Road. Police say a younger man armed with a gun demanded and then ran off with electronics and a bag from a male victim who was sitting outside.


Event

The morning will begin with a panel discussion featuring professionals working directly with survivors, legal experts engaged in shaping policy, trauma-informed psychologists, and pastoral care specialists. Together, they will help us consider how to respond faithfully and responsibly to the realities of sexual exploitation.

Following the panel, we will offer breakout sessions that allow participants to engage more deeply with these topics. We will conclude with a closing prayer liturgy centered on a call to action.


News

An Arlington man was arrested early Sunday morning following a vandalism spree in Clarendon.

The 21-year-old suspect, Christian Amaya Ochoa, is accused of damaging flower pots and shattering the windows and glass door of Oasis: The Listening Bar, which opened in July at 2940 Clarendon Blvd. He also reportedly shattered the windows at the skin care studio Glowbar, which had announced plans to open next door this fall.


Sports

For the second straight year, the same two high-school golf teams from Arlington carded top finishes in the Liberty District tournament.

The county’s Washington-Liberty Generals successfully defended their title, with the first-round leader Yorktown Patriots placing second.


Around Town

Plans to open a new restaurant and beer garden at the site of a closed Falls Church motel are nearing completion.

After months of demolition and construction, Stratford Garden is beginning to materialize at 300 W. Broad Street, where the Stratford Motor Lounge closed in 2021. Aiming for a November opening, owner Arash Tafakor is wrapping up renovations and developing a menu with new head chef Cameron Cousin.


Events

A free event on the future of artificial intelligence is taking place in Crystal City this weekend, resulting in a few road closures.

Programming for “AI Unlocked” begins at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Alamo Drafthouse (1660 Crystal Drive). That morning will feature a conversation on AI policy with U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), followed by an afternoon discussion on “tech frontiers.”


News

An effort connecting local seniors to programs and support services has enough volunteers, but needs to improve its outreach, the county’s Commission on Aging has been told.

The Community Ambassador Program represents a partnership between the county’s Area Agency on Aging, Marymount University’s Center for Optimal Aging and the nonprofit Arlington Neighborhood Village. But even for those active in advocacy for seniors, its visibility seems low.


Announcement

ICA Language Services (ICA), a family-owned, woman-led small business based in Arlington, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking decades of supporting the U.S. military and diplomatic community through language training and testing.

Founded in April 1986 as Inlingua Foreign Language Center, a 6-classroom language school, ICA expanded under the leadership of Deidre Doyle, an entrepreneur with a background in organizational management who joined the company the same year. As a military spouse, she had developed a deep understanding of military organizations and culture, helping shape ICA into a trusted provider of language training and testing for military professionals. Doyle became a partner in 1993 and sole owner in 2009, when she changed the name to ICA Language Services.