Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 12, 2026

By ARLnow.com

Good Monday 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 — Jan 12, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect sunny skies and a high near 50, along with a calm wind turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. For Tuesday night, the sky will be mostly cloudy, accompanied by a low around 40. A southwest wind will blow at 8 to 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”
– Jim Rohn

🌅 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! 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.

News

Series of weekend Metro closures coming to Crystal City and Reagan National

By Dan Egitto
The forthcoming east entrance to the Crystal City Metro station (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A series of weekend closures at the Crystal City and Reagan National Airport Metro stations is taking place between February and June.

Blue and Yellow Line trains won’t run in affected areas during the closures, which are for passenger and crew safety during the construction of a second entrance to the Crystal City station.

Go to Series of weekend Metro closures coming to Crystal City and Reagan National Read more
Sponsored

SPARK! — Not Your Usual Art Market Opens Sunday May 3rd

By Sponsor
Image from SPARK! — Not Your Usual Art Market Opens Sunday May 3rd
The Wandering Shelf mobile bookstore at SPARK! art market on Sunday, 5/3 (photo: @thewanderingshelf.va , Instagram).
Rossana Coffee at SPARK! art market on Sunday, 5/3 (photo courtesy: Stayarlington.com)
Tigerflight at SPARK! art market on Sunday, 5/3 (photo: tigerflight.etsy.com )
New outdoor 2700 Art Space is anchored by SPARK! art market on first Sundays May-Nov, 10am - 2pm, starting May 3
Artist David Amoroso at SPARK! art market on Sunday, 5/3 (photo: Lloyd Wolf, Columbia Pike Documentary Project).
1/6

This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

Arlington’s Four Mile Run corridor is home to an inspiring new happening. The new art market called SPARK! launches on Sunday, May 3, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and continues every first Sunday of the month through November.

A fun inclusive outdoor market with handpicked art and food vendors and programming including poetry, music and art making, it’s the kickoff activity for the new outdoor venue 2700 Art Space, located at 2700 S. Nelson St., Arlington, Virginia 22206. Meet your neighbors, build community and be inspired.

At the first event, “Spark” your creativity with a smooth jolt of coffee from Rossana Coffee. Browse the stacks at the mobile bookstore Wandering Shelf. Get a massage from the licensed therapists from Zen27 Healing and Body Works. Peruse artwork by artists David Amoroso, Kate Rosendale or the printmakers and ceramicists from The Studios at Arlington Arts. Have a poem composed especially for you at The Poet is IN booth. Stop by Tigerflight and put the squeeze on a plush animal made from repurposed wool sweaters. Enjoy a Thai-inspired dessert from Mango Mama while listening to tropical sounds from the DJ’s of Leon City Sounds! Every month will offer something new and unusual. Visit the website for the full list!

Artist Roxana Alger Geffen will be the interactive artist at the first SPARK! bringing her popular Arlington Art Truck project “Patch or Swap: A Textile Rescue Lab” to the market! Fans of the Art Truck, which brought artists-in-residence to every corner of the County from 2018 through 2025, will be glad to know that SPARK! is curated with a similar vision by Arlington Arts’ programming team including Special Projects Curator, Cynthia Connolly.

Located adjacent to Jennie Dean Park, busy auto repair shops, a food assistance outlet and one of the region’s most popular “destination” dog parks, it is only a four-minute walk across Four Mile Run to the Tony Award-winning Signature Theater. The area is bustling all day.

Anchored by SPARK!, the venue now known as 2700 Art Space is at the nexus of several communities. It’s directly opposite Arlington Arts’ headquarters featuring Theatre On the Run, an 90-seat black box theater, rehearsal rooms, dance studios, and new printmaking and ceramics studios for the resident artists of The Studios at Arlington Arts (formerly LAC Arts Center on Langston Boulevard), which will hold its Spring Show and Sale on Saturday, May 2.

Music and merch aren’t the only types of art that will surround you at SPARK! As shown in this reel, even the tables and benches are fun! Film nights and other activities are in the making for the fall, and two works of temporary public art are currently being installed. Artist Adam Henry is creating a 10-foot tall sculpture of a golden retriever replete with a QR-code dog collar inviting you to upload selfies and stories about your pets. Directly adjacent to the outdoor space (on three sides of the Arlington Arts headquarters at 3700 S. Four Mile Run Dr.) will be a sweeping new mural by nationally acclaimed artist MasPaz. Both works grew out of a special Artist In Residence (AIR) Grant from Arlington Arts, made possible by a top-tier award from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Visit our website for more information about SPARK!

News

Arlington Democrats elect Paul Ruiz as new party chair after record voting participation

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington County Democratic Committee chair Paul Ruiz (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Members of the Arlington County Democratic Committee have elected a chair after a spirited race.

Paul Ruiz, who had served as deputy chair for the past two years, defeated finance chair Tony Weaver on Jan. 7 to succeed Steve Baker as party leader.

Go to Arlington Democrats elect Paul Ruiz as new party chair after record voting participation Read more
Announcement

Top 5 and Climbing: Local Child Needs Votes to Reach #1 in Jr. Ranger Contest’s Group Phase

By Tiffany Lavinder

Local rising kindergartener, Phin, has advanced to the Top 5 in his group in the national Jr. Ranger Contest, a competition that celebrates children who are passionate about nature, wildlife, and exploration. After making it through earlier rounds with strong community support, Phin is now in 4th place and working toward the top spot needed to move on to the quarterfinals.

The contest encourages kids to engage with the outdoors and highlights their curiosity and love for learning about the natural world. For Phin and his family, this experience has been both exciting and meaningful, made even more special by the encouragement from friends, neighbors, and the broader community.

Go to Top 5 and Climbing: Local Child Needs Votes to Reach #1 in Jr. Ranger Contest’s Group Phase Read more
Around Town

Mi Vida, Colada Shop and more planned at Reagan National in 2026

By Jared Serre
Mi Vida coming soon to National Airport’s B Gates (staff photo by Jared Serre)

A cupcake vending machine has departed Reagan National Airport, but several new dining spots are still on their way.

Sprinkles Cupcakes has closed its “cupcake ATMs,” including one at the airport that opened last year, as it shuttered all locations nationwide last week.

Go to Mi Vida, Colada Shop and more planned at Reagan National in 2026 Read more
Around Town

Grocery Outlet plans to open in Falls Church next month

By Emily Leayman
The forthcoming Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Falls Church (staff photo by Jared Serre)

The forthcoming Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Falls Church is targeting an opening date one month from now.

Grocery Outlet, the replacement for a shuttered small-format Target store at 500 S. Washington Street, plans to open on Feb. 12, the company announced in a press release today (Monday).

Go to Grocery Outlet plans to open in Falls Church next month Read more
News

Hundreds rally in Courthouse to protest ICE shooting of Minneapolis woman

By Dan Egitto
Anti-ICE demonstrators rally in Courthouse on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Hundreds of demonstrators rallied with Arlington officials in Courthouse yesterday (Sunday) in protest of immigration enforcement killing a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis.

“I have dedicated 24 years of my life protecting Arlington because I believe law enforcement is supposed to protect the community by building trusting relationships,” Arlington Sheriff Jose Quiroz told the crowd gathered in Courthouse Plaza. “ICE is doing the opposite. The way they are operating does not keep us safe.”

Go to Hundreds rally in Courthouse to protest ICE shooting of Minneapolis woman Read more
News

Vote on Democratic nominee to replace Sen. Ebbin is tomorrow

By Scott McCaffrey
Voting sign (staff photo)

Aurora Hills Library will be the lone Arlington polling place for Democratic voters to choose a nominee for February’s special election tomorrow (Tuesday).

Polls in the firehouse primary to replace State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who announced last week that he is taking a position in the Spanberger administration, will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the library, located at 735 18th Street S.

Go to Vote on Democratic nominee to replace Sen. Ebbin is tomorrow Read more
News

Assault weapons ban could have new path forward under Gov. Spanberger, lawmakers say

By Jared Serre
Abigail Spanberger speaks at a Nov. 2025 campaign rally in Falls Church (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Several Democratic policymakers have high hopes for a bill to crack down on assault weapons once Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger takes office.

Legislation to outlaw any sales or transfers of new “assault firearms” passed both chambers in each of the last two legislative sessions, but was vetoed upon reaching the desk of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Go to Assault weapons ban could have new path forward under Gov. Spanberger, lawmakers say Read more
News

Morning Notes for January 12, 2026

By ARLnow.com
American Legion Post 85 on N. Kansas St. in Virginia Square (courtesy Gale Harris)

Son of Crash Victims Going to Milan — “Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova died Jan. 29 when an American Airlines plane crashed into an Army helicopter above the Potomac River. On Sunday, the moment arrived: Maxim Naumov was selected as one of the three men’s singles skaters on the U.S. team for next month’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.” [Washington Post, NBC News]

More Rainy SB I-395 Crashes — “I had a feeling we weren’t done for the day. Here’s crash 2 on I-395S at Arlington Ridge. It’s always the left lane. This video, as have others, gives the impression there’s standing water in that lane. @VaDOTNOVA what do you believe is behind all of the crashes at this spot and can anything be done?” [Dave Statter/X]

F.C. Council Member Lauded — Falls Church City Council member David Snyder was honored Jan. 8 by his colleagues on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). Snyder, chaired the commission in 2025, is “an absolute stalwart defender of transit, advocate of transit,” said Matthew Letourneau, a Loudoun County supervisor and longtime colleague of Snyder’s on the NVTC board. “His dedication to NVTC and the region is inspirational,” said Alexandria Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, who succeeded Snyder to chair the panel in 2026. –Scott McCaffrey

Alamo Drafthouse Changes — “The Texas-based cinema company is introducing a new mobile ordering service that will replace the traditional mode of pen-and-paper at the hands of servers. Starting in February, Alamo Drafthouse locations will utilize a digital system that will let the guests browse the menu, order prior to and during the film, and pay directly from their phones.” [Variety]

School Choice Tax Credit — “Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Virginia was the first state in the nation to opt in to the Education Freedom Tax Credit, also known as the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), a new federal program that incentivizes individuals and companies to donate funds to provide scholarships for K–12 students to expand school choice. On January 1, 2026, Virginia formally elected to participate in the FSTC. ” [Governor of Virginia]

Measles Case in N. Va. — “The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is reporting the state’s second measles case of 2026. The patient is a preschool-age child (0-4 years) in the Northern Region who recently traveled internationally.” [VDH]

Photojournalist Killed in D.C. — “We are heartbroken over the loss of Marckell Williams — a talented photographer, storyteller, and beautiful soul who was once part of the Washington Informer family. His passion for capturing people, culture, and truth will never be forgotten.” [Washington Informer/IG, Washington Post]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs reaching around 46 degrees, accompanied by west winds at about 8 mph. The night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 31 degrees. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.

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