A children’s book about Palestine is under review at a Falls Church library following a complaint alleging antisemitic language.
“P is for Palestine: A Palestine Alphabet Book” is the work in question. Library Director Megan Dotzler said at a Feb. 5 meeting that a complaint had been lodged, leading to the review.
Gravelly Point Back Open — “Update: Gravelly Point and the Mount Vernon Trail have reopened.” The trail and popular plane watching spot closed in the aftermath of last month’s deadly midair crash, to allow first responders and recovery operations to stage in the Gravelly Point parking lot. [U.S. Park Police/X]
Local Funding Freeze Impact — “Public safety programs that work to reduce recidivism and help victims of violence will be threatened by the Trump Administration’s efforts to freeze federal grants and loans, according to Arlington’s top prosecutor.” [Patch]
Bus Picks Up Dogs for Fitness Sessions — “Two local entrepreneurs have joined forces on a new venture that’s really for the dogs—Club Canine Cardio at Snouts & Stouts. The doggie daycare program brings fitness sessions for furry friends to the lower level of Snouts & Stouts, an 11,000-square-foot indoor dog park with a restaurant and bar in Shirlington.” [Arlington Magazine]
New Recognition for Marymount — “Marymount University has reached a significant milestone in its Strategic Plan trajectory as it has been designated a Research University for 2025 by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation. This recognition reflects the institution’s commitment to advancing knowledge, fostering innovation and addressing pressing societal challenges through impactful research initiatives.” [Press Release]
Police Hosting Summer Camps — “The Arlington County Police Department is committed to working proactively with Arlington youth and is excited to offer fun and educational youth camp opportunities during Summer 2025. Applications for the following camps close on Sunday, May 4 at 11:59 p.m. The application to each of these camps may close earlier if all spots are filled before the deadline.” [ACPD]
GW Parkway Bill Fails — “A bill in Virginia that would allow state and local police departments to enforce traffic laws on the federally owned George Washington Memorial Parkway failed to advance in Richmond. Senate Bill 776, introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County) passed the Senate before it crossed over to the House.” [WUSA 9]
F.C. Paper Takes on Trump — “Just like the City of Falls Church, this newspaper is unapologetically both “woke,” pro-DEI, and resolved to remain vigilant in the protection of the values those terms represent as we stare at the menacing forces that are now emanating from across the Potomac.” [FCNP]
No Tysons Casino for Now — “Lawmakers deciding on a controversial bill to develop a casino and entertainment complex in Tysons Corner tabled a decision Wednesday… Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s Senate Bill 982 would have added Fairfax County to the list of Virginia localities eligible to develop a casino that backers say would bring jobs and revenue for the county and commonwealth.” [FFXnow]
Snow Possible Next Week — “Models… are fairly consistent in showing the potential for a more wintry storm around Wednesday or Thursday next week. Most models show some key ingredients for a snowstorm in our region.” [CWG]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high around 38 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind ranging from 8 to 13 mph, and gusts reaching up to 21 mph. On Friday night clouds will increase as temperatures drop to around 27 degrees, with initially calm winds picking up to 5 mph from the southeast after midnight. [NWS]
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…)
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 — Feb 13, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny skies and a high around 38 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind ranging from 8 to 13 mph, and gusts reaching up to 21 mph. Moving into Friday night, clouds will increase as temperatures drop to around 27 degrees, with initially calm winds picking up to 5mph from the southeast after midnight. See more from Weather.gov.
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
With the exception of a number of private-school basketball games, the winter regular-season sports schedule has been completed for Arlington varsity teams.
But the post-season competition is about to hit its stride.
🫶✨ 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.
Arlington and much of the D.C. area is under a Wind Advisory tonight (Thursday).
The advisory, in effect until 10 p.m., warns of gusts up to 50 mph potentially leading to downed trees and power outages.
Arlington Independent Media has paid a visit to the county’s radio room, but the organization’s FM station isn’t back on the air just yet.
The county allowed the struggling nonprofit to access its transmission room — with supervision — today (Thursday), county spokesperson David Barrera told ARLnow this afternoon.
Demolition has begun at the vacant Stratford Motor Lodge in Falls Church, where a local business owner plans to construct a restaurant and beer garden.
Under new ownership, the site at 300 W. Broad Street is slated to become Stratford Gardens, the latest project by Arash Tafakor. He co-owns a few local businesses, including Brick House Butcher and Dominion Wine and Beer – both located down the street from the new development.
The suspect in a fatal New Year’s Day crash on GW Parkway was illegally behind the wheel of his pickup truck, authorities say.
Carlos Jose Hernandez Romero did not have a driver’s license when he fatally struck a woman in an SUV while apparently speeding and driving the wrong way on the Parkway, according to a sworn U.S. Park Police affidavit.
The Pentagon City mall has confirmed the planned opening dates for some of its new eateries, with one expected to arrive as soon as February.
Gelato, Mediterranean food, Guatemalan chicken and more are expected to come to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City over the next few weeks and months.
