Events

The Arlington County Police Department is launching a summer community engagement series this weekend.

The goal is to build the department’s relationship with the public. Headlining the series is a pair of kid-oriented events — an outdoor game day and a movie marathon.


News

Some 3,000 homes and businesses were reported to be without power this afternoon in northern Arlington and a small portion of McLean.

The outage follows reports of the sounds of possible transformer explosions in the area of Nelly Custis Drive and N. Lincoln Street in Cherrydale.


Around Town

A third Tortas y Tacos la Chiquita is set to open next week in Virginia Square.

Restaurant Owner David Villalobos said the menu at Tortas y Tacos la Chiquita III on 3811 Fairfax Drive will be a “copy and paste” of other Tortas y Tacos locations on Columbia Pike and in Merrifield.


Announcement

As the summer is winding down, Art House 7 is gearing up for August Classes! Offerings include painting, drawing, cartooning, mixed media, and printmaking. Some highlights: Animals of the Serengeti, k-2nd; Digital Art, 4th-6th grades; Painting Metal with Watercolor, Adults. Classes are 3-4 weeks: a short commitment for a lot of creative output. Check out everything on our website.

August Classes at Art House 7:


Events

The Paris Olympics start later this month and tomorrow (Saturday) in Arlington, a new competition will emerge: the Grabber Olympics, for Northern Virginia’s litter-picker-uppers.

The inaugural event will begin at 11 a.m. by the Clarendon Metro station for a two-hour community cleanup with volunteer nonprofit NOVA Cleanups, sister of District Cleanups. Anyone is welcome to sign up and participate.


News
Sunset in the Country Club Hills neighborhood (staff photo)

Arlington is No. 1 Digital County — “Arlington County is proud to be recognized as the No. 1 Digital County for 2024 by the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACo). This is the third consecutive year that Arlington has been named to the top spot in the nation for the 150,000-249,999-population category, a rare achievement for the awards program.” [Arlington County]

Va. is Best State for Biz — “With the nation’s best education system and policies that give companies room — both literally and figuratively — to grow, Virginia is America’s Top State for Business in 2024. This is the Old Dominion’s sixth time at the top of CNBC’s rankings, and its third win in five years — a record unmatched by any other state since the study began in 2007.” [CNBC, Twitter]

Shirlington Bridge Closure — “The Shirlington Circle south rotary bridge over I-395 will be closed from 10 p.m. Saturday, July 13 until 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 16 for work related to the bridge rehabilitation project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The bridge connects the southbound I-395 collector-distributor lanes and southbound Shirlington Road to North Quaker Lane at the I-395 Exit 6 interchange.” [VDOT]

Another 7-Eleven Robbery — “4100 block of S Four Mile Run Drive… Two male suspects entered the business and jumped over the counter. Suspect One removed two cash register drawers containing an undisclosed amount of cash, during which he pushed an employee. Suspect Two stole merchandise from behind the counter. The suspects then fled the scene in a red sedan driven by Suspect Three.” [ACPD]

Immigrant Food Opening Soon — “Immigrant Food is weeks away from opening a new restaurant in Ballston, its first outpost outside of the District and the likely launching pad for other restaurants elsewhere in Greater Washington and beyond. The new spot, at 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, will be the chain’s largest… The space, which cost about $1.3 million to build out, will feature a central, 600-square-foot bar, located half-in and half-outside the building.” [Washington Business Journal]

Potbelly Open at the Pentagon — “Potbelly Corporation, the iconic neighborhood sandwich shop concept, has opened its first location at the Pentagon, deepening its presence on military installations and Department of Defense facilities.” [GlobeNewswire]

Little Homes Near the Pike — “Only 4 of these left on 7th st S. I’ve always liked these little homes with the windows that go around corners. A kind of budget Frank Lloyd Wright look. I’ve heard these were built from free plans in Better Homes & Gardens.” [Twitter]

Recognition for Casual Adventure — “NRF’s America’s Retail Champions program celebrates small retailers who are exceptional advocates for retail and the communities they serve. Forty-five U.S. small retailers were selected as champions for the program,” including longtime Arlington shop Casual Adventure. [National Retail Federation]

It’s Friday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, increasing after 7am with a high near 81 and an east wind of 3 to 5 mph. Precipitation likelihood is 90%, with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. Friday night brings a 70% chance of showers, with possible thunderstorms before 2am, followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms. The temperature dips to around 73 with a light southeast wind, and additional rainfall between a quarter and half an inch is expected. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jul 11, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

⛈️ Friday’s forecast

Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, increasing after 7am with a high near 81 and an east wind of 3 to 5 mph. Precipitation likelihood is 90%, with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. Friday night brings a 70% chance of showers, with possible thunderstorms before 2am, followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms. The temperature dips to around 73 with a light southeast wind, and additional rainfall between a quarter and half an inch is expected. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Take rest. A field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.”
– Ovid

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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.


News

Arguments about the way Arlington approved Missing Middle have taken center stage this week in the civil trial over last year’s hotly contested zoning amendments.

Testimony on behalf of the plaintiffs concluded yesterday (Wednesday) as attorneys continue to argue that Missing Middle zoning changes should be invalidated because they say the county improperly advertised the changes and failed to adequately study them, among other allegations.


Around Town

A new pool hall is coming to Clarendon.

Billiards, Bites and Beverages is expected to open at 3200 Wilson Blvd, the distinctive former site of the neighborhood’s Silver Diner location, according to permits.