For her efforts in support of Virginia women, children and families, one of Arlington’s state senators has received the Arlington County Bar Foundation’s highest honor.
Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) was presented with the 35th annual William Winston Award during the foundation’s annual luncheon, held at Washington Golf & Country Club last week.
Flyover Planned This Afternoon — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an Aircraft Flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, November 24 at approximately 1:15PM.”
Clarendon Closing Time Fight — “Clarendon Tonight: An apparent fight/assault that left one man on the ground in front of Spider Kelly’s. @ArlingtonVaFD stopped by to patch him up. ” [Dave Statter/X]
Seat Belt Campaign Returns — “The Arlington County Police Department is reminding the public of the importance of buckling their seat belts by teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the high visibility Click It or Ticket seat belt awareness campaign. From November 22 through November 30, the law enforcement community will be working together to reduce the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle passengers fail to buckle up.” [ACPD]
Brandishing Near Columbia Pike — “The seven juvenile male victims were walking in the area when they observed the four male suspects following the group. The suspects then brandished what appeared to be firearms. The victims then ran from the area and the suspects fled the scene on foot. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]
Childcare Grant for Marymount — “Marymount University’s Early Learning Academy (ELA) is enhancing its innovative approach to early childhood education through the development of a new STEAM Lab and outdoor STEAM learning area, made possible by a $75,000 Child Care Capacity Building & Quality Improvement Grant awarded by the Arlington County Board and additional donor funding from Marymount trustee J. Andrew Steele.” [Press Release]
It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high of 55 degrees with a northwest wind around 6 mph. By Monday night, skies will become mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 41 degrees. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
When Maripili O’Connell launched Sun & Honey Grazing in spring 2026, she set out to do more than create beautiful charcuterie boards. Her goal was to make it easier for people to gather, celebrate and connect.
Based in Arlington, Sun & Honey Grazing creates custom charcuterie boards and grazing tables for events ranging from intimate family gatherings to corporate celebrations. Using fresh, thoughtfully selected ingredients, O’Connell handles the shopping, preparation and presentation, allowing hosts to focus on spending time with their guests.
“I really just want to help people gather more often by taking one more thing off their plate,” O’Connell said.
Although she officially launched the business this year, O’Connell began testing the concept during the 2025 holiday season. After spending her career in the corporate world, she turned to Arlington Economic Development’s BizLaunch program for guidance on navigating entrepreneurship.
“From the first day I walked into BizLaunch with just an idea, they supported me every step of the way,” she said.
Through BizLaunch, O’Connell connected with mentors, educational programs and organizations including the Latino Economic Development Center and SCORE. The experience helped her understand everything from licensing and business planning to marketing and networking.
One lesson, shared by a mentor through LEDC, continues to guide her approach today: Don’t wait for perfection.
“You can’t sell a product you haven’t tested,” she recalled. That advice encouraged her to launch, gather feedback and refine her offerings based on what customers wanted.
For O’Connell, the most memorable moments often have little to do with food itself. One customer in Colombia contacted her to send a sympathy board to a cousin in Maryland after the loss of a loved one. When the recipient shared how much comfort the gesture provided, O’Connell was reminded of the deeper purpose behind her work.
“Sometimes a charcuterie board becomes a way to say, ‘I’m thinking of you,’ ‘I love you,’ or ‘I’m here for you,” she said.
As an Arlington resident, O’Connell says the community was the natural place to build her business. Her neighbors became some of her first customers, helping spread the word and providing encouragement along the way.
Looking ahead, she hopes Sun & Honey Grazing becomes a trusted part of life’s milestones, from baby showers and quinceañeras to milestone birthdays and company celebrations. She is also expanding beyond catering through community-focused events, including a Paint, Sip & Graze experience this fall and upcoming charcuterie workshops.
“Creating beautiful boards is something I enjoy,” O’Connell said. “But what excites me most is creating opportunities for people to gather.”
For more information about Sun & Honey Grazing visit: www.sunandhoneygrazing.com or their Instagram page at @sunandhoneygrazing. For more information about BizLaunch visit www.bizlaunch.org and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on small business resources in Arlington.
Good Friday 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 — Nov 21, 2025.
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
Showers are possible before 10am, after which the sky will gradually clear up, resulting in a mostly sunny day with a high near 56 degrees. A north wind at 6-8 mph is expected, and there is a 40% chance of precipitation. The night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 36 degrees. The north wind at 5 mph will become calm in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
– C.S. Lewis
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! 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. 👋
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!
All charges against a professional rugby player accused of rape in Clarendon were either dropped or dismissed this week.
A judge in Arlington County’s General District Court on Wednesday found no probable cause to advance the felony charges against Brady Gilliland-Daniel, according to online court records.
Join the Rosslyn BID and Arlington Arts at the 34th Rosslyn Jazz Fest 2026 featuring live jazz, food trucks, local vendors, and family-friendly activities in the heart of Rosslyn! This year’s lineup is bringing a diverse mix of performers and bands redefining the jazz music genre including Plena Libre, Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, Parlor Greens, and Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band.
The Arlington Historical Society has launched a new initiative designed to capture present-day voices for future study and understanding.
In preparation for pilot projects — including discussions with those involved in development in the Shirlington area as well as the Crystal City Underground — co-chairs Sean Denniston and Marty Suydam recently completed a five-week training session on oral histories courtesy of the Office of Historic Alexandria.
Construction on a new art space next to Jennie Dean Park is entering its final stages as the county plans for a public debut next year.
Work on the recreation area at 2700 S. Nelson Street — between the Arlington Food Assistance Center warehouse and the Cultural Affairs building in Green Valley — is expected to wrap up next month, county spokesperson Alyson Jordan Tomaszewski told ARLnow.
Quite a few well-known comics are coming to the Arlington Drafthouse through mid-2026, including two former “Saturday Night Live” cast members and other TV stars.
Joining former SNL performers Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows on the lineup are David Koechner (who played Todd Packer on “The Office”), “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” actress Caroline Rhea,”Last Comic Standing” winner Alonzo Bodden and other top talent.
Whether you’re planning drinks for a Thanksgiving meal or selecting a holiday gift for the beer or wine lover in your life, Arlington has plenty of options for picking out the perfect splash of cheer.
Here are the nominees for “Best Wine/Beer Shop in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your favorite spot? Write it in!
Voting will close in two weeks.
Voting for Best Thai Restaurant in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Family Dinner Spot in Arlington. The results are now official:
Yesterday, Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffey sparked a debate on Bluesky.
“Among my most important and treasured duties as a board member is making sure everyone knows: a) they can submit names for our snow plows and b) we are having more fun than our neighbors in Alexandria,” Coffey wrote on the social network, while linking to our article about Arlington’s snowplow naming contest.
