Arlington native Major Jeff “Simmer” Downie and his F-16C are making the trip back to the D.C. area next week to fly in a show he grew up watching.
Downie is the lead solo pilot with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. When the air demonstration squadron comes to Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County on Sept. 13 and 14, it’ll be a rare opportunity for Downie to fly near his hometown.
Several years ago, ARLnow stopped publishing letters to the editor and opinion columns.
Whereas opinion content in print newspapers was largely confined to its own section, clearly separate from the news, the internet flattens content and makes every post “headline news” somewhere, from social feeds to search results to email newsletters. We heard from many readers who voiced concerns less at the ideas expressed in opinion articles and more so in ARLnow’s decision to “highlight” them.
Given that our primary focus is reporting the news, it wasn’t too hard of a decision to pull back on publishing opinion content. After all, those who want to voice their thoughts on local issues can always do so in our comment section.
But the comment section itself has not been immune to the broader deterioration of online engagement, which has over time resulted it in becoming more of a battleground for political takes than the forum for purely local insights and discourse that many would prefer.
So in an attempt to bring back more longer-form local opinion and analysis, we’re bringing back letters to the editor. But with a twist.
We’ve created our own Letter to the Editor forum, where anyone can submit letters for all to read, upvote and comment on, and for ARLnow to consider for publication. We’ve yet to decide if and how we will publish letters to the editor on the site — that will depend on the volume and quality of the submissions we receive.
We’d appreciate any feedback on this new offering, including bug reports (this is a beta version, after all). Please email us with your thoughts.
Happy posting!
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Strong performances by quarterbacks proved a major highlight for Arlington’s four high-school football teams during opening games of the 2025 fall season.
On the night of Aug. 28, the foursome combined to complete 53 passes for 772 yards and eight touchdowns, throwing just three interceptions. Their strong play could continue to be a big positive point for the remainder of the campaign.
Start-of-school enrollment in Arlington is down from a year before and below springtime projections, but could move higher by the time a final tally is compiled at the end of the month.
Arlington Public Schools counted 27,603 students in pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade classes on Sept. 4, Superintendent Francisco Durán reported to School Board members that evening.
High school students from across the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region are invited to participate in Dialogue for Democracy at George Mason University!
Hosted by the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, this event offers high school students an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about democracy, civic engagement, and the importance of understanding different perspectives.
Dozens of new restaurants have landed in Arlington over the past few months, adding to the county’s diverse dining scene. New offerings this year range from French-American and Nepalese cuisine to sushi and Italian subs.
Here are the nominees for “Best New Restaurant in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your favorite new restaurant? Write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks.
Voting for the Best HVAC Company in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Preschool in Arlington. The results are now official:
VHC Health has filed requests for land-use changes to support a new behavioral-health facility in Glencarlyn.
The submission, made Aug. 29, formally kicks off what could be a lengthy review process for a county-owned parcel at 601 S. Carlin Springs Road. The hospital organization is seeking to lease some of the 11.5 acres for the new structure.
Transportation planning and funding emerged as key issues when two incumbent House of Delegates members faced off against challengers at an Arlington debate this week.
Democratic incumbents touted the value of seniority, while Republican challengers pressed the need for new thinking.
Cuts at Crystal City-Based PBS — “PBS is cutting 100 positions, or roughly 15 percent of its staff, as a result of the major federal funding cuts to public broadcasting. Paula Kerger, the chief executive of PBS, said in an email to station managers on Thursday that the staff reductions were a last resort. The organization had already frozen hiring, restricted travel and paused pay increases.” [NYT]
Weekend Road Closures for D.C. Event — “The course also runs over the Potomac River Freeway, Whitehurst Freeway and the 14th Street Bridge HOV lanes, which will all be closed during the ride. Ramp closures on I-395 near Pentagon City, Maine Avenue SW and the 12th Street Expressway will also be in effect through the morning.” [WTOP]
Vivid Rainbow After Storm — “A low hanging rainbow fading right now over I-395, Boeing Fields at Long Bridge Park, and Gravelly Point in Arlington.” [Dave Statter/X, MyRadar/X]
New CivFed Panel — The Arlington County Civic Federation has established a new Well-Being Subcommittee that will first meet online on Monday, Sept. 29. The subcommittee will serve as “an avenue to sponsor conversation and advocacy,” said its chair, Allan Gajadhar. —Scott McCaffrey
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 88 today, with light southwest winds picking up to 5-10 mph in the morning. Tonight will be mostly clear, with a low around 71 and south winds around 6 mph. [NWS]
Good Thursday 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 — Sep 4, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny skies and a high of 88 today, with light southwest winds picking up to 5-10 mph in the morning. Tonight will be mostly clear, with a low around 71 and south winds at around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
– Albert Schweitzer
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
