News

After more than a decade, the redevelopment of Ballston’s Central United Methodist Church site is about to conclude.

The reopening of Kinhaven School in Ballston on Tuesday will represent “the last piece of the puzzle,” the Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen said during an Aug. 27 online program sponsored by the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA).


News
Fire Station No. 10 in Rosslyn (courtesy George Brazier)

D.C. Retrocession History — “On this date & the following day in 1846–Virginia held a referendum on the retrocession of their former territory—out of then-square DC, seceding back to Virginia Arlington wisely voted no. Alexandria (sadly then home to an intense trade in enslaved people at its port) voted yes.” [DC Council via Maureen Coffey/Bluesky]

Sign Prompts Big Donation — “Robert Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, has donated $500,000 to GOP Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign for governor after she was targeted by a racist sign at a recent campaign rally, according to her campaign.” [Politico]

New Airport K-9 — “Welcome to our newest addition, K9 Stone!! Stone is a 6-year-old, Shepherd/Malinois mix, making #MWAAPD his new home from SEPTA. K9 Stone and his handler, Cpl. Latson, are passionate about serving their airport community at IAD and DCA!” [MWAA Police/X]

Future of N. Va. Economy — “Facing imminent severe economic headwinds in the region, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, alongside elected officials from across Northern Virginia this past week, confirmed a unified call to action aimed at safeguarding and reinventing the region’s economy for a more diversified and equitable future.” [FCNP]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching a high near 78 degrees and a mild north wind around 6 mph. As for Tuesday night, the skies will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to a low around 58 degrees. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Friday 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 29, 2025.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Viral sign at Arlington transgender rights rally puts Democrats on the defensive (14523 views)
  2. Arlington unemployment continues to rise, adding to round of finger-pointing in N. Va. (12285 views)
  3. Plane had to abandon landing after close brush with helicopter near DCA, NTSB says (11310 views)
  4. First day of school at APS begins with ‘Senior Sunrise’ celebration at W-L (7131 views)
  5. Why first-time buyers should be looking at Arlington condos right now (6697 views)
  6. New townhouse project near Crystal City expected to break ground later this year (6583 views)
  7. Golf-themed ‘Loopers Tavern’ will replace Bartaco vacancy in Ballston (6113 views)
  8. New 36-story hotel opens in Rosslyn with an American restaurant, ‘Locket’ (6083 views)
  9. Where to watch NFL and college football in Arlington and Falls Church (4620 views)
  10. Falls Church Festival returns in two weeks with food samples and live music (4575 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of approximately 77 degrees and a gentle north wind around 6 mph. As for Saturday night, it will be mostly clear with temperatures dipping to around 57 degrees and a light north breeze. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”
– Charles Kingsleigh

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋


Around Town

The weekend is here and so is a new episode of the ARLnow podcast.

In the latest episode, Vernon, Dan and Lene — and a special guest, Charnita Fox from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington — discuss a few notable local news stories in Arlington from the past week, including:


News

An entire professional broadcast studio is going up for auction because of about $70,000 in unpaid debt at Arlington Independent Media, an official says.

Hundreds of professional-grade items — including camcorders, cameras, MacBooks, iPads, microphones, audio mixers, audio recorders, turntables, lighting kits, TVs, desks, chairs, broadcasting equipment and a 360-degree photo booth kit — are up for bidding over the next few weeks.


News

Arlington Public Schools is going to court over a $23 million freeze in funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

The school system filed a 30-page complaint today (Friday) challenging the Department of Education’s decision to designate APS and four other Northern Virginia school systems as “high risk” because of a legal dispute about their policies around transgender students.


News

Numerous county programs will be closed or operating on modified schedules for Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 1.

Arlington Public Library locations will be closed, and so will all community centers except for Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center, which is open from 6 a.m.-2 p.m.


News

Not many memorial services have a set list.

Friends, family, fans and fellow musicians gathered at Renegade in Clarendon yesterday (Thursday) said it was exactly the way John “Jay” Jenc would have wanted to be remembered — a gathering that blended rock music, community gathering and good food.


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