Arlington’s congressman took home the title at the latest annual spelling competition between politicians and members of the media.
Rep. Don Beyer (D) won the National Press Club’s annual “Press & Politicians Spelling Bee” on June 25. His winning word was “stygian,” meaning “of or relating to the river Styx” or “extremely dark, gloomy or forbidding.”
Bishop on Texas Floods — “I join the faithful of the Diocese of Arlington in fervent prayer for all the victims, for those who are still missing, and all those whose lives have been affected by the catastrophic flash floods that took place in Central Texas over Independence Day weekend. Although heroic rescue efforts by first responders have saved many, the floodwaters from the Guadalupe River claimed the lives of more than 100 persons.” [Catholic Diocese of Arlington]
Beyer on Texas Floods — “This is devastating news. I’m heartbroken for all those impacted by this tragic flooding and continue to keep Central Texas in my thoughts. I’m deeply grateful to our first responders and everyone helping amid this catastrophic disaster.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
Man Drowns in Potomac — “The man who was recovered from the Potomac River has died in the hospital, police confirmed on Monday morning. On Saturday, July 5, first responders worked to rescue a man who was in the water near the Key Bridge. DC Fire and EMS posted on social media that he had gone into the river but did not emerge… Preliminary investigations into the incident reported that this appeared to be an accidental drowning.” [DC News Now]
Clarendon Eatery Exits Bankruptcy — “Andrew Darneille is breathing just a bit easier these days. That’s because a federal judge on June 23 signed off on a plan clearing the way for his Clarendon-based Smokecraft Modern Barbecue to emerge from bankruptcy protection, more than a year after it filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Alexandria. The plan goes into effect Tuesday.” [WBJ]
Power Line Undergrounding in F.C. — “Some City residents, including Commissioner Robert Kravinsky, received mail from Dominion Energy regarding the undergrounding of lines in their neighborhood. Ms. Mester explained that Dominion Energy’s efforts to underground power lines in residential neighborhoods to increase reliability began 10 years ago before running out of funds. Recently, Dominion Energy decided to continue the effort using funds from rate increases. Areas are selected based on outage data.” [Falls Church Pulse]
Office Construction Grinds to Halt — “There are at least 33 companies scouring the Northern Virginia office market for 50,000 square feet or more, according to CBRE’s second-quarter office report, but their options are severely limited regionwide and there’s literally nothing under construction that would fit their requirements… No one is building suburban trophy office, as the cost of construction has made it very difficult to get the projects to pencil.” [WBJ]
New Starbucks Options — “Starbucks announced Monday that its new Strato Frappuccino beverages will be available in stores nationwide starting Tuesday for a limited time. The Strato lineup reimagines the blended drinks with cold foam layers. The name is inspired by the Italian word strato, meaning ‘layer.'” [Axios]
It’s Tuesday — Expect showers and thunderstorms mainly after 5pm, with increasing clouds and a high of 93°F. The heat index may reach 103°F, and winds will be southwest at 5-7 mph. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation. Tuesday night, thunderstorms persist mainly before 8pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies and a low of 73°F. [NWS]
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at [email protected].
Question: Why would anybody waste thousands of dollars each year on condo fees?
Answer: Most people associate paying condo fees with throwing money down the drain, but most people do not look at condo fees the right way.
In this June 20 article, the Wall Street Journal reported a study by Angi (formerly Angie’s List) that home maintenance and emergency repairs have increased by 85% and 175%, respectively, from 2019 to 2025.
By comparison, condo fees in Arlington increased by an average of just 32% from 2019 to 2025, making them a steep bargain for condo owners compared to other homeowners.
What Do Condo Fees Pay For?
For those who haven’t spent time studying condo budgets, some of the main expenses in a condo budget include:
Good Monday 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 — Jul 7, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect showers and thunderstorms mainly after 5pm, with increasing clouds and a high of 93°F. The heat index may reach 103°F, and winds will be southwest at 5-7 mph. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation and a possible quarter to half-inch of rainfall. Tuesday night, thunderstorms persist mainly before 8pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies and a low of 73°F. East winds around 5 mph will become calm in the evening, with a 60% chance of precipitation and a quarter to half-inch of rain possible. See more from Weather.gov.
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”
– Albert Einstein
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.
Lower speed limits could be coming to some Arlington roads with high numbers of bicyclists.
A proposal going before the Arlington County Board on Saturday, July 19 would reduce speed limits on some designated “bicycle boulevards” from 25 mph to 20 mph.
We’re ending Movie Nights on the Pike with a scream.
Join us at Penrose Square for a special outdoor screening of I Know What You Did Last Summer, the iconic summer slasher that became a defining horror film of the late 1990s.
A man, 70, and a woman, 25, were arrested over the weekend after separate incidents involving knives along the same block of Columbia Pike.
Both incidents happened in the early morning hours of Saturday, the day after the Fourth of July.
Just in time for Bastille Day, a new bistro with Parisian-inspired offerings is set to open this Friday in Crystal City.
Bar Colline plans to offer French-American cuisine at 269 19th Court S. A sister to Cafe Colline on Langston Blvd, the bistro will join a growing mix of retail and dining at The Grace and Reva apartments.
An adorable Chihuahua, Bodhi, is looking for a new home.
Bodhi — his foster insists he does not answer to Buddy — is a Chihuahua in foster care who was surrendered to Homeward Trails Animal Shelter after years of living with another family. The family moved and was unable to care for Bodhi, who is now in foster care.
Arlington has some popular spots for classic barbecue, offering smoky specialties like pulled pork and brisket with satisfying sides.
Here are the nominees for “Best Barbecue Restaurant in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your favorite place? Write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks.
Voting for the Best Bar in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Place for Wings in Arlington. The results are now official:
County leaders are promising action after an audit found major deficiencies in the operation and oversight of a transit program serving Arlington residents with disabilities.
Identified issues with the Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) program ranged from billing discrepancies to a lack of review of driver manifests by WeDriveU, which operates the paratransit program under contract to the county.
