The westbound lanes of Langston Blvd were blocked during the morning commute today due to a potentially serious crash.
A preliminary investigation indicates that a garbage truck struck an adult pedestrian around 8:48 a.m., while turning onto Langston Blvd along the busy artery at N. Ottawa Street, according to Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
Arlington’s GOP chair is crying foul over what he says are attacks on the party’s campaign signage.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t hear from Republican voters about stolen, damaged or vandalized Republican yard signs,” Arlington County Republican Committee chair Matthew Hurtt told ARLnow. He pegged assaults on signs in the hundreds.
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.
Arlington County officials are trumpeting a recent accolade that came to Alcova Heights Park.
The county’s Department of Parks and Recreation won the “Best New Renovation/Addition” award at the 2024 Virginia Parks and Recreation Society (VRPS) conference.
We’re almost there! In addition to our regular Saturday shows,
ArtRave’s 19th Annual Christmas Extravaganza is taking place on the first three Saturdays in December. With thousands of shoppers expected, we typically expand our space to accommodate more artisans. We’re already about 50% filled!
Brittany O’Grady Profiled — “O’Grady credits her parents with shaping her ambivert personality. She says her father, who works in higher education financial aid, imbued her with compassion. Her mother, a communications professional who used to chair the Arlington County School Board, sparked her drive and ambition. These days, O’Grady lives in Atlanta, where she shot ‘Star’ from 2016 to 2019, but regularly returns to Arlington to sleep in her childhood bedroom, get her caffeine fix at Northside Social and enjoy the odd boat ride on the Potomac River.” [Washington Post]
Education Co. Moves to Arlington — “Separately, 2U relocated its headquarters last month from Lanham to Crystal City, the source confirmed. Mention of the one-time 309,000-square-foot office it occupied in Prince George’s is gone from its website. The only U.S. location is listed as 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 1100 in Arlington. All this comes after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — a process it completed last month, emerging as a private company after a decade as a Nasdaq-listed public company.” [WBJ]
Flyover Planned Today — From Arlington Alert: “A United States military aircraft flyover is scheduled for Monday, October 7, at 3:10 PM at @ArlingtonNatl. While there will be an increase in air traffic noise, there is no cause for alarm.”
Crystal City Sports Pub Anniversary — “On Aug. 20, Crystal City Sports Pub celebrated its 30th anniversary. Offering new specials every day, more than 100 TVs, including an 18-foot tall video wall where guests can watch all NFL and most NCAA football games, it’s difficult to pin down what has led to the sports pub’s longevity.” [Patch]
N.Va. Unemployment Rate Rises — Northern Virginia’s jobless rate of 3.1% in August was up from 2.8% a year before, according to new state data, with 1.68 million employed and 54,500 seeking jobs. [Virginia Employment Commission]
County Democrats Phone-Bank to Florida — The Arlington County Democratic Committee plans to phone-bank into Florida on Oct. 22 in support of a ballot initiative guaranteeing abortion access. —Scott McCaffrey
MU Student at D.C. Fashion Week — “While at Marymount, [Caroline] MacDonald founded Allons•y Designs, a label that creates runway-worthy, ready-to-wear fashion. Now a fourth-year student and business owner, she took on a new challenge — DC Fashion Week. She was one of only nine local designers accepted into the DC Metropolitan Emerging Designers Showcase, alongside a former Marymount student, Annie Pacious.” [Marymount University]
Sentencing for Double Slaying — “Francis Deonte Rose was sentenced today to 58 years in prison for the 2022 shooting deaths of two construction workers in the West End… Rose was released from jail in Arlington just three months before the incident occurred. He was indicted on weapons and drug charges and was in prison from Oct. 18, 2020 until Feb. 23, 2022, but was freed when the court determined that police conducted an illegal search prior to his arrest, according to ARLnow.” [ALXnow]
Cold Case Guilty Plea — “An ex-Army soldier has pleaded guilty to killing a woman at her West Springfield home in 1994, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced today (Friday). Stephan Smerk, 52, could face up to 70 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for stabbing and killing Robin Lawrence, a stranger, while he was stationed at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington.” [FFXnow]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny weather with temperatures reaching up to 70°F. Northwest winds will be blowing at 8-13 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. As for Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear, and the temperature will drop to around 50°F, accompanied by a northwest wind of 6-8 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. Looking for a coworking space that fosters productivity, creativity and collaboration? Industrious offers a professional environment with flexible workspaces, fast Wi-Fi, and multiple conference rooms. With multiple Metro-accessible locations in Arlington, it’s easy to find a space that fits your needs.
Join us at Westover Taco for the official Fund Her Game Charity Launch, bringing together athletes, fans, business leaders, and community supporters who want to strengthen girls’ and women’s sports across the DMV.
Fund Her Game was created to invest in the teams, leagues, programs, and organizations that help women and girls play, compete, develop, and lead, from recreational sports through professional competition.
Being the regular season, there wasn’t as much at stake except bragging rights.
Host Bishop O’Connell Knights earned them with the squad’s 3-0 victory over the Potomac School Panthers in girls high-school soccer action the afternoon of Oct. 4 in Arlington.
The Wakefield Warriors haven’t had much luck against the Westfield Bulldogs in recent seasons, and this year was no different.
Wakefield was blanked by host Westfield, 63-0, the night of Oct. 4 in a non-district high-school football game. The Warriors fell to 2-4.
One month later, it happened again.
The Tourneau luxury watch store at the Pentagon City mall is the scene of another dramatic smash-and-grab robbery involving a group of thieves armed with a hammer and fire extinguishers. It follows a nearly identical robbery on Sept. 1 that prompted ultimately unfounded fears of an active shooter and an evacuation of the mall.
Hoping for the best but being ready for the worst seems to be the focus of Falls Church officials when it comes to Election Day security measures.
“Is Falls Church likely to be a low-risk area? Sure,” city registrar David Bjerke told Electoral Board members on Oct. 1.
It took 68 years, but the Washington-Liberty Generals have again started a season 6-0.
By rallying on the road to defeat the Herndon Hornets, 28-18,on Oct. 4 in Liberty District high-school football action, the Generals improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1956 when the team (then named Washington-Lee) finished the regular season undefeated at 10-0.
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.
