“Can you just disinfect everything?’ It’s the question we hear most this time of year, and the answer might surprise you.
WellNest was started by a busy Falls Church family with three kids in elementary school, so we know how quickly one sniffle turns into the whole house being sick. That’s why every WellNest visit follows the same two steps: clean first, then disinfect.
Disinfecting only works on a clean surface. Grime blocks disinfectant from reaching germs, and the product has to stay wet long enough to do its job. Our trained, background-checked, W-2 professionals take care of both steps, with extra attention on the spots your family touches most: doorknobs, light switches, faucets, counters, and remotes.
We use BotaniClean, an EPA-registered disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs. It’s in the EPA’s lowest toxicity category, so it’s gentle enough for homes with kids and pets.
You have enough on your plate this season. Let us handle the germs.
Book online today for a healthier home this cold and flu season.
Real estate for sale sign (photo illustration by ARLnow)
Surging mortgage rates are leading to a more cautious approach to real estate in Arlington, but overall, they don’t currently seem to be scaring off many prospective buyers.
Months of rising interest rates, which surpassed 7% for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages last week, have led homebuyers to tread more carefully, even as local home sales have been holding relatively steady, a cross section of real estate professionals told ARLnow.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Carl Williams, PhD, LCADC
Fairfax County opioid deaths fell 52% from the 2023 peak. Source: Fairfax County Government.
For families in Arlington and nearby Northern Virginia communities, the search for addiction treatment often begins with a practical question: What kind of help is actually appropriate?
The answer isn’t always obvious. A person may be working full time, caring for children or maintaining a household while substance use becomes increasingly difficult to control. Another person may need a more structured level of care because of medical, psychological or safety concerns.
Recent local data show progress in reducing opioid overdose deaths, but they also show why access to treatment remains important.
Northern Virginia’s Opioid Numbers Are Moving in the Right Direction. The Crisis Hasn’t Disappeared.
Arlington County recorded 29 opioid overdoses in 2025, including three fatal overdoses. That was a substantial decline from 53 total opioid overdoses and 10 fatal overdoses in 2024, according to Arlington County’s opioid incident data.
The numbers represent meaningful progress. Arlington’s Addiction Recovery Initiative, or AARI, continues to coordinate prevention, treatment access, harm reduction and overdose-response efforts across the county. Arlington also provides a substance-use resource line to help people connect with treatment, support groups and other services.
The broader Northern Virginia picture shows a similar direction. In the Fairfax Health District, there were 56 opioid overdose fatalities in 2025, down 22% from 72 in 2024 and 52% from the record high of 117 in 2023. Fairfax County reported the figures in June 2026.
Fairfax-specific figures shouldn’t be read as Arlington statistics. They do, however, provide useful regional context for families in Arlington, Falls Church and neighboring communities who may be comparing treatment options across Northern Virginia.
The Data Behind the Decline
Several factors can influence overdose trends, including wider access to naloxone, treatment services, medications for opioid use disorder, public education and changes in the illicit drug supply. Local prevention and response systems can also make it easier for people to receive help after an overdose or other substance-related crisis.
But overdose statistics capture only one part of substance use. A person doesn’t have to experience an overdose to have a substance use disorder, and someone can struggle for years without entering formal treatment.
Fairfax County’s treatment numbers illustrate the continuing need. More than 2,105 people with opioid use disorder received assessment and treatment services through the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board in fiscal year 2025.
For families trying to decide whether treatment is necessary, the question is therefore broader than whether an overdose has occurred.
Why “Functional” Addiction Is the Hardest to See
Substance use can be difficult to recognize when a person continues meeting visible responsibilities.
A professional may continue showing up for work while drinking or using drugs in private. A parent may continue managing school schedules and household responsibilities while relying increasingly on substances to cope with stress. Someone can appear successful to friends and colleagues while privately experiencing cravings, loss of control or repeated attempts to cut back.
Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Juan Gelabert (screenshot via Arlington NAACP)
Leaders in the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office continue to evaluate the impacts of body-worn cameras used by deputies in the county’s detention facility.
“We are getting feedback for the unintended consequences,” Chief Deputy Sheriff Juan Gelabert said at a Sept. 28 discussion with members of the Arlington NAACP.
Sundays@6:00pm is an Evening Worship service that provides space for reflection accompanied by beautiful sings and enchanting piano music. Immerse yourself in the experience with incense, candle lighting, and silent contemplation. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is located at 4000 Lorcom Lane. Wherever you are in your faith, wherever you are in your life, there is a place for you here. Learn more about St. Andrew’s by following its Facebook page, Instagram, and link to its website.
Sprouts at 3115 Langston Blvd (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
A new grocery store with a wide selection of organic products, bulk dry goods and oven-ready entrees has opened on Langston Blvd.
Sprouts Farmers Market hosted its grand opening earlier this month in the Lyon Village Shopping Center. Interior signage promises “organics on every aisle,” and the supermarket delivers on that.
Join Breast Cancer Collective for the 2026 Walk to Bust Cancer on Sunday, October 18, at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria. Walk alongside survivors, caregivers, friends, families, and neighbors for an uplifting community event supporting access to breast cancer screening and care across the DMV. Walk to Bust Cancer brings our community together to turn hope into action and help expand access to timely breast health care. Register to walk, gather your team, and join us at Fort Hunt Park.
Renderings of The Roasted Vine's planned cafe in Shirlington (courtesy of Mackenzie Ryan)
A new cafe with freshly roasted coffee beans, house-made syrups and coffee-infused cocktails is seeking to open within the next few months in Shirlington.
The Roasted Vine, which recently got construction permits approved at 4150 Campbell Avenue, offered the first taste of its cold brews and specialty blends at Celtic Fest earlier this month. Co-owner Mackenzie Ryan told ARLnow that initial responses were overwhelmingly positive.
Glass bottles thrown from a balcony in the Clarendon area shattered the rear windshield of a parked car with someone inside Saturday night.
Arlington County police were called to the 3100 block of 10th Street N. around 10:30 p.m. After arriving on scene, officers determined a man had thrown the bottles from high up on a residential balcony, but no one was hurt.
A four-month-old goldendoodle (via Jacob Fletcher/Unsplash)
In Arlington, goldendoodles are top dog.
That’s according to a new ranking from Rover, which found that the curly-haired mix between a poodle and a golden retriever was the most popular dog in the county.
O'Connell's Pierce Hall, left, runs for a touchdown during a Sept. 26 game (photo by Dave Facinoli)
With a strong 3-1 start, including two shutouts, the Bishop O’Connell Knights are seeing their best start in a dozen years.
The Arlington private high-school football team won its third-straight game by blanking the visiting and previously undefeated Northern Virginia Home School Centurions, 48-0, Sept. 26 in non-conference action.
Aerial view of Courthouse and the Orange Line corridor (staff photo)
New Details in Fatal I-395 Crash — Police say the unlicensed driver in the crash that killed three teens led a trooper on a roughly two-minute, five-mile pursuit in a car stolen Sept. 26. The driver and a passenger, both 16 and from Silver Spring, Md., died at hospitals, and a 17-year-old died at the scene. A 16-year-old Alexandria girl is in serious but stable condition. [ALXnow]
Federal Cuts Hit Home — In Arlington and Alexandria, 62% of respondents to a Gallup and Greater Washington Community Foundation survey said federal job cuts or furloughs negatively impacted their household — above the regional average of 55% but below D.C.’s 66%. [FFXnow]
Stumbling Stone Dedication — “Arlington Public Library… will host the Stumbling Stone dedication ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11 a.m., to honor the lives of former enslaved African Americans Bess (born ca. 1735) and Nann (born ca. 1747), at the intersection of N. Quincy Street and 10th Street North.” [Arlington County]
Decades at the DCA Help Desk — Antoinette Jeffries, 79, has volunteered at an information desk at Reagan National Airport since 1987, once fielding a marriage proposal from a Central African finance minister. “It’s just the excitement of it, and meeting new people all the time,” she said. [Washington Post]
Dad Bands Rock for AWLA — “The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) brought together more than 400 animal lovers, raising a total of $11,702 for Arlington animals in need, during the 4th Annual Reason to Rock Music Festival…” The festival, held Sept. 19 in Falls Church, was founded in 2023 by four local dad band members. [Press Release]
Diesel Costs Squeeze School Buses — “Months of changes to gas prices are causing some Northern Virginia school districts to spend thousands more on diesel fuel for buses than they had planned.” Fairfax County Public Schools, with nearly 1,600 diesel buses, is paying almost $2 more per gallon on average than last year. [WTOP]
Warner Backs Film Tax Credit — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and a bipartisan group of senators are sponsoring a bill to create a 20% federal, labor-based tax credit for U.S. film and TV productions spending at least $1 million, with bonus credits that could raise it to 30%. [Press Release]
Fall Festival Picks — “Fall is peak festival season in the DMV.” Picks include the Cox Farms Fall Festival (select dates through Nov. 8), the 50th annual Fairfax City Fall Festival (Oct. 10) and the Wharf Oktoberfest’s Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash (Oct. 3). [Axios]
When Leaves Will Peak — “Peak foliage color is expected in D.C. around Nov. 7. If you’re heading to the Shenandoah — a popular leaf peeping spot — peak is expected Nov. 2.” [Axios]
Mild Fall Predicted — “D.C.’s fall outlook favors mild weather, slightly delayed and uneven foliage, coastal storm threats, and little reason to expect an early freeze or snow.” [Capital Weather]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 81 and a light southwest wind. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Pumpkin spice season is here, but winter is closer than you think.
When winter weather arrives, some of our most vulnerable neighbors can’t clear snow from their sidewalks and driveways, limiting their ability to travel safely and access essential services.
