The Arlington Chamber of Commerce saluted public safety responses to this winter’s deadly mid-air crash over the Potomac River at an event last week.
A special Excellence Award was bestowed on the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Fire Department, Arlington County Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for their efforts at the scene of the crash.
Local employment conditions appear to be holding up better than expected given federal-government cutbacks and their ripple effects across the broader economy.
“Is the situation as dire as we were thinking? Right now, I don’t think so,” said David Remick, executive director of the Alexandria-Arlington Regional Workforce Council.
Arlington’s small business community is strong and resilient. However, local businesses continue to face challenges from economic uncertainty, drops in consumer confidence, losses in access to capital, and disruptions from artificial intelligence. BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development, continues to rise to the challenge by supporting over 6,000 small businesses in Arlington with one-on-one counseling, innovative programming and robust marketing to encourage consumers to shop locally.
During a recent presentation to the Small Business Coordinating Council, BizLaunch Director Tara Palacios highlighted fiscal year 2026 results that underscore both the impact of Arlington’s business support programs and the pressures ahead.
BizLaunch provided technical assistance to entrepreneurs at a level 56% above its annual goal, reflecting sustained demand for one-on-one advising and business guidance. The division also served a diverse business community, including 52% women-owned businesses and 45% minority-owned enterprises. Nearly a quarter — 24% — of clients were in food and retail, industries that continue to face heightened economic pressure.
Major marketing and PR campaigns drove engagement across Arlington. Small Business Saturday, one of BizLaunch’s signature programs, prompted more than 4,141 transactions and $211,862 in consumer spending through the Open Rewards incentive, supported by a $10,625 investment of County funds. A coordinated marketing campaign with the BIDs and Partnerships further amplified the effort, generating more than 56,000 organic social media impressions, 44,000 video views and 1,619 engagements, along with nearly 2,000 paid ad clicks.
Support for business development through programming has also expanded. The BizLaunch Transformational Challenge and Pitchfest drew 40 participants for a five-week training program covering strategic planning, marketing, artificial intelligence and financial management. Participants developed pitch decks and presented to a panel of private lenders and business leaders. In all $25,000 was awarded to local businesses through the pitch event which came from private donations and contributions from the Industrial Development Authority. (more…)
The Arlington County Board is celebrating the commitment of Arlington’s foster parents of the year and praising the efforts of a leader in the local art world.
At a June 18 meeting, Board members also commemorated the life of a civic leader who died earlier in the month and thanked two retiring advisory commission members for their service.
Amazon Van Fire in Crystal City — “Units responded to a fully involved vehicle fire on the 2200 block of S Clark St that was extending into the bushes. E105 quickly extinguished the delivery vehicle fire. No injuries to the driver or firefighters. Fire marshals will be investigating the cause… This was a gas-powered vehicle that caught fire due to a malfunctioning engine. There was no explosion, and no packages were involved.” [ACFD/X]
Arrest After Fight on the Pike — “Columbia Pike at S. Four Mile Run Drive… The male victim and suspect were outside when they became engaged in a verbal dispute during which the suspect allegedly threatened the victim, threw a rock towards him and attempted to steal his personal belongings. Responding officers took the suspect into custody on scene.” [ACPD]
Fourth of July Road Closures — “The Arlington County Police Department, Virginia State Police, United States Park Police, and Virginia Department of Transportation will close multiple roadways on Friday, July 4th, 2025, to facilitate the safe passage of large crowds for the Independence Day events and fireworks.” [ACPD]
Dem Candidates Visit Freddie’s — “Freddie’s, you’re a blast — especially during Pride Month! Proud to visit this historic space for Virginia’s LGBTQ+ community here in Arlington.” [Abigail Spanberger/X]
Dem Candidates at Eden Center — “Eden Center in Falls Church, the center of the Vietnamese community in Fairfax County, is an example of the diversity that makes VA so great. As AG, I’ll be sure that no matter who you are or where you come from, you will have a fair shake in our justice system.” [Jay Jones/X]
It’s Monday — Showers and thunderstorms are likely after in the afternoon, with otherwise mostly sunny skies and a high near 90. Heat index values may reach up to 100, and a calm wind will become south around 6 mph in the afternoon. For Monday night, showers and potential thunderstorms are expected, with mostly cloudy conditions and a low around 76. A south wind will blow around 7 mph, and there’s a 60% chance of precipitation throughout the day. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has called an Industrious workspace home for years and we appreciate the ease — you can concentrate on projects instead of brewing coffee or maintaining office equipment. Industrious has multiple Metro-accessible shared offices throughout Arlington.
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.
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 — Jun 27, 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:
Patchy fog will clear by 9am, making way for a mostly sunny day with a high of 92 and heat index reaching 102. Light south winds at 5-7 mph are expected in the afternoon. For Saturday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, with mostly cloudy skies, a low around 73, and calm winds. See more from Weather.gov.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
– Henry David Thoreau
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. 👋
The weekend is here and so is a new episode of the ARLnow podcast.
In the latest episode, Lene, Dan and Vernon discuss a few notable local news stories in Arlington from the past week, including:
Let us know what you think about the new podcast format in the comments or via email.
Watch below on YouTube, or listen to the podcast via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Audacy, TuneIn or your favorite listening app.
The Arlington Sister City Association has major plans for its global relationships as it continues to rebuild from the pandemic.
“We have a more important role than ever,” said Daphne Lathouras, chair of the organization’s board of directors, at the group’s annual meeting on Monday.
All Metrobus routes are getting new names, some routes are changing and 19 bus stops will be eliminated this weekend in Arlington.
The redesign, dubbed the Better Bus Network, is part of the regional bus system’s first overhaul in 50 years. It aims to bring “more frequent, consistent bus service [and] enhance access across the region,” according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
By TIFFANY STANLEY Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — They are a day away from becoming Catholic priests, rehearsing for their ordination Mass under the gothic cathedral’s arches.
