Signage for a new discount grocery store has appeared all over a vacant storefront in Falls Church, breathing new life into the site after more than two years.
Many details about the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market at 500 S. Washington Street remain unclear, including its opening date. As the new location attracts questions and even some early reviews, here’s a look at what is publicly known.
The D.C. metro area stands alone in the Mid-Atlantic as the only region where home prices are expected to fall next year.
A forecast issued Wednesday (Dec. 3) by multiple-listing service Bright MLS predicts the median sales price of homes sold in the D.C. region in 2026 will drop 1% to $616,700, following a projected 3% increase in 2025.
For many employers, parental leave begins and ends with a policy. But while a policy may outline how much time an employee can take away from work, it often does not address the operational and human challenges that surround leave itself.
That gap is what Arlington-based startup Resilient Returns was created to solve.
Founded by Licensed Professional Counselor and working parent MJ Yost, Resilient Returns helps employers manage the full parental leave lifecycle, from planning and communication before leave to employee support and reintegration after return. The company’s leave-management platform combines structured processes for employers with resources designed to help employees navigate one of life’s most significant transitions.
Yost’s perspective comes from both her professional and personal experience. As a therapist, she spent years supporting individuals through family building, pregnancy, postpartum, loss and the transition back to work. As a working parent herself, she also understood the practical challenges of balancing a growing family with a career. Those experiences helped her identify a gap in how employers prepare for the realities of parental leave.
“We often hear from organizations that they have a great parental leave policy on paper and a plan for the baby shower, but no real system for transitioning an employee’s work before leave or supporting their return afterward,” says Yost.
The challenge is increasingly relevant for employers of all sizes. While organizations invest significant time and resources in recruiting and developing talent, many lack consistent processes for helping employees navigate major life events while remaining engaged and connected to their careers.
For small and midsize businesses in particular, getting parental leave wrong can be costly. Losing an experienced employee can create recruiting and training expenses, disrupt team operations and result in the loss of valuable institutional knowledge. For high-growth companies, the challenge can be even greater. Rapidly expanding organizations often rely on specialized talent, move quickly to meet customer demands and operate with limited redundancy. When a key employee takes leave without a structured transition plan, the effects can ripple across projects, client relationships and team performance.
Resilient Returns approaches parental leave as a business process rather than simply an HR policy. Employers can use the platform to create pre-leave coverage and communication plans, prepare managers for an employee’s transition, conduct guided return-to-work check-ins and track key milestones throughout the leave journey.
At the same time, employees receive resources designed to help them navigate the personal and professional transition into leave and back to work. That dual focus, supporting both the employer and the employee, is central to the company’s approach.
The need for that support can become especially apparent when circumstances do not go according to plan. While many employers have established processes for a typical parental leave, fewer have a clear approach for navigating unexpected challenges or complications. The way an organization responds during those moments can have a lasting impact on employee trust, engagement and retention.
For Yost, building those processes is about more than managing a period of time away from work. It is about helping employers navigate the operational realities of leave while giving employees a clearer path through the transition and back to work.
An automated system that adjusts the timing of traffic signals when buses are running late is helping to improve transit reliability along Langston Blvd.
Since late summer, county transportation officials have been using “transit signal priority” along the 5-mile corridor from East Falls Church to Rosslyn. The system extends green lights and shortens red lights when ART buses are behind schedule — resulting in a small but measurable impact.
Back-to-School Time Means It’s Time to Get Your Home Back in Order!
The kids are heading back to school, and your family is getting back into a busy routine. Let Metro Maid Service take cleaning off your to-do list!
Update on Fatal Stabbing — “he deceased has been identified as Jonathan Alexander Diaz Chavez, 32, of No Fixed Address. He sustained multiple sharp-forced injuries during the incident, and his official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. One of the hospitalized subjects has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. The second subject remains hospitalized and is in stable condition.” [ACPD]
County Continuing Equity Grants — “Arlington County has reaffirmed its support for the “Opportunities Grant,” formerly the “RACE to Rebuilding Trust & Community” grant program, which is now accepting proposals. The program is continuing to invest in local organizations working to address critical community needs… Last grant cycle, in FY 2026, Arlington County awarded a total of $1.8 million to 23 nonprofits delivering a wide range of human services.” [Arlington County]
‘Miracle on 23rd Street’ Returning — “On Friday, a Christmas festival with a focus on inclusivity for those with disabilities will take over a few blocks in Arlington, Virginia, to bring on the holiday fun. Melwood has been hosting “Miracle on 23rd Street” for around 40 years… The real main attraction for the kids, of course, is Santa and Mrs. Claus, who drive down the street on a fire truck at 6:10 p.m.” [WTOP]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs around 42 degrees, as northwest winds increase to 8-13 mph in the morning and gust up to 24 mph. The evening will be partly cloudy, with lows near 23 degrees. Northwest winds of 5-10 mph will become light and variable after midnight, with gusts potentially reaching 18 mph. [NWS]
*Mamistad Groups meet IN PERSON-only the introductory Zoom call is virtual. :)
Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for.
Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 3, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect a mostly sunny day with highs around 42 degrees, as light northwest winds increase to 8-13 mph in the morning and gust up to 24 mph. The evening will be partly cloudy, with lows near 23 degrees. Northwest winds of 5-10 mph will become light and variable after midnight, with gusts potentially reaching 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”
– George Addair
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.
Arlington County has started preparations for a chance of wintry conditions Friday.
Several brine trucks were out on the streets today, working to pretreat major roads, hills, bridges and “trouble spots” in advance of any ice accumulation.
A drop in occupancy rates at Arlington hotels is raising concerns about how long a rebound might take and the ripple effects it will have across the county’s overall economy.
Vacancy rates are “the biggest challenge” among local economic indicators at the moment, said Kate Ange, acting director of Arlington Economic Development.
There is some of the same, but also much is different, about the Yorktown Patriots’ boys basketball team compared to last season’s record-tying, 20-win high-school squad.
Just one full-time starter returns from a Yorktown team that finished first in the Liberty District standings in 2024-25 before falling in the semifinals of the 6D North Region Tournament.
An Arlington writer, conservationist and tour guide has launched a campaign to challenge U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D) as a Republican.
Luke Nathan Phillips, a self-described “bipartisan activist” and “avid outdoorsman,” seeks to take on Arlington’s longtime congressman with a platform focused on crossing political divides and protecting public land.
