Clarendon Hotel Plan Scrapped — Mill Creek Residential wants to swap the planned hotel at the former Silver Diner site (3200 Wilson Blvd) in Clarendon for an 11-story, 168-unit residential building. The developer says it pursued hotel partners but “just came up empty.” [WBJ]
Tobacco Shop Robbery Charge — A 30-year-old Alexandria man has been charged with robbery after grabbing a display of Kratom products and shoving an employee at a tobacco shop in the 3400 block of Washington Blvd, according to a search warrant affidavit. Alexandria police are investigating whether he’s linked to a separate shop theft in the city. [ALXnow]
Arlington Legal Funder Expands — Rocade Capital, an Arlington firm that lends to the legal industry, has acquired California’s Law Finance Group, a deal it says will expand its reach in the niche sector. The combined firms have deployed roughly $2.3 billion over the past decade-plus. A price wasn’t disclosed. [WBJ]
Car Carriers Run Amok — Car carriers keep blocking the bus lane on Army Navy Drive in Pentagon City and driving the wrong way. One also recently blocked the Fashion Centre’s driveway exit, forcing drivers “to leave through the entrance,” Dave Statter reported in the latest of a series of posts and videos on the issue. He saw no ticketing. [Dave Statter/X]
Del Ray House Fire — Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 2600 block of E. Randolph Avenue in Del Ray on Wednesday afternoon. The homeowner said she, her partner and son escaped safely. She believes an ember from a backyard fire pit started it. Smoke was visible from Arlington. [ALXnow]
Inside Trump’s Arch — “For years, some enthusiasts of classical architecture have argued that Washington needs a triumphal arch… President Donald Trump took the idea, enlarged it and is now pushing to begin construction on a 250-foot-tall arch as soon as possible… Many have focused on the arch’s exterior, but The Washington Post has created the first 3D visualization of its interior.” [Washington Post]
Fare Evasion Crackdown Update — Metro Transit Police have issued 807 citations and made 51 arrests since May 24 as part of a system-wide fare evasion crackdown, with 10 of those arrested having outstanding warrants. The agency, which launched a “Fares Pay for Service” campaign, estimates bus fare evasion alone could cost it roughly $50 million this fiscal year. [DC News Now]
River Water Quality Dashboard — A coalition of local water groups has launched a public dashboard with real-time water quality data for the Anacostia, Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, drawing on nine sensor sites. “The recent catastrophic sewage spill in the Potomac taught us many lessons,” said Potomac Riverkeeper Network president Betsy Nicholas, citing the need for timely monitoring. [Press Release]
Rain Chances Stay Slim — Wednesday marked the D.C. area’s sixth straight rain-free day, and the dry streak will likely reach nine before showers return Sunday, Capital Weather reports. Even then, models project only 0.01 to 0.1 inches — bad news as the region sits under a newly declared drought watch. [Capital Weather]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies with a high near 89 and light northwest winds of 5 mph or less. Skies stay mostly clear overnight with a low around 65. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk
