The number of Arlington residents counted as unemployed spiked 51% year-over-year in newly released state jobs data.
A total of 5,370 Arlingtonians were recorded as seeking jobs in November, according to figures reported Wednesday (Jan. 21) by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. That’s up from 3,561 in November 2024.
An 18-year-old Arlington man is facing an array of charges after an incident in Fort Myer Heights that started with a noise complaint.
Officers were called to the 1600 block of 16th Street N. early Saturday morning and “encountered a group outside the building smoking marijuana in public,” according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.
A colorful new landmark is bringing fresh energy to Columbia Pike while celebrating the people, cultures and stories that define one of Arlington’s most vibrant neighborhoods.
On Saturday, October 24, Arlington Public Art, the Columbia Pike Partnership, and the community will celebrate the completion of the first County-sponsored mural on Columbia Pike, a striking new work by artist Rowan Bathurst located on the side of the Goodwill building at 4714 Columbia Pike.
The mural, commissioned through Arlington Public Art and Arlington Economic Development, is part of ongoing creative placemaking efforts designed to strengthen neighborhood identity, enhance public spaces and create welcoming experiences for residents, visitors and local businesses.
For Bathurst, an artist whose work explores the relationships among people, nature and cultural heritage, Columbia Pike offered a rich source of inspiration. The mural features portraits of women representing cultures reflected throughout the neighborhood, surrounded by imagery drawn from local history, global artistic traditions and the natural environment of Four Mile Run.
What makes the project especially meaningful is the community’s role in shaping it. Public input gathered at the Barcroft Resource Fair and Columbia Pike Farmers Market revealed a strong desire for artwork that reflected the neighborhood’s diversity, vibrant character and connection to nature. A community advisory panel helped guide the project from concept through completion, ensuring the final design reflected the voices and experiences of the community it serves.
The resulting artwork is both a visual landmark and a celebration of the people who make Columbia Pike unique. It highlights the corridor’s longstanding role as a welcoming and multicultural community while creating a vibrant new point of interest along one of Arlington’s most traveled commercial corridors.
The project was made possible through a partnership with Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, which provided the highly visible wall for the mural. Located on the Goodwill building at 4714 Columbia Pike, the artwork transforms an everyday streetscape into a destination that invites residents and visitors to pause, reflect and connect with the neighborhood’s identity.
As Arlington continues investing in public art and placemaking initiatives, projects like this demonstrate how art can strengthen community pride, foster connection and contribute to vibrant public spaces. Public art not only enriches the visual landscape, but also helps tell the stories of Arlington’s neighborhoods and the people who call them home.
The community is invited to join the celebration on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The free event will feature remarks from the artist and community representatives, music, refreshments and family-friendly activities. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience the mural up close and learn more about the community stories, cultural influences and local inspiration behind its creation.
For Columbia Pike, the mural represents more than a new work of art. It is a lasting reflection of the corridor’s creativity, diversity and community spirit, and a vibrant new symbol of the neighborhood’s past, present and future.
Art Focus is a regular series highlighting the artists, organizations, public art projects and creative initiatives that enrich Arlington’s cultural landscape.
Days after taking office, Attorney General Jay Jones (D) is reversing his predecessor’s position on the Trump administration’s fight against in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.
Yesterday (Wednesday), Jones filed a motion to withdraw from an agreement that former Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) made with the U.S. Department of Justice in a bid to invalidate the Virginia Dream Act of 2020.
Please join us for an Open House at St. Charles Preschool on November 13th at 9:30 am to learn more about our Christ-centered, nurturing preschool community! Applications for the 2027-28 school year will be opening that day on our school website.
Our school offers:
Shirlington Crow Watching — “We met the birders late Saturday afternoon on the rooftop level of a parking garage by Shirlington Library in Arlington. As the sun set, through binoculars we watched the distant horizon: Crows trickled, then poured into the area. Several thousand perched on trees along a ridge that formed a semicircle around the parking garage… This is a winter thing, through February, experts say.” [Washington Post]
Tysons Casino Bill Returns — “Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) is once again rolling the dice on legislation to allow a casino in Fairfax County. A bill that would add the county to Virginia’s list of localities eligible to host a casino was officially introduced yesterday (Tuesday) in the state Senate, which referred it to a Committee on General Laws and Technology. Numbered SB 756, the new bill is identical to one that Surovell brought forward in the General Assembly’s 2025 session.” [FFXnow]
Miyares Eyes 2029 Run — “Virginia’s outgoing top law enforcement officer, Jason Miyares, told fellow Republican attorney general to “stay tuned” on whether he’s planning to run for governor in 2029. For those who know Miyares personally, this update was unsurprising. As soon as he decided to run for reelection last time around, his plan was to run for governor in 2029 regardless of the 2025 result.” [National Review]
Latest on Weekend Snowstorm — “Computer models have come into relatively strong agreement that at least 6 inches is likely and that parts of the region could near or even surpass a foot. But… uncertainties remain. There is an increasing chance that snow could mix with and change to sleet and/or freezing rain for a time Sunday, lowering the ceiling on snow totals, especially south and east of D.C.” [CWG]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 51, with southwest winds at 7 to 10 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon and gusting up to 20 mph. As for Thursday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low around 29. [NWS]
“This little composition…is, alas, the final mortal sin of my old age. A little technique, a little heart, that is all.”
Gioachino Rossini’s "Petite Messe Solennelle" is neither little nor entirely solemn. Yet beneath the wit and irony of its title lies one of Rossini’s most personal creations, which blends the theatrical brilliance and unforgettable melodies of his comic operas—including extraordinary and virtuosic arias—with an almost uncharacteristic tenderness and spiritual depth.
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 — Jan 21, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 51, with southwest winds at 7 to 10 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon and gusting up to 20 mph. As for Thursday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low around 29 and a light northwest wind at 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”
– Jack Canfield
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.
The threat of a major winter storm this weekend is now “high,” according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service said D.C. area residents should start preparing now for the storm, which is expected to begin Saturday afternoon or evening and peak Sunday morning.
Before Arlington moves to change its form of government, it needs to educate more residents on what the current structure is and why reforms might be needed, one County Board member believes.
“Walk down a street in Ballston, Columbia Pike, anywhere — most folks will look at you like a deer in the headlights” when governance is brought up, Julius “J.D.” Spain, Sr., said at the Jan. 13 Arlington County Civic Federation meeting.
This week marks the 10-year anniversary of Mark Schwartz becoming Arlington’s county manager on a permanent basis.
Schwartz had been appointed to the role in an acting capacity in July 2015, and County Board members announced on Jan. 8, 2016 that they had decided to make the position permanent.
Another candidate has entered a challenge against Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in the lawmaker’s first primary election in his 18 years on the Senate.
Mark Moran, a former reality television star and Wall Street investment banker who lives in Falls Church, announced his candidacy today (Wednesday), one year and one day after President Trump was sworn into office.
