An Arlington man was arrested early Sunday morning following a vandalism spree in Clarendon.
The 21-year-old suspect, Christian Amaya Ochoa, is accused of damaging flower pots and shattering the windows and glass door of Oasis: The Listening Bar, which opened in July at 2940 Clarendon Blvd. He also reportedly shattered the windows at the skin care studio Glowbar, which had announced plans to open next door this fall.
For the second straight year, the same two high-school golf teams from Arlington carded top finishes in the Liberty District tournament.
The county’s Washington-Liberty Generals successfully defended their title, with the first-round leader Yorktown Patriots placing second.
This regularly scheduled sponsored column is written by Carolanne Korolowicz, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Carolanne in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach her directly at [email protected].
In the season of ghouls and goblins, Arlington yards transform into terrifying terraces. From 12-foot skeletons looming over county streets to plastic webs engulfing neighbors’ shrubbery, there is not a decoration missing this time of year. Though these faux-fright facades are temporary, legend says that Arlington is home to many year-round haunted locales.
Old Post Chapel, 204 Arlington Avenue, Fort Myer
Located on Ft. Myer, a location with the type of history that brews paranormal activity, The Old Post Chapel has had the most consistent report of creepy happenings. Built in 1935, the chapel has been used for church service and weddings for many service members, but the house of worship has also been the place of final honors for soldiers who have fallen.
Reports have stated that many service members have heard disembodied voices and footsteps. And it’s not just humans that get spooked, patrolling K9 units refuse to enter the building and bark at the door. Supposedly, there is a resident poltergeist— a young, grieving widow, who threw herself off the chapel’s bell tower, waiting for her love.
Arlington Hall Station, 111 S. George Mason Drive, National Guard Readiness Center
During the early 1940s, what started as an all-girls finishing school became an intelligence center decoding German and Russian code. The headquarters, an epicenter of secrets, has reported strange activity over the years. Many have reported hearing footsteps from empty rooms, but the spookiest dates back to the hall’s days as a women’s school. The story is that a student fell pregnant by a stable hand, unable to face the shame and embarrassment, she took her own life– now her phantom can be seen exiting and entering a ladies’ powder room, checking her makeup before she vanishes.
Febrey-Kincheloe House, 6030 Lee Highway, Overlee Community Pool
The ghost that haunts Overlee’s Febrey-Kincheloe House is more of the Casper-type. This friendly apparition, Margaret, was the daughter of Ernest Febrey– the builder and owner of the home – who died of tuberculosis in 1913. Many people, including construction workers, realtors, swimmers and children, have all reported to have had interaction with the outgoing ghost. Though her Victorian garb may seem out of place poolside, she is reported to just want to make new friends.
Wakefield High School Theater, 1325 S Dinwiddie Street
It is unknown where the Phantom of the Opera Wannabe has gone since the demolition of the old school theater in 2013, but Wakefield used to have a resident ghost that would make appearances to both students and staff. If you sat quietly in the balcony seats, the piano may start playing spontaneously, lights would begin to flicker, and equipment would move to impossible angles. The activity is rumored to be the spirit of a crewmember who fell off the catwalk to his death in the early 1960s. Supposedly, he would still hang around the catwalk reliving his final moments.
Though these are some of the most reported and popular sites for Arlington’s ghost population, it wouldn’t be shocking to hear that there are lesser known, but equally as spooky, haunted sites present in the county. Share in the comments any rumored, or first-person, accounts of paranormal activity in Arlington!
Plans to open a new restaurant and beer garden at the site of a closed Falls Church motel are nearing completion.
After months of demolition and construction, Stratford Garden is beginning to materialize at 300 W. Broad Street, where the Stratford Motor Lounge closed in 2021. Aiming for a November opening, owner Arash Tafakor is wrapping up renovations and developing a menu with new head chef Cameron Cousin.
A free event on the future of artificial intelligence is taking place in Crystal City this weekend, resulting in a few road closures.
Programming for “AI Unlocked” begins at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Alamo Drafthouse (1660 Crystal Drive). That morning will feature a conversation on AI policy with U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), followed by an afternoon discussion on “tech frontiers.”
Have old bikes or bike accessories lying about? Donations welcome of serviceable bicycles of any model, bike parts & accessories including tools & clothing. Also portable sewing machines in operating condition. Items will support community programs around the globe providing access to jobs, education, health care, & youth development. A suggested $10 per bike helps defray the expenses of getting a serviceable bike & supplies to a qualifying destination. Bikes for the World is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit agency & provides a receipt good for tax purposes for all donations.
Separately, Arlington County will accept residents’ old electronics & batteries, household hazardous materials, scrap metal & other items. Details for the County event are at https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Recycling-and-Trash/Household-Hazardous-Materials-HHM/E-CARE
An effort connecting local seniors to programs and support services has enough volunteers, but needs to improve its outreach, the county’s Commission on Aging has been told.
The Community Ambassador Program represents a partnership between the county’s Area Agency on Aging, Marymount University’s Center for Optimal Aging and the nonprofit Arlington Neighborhood Village. But even for those active in advocacy for seniors, its visibility seems low.
An government advisory panel may ask Arlington officials to increase funding to tackle invasive plants in county parks by up to 10 times current spending levels.
“We’re in crisis. The longer we wait, the less easy it’s going to be,” Park and Recreation Commission chair Jill Barker said at the body’s Sept. 23 meeting.
Board to Designate Interim Chair — County Board members on Thursday, Oct. 2 will convene a special meeting to designate one of their ranks to serve as interim chair the week of Oct. 4-11. According to county leaders, Board Chair Takis Karantonis will be out of the country on an Arlington Sister Cities trip and Vice Chair Matt de Ferranti will be on paternity leave, necessitating that one of the other three members be designated chair for the period when neither is available. –Scott McCaffrey
Flyover Planned This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 9:16AM.”
Prosecutor Blasts Youngkin — “This is BS. My office (“far left prosecutor” per the GOP) is prosecuting this case and it would have been a crime regardless of which gender bathroom — or a parking lot for that matter. Elected leaders weaponizing what these victims went through for political purposes is its own depravity.” [Parisa Dehghani-Tafti/Bluesky]
Beyer Statement of ICE Visit — “ICE field offices are not designed or equipped to safely hold individuals for more than 12 hours, which was the long-standing policy until June, making the dangerous overcrowding both disturbing and wholly predictable. We are relieved to report that as of today, conditions appear to have improved from the horrifying reports we received just weeks ago.” [Press Release]
Worries About Local Economy — “The D.C. region is bracing for new economic pain next week as paychecks stop coming for thousands of federal workers who took the government’s offer of deferred resignation — and the threat of a shutdown could make it worse.” [Washington Post]
New Funding for Local Startup — “Epic Padel Inc., an Arlington sports and investment company, has raised $10 million to fuel its ambitions to build more padel courts and clubs across the country and to take equity stakes in other padel companies. Two United Arab Emirates-affiliated firms, Nowais Inc. and Stryde Ventures, led the Series A round for Epic Padel.” [WBJ]
Swift Album Release Events — “TS12, known by non-Swifties as Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, comes out Oct. 3, and fans are ready to partay (see what we did there?). Take a break from speculating on the pop star’s wedding plans with Travis Kelce and head out to sing and dance along with your next earworm from her 12th album.” [Arlington Magazine]
It’s Monday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high near 79 degrees, accompanied by a 6 mph east wind. Tonight, there is a 20% chance of showers after 2am, with cloudy skies and a low of 66 degrees in a light northeast wind. [NWS]
Today’s Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has had an Industrious office for years and we love the simplicity — show up, get to work, and let them handle everything else. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
An atypical, and unplanned, winning formula has evolved for the Yorktown Patriots in the team’s past two football games.
Yorktown (3-2, 2-0) has won despite being outgained in total yards, but has countered with a takeaway and bend-but-don’t-break defense that sets up points for an offense that is running error-free.
The Washington-Liberty Generals saw their 18-game regular-season football winning streak tripped up in a 34-28 road loss to the Centreville Wildcats Friday night (Sept. 26).
Despite gaining 515 yards to Centreville’s 390, W-L couldn’t overcome errors and failed to convert on a late-in-the-game touchdown drive in the high-school game.
