News

The U.S. government admitted Wednesday that the actions of an air traffic controller and Army helicopter pilot played a role in causing a collision last January between an airliner and a Black Hawk near the nation’s capital, killing 67 people.

It was the deadliest plane crash on American soil in more than two decades.


Around Town

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 17, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

🌧️ Thursday’s forecast

Rain is likely after 4pm, with increasing clouds and a high near 54. Morning winds will shift south at 5-8 mph. There’s a 30% chance of precipitation. Thursday night will see temperatures rise to around 55 by 3am, accompanied by south winds at 8-17 mph and gusts up to 29 mph. Rain is expected, with a 100% chance of precipitation and new rainfall amounts ranging between half and three-quarters of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Every artist was first an amateur.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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.


News

Arlington County’s tax revenue was millions of dollars short of what was expected in the first months of this fiscal year, resulting in cutbacks on some expenditures.

County revenue from real estate taxes and taxes on public consumption — like sales, meals and lodging taxes — was $13 million behind projections during the first four months of the fiscal year that began July 1, County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a County Board briefing yesterday (Tuesday).


News

A 33-year-old D.C. man is facing an array of charges after a violent incident in Crystal City last night.

The alleged assault happened shortly before midnight, near the intersection of 23rd Street S. and S. Eads Street — at the start of Crystal City’s restaurant row.


Event

Although vaccines stand as one of modern medicine’s greatest achievements, preventable illnesses are resurfacing as declining immunization rates intersect with political polarization and media misinformation. In the 2026 Dolan Lecture, distinguished infectious disease specialist and global health strategist Dr. Bruce Gellin examines the history, current trends, and complex policy dynamics surrounding US and global vaccine programs. While science provides the empirical foundation, public trust and political forces ultimately determine whether life-saving tools reach the population—proving that vaccines do not save lives until vaccination actually occurs. Designed specifically for medical professionals, this presentation offers essential insights into navigating today's fragmented media landscape, overcoming vaccine skepticism, and translating evidence into effective public health practice.

Reception immediate following in the hospital atrium. No charge for the public.


News

Arlington and Falls Church have both ranked as some of the most livable localities in the nation for the second year in the row.

Arlington was at the top of the charts for “large communities” and Falls Church was No. 2 among “small communities,” according to a new ranking of U.S. localities from the American Association of Retired People (AARP).


Around Town

A new spot for bites and brews has opened in Falls Church, replacing a former motel.

Stratford Garden opened yesterday (Tuesday) at the long-vacant Stratford Motor Lodge at 300 W. Broad Street, abuzz with local officials including Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi.


News

Funding for Medicaid in Virginia and affordable housing on church-owned property were among Arlington residents’ priorities for state lawmakers at a meeting last week.

The pre-legislative meeting with Sens. Barbara Favola and Adam Ebbin, and Dels. Patrick Hope, Alfonso Lopez and Adele McClure, came ahead of the Virginia General Assembly session scheduled to begin on Jan. 14. Other topics of discussion ranged from expanding ranked-choice voting to an age verification law for pornography sites.


News

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday he won’t allow operations in the airspace over the nation’s capital to revert back to the way they were before January’s deadly aircraft collision near Reagan National Airport.

Administrator Bryan Bedford told the House aviation subcommittee he won’t forget the 67 people who died when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over the Potomac River.