It’s a foggy morning in Arlington and across the D.C. area.
The fog and lack of visibility has prompted a Dense Fog Advisory from the National Weather Service. It’s in effect until 10 a.m., though some fog may persist beyond that.
Bookstore Eyed for Westpost — Federal Realty wants to replace the Walgreens at Westpost in Pentagon City with an unnamed bookstore, but a 1998 site plan condition requiring a full-service drug store makes that virtually impossible. The company is requesting the condition be eliminated, warning the storefront “will remain vacant” otherwise. [WBJ]
Stranded in Qatar — Arlington resident Anjali Sharma was on her way to a wedding in India with a layover in Qatar when Iran’s retaliatory strikes began and the airspace closed. “I hear explosions every day,” she said. Rep. Don Beyer (D) said his office has heard from about 100 families with loved ones stuck abroad. [NBC 4]
Brandishing at Pentagon City — Police responded Monday to the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street after a man inside a business displayed what appeared to be a firearm and made threatening statements before leaving the scene. No injuries were reported. [ACPD]
Flood Awareness Week — Arlington County is urging residents to prepare for the spring rainy season as Virginia Flood Awareness Week runs March 8–14. Just an inch of water entering a home can result in as much as $25,000 in damages, yet only 3% of Virginians have flood insurance. [Arlington County]
Amazon Cutting 49K Desks — Amazon’s real estate team plans to eliminate 49,000 desks globally this year to reduce its average office vacancy from about 31% to 22.9%. “If you can envision a sold-out Taylor Swift concert and give every single person their desk, that’s how many desks we need to get rid of,” a senior real estate manager said. In the D.C. area, Amazon had about 20,000 corporate employees as of October. [WBJ]
Bakeshop Heading to Vienna — Clarendon-founded Bakeshop expects to open at 421 Maple Avenue East in Vienna in early April. “The buildout has taken a bit longer than expected, but we are very happy with it,” general manager Monica Garcia told FFXnow. “We cannot wait to get in there and start baking.” [FFXnow]
VA250 at HistoryFest — The VA250 Mobile Museum, part of Virginia’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, will visit Arlington’s HistoryFest on May 9 at Kenmore Middle School. The immersive traveling exhibit features interactive displays and artifact reproductions. [Press Release]
Fairfax Casino Clears House — The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill 64-32 yesterday that would make Fairfax County eligible to host a casino. The legislation from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell now heads to conference before potentially reaching Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk. [FFXnow]
ICE Bills Advancing — Three bills from state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-Fairfax) that would restrict federal immigration enforcement activities in Virginia await final action in the House of Delegates. “We are confident… that we will deliver these bills to the Governor’s desk,” Salim told FFXnow. [FFXnow]
AG Pressed on Schools, ICE — Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) withdrew his predecessor’s brief in a Fairfax County Schools Title IX case and said he is reviewing guidance on ICE cooperation with local law enforcement. On gender identity in schools, Jones said he is focused on “students having a high-quality education.” [Fox 5]
Hacktivists Eye Local Gov’t — Iran-aligned hacktivists may target state and local governments with denial-of-service attacks and website defacement as hostilities in the Middle East escalate, cybersecurity experts warned. The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center said hacktivist groups are “mobilizing to try to start targeting domestic U.S.… networks.” [Route Fifty]
Cherry Blossoms Running Late — Capital Weather Gang predicts peak bloom of D.C.’s Yoshino cherry trees between April 3 and 7, which would be the latest since 2018, following the chilliest winter in more than two decades. Abnormally warm weather this week should jump-start bud development, but cooler conditions in mid-March may slow progress. [Washington Post]
New Legal Notice — ABC restaurant/caterer on/off-premise alcohol license; objections due 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Thursday — There are chances of rain before 10am and after 4pm, with patchy fog expected before noon. The cloudy skies will later turn mostly sunny, reaching a high of 63°F. Rain is likely Thursday night, with a 60% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 51°F. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Claudia Tordini’s journey to entrepreneurship began long before she opened her Arlington business. As a teenager growing up in Argentina, a summer job sparked an interest in the human side of work and leadership. Years later, that interest evolved into the Experiential Learning Lab, where she helps professionals become more confident, authentic and effective leaders.
Founded in 2018, the Experiential Learning Lab offers a different approach to leadership development. Through experiential and art-based learning, Claudia helps managers and professionals strengthen skills such as communication, empathy, resilience and decision-making through hands-on experiences rather than traditional lectures.
Her signature Experiential Leadership Development Program, now welcoming its third cohort, is designed for professionals seeking to grow as leaders while learning alongside a supportive community of peers.
Like many entrepreneurs, Claudia has built her business one step at a time. Along the way, she participated in BizLaunch’s ReLaunch and SOAR programs and credits Arlington’s strong small business ecosystem for helping her continue to grow.
“We are enormously grateful to BizLaunch for their service and support to small businesses in Arlington,” she shared.
Beyond her professional work, Claudia is dedicated to strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem through education, mentorship and community engagement. She has contributed as a panelist for Entrepreneurship for Latinas and partners with BizLaunch en Español as the presenter and sponsor of Desayuno Empresarial: El Liderazgo se Aprende, helping entrepreneurs build the leadership skills needed to grow and sustain successful businesses.
Arlington is a natural place to build her business.
“I live in Arlington, and I believe in its people,” she said. “There is an energetic and growing professional and entrepreneurial community that attracts innovation and creative thinking.”
Through her unwavering commitment to entrepreneurs and her leadership in local programs, Claudia continues to champion innovation, fuel business growth and make a lasting impact on Arlington’s business community.
Learn more about Experiential Learning Lab at www.experiential-learning-lab.com.
Two police officers were hurt after a group of “disorderly” teens led them on a series of foot chases in Ballston.
The incident happened shortly before 11 a.m., drawing a large police response to the 900 block of N. Stuart Street.
Explore exciting fall workshops at Art House 7! Coming up October 24–25, master artist Teresa Oaxaca returns for a special 2-day Painting a Child’s Portrait in Oils workshop for ages 16–adult. Looking for something shorter? Try the pottery wheel, create a ceramic leaf plate or keepsake ornaments, or explore drawing, printmaking, and Suminagashi. We also offer parent-child workshops and special art workshops for kids on Veterans Day and Election Day!
Art House 7 offers classes throughout the year, taught by a range of fantastic teachers. You can buy art supplies next door. We’re near the Lee Harrison Shopping Center.
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 4, 2026.
- 7:30 am: Morning Notes for March 4, 2026 | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:30 am: Revamp of athletic fields at Kenmore Middle School to begin this year | 🗣️ Comments
- 9:15 am: Arlington’s ‘Dream Project’ awaits court outcome on undocumented students’ in-state tuition | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:00 am: Bill could bring Virginia’s first self-driving cars and trucks by 2028 | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:45 am: Shirlington is getting wider sidewalks and more outdoor dining | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: DOJ lawyer turned polyamory writer to deliver talk at One More Page Books | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:00 pm: Burglary call and foot pursuit leads to drug arrest near Drew Elementary | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: Musicians play for pets in new volunteer program at Arlington animal shelter | 🗣️ Comments
- 5:15 pm: NEW: Virginia Supreme Court allows referendum on Democrat-led redistricting proposal | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 10:00 am: Huge Used Book Sale Mar 5-8
- 7:00 pm: SAYING YES: MY ADVENTURES IN POLYAMORY With Author Natalie Davis
- 7:00 pm: One Battle After Another *Oscar Watch*
- 8:00 pm: Pillow Fortress by Aysha Zackria
🌥️ Thursday’s forecast
There’s a 20% chance of rain before 10am and after 4pm, with patchy fog expected before noon. The cloudy weather will slowly turn mostly sunny, reaching a high of 63°F. Calm winds will shift southeast at 6 mph in the afternoon. Rain is likely on Thursday night, mainly after 7pm, with a 60% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 51°F and winds remaining eastward. New precipitation amounts could total under a tenth of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
– Nelson Mandela
🌅 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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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — For the second time, Virginia’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that voters can cast ballots on a Democrat-led congressional redistricting plan that could help the party win four more U.S. House seats, as the justices review legal challenges to the effort.
The court ruled that a statewide referendum can be held on April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, upending a temporary restraining order put in place by a Tazewell County judge last month. It comes after the top court made a similar ruling last month in a related case.
Go to NEW: Virginia Supreme Court allows referendum on Democrat-led redistricting proposal
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A new program at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington is treating shelter pets to performances by volunteer musicians.
The Paws in Music program, a partnership with the Houston-based nonprofit Wild Tunes, organizes volunteers to play music at the animal shelter in shifts. The performances began yesterday (Tuesday).
A teen is facing a number of charges after police say a burglary call led to a foot pursuit and the discovery of “distribution amounts” of drugs.
The incident happened Monday morning in the Green Valley neighborhood. Police say the suspect was detained near Drew Elementary School.
A D.C.-area writer and advocate for polyamorous lifestyles will discuss her experiences outside of monogamy at a talk in East Falls Church tomorrow (Thursday).
One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland Street) will host author Natalie Davis for a discussion on her new book, “Saying Yes: My Adventures in Polyamory,” from 7-8 p.m. The event will include a book reading, conversation with certified sex therapist Tamara Pincus, a Q&A session and a book signing.
A set of pedestrian-oriented upgrades to sidewalks, lighting and seating is getting underway in the Village at Shirlington.
Construction work, which was proposed in May 2025 and is intended to “improve connectivity, enhance public spaces, and preserve the property’s historic character,” is expected to last through November.