Arlington County snow plow working to clear a neighborhood street (via Arlington DES/X)
As the snow removal operations from the Jan. 25 snow and sleet storm wind down, we’re wondering how locals would grade the effort.
This winter storm was uniquely challenging, with five inches of snow falling before getting covered by 2-3 inches of icy sleet — what would have otherwise been 1-2 feet of total accumulation should it have kept falling as snow. Then we had nearly 10 straight days of frigid conditions, with temperatures not rising above freezing and allowing the “snowcrete” to soften.
The scale of the removal operation in Arlington alone is notable. From our reporting yesterday:
Crews have hauled more than 5,000 truckloads of snow — weighing roughly 55,000-75,000 tons, in total — from Arlington’s commercial areas since the snowstorm. They’ve deposited these at five locations around Arlington, at 14th Street N., Fairfax Drive, N. Quincy Street, Long Bridge Park and 601 S. Carlin Springs. […]
They’ve cleared more than 1,000 miles of roads, 10 miles of protected bike lanes and 63,000 feet of sidewalk, working 14 consecutive 12-hour shifts beginning on Jan. 24.
For some, the effort did not go far enough, leaving neighborhood streets covered to harden into an impassable icy surface that remained for days. For others, crews worked long hours and did their best despite very challenging conditions.
All things considered, how would you grade Arlington’s snow removal effort?
Arlington County Board member Julius "JD" Spain, Sr. (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)
Arlington County Board member JD Spain Sr. is throwing his support behind a state bill to accelerate affordable housing development on church properties.
Spain joined the Rev. Alice Tewell of Clarendon Presbyterian Church — which put its affordable housing proposal in Lyon Village on pause last year amid rising costs coupled with a lengthy approval process — in testifying on behalf of State Sen. Jeremy McPike’s (D-29) Faith in Housing Act.
We’re off to a busy start since opening last month, and with continued momentum and expansion ahead, our team is searching for the right person to step into a key leadership role within our restaurant group.
As we continue to grow, we’re currently seeking an Operating Partner to help lead day-to-day operations, develop strong teams, and deliver the high-energy guest experience our restaurants are known for.
Wood & Iron Gameday has grown across the Richmond region since opening in 2017. Known for its house-made elevated bar food and fresh-squeezed cocktails, Wood & Iron delivers a lively atmosphere that’s perfect for watching the big game or gathering with friends any day of the week. (more…)
WERA control room in 2015 (Courtesy of Paul LeValley/AIM)
Arlington officials say they’ve exhausted all options to settle up to half a million dollars in debts from Arlington Independent Media (AIM) after the organization’s operational collapse.
Local leaders have “spent a lot of time and energy” to make sure there is no replication of the situation with other grantees, County Manager Mark Schwartz said at a Jan. 22 meeting of the county’s Audit Committee.
ICA Language Services (ICA), a family-owned, woman-led small business based in Arlington, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking decades of supporting the U.S. military and diplomatic community through language training and testing.
Founded in April 1986 as Inlingua Foreign Language Center, a 6-classroom language school, ICA expanded under the leadership of Deidre Doyle, an entrepreneur with a background in organizational management who joined the company the same year. As a military spouse, she had developed a deep understanding of military organizations and culture, helping shape ICA into a trusted provider of language training and testing for military professionals. Doyle became a partner in 1993 and sole owner in 2009, when she changed the name to ICA Language Services.
George Mason University’s FUSE building in Virginia Square at sunrise (photo by Nicole Kelleher/Schar School of Policy and Government)
Black History Month Events — “This February (and all year long) there are countless ways to celebrate Black history and culture in Northern Virginia. Visit a historic site or museum, catch a performance highlighting famous African Americans, witness a traditional “broom-jumping” marriage ceremony and celebrate Black culture as an essential part of the American story.” [Arlington Magazine]
Courthouse Library Still Closed — “Due to a water pipe leak and heating issues at Courthouse Library, the location will remain closed as of Monday, February 2 until further notice as repairs are evaluated. Please continue to check the Library’s website for the Courthouse Library’s status this week.” [APL, APL/X]
Body Found Near Bridge — “[Firefighters] are on the Potomac recovering a body on the ice discovered a short time ago just north of the 14th Street Bridge complex. Only one lane is getting by to the left on the George Mason Bridge, carrying the outbound main lanes.” [Dave Statter/X]
Car Chase in Pentagon City — “@VSPPIO chased a vehicle twice through Pentagon City. The first time, around 1:15 a.m., the driver got away as they passed the Fashion Center. About 15 minutes later, it showed up at S. Joyce and Army Navy, passing an @ArlingtonVaPD officer and making a path to DC via the I-395 express lanes.” [Dave Statter/X]
Gov’t Shutdown Ends — “President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding. The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.” [Associated Press]
Indecent Exposure in Rosslyn — “On February 2, police received an online report for a late exposure. It was determined at approximately 5:35 p.m. on January 30, the female victim was walking in the area when she observed the male suspect expose himself.” [ACPD]
County’s New Service Dog — “Arlington County’s public safety agencies are proud to welcome Wellness K9 Dottie, a 15 m/o Black Lab, to the team! Dottie joins our Office of Public Safety Wellness from @HeelingHouse & will provide comfort & support to our first responders. Say hi if you see her out & about!” [ACPD/X]
New Legal Notice — Restaurant applying for on/off-premises wine, beer, and mixed-beverage license. [Public Notices]
It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high of 33 degrees with a north wind at 9 mph. Wednesday night brings a 20% chance of snow before 10 pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies that will gradually clear up. The low temperature will be around 17 degrees. [NWS]
Expect partly sunny skies and a high of 33 degrees with a north wind at 9 mph. Wednesday night brings a 20% chance of snow before 10 pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies that will gradually clear up. The low temperature will be around 17 degrees, and the north wind will be blowing at 5 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“It is kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney
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Tributes to the students who integrated the former Stratford Junior High School, outside of Dorothy Hamm Middle School in 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The following in-depth local history feature was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support local journalism and to get an exclusive version of our afternoon newsletter, plus an early look at what we’re covering each day.
This week marks the 67th anniversary of the integration of Arlington’s Stratford Junior High School by four Black seventh-grade students: Lance Newman, Michael Deskins, Gloria Thompson and Michael Jones.
Road and sidewalk conditions near Wakefield High School (courtesy Julia Itani)
Arlington Public Schools will open on a two hour delay Wednesday, the school system just announced.
It’s the second consecutive delay, after five snow days following the previous weekend’s winter storm. While today offered some above-freezing temperatures and melting, many sidewalks remain snow- and ice-covered in Arlington, prompting continued caution by school administrators.
Parking meter in a performance parking zone in Ballston (staff photo)
The future of increased parking rates along Arlington’s commercial corridors is expected to go before the County Board later this month.
The Board is on track to decide whether to eliminate the “performance parking” pilot project or make the rate changes for about 4,500 parking spaces permanent.
The forthcoming Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Falls Church (staff photo by Jared Serre)
A discount grocery store coming to Falls Church plans to mark its grand opening next week with money-saving festivities.
Grocery Outlet Bargain Market intends to open its doors at 500 S. Washington Street at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, offering gift cards worth varying amounts to the first 100 customers. The top prize is $500.
