A prolonged period of high heat and humidity starts today in Arlington.
Heat index values are expected well past 100 degrees, reaching around 106 by late afternoon today. Some relief may come Wednesday evening in the form of isolated showers or thunderstorms, but the day will remain dangerously hot overall.
Honoo Ramen Bar, a new Japanese restaurant, is now open at the West Falls development in Falls Church.
Offering a wide menu of ramen, sushi, cocktails and Japanese entrees, the new restaurant is currently soft opening at 153 W. Falls Station Blvd.
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…)
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats in Virginia have built up a hefty fundraising advantage for their effort to reclaim the governor’s mansion in a race seen as a bellwether for the party in power in Washington heading into the 2026 midterms.
Falls Church leaders remain noncommittal to a request from the owner of the city’s weekly newspaper for a partnership.
Nicholas Benton, who has owned and run the Falls Church News-Press from its founding in March 1991, came to the City Council on June 16, following up on previous proposals to have city leaders provide more funding.
🫶✨ Calling all Swifties! ✨🫶
Get ready for a night celebrating every era as The Fearless Eras, DC’s only all-Taylor Swift cover band, takes over The Renegade in Arlington for more than 3 hours of Taylor’s biggest hits and fan-favorite deep cuts.
A multi-day history festival commemorating the United States’ 250th birthday could be coming to Arlington next year.
The Arlington Historical Society, which presented an update on its plans for the landmark anniversary at a meeting of the Arlington County Civic Association last week, hopes to host the event next May, likely at Kenmore Middle School.
Water Park Ready for Crowds — “At Ocean Dunes Waterpark, they’re expecting hundreds of people a day throughout the weekend and next week because of potential triple-digit temperatures. They say they’re ready for the crowds and also ready to make sure their staff gets a break too.” [DC News Now]
Locals Line Up for E-CARE — “Hundreds of cars lined up along N. Quincy Street in Arlington, Virginia, before 7:30 a.m. Saturday, waiting for the opening of Arlington County’s E-CARE event. It usually happens in the spring, but it got pushed back this year to the first Saturday of summer.” [WTOP]
Metro: No Known Threats — “The Metro Transit Police Department is closely monitoring the events in Iran. At this time there are no known threats to Metro, however MTPD will have an enhanced presence throughout the system. We continue to work closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of America’s Metro System.” [WMATA/X]
Post Print Changes — “This Sunday’s edition of the Washington Post will be the last time local readers get a section all to themselves. Starting Monday, the Post is merging its Metro, Sports, and Style sections into one for the print edition on most days.” [WCP]
Karantonis Certified as Victor — Arlington Electoral Board members on Saturday met and certified Takis Karantonis as victor in the June 17 Democratic primary. The official count was 16,796 votes (64.2%) for Karantonis, 9,351 votes for James DeVita. Certification of the results of the 1st House District primary will be made later this week by state election officials. –Scott McCaffrey
It’s Monday — Expect sunny and hot conditions with temperatures reaching near 100 degrees and heat index values as high as 110. A northwest wind will be blowing at 6 to 8 mph. By Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear and temperatures will drop to around 79 degrees with a light northwest wind. [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.
Arlington County has canceled all outdoor Dept. of Parks and Recreation programming after 11 a.m. Monday due to the Extreme Heat Warning.
The cancellation affects league practices, games, and other partner outdoor programming at county outdoor facilities. Summer camp participants will be notified directly via email and phone if their programs are canceled, closed early, or relocated.
The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for Arlington and Northern Virginia, effective from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday.
Heat index values are expected to reach up to 110 degrees, creating dangerously hot conditions that significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses. An Extreme Heat Watch is also in effect for Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening, as the heat wave continues.
More partnerships with civic and business leaders could be coming to Arlington Public Schools as the school system seeks to rebuild relationships that suffered during the pandemic.
Superintendent Francisco Durán spotlighted a work-based readiness program at a meeting with School Board members earlier this month. He said that enhancing the program is one of the primary goals of a partnership improvement plan.
