An effort connecting local seniors to programs and support services has enough volunteers, but needs to improve its outreach, the county’s Commission on Aging has been told.
The Community Ambassador Program represents a partnership between the county’s Area Agency on Aging, Marymount University’s Center for Optimal Aging and the nonprofit Arlington Neighborhood Village. But even for those active in advocacy for seniors, its visibility seems low.
An government advisory panel may ask Arlington officials to increase funding to tackle invasive plants in county parks by up to 10 times current spending levels.
“We’re in crisis. The longer we wait, the less easy it’s going to be,” Park and Recreation Commission chair Jill Barker said at the body’s Sept. 23 meeting.
No matter your age, having a will is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family. A properly prepared will ensures your wishes are carried out, helps reduce family disputes, and can make the estate administration process much smoother.
Unfortunately, many Virginians make avoidable mistakes that can create unnecessary stress and expense for their loved ones. Here are five of the most common.
Online templates and DIY wills may seem like an easy way to save money, but they often create bigger problems later. Virginia law has specific requirements for a valid will, including proper signatures and witness requirements. Even small mistakes can leave a will open to challenges or delay the administration of an estate.
A will shouldn’t be something you create once and forget. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, buying a home, or losing a loved one can all affect your estate plan.
Reviewing your will every few years—or after a major life event—helps ensure it still reflects your wishes and keeps your loved ones protected.
Virginia no longer has a state estate tax, but federal estate taxes may still affect larger estates. As home values and investments continue to grow, more families may find themselves closer to the federal exemption than they expected.
Planning ahead can help minimize tax consequences and preserve more of your estate for your beneficiaries.
For parents, a will does more than distribute assets—it allows you to name a guardian for your minor children. Without that designation, a court may ultimately decide who will care for them.
Many families also choose to establish a trust so inherited assets can be managed responsibly until children reach an age or milestone they determine is appropriate.
Your executor is responsible for carrying out your wishes, paying debts, and distributing your assets. Selecting someone who is organized, trustworthy, and capable of handling those responsibilities is just as important as deciding who inherits your property.
It’s also essential to clearly identify your beneficiaries. Vague language or outdated information can create confusion and, in some cases, disputes among family members.
A will is only one part of a comprehensive estate plan. Depending on your circumstances, you may also benefit from:
Together, these documents can help protect your finances, outline your healthcare wishes, and simplify matters for your family if you’re ever unable to make decisions yourself.
A well-prepared estate plan provides peace of mind for both you and your loved ones. By avoiding these common mistakes and keeping your documents up to date, you can help ensure your wishes are honored while reducing stress for your family in the future.
If it’s been several years since you’ve reviewed your will—or you’ve never created one—it may be time to speak with an experienced Virginia estate planning attorney about your options.
At PJI Law, PLC, we work with clients across Fairfax and Northern Virginia to build estate plans that reflect their intentions and align with Virginia law. Our estate planning attorneys take the time to review your assets, beneficiary designations, business interests, and family structure so your plan works as intended.
Whether you’re creating your first will or revisiting an existing one, our team will help you avoid the mistakes that can undermine your entire estate plan.
Call (703) 865-6100 or contact us online to schedule your complimentary consultation today.
PJI Law, PLC
3900 Jermantown Rd, 2nd Floor
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
(703) 865-6100
https://pjilaw.com
Board to Designate Interim Chair — County Board members on Thursday, Oct. 2 will convene a special meeting to designate one of their ranks to serve as interim chair the week of Oct. 4-11. According to county leaders, Board Chair Takis Karantonis will be out of the country on an Arlington Sister Cities trip and Vice Chair Matt de Ferranti will be on paternity leave, necessitating that one of the other three members be designated chair for the period when neither is available. –Scott McCaffrey
Flyover Planned This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 9:16AM.”
Prosecutor Blasts Youngkin — “This is BS. My office (“far left prosecutor” per the GOP) is prosecuting this case and it would have been a crime regardless of which gender bathroom — or a parking lot for that matter. Elected leaders weaponizing what these victims went through for political purposes is its own depravity.” [Parisa Dehghani-Tafti/Bluesky]
Beyer Statement of ICE Visit — “ICE field offices are not designed or equipped to safely hold individuals for more than 12 hours, which was the long-standing policy until June, making the dangerous overcrowding both disturbing and wholly predictable. We are relieved to report that as of today, conditions appear to have improved from the horrifying reports we received just weeks ago.” [Press Release]
Worries About Local Economy — “The D.C. region is bracing for new economic pain next week as paychecks stop coming for thousands of federal workers who took the government’s offer of deferred resignation — and the threat of a shutdown could make it worse.” [Washington Post]
New Funding for Local Startup — “Epic Padel Inc., an Arlington sports and investment company, has raised $10 million to fuel its ambitions to build more padel courts and clubs across the country and to take equity stakes in other padel companies. Two United Arab Emirates-affiliated firms, Nowais Inc. and Stryde Ventures, led the Series A round for Epic Padel.” [WBJ]
Swift Album Release Events — “TS12, known by non-Swifties as Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, comes out Oct. 3, and fans are ready to partay (see what we did there?). Take a break from speculating on the pop star’s wedding plans with Travis Kelce and head out to sing and dance along with your next earworm from her 12th album.” [Arlington Magazine]
It’s Monday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high near 79 degrees, accompanied by a 6 mph east wind. Tonight, there is a 20% chance of showers after 2am, with cloudy skies and a low of 66 degrees in a light northeast wind. [NWS]
Today’s Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has had an Industrious office for years and we love the simplicity — show up, get to work, and let them handle everything else. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
An atypical, and unplanned, winning formula has evolved for the Yorktown Patriots in the team’s past two football games.
Yorktown (3-2, 2-0) has won despite being outgained in total yards, but has countered with a takeaway and bend-but-don’t-break defense that sets up points for an offense that is running error-free.
*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.
The Washington-Liberty Generals saw their 18-game regular-season football winning streak tripped up in a 34-28 road loss to the Centreville Wildcats Friday night (Sept. 26).
Despite gaining 515 yards to Centreville’s 390, W-L couldn’t overcome errors and failed to convert on a late-in-the-game touchdown drive in the high-school game.
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 — Sep 26, 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 possible before 11am, followed by potential showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, and likely showers with a possible thunderstorm after 2pm. Expect a cloudy day with a high around 75 and an east wind of 3 to 6 mph. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts under a tenth of an inch, barring higher amounts during thunderstorms. Saturday night may see showers, primarily before 2am, patchy fog, and cloudy conditions with a low of around 65 and a northeast wind of 3 to 5 mph. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation, and new rainfall amounts could measure between a half and three quarters of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
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. 👋
The weekend is here and so is… the final episode of this season of the ARLnow podcast.
In our season finale, Vernon and Dan — and a special guest, ACFD firefighter Alexander Brahmstedt — discuss a few notable local news stories in Arlington from the past week, including:
For her years-long effort leading precinct operations, Carol Fontein on has been inducted into the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s “Distinguished Democrat” ranks.
“All these lovely people are here because of you,” former party chair Kip Malinosky told Fontein during the celebration, held at the home of Treasurer Carla de la Pava.
American Airlines intends to fight a recently filed lawsuit over the mid-air crash that killed 67 people near Reagan National Airport earlier this year.
The airline denies allegations that a failure to address known safety issues makes it partly responsible for the incident on Jan. 29. The company told ARLnow that it “has been supporting the families and loved ones” of crash victims and underscored its commitment to traveler safety.
