Tomorrow (Wednesday) is New Year’s Eve, and at ARLnow we’re continuing our countdown of this year’s most-read stories.
Stories #11-20 included a mix of heavy and lighthearted coverage, with a couple surprises thrown in.
An unusual set of administrative circumstances has led to confusion over how many students are allowed at a private school in Lyon Park.
The Arlington County Board earlier this month extended an existing use permit allowing Tyndale Christian School to operate with a maximum of 40 students. It did so even though the school at 716 N. Barton Street currently has an enrollment of 80 students.
Game, set, Gala! On Saturday, Nov. 14, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s annual Tennis Creates Gala, presented by QTS, comes to The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, celebrating the transformative power of tennis.
The evening raises critical funds to make the sport accessible to all across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and eastern/southern West Virginia.
Every dollar goes back into local communities through programs like Girls Rule the Court™, which has served more than 2,000 girls, along with Junior Player Scholarships and Tennis in Schools. Gala funds also help restore public courts. Over the last three years, the Foundation has invested $505,000 across 17 public facilities.
Emceeing the evening is Emmy Award-winning ESPN journalist Malika Andrews, host of NBA Today and NBA Countdown, who joined ESPN’s tennis coverage this year for the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Andrews has pointed to the electric moment American tennis is having, with stars like the DMV’s own Frances Tiafoe reaching the 2026 US Open men’s semifinals, and says she’s grateful for the chance to support the sport at the local level.
Joining the celebration is new USTA CEO Craig Tiley, who took the helm of the national governing body in July after over 20 years at Tennis Australia. As he leads the USTA toward its goal of 35 million players by 2035, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation drives the grassroots work to grow the sport right here in the region.
The Foundation will present its Tennis Creates Impact Award to Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (ret.), 63rd Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, recognizing his leadership in fostering character, community, and well-being through tennis.
The heart of the night is the 2026 Tennis Creates Awards, honoring local changemakers. Alexandria’s Leigh Ann Jackson receives the Adult Leader Award for coaching Girls Rule the Court at Groveton Elementary, where she has served 130 students over five seasons and championed the program’s expansion to Hybla Valley.
Arlington’s Gabrielle Berg earns the Youth Leader Award for founding a Northern Virginia chapter of Tennis For Fun, which runs free year-round clinics for people with special needs in partnership with the Arlington YMCA. Burke’s Khoi Truong, head coach at Lake Braddock Secondary School, is the 2026 Coach of the Year.
They’ll be joined by fellow honorees Dr. Ellen Markowitz (Community Champion), James Skinner (Provider Champion), and Janelle Nichols (Tennis in the Classroom Awardee).
Tickets and tables are now available. Can’t make it? Make a gift to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation or bid in the silent auction to help put a racquet in the hands of the next generation of players.
The Tennis Creates Gala takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA 22102.
For more information, visit TennisCreatesGala.com.
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It might not have snowed Wednesday morning, but there’s another chance of wintry weather Thursday morning.
An early New Year’s Day snowfall is possible, prompting Arlington County to apply brine to main roads. More, below, from the National Weather Service.
Arlington County will begin its yearly post-holiday collection of Christmas trees starting next week.
A special pickup of the expired evergreens will begin next Monday, Jan. 5 and continue through Friday, Jan. 16.
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Join us in person for a day packed with excitement and peace of mind! Our Child Safety Fun event features a cool fair filled with games and activities for the kids, plus a seat check station to make sure the car seats are installed correctly and to ensure your little ones are buckled up safely. It's a perfect chance to have fun and learn some important safety tips. Don’t miss out on this awesome event made just for families!
A restaurant serving up spicy fried chicken is closing its doors in Rosslyn after three and a half years.
Hot Lola’s, which opened at 1501 Wilson Blvd in the summer of 2022, announced the closure in a social media post earlier this month. The initial plan was to close on New Year’s Eve, but the restaurant’s signage has already been taken down as of today (Tuesday).
Waste collection will once again be pushed back in Arlington as various government offices close in honor of New Year’s Day this Thursday.
Thursday’s collection routes will be serviced on Friday, and Friday routes will be pushed back to Saturday this week. Parking meters also will not be enforced on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1).
Arlington’s summertime experiment using high tech to evaluate the state of sidewalks delivered mixed results.
The county used Kiwibots — laser-equipped robots — to roll up and down the sidewalks of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor for two weeks in July, assessing conditions.
The School Board’s policy subcommittee will open 2026 with consideration of new policies to combat waste, fraud and abuse while protecting those on staff who report it.
At its Wednesday, Jan. 7 meeting, subcommittee members will consider two separate but interconnected draft policy documents:
No Drones in Arlington — “Received a drone this holiday season? Remember, all of Arlington County is a No Drone Zone due to our proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Help keep the airspace safe by keeping your drones grounded in Arlington County.” [ACPD/X]
Washington Monument Lights — “If you’re looking for something different and free for New Year’s Eve, how about fireworks at the Washington Monument? In addition to the fireworks, there will be video displayed on all four sides of the monument as a kickoff for the United States’ 250th birthday celebration in 2026.” [NBC 4, Dave Statter/X, Stefanie Johnson/X]
Free Rides on NYE — “Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) the 2025 Holiday SoberRide® program – which has run nightly since December 19th – will be in operation beginning at 10:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve (Wednesday, December 31, 2025) and operate until 4:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day (Thursday, January 1, 2026) as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday period.” [Press Release]
New Governor’s Cabinet — “Three Democratic state delegates and a former FBI agent are among the Cabinet secretaries Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) has nominated as she builds out the team that will advise her and help administer state government after she is sworn in on Jan. 17.” [Washington Post]
Youngkin Talks Va. Investments — “During Glenn Youngkin’s term as Governor of Virginia, CEOs committed $156 billion of investment to the Commonwealth – more than the previous six gubernatorial administrations combined. As he prepares to leave office, we spoke with Youngkin about how he pulled it off.” [Standard and Works]
It’s Tuesday — Expect a sunny day with a high of 35 degrees accompanied by breezy west winds ranging from 17 to 23 mph, gusting up to 37 mph. Tuesday night, the clouds will increase while the temperature drops to a low of 26 degrees. The west wind will settle down to 7 to 10 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]