A drug distributor has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for providing large amounts of methamphetamine to dealers in jurisdictions including Arlington.
Darrell Carter, of Philadelphia, was sentenced last week for possessing and conspiring to distribute meth, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced in a press release. Authorities discovered multiple kilograms of the drug in Carter’s home, along with communications suggesting that he used to purchase up to 20 pounds of meth per month for resale.
Arlington County Fire Department honorees at 2026 Public Safety Awards (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)
The Arlington Chamber of Commerce saluted those who respond in times of crisis at the annual Public Safety Awards last week.
Personnel from the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Fire Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and Arlington Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management were honored on Thursday for responses to critical incidents and overall excellence.
The concrete spheres and steel poles of Dark Star Park create more than a striking sculpture. Photo by Elman Studios.
Visitors gather each year to witness the annual Dark Star Park Day alignment. Photo by Elman Studios.
Dark Star Park in Rosslyn, designed by artist Nancy Holt, was created to connect art, time and place. Photo by Elman Studios.
Every year, for just a few minutes, one of Arlington’s most iconic works of public art comes to life exactly as its artist intended.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, at approximately 9:32 a.m., visitors will gather in Rosslyn to witness the annual shadow alignment at Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park (1979–84). At that precise moment, the shadows cast by the sculpture’s spheres and poles align with permanent shadow forms embedded in the ground—a phenomenon Holt designed to commemorate the anniversary of Rosslyn’s founding.
The alignment lasts only a few moments, but it has become a beloved Arlington tradition, drawing residents, visitors, artists and architecture enthusiasts alike to experience the intersection of art, astronomy, and history. If the weather cooperates, the park transforms into a striking demonstration of how light, time and place can become part of a work of art.
Created between 1979 and 1984, Dark Star Park was Arlington’s first County-commissioned public artwork and remains one of the nation’s earliest examples of integrated public art—where sculpture, landscape architecture and the surrounding environment function as a single work. Rather than placing an object within a park, Holt made the entire park the artwork, incorporating spheres, pools, steel poles, tunnels, earthworks and carefully positioned plantings into an immersive landscape.
Nancy Holt (1938–2014) was a pioneering artist whose work spanned poetry, film, photography, land art and large-scale public sculpture. Throughout her career, she explored perception, time and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Dark Star Park remains her most significant urban installation and one of the few major works by the artist that can be experienced in an accessible city setting.
Whether you’ve attended for years or have never visited before, Dark Star Park Day offers a rare opportunity to experience a public artwork that changes with the movement of the sun—and reminds us that some of the most memorable moments in art happen not inside a museum, but out in the world around us.
Dark Star Park Day
When: Saturday, Aug. 1, beginning around 9 a.m.; shadow alignment at approximately 9:32 a.m. Where: Dark Star Park, 1655 N. Fort Myer Drive, Rosslyn
Double rainbow over utility work in the Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood (courtesy David Johnson)
Beyer Targets Trump Arch — Rep. Don Beyer (D) is cosponsoring a bill to block President Trump’s proposed 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” between Arlington National Cemetery and the Memorial Bridge. “Everyone I’ve talked to in Virginia and D.C. is horrified by it, partly because it is so tasteless,” Beyer said. “It begins with reverence for the people that are buried here.” [NBC 4]
APS Adds Bus Tracking — Arlington families will soon be able to track their kids’ school buses in real time. Arlington Public Schools is partnering with Transfinder, whose Stopfinder app uses GPS to follow buses and can alert parents when one is 10 or 15 minutes from a stop. The switch follows complaints that the district’s previous software, in place over a decade, was slow and inefficient. [WTOP]
A Hero’s Farewell — Family, officers and public safety personnel gathered Friday to honor Auxiliary Lt. Charlie Neal, who served ACPD for 40 years and died May 13 at age 80. “Whether riding with pride in the Motor Unit or greeting others with his ever-present smile, he had a remarkable gift for making people feel welcomed,” the department said. Neal was also a pioneering broadcaster in HBCU sports. [WUSA9, ACPD/X]
New False-Alarm Vendor — The Arlington County Fire Department will begin using a third-party vendor, Alarm Program Systems, to administer its false fire alarm program starting July 1, with a new website for billing and appeals. Businesses face fees for repeated false alarms caused by malfunctions or unintentional activations; single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes are exempt. [Arlington County]
Off-Ramp Mishap — Traffic-camera video shows a car turning off the I-395 ramp into Shirlington and onto the center median around 2:45 a.m. Saturday. “When your aim is just a little off,” local public safety watcher Dave Statter wrote in sharing the footage. [Dave Statter/X]
Hit the Trails — Arlington Magazine rounded up 10 scenic hikes within driving distance, from flat loops at Theodore Roosevelt Island and Scott’s Run in McLean to the overlooks at Great Falls and longer waterfall treks in Shenandoah. [Arlington Magazine]
Arlington Man Charged in Crash — An Arlington man, 23, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving in a fatal December crash on King Street in Alexandria. Police say surveillance footage showed his Toyota Camry was traveling at an excessive speed when it struck an Acura, killing the other driver, Craig Taylor, 78. He was arrested May 19 and is due in court June 18. [ALXnow]
House Dems Pitch Budget — House Democrats released a budget proposal Friday, with data center tax breaks the main sticking point in talks with Senate Democrats. The House plan would keep the breaks through 2035 and create a commission to study them; Senate Democrats want them ended. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) backs the House plan. Lawmakers have until June 30 to reach a deal or risk a state government shutdown. [Virginia Scope]
Securing Backup Water — The region’s three water utilities — WSSC Water, the Washington Aqueduct and Fairfax Water — are launching a $25 million, two-year study to find a large-scale backup supply for a D.C. area of more than 5 million people that relies almost entirely on the Potomac River. “We rely primarily on a single source, and that’s the Potomac River,” said WSSC Water’s Priscilla To. Quarries and treated wastewater are among the options being weighed. [WTOP]
New State Internship Role — Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed bipartisan legislation creating Virginia’s first State Internship Coordinator, a new role focused on expanding internship opportunities across state agencies. “One of the most powerful tools we have is making sure talented students stay and grow right here in Virginia,” she said. [Press Release]
D.C. Hits 100 Degrees — Friday’s heat pushed D.C. to 100 degrees — its first 100-degree day since August 2024, according to Capital Weather. The reading topped the date’s record of 95, while BWI Marshall Airport set a record at 97. [Capital Weather/X]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 81 and breezy northwest winds around 16 mph, gusting to 23 mph. That’s a sharp drop from the weekend’s near-100-degree heat. Overnight lows fall to around 60. [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.
Join the Rosslyn BID and Arlington Arts at the 34th Rosslyn Jazz Fest 2026 featuring live jazz, food trucks, local vendors, and family-friendly activities in the heart of Rosslyn! This year’s lineup is bringing a diverse mix of performers and bands redefining the jazz music genre including Plena Libre, Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, Parlor Greens, and Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band.
Storm clouds over northern Arlington on 6/13/25 (staff photo)
Arlington, Falls Church and the entire D.C. area is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch tonight (Sunday).
The watch is in effect from now until 11 p.m. Large hail, damaging wind gusts and frequent lightning are all possible with storms that will likely cross the region later today, following a sweltering afternoon.
Expect sunny weather with a high of 88°F and a northwest wind at 6 mph. Saturday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 67°F and light, variable winds. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” – George Addair
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! 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. 👋
ARLnow business reporter Katie Taranto (staff photo)
After two years of connecting with local businesses, exploring Arlington’s wide-ranging food scene and satisfying residents’ questions and curiosity, reporter Katie Taranto is leaving ARLnow.
Taranto, who is departing to cover federal climate policy at the trade publication Inside EPA, wrote prolifically about the arrival and departure of countless restaurants and retailers in Arlington, while still finding time to appreciate the quirks and unique character of the county’s diverse communities.
