A fire truck leaves Station 2 on Wilson Blvd (file photo by Jay Westcott)
A dog was rescued from an apartment fire in Arlington this morning.
The fire was reported around 8:45 a.m. Thursday on the second floor of a high-rise building in the 4500 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive, just south of Columbia Pike, according to the Arlington County Fire Department.
Vivek Nakarmi (center) with Ciryl Gane (right) and his sparring partner, Arthur Kouame (left) at Pentagon MMA (courtesy of Pentagon MMA)
A mixed martial arts training studio along Columbia Pike has expanded to a new facility nearby — where, for a few weeks, it will soon host a top-ranking French fighter.
Pentagon MMA opened its new performance center last month on the third floor of the Arlington Drafthouse building (932 S. Walter Reed Drive). The new space has a focus on adult classes, training and recovery, with spaces for mixed martial arts and physical therapy — as well as plans to host an international athlete this summer.
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An ‘I voted in Arlington’ sticker (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Arlington voters next year will be able to select up to 10 candidates in ranked-choice elections, more than triple the number currently available.
New ballot scanners set to arrive in Arlington before this year’s Aug. 4 state primary allow for ranking up to 10 contenders. But existing ballot markers, used to assist voters with disabilities, will not be replaced until next year.
Arlington County police are looking for suspects in three business robberies reported across the county on Tuesday.
In each incident, suspects allegedly took merchandise from a retail store and either used force or made threats against employees, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.
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Weenie Beenie on a sunny day (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
Bike to Work Day Tomorrow — Tomorrow (Friday) is the regional Bike to Work Day, with BikeArlington hosting morning pit stops in Ballston, Columbia Pike and Rosslyn from 7-9 a.m. Riders who register get a free t-shirt. Additional Arlington pit stops are planned at Met Park, National Landing Water Park, Lyon Village and the National Guard HQ. [BikeArlington]
Rosslyn BID Relocating — “The Rosslyn Business Improvement District is moving its offices a few blocks south ahead of the demolition of its longtime home.” The BID will occupy a new, roughly 7,300 square foot office at 1100/1101 Wilson Blvd by the end of May. Developer Penzance plans to raze the two 12-story Rosslyn Gateway buildings to make way for One Rosslyn — three residential towers totaling some 800 units, rising as high as 29 stories. [WBJ]
ART Earns Energy Award — “The Arlington Transit (ART) Operations and Maintenance Facility has been named a 2026 Better Project Award Winner by the U.S. Department of Energy.” The new facility reduced energy costs by 83% through strategic upgrades, including 817 solar panels that offset annual energy consumption by 67%. The award was presented this week at the Better Buildings & Better Plants Summit in Crystal City. [Arlington County]
Notable Library Events — Among other Arlington Public Library programming this weekend, Courthouse Library will host “Descenes and Discord” on Saturday at 2 p.m. — a lecture on the late 1970s and early ’80s DMV punk scene (registration full, waitlist available). On Sunday at 11 a.m., Columbia Pike Library hosts Native Hawaiian author and journalist Sara Kehaulani Goo for an author talk on her memoir “Kuleana.” [APL, APL]
Airports Authority Names Chief — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has selected Police Maj. Joseph Kluh as its new police chief, with his appointment set to take effect Sunday.” The 28-year department veteran is the first chief appointed from within the agency’s ranks. The MWAA police department has more than 230 personnel covering Reagan National, Dulles International and the Dulles Toll Road. [Patch]
Bridge Construction Closures — “The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will implement temporary lane closures on the I-395 NB HOV Bridge for concrete deck replacement work.” Alternating left and right lanes of the bridge over the Potomac will close from 9:30 p.m. Friday to 4:30 a.m. Saturday for barrier relocation. Exit ramps to I-395 NB and 14th Street will also close. [AlertDC]
Spanberger to Veto Union Bill — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger intends to veto a bill that would expand collective bargaining powers for public employees after the proposed law received bipartisan pushback, according to lawmakers.” Some officials worried the bill would significantly increase local government expenses. The governor initially tried to amend the bill to delay its effective date until 2030, but that was rejected by the legislature. [WJLA]
It’s Thursday — Mostly sunny skies and breezy conditions are expected today with a high near 65 and northwest winds at 9–13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 51. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 65°F and northwest winds at 11 to 14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 51°F, featuring northwest winds around 11 mph and gusts up to 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
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“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine
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Renderings of proposed townhouses at 2134 N. Taylor Street (via Arlington County)
A controversial proposal to build 47 townhouses in the Waverly Hills neighborhood is returning for discussion at an upcoming County Board meeting.
Last month, Board members deferred a vote on the project, which staff opposes but neighborhood organizations and county advisory commissions largely support. It’s one of several items up for consideration at the Board meeting on Saturday.
7th Congressional District candidate Joe Schiarizzi (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)
A congressional candidate from Falls Church says he will leave the race if the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision on redistricting stands.
“If there is no new 7th District, then I will not be running for anything this year,” Joe Schiarizzi told ARLnow. “I will not run in the 8th or anywhere else.”