They had not met in 42 years. But when the 2025 football season kicked off the night of Aug. 28, the Washington-Liberty Generals used a balanced attack to defeat the Bishop O’Connell Knights in high-school action.
W-L won 55-22 in what served as the season-opener for both squads.
After more than a decade, the redevelopment of Ballston’s Central United Methodist Church site is about to conclude.
The reopening of Kinhaven School in Ballston on Tuesday will represent “the last piece of the puzzle,” the Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen said during an Aug. 27 online program sponsored by the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA).
Aspiring retail entrepreneurs and product-based small businesses will soon have an exciting new opportunity to grow through NEXT., a new retail incubator program launching in November through Arlington Economic Development’s BizLaunch program and in partnership with the Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) and the Ballston Quarter Mall.
Designed to help makers, artisans and product-based businesses build the skills and confidence needed to succeed in a brick-and-mortar environment, NEXT. combines classroom instruction, one-on-one business advising and hands-on retail experience in a real storefront setting.
Eligible businesses include those selling apparel, jewelry, handmade goods, home décor, beauty and skincare products, artwork, accessories and other specialty retail items. Food and beverage businesses are not eligible for the inaugural cohort.
Participants will complete a weeklong retail readiness curriculum covering:
Licensing and permitting
Retail leasing
Merchandising
Branding
Customer experience
Point-of-sale operations
The curriculum features instruction from industry professionals, property management representatives and local partners, along with hands-on merchandising support.
A key component of the program is a weekend retail activation. After completing the training, selected participants will operate a shared retail storefront in Ballston for one weekend, gaining firsthand experience serving customers, merchandising products, managing inventory and processing sales in a live retail environment.
Participants will also meet with a BizLaunch business advisor for individualized technical assistance. These one-on-one sessions are designed to help entrepreneurs strengthen operations, evaluate growth opportunities, and connect with resources related to marketing, financing, ecommerce, licensing and expansion planning.
Applications are open to businesses that:
Are registered and in good standing with the Commonwealth of Virginia
Hold the required business licenses and sales tax registration
Can commit to participating in the full program
Applicants will be evaluated based on business readiness, product quality, growth potential and their ability to benefit from the retail training experience.
Selected participants will pay a $100 fee to secure their place in the cohort.
For entrepreneurs interested in testing their products in a retail setting, gaining practical experience and connecting with a supportive business community, NEXT. offers a practical pathway to growth.
To learn more and apply, visit the Next application page. If you know of aspiring makers, innovators or retailers, please share this opportunity! Applications will be reviewed by the program team, and selected applicants will be invited to interview before the final cohort is selected.
Learn more about BizLaunch and NEXT. at www.bizlaunch.org.
D.C. Retrocession History — “On this date & the following day in 1846–Virginia held a referendum on the retrocession of their former territory—out of then-square DC, seceding back to Virginia Arlington wisely voted no. Alexandria (sadly then home to an intense trade in enslaved people at its port) voted yes.” [DC Council via Maureen Coffey/Bluesky]
Sign Prompts Big Donation — “Robert Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, has donated $500,000 to GOP Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign for governor after she was targeted by a racist sign at a recent campaign rally, according to her campaign.” [Politico]
New Airport K-9 — “Welcome to our newest addition, K9 Stone!! Stone is a 6-year-old, Shepherd/Malinois mix, making #MWAAPD his new home from SEPTA. K9 Stone and his handler, Cpl. Latson, are passionate about serving their airport community at IAD and DCA!” [MWAA Police/X]
Future of N. Va. Economy — “Facing imminent severe economic headwinds in the region, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, alongside elected officials from across Northern Virginia this past week, confirmed a unified call to action aimed at safeguarding and reinventing the region’s economy for a more diversified and equitable future.” [FCNP]
It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching a high near 78 degrees and a mild north wind around 6 mph. As for Tuesday night, the skies will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to a low around 58 degrees. [NWS]
Please join us in congratulating Benny Mirpuri, owner of Fast-Fix Jewelry and Watch Repair at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, on reaching an incredible 35 years in business.
For three and a half decades, Benny has proudly served the Pentagon City and surrounding communities, providing quality jewelry and watch repair services along with the exceptional customer service that has made Fast-Fix a trusted local business.
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 — Aug 29, 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:
Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of approximately 77 degrees and a gentle north wind around 6 mph. As for Saturday night, it will be mostly clear with temperatures dipping to around 57 degrees and a light north breeze. See more from Weather.gov.
“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”
– Charles Kingsleigh
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. 👋
Visit the fun and free Fairfax Funky Flea, home to over 80 vendors selling antiques and vintage clothing, jewelry, home goods, tools, ephemera, art and more. Food and baked goods, refreshments and coffee n ai fun, festival setting. Free close-by parking, pet friendly, restrooms.
The weekend is here and so is a new episode of the ARLnow podcast.
In the latest episode, Vernon, Dan and Lene — and a special guest, Charnita Fox from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington — discuss a few notable local news stories in Arlington from the past week, including:
An entire professional broadcast studio is going up for auction because of about $70,000 in unpaid debt at Arlington Independent Media, an official says.
Hundreds of professional-grade items — including camcorders, cameras, MacBooks, iPads, microphones, audio mixers, audio recorders, turntables, lighting kits, TVs, desks, chairs, broadcasting equipment and a 360-degree photo booth kit — are up for bidding over the next few weeks.
Arlington Public Schools is going to court over a $23 million freeze in funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
The school system filed a 30-page complaint today (Friday) challenging the Department of Education’s decision to designate APS and four other Northern Virginia school systems as “high risk” because of a legal dispute about their policies around transgender students.
Numerous county programs will be closed or operating on modified schedules for Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 1.
Arlington Public Library locations will be closed, and so will all community centers except for Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center, which is open from 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
Not many memorial services have a set list.
Friends, family, fans and fellow musicians gathered at Renegade in Clarendon yesterday (Thursday) said it was exactly the way John “Jay” Jenc would have wanted to be remembered — a gathering that blended rock music, community gathering and good food.
Fall registration is filling up at MoCA! Classes begin in just a couple of weeks so sign up today! From pottery and printmaking to drawing and collage, you and your young artists are sure to find a class or workshop that excites!
Can’t commit to an 8-week class? Check out our 1, 2, or 3 day workshops here at MoCA! These are great introductions to what MoCA has to offer. Whether you are a practiced hobbyist or a complete novice, we are excited to have you join a workshop or class this fall. Programs are already filling up so sign up today!
