More owners of low-valued vehicles could receive a full exemption from car taxes in Falls Church.
Vehicles assessed at $1,500 or less are currently exempt from the city’s car tax of $4.80 per $100 assessed valuation. Under a proposal brought to Council members by Commissioner of Revenue Tom Clinton and city staff, the exemption level would double to $3,000.
County, School Board Fields Set — Audrey Clement and David Sisson were the only independents to qualify for the Nov. 3 County Board ballot, and will join the winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary that includes James DeVita, Julie Farnam and incumbent Matt de Ferranti. For School Board, incumbent Bethany Zecher Sutton and challenger James “Vell” Rives IV qualified for the ballot before the June 16 deadline, county election officials told ARLnow yesterday. —Scott McCaffrey
Ballston Metro Entrance Funded — The Commonwealth Transportation Board on Tuesday approved $20 million to support a second entrance to the Ballston Metro station, plus $475,000 for enhanced service on Arlington Transit Route 55 between East Falls Church and Rosslyn. Funding comes from the Commuter Choice revenue stream. —Scott McCaffrey
Daily Show Features Duffin — Michael Duffin, a Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, was featured on The Daily Show on Tuesday night during a segment on fired federal workers running for office. [The Daily Show]
World Cup Watch Party — The Arlington Sister City Association will host a World Cup watch party on Saturday, June 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Bronson Bierhall. The German team taking on Ivory Coast features Kai Havertz, a native of Arlington’s sister city of Aachen. It is his second World Cup appearance for Germany. [Arlington Sister City Association]
Farmers Market Pushback — A community group’s push to expand the award-winning Falls Church Farmers Market onto adjacent streets has drawn opposition from vendors and restaurant owners, who raised concerns about parking, competition and lost revenue. The Economic Development Authority declined to formally endorse the pilot, which would ultimately require City Council approval. [Falls Church Pulse]
Spanberger Signs Contraception Bills — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed the Right to Contraception Act and the Contraception Equity Act into law, guaranteeing access to birth control and requiring insurers to cover it. “Virginia is the only state in the South where a woman has the same freedom to make her own healthcare decisions as she did before the Dobbs decision,” Spanberger said. The measure had twice been vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). [Press Release]
It’s Thursday — Expect a high near 94 with partly sunny skies and a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Southwest winds of 13–22 mph could gust as high as 33 mph, with overnight lows around 69. [NWS]
New Public Notice — ABC permit application: limited mixed beverage restaurant, beer/wine/liqueurs, on/off-premises. [Public Notices]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
For Tessa Cannon, books are more than stories. They’re a way to build community.
As the owner of The Wandering Shelf, an independent mobile bookstore that launched in Arlington in May 2025, Cannon brings books directly to readers across the community. Operating out of a bookstore van, she sells new and used books for all ages, along with book-themed merchandise, at events and locations throughout Arlington.
The idea grew from both her love of Arlington and her desire to expand access to independent bookstores.
“There are two main reasons I chose Arlington,” Cannon said. “First, I love Arlington and am one of its biggest fans. Second, Arlington is near communities with an incredible array of independent bookstores, yet at the time Arlington had only one bookstore selling new books. I wanted to grow our independent bookstore network and bring books to more Arlingtonians.”
As she prepared to launch the business, Cannon worked with Arlington Economic Development’s BizLaunch program, which connected her with a SCORE mentor and provided guidance through the startup process.
“BizLaunch was helpful in many ways,” she said. “They connected me with a mentor from SCORE, provided guidance on county-specific licenses and shared a fantastic Small Business Checklist. The BizLaunch website is filled with helpful resources.”
One customer interaction stands out as Cannon’s favorite business memory. A customer purchased a copy of I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman and returned a few weeks later to share how much she enjoyed it. Weeks after that, she came back with friends and the same copy of the book, now covered with notes and annotations from everyone who had borrowed and discussed it.
“It was a wonderful reminder of the gift that comes with sharing books with your community and how we are each impacted differently through the stories we read,” Cannon said.
Community remains at the heart of The Wandering Shelf’s mission. Cannon describes the business as “hyperlocal,” with charitable giving and community engagement focused on supporting Arlington residents.
Looking ahead, she hopes to grow the business into a small brick-and-mortar bookstore while keeping the mobile operation on the road.
“We dream of having a third space where people can rest, learn and connect with others,” Cannon said. “We plan to always keep the van running so we can continue meeting people in all the different pockets of Arlington.”
For now, The Wandering Shelf continues bringing books directly to Arlington readers, one stop at a time. For more information about The Wandering Shelf visit www.wanderingshelf.com or their Instagram @thewanderingshelf.va.
BizLaunch Update: Applications Open for the Arlington Growth Accelerator
Ready to take your business to the next level? The Arlington Growth Accelerator is designed for established small businesses looking to scale, strengthen operations and accelerate growth.
This hands-on program connects business owners with expert guidance, practical tools and a network of peers navigating similar growth challenges. Participants will gain insights on strategic planning, financial management, marketing, leadership and long-term business sustainability.
Whether you’re looking to expand your customer base, hire employees or position your business for its next phase of growth, the Arlington Growth Accelerator can help you build a roadmap for success.
Applications are now open. Learn more and apply at www.bizlaunch.org.
Good Wednesday 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 — Jun 17, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect a high of 94°F and partly sunny skies, with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 PM. It will be breezy with south winds at 13-20 mph, gusting to 34 mph. Thursday night, there is a slight 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly before 3 AM, with a low of 69°F and west winds at 5-10 mph, gusting to 20 mph. On Juneteenth, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 84°F, and northwest winds at 7-11 mph, gusting to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
– George Eliot
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
Pentagon MMA has brought a special honor home to Arlington from the birthplace of Muay Thai.
The Arlington Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu Academy is now officially a certified and registered Muay Thai Gym Partner through the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, making Pentagon MMA the only Muay Thai academy on the East Coast to have earned this distinction.
Despite an increase in annual trash-collection costs, Arlington’s single-family homeowners will end up paying less over the coming year.
Customers will receive a one-time, $30-per-household rebate, County Manager Mark Schwartz said at the June 13 County Board meeting.
Join us as Signature Theatre joins MoCA Arlington to create a space for mingling, art-making, and discovery! Guests can move through the galleries and enjoy a range of programmed activities, including:
Vintage rack hosted by local sellers — Nicole Lanteri Designs + Thrifted To Be Here
Shop curated selections of vintage art, homewares, clothing and jewelry. A mix of styles, eras + price points!
Three suspects are accused of conspiring to steal minifigures from numerous Lego sets across the D.C. area, making a tidy profit reselling them online.
Collectible minifigures from fandoms such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Zelda were secretly swiped in 29 incidents, supplying a high-volume eBay storefront that netted over $36,000 in 12 months, according to a criminal complaint.
Sunday’s UFC cage match at the White House featured a military band, flyovers, notable spectators, bloody bouts, fireworks — and a pair of uniformed Arlington County police officers.
The officers escorted one of the fighters to the Octagon, as noted by UFC in a social media post (below) and captured in a Getty Images photo.
A Capital One branch on Langston Blvd is closing today (Wednesday).
The bank at 4700 Langston Blvd will permanently close its doors at 5 p.m., according to notices posted at the location.
Some Arlington customers ordering on Uber Eats can now get their food delivered with futuristic flair — and no delivery driver.
Self-driving delivery robots, which began exploring the sidewalks of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor back in April, will begin providing their services today (Wednesday). From 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at participating restaurants, customers will be able to select whether to have a bot or a human courier deliver their food.
The Trump administration’s Justice Department is challenging several state laws passed by Virginia Democrats targeting the work of federal immigration enforcement officers.
The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Virginia’s Richmond Division, challenges state laws that seek to ban federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks and restrict 287(g) agreements between federal immigration enforcement and state and local law enforcement agencies.
Looking for a fall activity that gets you moving and builds real confidence? EvolveAll Martial Arts and Training Studio is offer free classes for youth and adults during it’s upcoming Intro Week, September 14-19.
EvolveAll, Arlington’s martial arts and fitness community off Columbia Pike, is once again opening its doors for a full week of free trial classes — and youth classes are one of the highlights. Kids ages 5-15 will get to try hands-on martial arts instruction designed to build discipline, focus, and self-defense skills in a supportive, age-appropriate environment.
