Developers of commercial projects in Falls Church could for the first time be required to meet minimum tree-canopy requirements.
City Council members at an Oct. 6 work session generally were supportive of a staff proposal that would set a minimum 10% canopy for future commercial development.
ATC Staffing Leads to DCA Delays — “The FAA is now delaying flights into Reagan National Airport (DCA) due to low air traffic controller staffing. Day 8 of the government shutdown and staffing shortages are hitting Congress’ favorite airport.” [Pete Muntean/X]
Ballston Crash Leads to Pot Bust — “800 block of N. Randolph Street. At approximately 2:40 a.m. on October 5, police responded to the report of a single-vehicle crash. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the driver of the vehicle and following an investigation, he was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. During an inventory search of the vehicle prior to towing, a distribution amount of marijuana was recovered.” [ACPD, ACPD/X]
Cherrydale Truck Traffic Complaints — “When it was built decades ago, Galdes said the rehab center was designed to be a quiet, nursing-home-type residential facility. But since then, she said, it’s evolved to handle more and more medical needs — which means more deliveries. “Locally, in the neighborhood, we call it a small hospital,” she said Tuesday.” [WTOP]
Long Bridge Construction Plan — “Video from @vapassengerrail that shows how the new Long Bridge for trains and a parallel bridge for pedestrians & bikers will be constructed over the Potomac River. Major construction work is expected to start next year, currently the projected completion date is 2030.” [Tom Roussey/X]
Flyover This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 9:15AM.”
New Bill for Federal Workers — “Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act. This legislation would protect federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown.” [Press Release]
Arlington Food Insecurity — Arlington’s rate of food-insecure households, 22%, was lowest in the Washington region in a new report from the Capital Area Food Bank, presented Wednesday to the Council of Governments. Though down slightly from 23% last year, both the county rate and the regional rate of 36% are expected to grow in coming months due to federal downsizing and resulting economic impacts. –Scott McCaffrey
Warner on Peace Deal — From Sen. Mark Warner: “I welcome the announcement that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to bring about a ceasefire, secure the release of hostages, and lay the groundwork for a more durable peace following the conflict.” [Press Release]
W-L Crew Anniversary — “On October 4, 2025, the Washington-Liberty (W-L) High School Crew Boosters hosted a special event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of W-L’s s women’s rowing program.” [Press Release]
F.C. Budget Update — “A final report of the City of Falls Church budgetary performance for its FY25 fiscal year ending last June 30 showed a healthy net surplus of revenue over expenditures, but some areas signal cause for concern going forward.” [FCNP]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 63 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind between 9 and 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Thursday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 43 degrees. [NWS]
Every day, Arlingtonians open ARLnow to catch what’s happening in their neighborhood. The new restaurant. The road closure. The house that just hit the market. One question: are they finding your business, too?
They could be.
ARLnow is the No. 1 source of local news for Arlington residents, ahead of the Washington Post and the county’s own website, and one of the most-read local news sites in Virginia. That’s 650,000 visitors a month and 17 million pageviews a year, all right here in your backyard.
And here’s the best part: people actually like the ads. In a reader survey, 89% said they enjoy them, and 28% bought something because of one.
See this sponsored post you’re reading right now? It could be yours. Display ads, email blasts— sponsored posts, whatever fits your goal, we’ll help you find what works.
Ready to be what your neighbors see next?
Explore every option at lnn.co/advertise, email [email protected], or call 703-348-0583.
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 — Oct 8, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny skies and a high of 63 degrees, accompanied by a northeast wind between 9 and 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Thursday night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 43 degrees and a northeast wind at approximately 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
– Henry David Thoreau
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.
Back-to-School Time Means It’s Time to Get Your Home Back in Order!
The kids are heading back to school, and your family is getting back into a busy routine. Let Metro Maid Service take cleaning off your to-do list!
With leaves falling along with autumn temperatures, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia is pleading with local property owners not to rake and remove all their leaves from yards.
“There are many ways you can use them rather than sending them to the landfill,” said Claudia Gerwin, who on Oct. 3 led an online program for Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Arlington-Alexandria office.
Join us for Pike Fest, Columbia Pike’s signature fall festival, on Saturday, October 10!
Celebrate everything that makes Columbia Pike one of Arlington’s most vibrant and diverse communities with an afternoon full of live music, delicious food, family fun, and local shopping. From incredible restaurants and food vendors to artisan makers, community organizations, and small businesses, Pike Fest is your chance to experience the very best of the Pike all in one place.
Four new champions — two individuals and two teams — were crowned at this year’s Arlington County high-school cross-country meet, held Sept. 29 at Bluemont Park.
Among those was a rookie in the race: Molly Hardwick, a sophomore for the Yorktown Patriots, who helped her squad win the girls team crown. Hardwick was running the Bluemont Park course for the first time, briefly making a wrong turn, but still winning in 17:51.
Efforts to create deeply affordable housing to meet the needs of Arlington’s lowest-earning residents face significant headwinds, according to a recent presentation to the Arlington Planning Commission.
Most current efforts around affordable housing focus on households with incomes of at least 60% of the area median income (AMI) — leaving out a large swath of people earning less.
An Arlington artist with a growing involvement in civic life is planning a new project in the aftermath of Arlington Independent Media’s demise.
Wilson Bender — the Penrose-based satirist behind numerous posters poking fun at local public figures, a new zine about life in Arlington, and a pop-up art studio in Clarendon and Courthouse — has announced plans to launch “Arlington Autonomous Media,” an independently funded Roku channel with a focus on local happenings and political commentary.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tours at the Capitol have come to a standstill. The House is keeping its doors closed, while the Senate is stuck in a loop of failed votes on a rejected plan to reopen the government. President Donald Trump is threatening to mass fire federal workers and refuse back pay for the rest.
As the government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.
Finding a site for a new library and a home for Synetic Theater after its displacement remain two key goals for leaders in National Landing.
At a recent leadership gathering, County Board Chair Takis Karantonis brought no definitive updates on either issue. But, he said, both remained on the county government’s radar.
