A driver accused of striking two pedestrians near Ballston and then fleeing the scene has been arrested.
Zai Atwater, 24, was taken into custody in D.C. over the alleged road rage incident, the Arlington County Police Department announced today.
One of the D.C. area’s most popular bagel brands is coming to Ballston.
Call Your Mother just announced plans to open at 4000 Wilson Blvd — the former home of a Starbucks location that closed last year after only two years in business. A specific opening date has not yet been announced for the shop, though it is expected “soon-ish,” according to Call Your Mother’s website.
Summer in Arlington means packed farmers markets, community events and plenty of dogs enjoying the outdoors alongside their owners. For Chippin, a pet food company scaling the use of sustainable proteins, these summer traditions have been more than just a part of local life. They have helped shape the company’s growth.
Headquartered in Arlington since 2021, Chippin attends dozens of events across the DMV each summer. The company is inspired by the unique ability pets have to bring people together and spark conversations that might not otherwise happen. A simple “Would your dog like a treat?” has opened the door to discussions about everything from digestive health and food allergies to stories about flying invasive fish and the environmental impact of traditional protein sourcing.
Founded on the belief that environmental challenges can become opportunities for innovation, Chippin built a consumer brand around alternative proteins, including cricket protein and invasive silver carp. Their work with invasive carp has been supported by conservation leaders, including the World Wildlife Fund, as an example of how market-based solutions can address environmental challenges. By creating economic value for an invasive species, the company helps align ecological restoration with commercial opportunity.
As the company has grown, so has the opportunity. What began as a pet food brand is now evolving into a broader ingredient platform. This year, Chippin launched IGNIZA, an ingredient platform designed to unlock nature-positive proteins for the pet food industry, starting with invasive silver carp. (more…)
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered a Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address yesterday (Tuesday), questioning whether the president was improving affordability and keeping Americans safe.
Spanberger took aim at Trump’s policies including tariffs, the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress, federal immigration enforcement tied to the deaths of two Americans, federal workforce reductions through DOGE, withholding of the Epstein files, and the threat of a war with Iran.
New data suggests that Arlington Public Schools is making progress on lowering the rate of students being chronically absent from class.
Through Jan. 30, 10% of APS students this school year were absent from class more than 10% of the time, according to data reported at the Feb. 19 School Board meeting. That’s down from rates of 12.4% for the 2024-25 school year and 13.2% from 2023-24.
Join us for the Little Lambs Academy Open House!
Families with children ages 3 months through 12 years old are invited to tour our facility, meet our staff, and learn more about the programs we offer. This is a great opportunity to explore our classrooms, ask questions about enrollment, and see firsthand what makes Little Lambs Academy a nurturing and engaging environment for children.
Falls Church city leaders appear to have a little more budget breathing room over the coming months compared to surrounding jurisdictions.
At a Feb. 23 City Council meeting, finance officials estimated 4% revenue growth in fiscal year 2027 without increasing tax rates. It was a figure Mayor Letty Hardi called “very, very rosy” compared to the situations in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County.
ACPD Starting Pay Among Highest — “Interesting: The range of starting salaries and hiring bonuses for different police forces in the Washington region range pretty widely. But the federal forces generally outpace local ones. Supreme Court Police start at $83k with $50k of hiring bonuses; MPD is $75k and $25k.” [Martin Austermuhle/X]
Housing Lawsuit Bill Tabled — “Among a slate of bills lawmakers introduced this year to address housing stock and affordability issues was House Bill 447 by Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax. It aimed to curb people filing lawsuits to stall housing developments by fine-tuning requirements for legal challenges against local government land use decisions.” [Virginia Mercury]
Data Center Tax Bill — “Senate Democrats in Virginia are pushing to end the tax incentive largely credited with driving the surge in data center development across the commonwealth, arguing the lucrative tax break is costing the state billions… Proponents of the incentive say ending the exemption will damage Virginia’s economy and cost local jurisdictions revenue.” [WBJ, VPM]
Biz Groups Worry About Bill Costs — “Virginia business costs set to rise as Gov. Spanberger is expected to sign paid family leave and minimum wage hike bills. Business groups worry about competitiveness but are aligned with Spanberger on housing/affordability measures. Paid leave would offer 12 weeks off, funded by employer/worker contributions starting 2028.” [ARLnow/X, WBJ]
MoCo Cutting Gymnastics, Too — “Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School gymnastics instructor Paula Shaibani stood in front of the Montgomery County school board Thursday in Rockville carrying the message of a community frustrated with the district’s recent decision to stop offering girls gymnastics as a varsity-level sport at the end of the academic year.” [Bethesda Today]
More Snow on Tap — “In addition to a barely noticeable chance of flakes early Wednesday and another light inconsequential rain with maybe some wet snow mix Thursday, a potentially bigger and perhaps multipart event looms early next week. We could see a few rain or snow showers from it as soon as late Sunday. Larger waves of wintry weather currently look to arrive Monday as well as Tuesday.” [CWG/X]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a slight chance of snow before 8am, followed by a slight chance of rain between 8am and 10am. Skies will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, and the temperature will reach a high near 55. The southwest wind will blow at 10 to 14 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 37, as the west wind shifts to 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
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Flickr pool photo by Rob Pegoraro
Good Tuesday 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 — Feb 24, 2026.
- 7:30 am: Morning Notes for February 24, 2026 | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:30 am: Falls Church approaches a crossroads on affordable housing intervention | 🗣️ Comments
- 9:15 am: Affordable housing proposal on Langston Blvd sparks debate on height, tree canopy | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:00 am: Arlington officials consider ban on campaign signs in median strips | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:45 am: D.C. man charged with string of break-ins at Bill’s Ace Hardware, other businesses | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: Sen. Warner seeks national edge on AI, while preparing for potential workforce disruptions | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: Joyce Motors redevelopment gets underway in Clarendon | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:00 pm: House fails to pass bill requiring aircraft locator systems after deadly Potomac midair collision | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: D.C.-area delegation seeks more funds for burst sewer pipe after Potomac spill | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 12:00 pm: The Pike – Lunch Club at El Pike Restobar
- 3:00 pm: Videogame Social
- 5:00 pm: Community Volunteer Reading Night
- 5:00 pm: Climate & Cuisine: A Panel Discussion Featuring Author & Climate Scientist Mark
- 5:00 pm: Rosslyn Lunar New Year
- 6:00 pm: Learn Budgeting & Saving with Operation HOPE
- 6:00 pm: AI Workshop for Parents of Teens – Online
- 6:30 pm: Artist Talk: Pau S. Pescador
- 6:30 pm: Wellness Wednesday @ the Innovation Studio: Yoga Nidra with Reiki
- 👉 7:00 pm: MacMillan Youth Band – Open House and Information Night
- 7:00 pm: Mean Girls Ladies Night Wine Night And Movie
🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast
There’s a slight chance of snow before 8am, followed by a slight chance of rain between 8am and 10am. The sky will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, and the temperature will reach a high near 55. The southwest wind will blow at 10 to 14 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 37, as the west wind shifts to 5 to 7 mph and becomes calm after midnight. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.”
– Hal Lindsey
🌅 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.
A coalition of D.C.-area representatives is seeking more funding for infrastructure upgrades as authorities continue to monitor the effects of a massive sewage spill in the Potomac.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was among 14 members of Congress from the region who requested federal funding today (Tuesday) to rehabilitate and modernize the burst Potomac Interceptor. The delegation is also seeking additional funds for wastewater infrastructure nationwide following a recent briefing on efforts to repair the sewer line and mitigate health risks.
The House failed to approve a bill Tuesday that was crafted after last year’s tragic midair collision near Washington D.C. to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent such crashes. The collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter killed 67 people.
The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed since 2008. The bill that already passed the Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complementary ADS-B Out system that broadcasts an aircraft’s location is already required.