An Arlington School Board member is cautioning Democrats against arguing with voters about the school system’s policies on transgender students this election season.
“Please don’t engage — you don’t need to get into a debate,” School Board member Zuraya Tapia-Hadley told attendees at an Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Worst Costco for Parking? — “POV: Look on the bright side…life could always be worse…like this Costco parking lot we found in Arlington, Va.” [Costco Twins/IG]
Indecent Exposure in Va. Square — “On September 2 at approximately 3:40 p.m., one adult victim and two juvenile victims were in the area when the unknown male suspect approached and exposed himself. The victims left the area and went a nearby business. The suspect followed them, and the three victims left the business to get away from the suspect. The suspect is described as a male in his 60s, approximately 5’5” tall, wearing jeans and a football jersey.” [ACPD]
Alleged Armed Drunk Driver — “Last night, an officer conducted a traffic stop resulting in the recovery of a loaded firearm and the arrest of the driver for DUI and a firearm violation. These proactive efforts demonstrate ACPD’s commitment to keeping our community safe in accordance with our key initiatives.” [ACPD/X]
Feds Seen in Arlandria — “Federal agents were spotted in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood on Friday, Sept. 5. There were no reports of arrests. Footage taken by ALXnow at around 9:30 a.m. shows multiple vehicles with Texas license plates in the parking lot of The Birchmere at 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue. A photo submitted to ALXnow also shows federal officers speaking to people at Four Mile Run Park.” [ALXnow]
Celebrating Commanders Victory — “Washington Commanders fans left the Crystal City Sports Pub feeling good following their team’s season-opening win at home Sunday against NFC division rival, the New York Giants.” [DC News Now]
Student Science Project in Space — “On Aug. 24, 5,000 lbs. of cargo were sent to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Included in that cargo was an experiment created by Yorktown senior Ryan Sullivan, Arlington Tech freshman Asher Greene, and Washington-Liberty freshman Grayson Talbot.” [APS]
Food Hall in Potomac Yard — “Wonder has inked a sublease for its first Alexandria restaurant, with the fast-growing concept sharing a 7,000-square-foot building currently half occupied by Chase Bank. The quasi-food hall, where recipes from a host of celebrity chefs and high-profile restaurants are prepared for dine-in or takeout, has subleased 3,458 square feet at 3625 Richmond Highway in Potomac Yard.” [WBJ]
Spotted Lantern Fly Spotted — “These spotted lanternflies from Asia are getting awfully big. Hope the War Department has the resources to handle this invader that came over our borders.” [Dave Statter/X]
Rain Helps But Dry Streak Continues — “Washington’s two-week dry spell came to a close Thursday during hit-or-miss showers and storms. It probably wasn’t enough to have a major impact on the return of dry conditions over recent weeks… National Weather Service outlooks for the next two weeks favor drier-than-average weather continuing.” [CWG]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 75 with a gentle northeast breeze at 7 mph. Overnight, the skies will remain mostly clear as the temperature drops to around 54, and the east wind at 5 mph will calm down by evening. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
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
Points were abundant in blowout victories by Arlington’s three public-school teams in their second games of the 2025 high-school football season.
Two of the Sept. 5 wins were home, non-district blowouts for the Yorktown Patriots and Wakefield Warriors, now both 1-1, in public-school contests.
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 5, 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:
Expect showers and potential thunderstorms with a high near 89°F and southwest winds of 5-8 mph; there’s an 80% chance of precipitation. Rainfall may measure between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts possible during storms. On Saturday night, anticipate showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, followed by likely showers and a low around 62°F. A north wind of around 7 mph will accompany an 80% chance of precipitation, with rainfall mirroring daytime figures. See more from Weather.gov.
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”
– Elon Musk
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. 👋
*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 weekend is here and so is a new episode of the ARLnow podcast.
In the latest episode, Vernon, Dan and Lene — and two special guests, Simon Rathle and David Guas from Bayou Bakery — discuss a few notable local news stories in Arlington from the past week, including:
Arlington Public Schools leaders are seeking to help more students earn college degrees in tandem with high school diplomas.
In the spring, 19 students at Arlington Tech — the Governor’s STEM Academy at the Arlington Career Center — received associate’s degrees from Northern Virginia Community College through the program’s dual-enrollment effort.
Arlington native Major Jeff “Simmer” Downie and his F-16C are making the trip back to the D.C. area next week to fly in a show he grew up watching.
Downie is the lead solo pilot with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. When the air demonstration squadron comes to Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County on Sept. 13 and 14, it’ll be a rare opportunity for Downie to fly near his hometown.
Several years ago, ARLnow stopped publishing letters to the editor and opinion columns.
Whereas opinion content in print newspapers was largely confined to its own section, clearly separate from the news, the internet flattens content and makes every post “headline news” somewhere, from social feeds to search results to email newsletters. We heard from many readers who voiced concerns less at the ideas expressed in opinion articles and more so in ARLnow’s decision to “highlight” them.
Given that our primary focus is reporting the news, it wasn’t too hard of a decision to pull back on publishing opinion content. After all, those who want to voice their thoughts on local issues can always do so in our comment section.
But the comment section itself has not been immune to the broader deterioration of online engagement, which has over time resulted it in becoming more of a battleground for political takes than the forum for purely local insights and discourse that many would prefer.
So in an attempt to bring back more longer-form local opinion and analysis, we’re bringing back letters to the editor. But with a twist.
We’ve created our own Letter to the Editor forum, where anyone can submit letters for all to read, upvote and comment on, and for ARLnow to consider for publication. We’ve yet to decide if and how we will publish letters to the editor on the site — that will depend on the volume and quality of the submissions we receive.
We’d appreciate any feedback on this new offering, including bug reports (this is a beta version, after all). Please email us with your thoughts.
Happy posting!
Strong performances by quarterbacks proved a major highlight for Arlington’s four high-school football teams during opening games of the 2025 fall season.
On the night of Aug. 28, the foursome combined to complete 53 passes for 772 yards and eight touchdowns, throwing just three interceptions. Their strong play could continue to be a big positive point for the remainder of the campaign.
