Opinion

Fall is regarded as one of the ideal seasons to schedule HVAC maintenance, and there are plenty of service providers in and around Arlington to choose from as temperatures start to cool.

Here are the nominees for “Best HVAC Company in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.

Did we miss your favorite provider? Write them in!

Voting will close in two weeks.

Voting for the Best Preschool 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 Venue for a Kid’s Birthday Party in Arlington. The results are now official:

  1. Potomac Overlook Regional Park
  2. MedStar Capitals Iceplex
  3. The Little Gym

News

An 18-year-old has been arrested in connection to a “suspicious” apartment fire near Columbia Pike earlier this year.

Marvin Adelso Hernandez Lopez is accused of using a 7-Eleven cup filled with gasoline during the May 15 blaze at a garden apartment building in Douglas Park.


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News
Dusk in Westover (courtesy Clarita Mrena)

Labor Day Protests — “Labor Day, a holiday honoring the contributions of workers, will be met with two planned protests against the Trump administration in Arlington. Arlington is one of the locations across the U.S. holding protests against the ‘billionaire takeover.'” [Patch]

Columbia Pike Robbery — “Suspect One entered the business and began concealing merchandise during which an employee started to take photos of him with their cellphone. When the suspect went to exit the store without payment, he took the employee’s phone and threw it across the business before fleeing the scene in a black sedan driven by Suspect Two.” [ACPD]

Missing Teen Sought — “ACPD is seeking the public’s assistance locating 14-year-old Brianna… She is described as a Hispanic female, 5’0” tall with black hair. She was last seen in the 4200 block of 16th Road S. wearing a black shirt, white pants and a gold necklace with a B pendant.” [ACPD/X, Patch]

Beyer Blasts RFK Jr. — “President Trump must fire Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before he further endangers millions of American children, mothers, and families. If Trump does not remove Kennedy before this kook fully unleashes his crackpot conspiracy theories on America’s vaccination efforts, Trump will bear the responsibility for the unnecessary and preventable illnesses and deaths that result.” [Press Release]

Labor Day Travel — “Labor Day weekend travel is expected to surpass last year’s record levels, with the Transportation Security Administration preparing to screen hundreds of thousands more passengers than during the 2024 holiday.” [Axios]

Record Freshman Class at MU — “Marymount University in Arlington is one of two universities in Northern Virginia celebrating a record freshman class — here it numbers 538. At Marymount, it’s the fourth consecutive year the freshman class has grown.” [NBC 4]

Pizza Honor for Local Chain — “The verdict is in: An eatery with multiple Northern Virginia and D.C. locations is serving up the best slice of pizza in Virginia, according to a new list compiled by Food Network. Wiseguy Pizza was recently featured on Food Network’s 50 Best Pizza Slices By State 2025.” [Patch]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny conditions and a high temperature near 80 degrees during the day, accompanied by a northwest wind at 5 to 9 mph. By Friday night, the skies will turn partly cloudy, while the temperature dips to a low around 57 degrees. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Thursday 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 — Aug 28, 2025.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect sunny conditions and a high temperature near 80 degrees during the day, accompanied by a northwest wind at 5 to 9 mph. By Friday night, the skies will turn partly cloudy, while the temperature dips to a low around 57 degrees. A 6 mph north wind is anticipated throughout the night. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
– Albert Einstein

🌅 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! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


News

The following in-depth local history feature was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support local journalism and to get an exclusive version of our afternoon newsletter, plus an early look at what we’re covering each day.

To Northern Virginia Democrats, 1952 will be remembered as the year victory slipped narrowly away.


News

Arlington’s unemployment rate ticked up once again in July, continuing a months-long trend that has paralleled federal downsizing across the region.

The county’s unemployment rate stood at 3.5% last month, slightly above 3.4% in June and a major increase from 2.5% in July 2024.


Around Town

A new golf-inspired tavern is teeing up to replace Bartaco’s vacant space at Ballston Quarter.

Loopers Tavern, a restaurant and bar “inspired by the traditions and camaraderie of golf caddies” is Arlington restaurateur Reese Gardner’s newest project, fresh off the opening of Nettie’s Tavern earlier this month. He hopes to open Loopers at 4238 Wilson Blvd, where Bartaco exited in March, he told ARLnow.


News

An air traffic controller at Reagan National Airport has pleaded guilty to assaulting a co-worker in the airport’s control tower earlier this year.

Damon Marsalis Gaines admitted guilt yesterday (Wednesday) to one count of assault and battery — a misdemeanor — in Arlington County General District Court, according to online court records.


Events

An annual celebration of local wines and beers is returning to Crystal City for its second year next month.

The Virginia Beer and Wine Festival is coming to Water Park from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, September 27. The event will feature live music, lawn games and refreshments from several Virginia-based vendors.