Crews have begun work to “beautify” the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, fencing off the area through early November.
A fence recently went up around the memorial and construction crews were using blow torches today to clean the bronze, locals noted on X.
An Arlington-based FM radio station survived a hard deadline this summer and is back on the airwaves, but it has yet to become fully operational.
WERA 96.7 returned to broadcasting on July 28 after getting special temporary authority from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and has been broadcasting only music.
Crystal City Tire Thefts — Thieves stole tires and rims from six vehicles in two separate parking garages during overnight hours, police say. The thefts were reported Tuesday morning in the 1300 and 2000 blocks of S. Eads Street. The investigation is ongoing. [ACPD]
GOP Chair Slams Relief Fund — Arlington County GOP chairman Matthew Hurtt is blasting the County Board’s newly approved $50,000 fund for families of detained immigrants, calling it a “slush fund.” [Fox News]
Free Books for Arlington Kids — Nonprofit Read Early and Daily is now the local partner for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, mailing a free book each month to kids from birth to age 5. Enrollment begins in October. [WJLA]
Falls Church Festival Turns 50 — The 50th Annual Falls Church Festival returns Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on the City Hall grounds (300 Park Avenue). Admission is free, with more than 85 vendors, live music, rides, a beer garden and the Taste of Falls Church. [City of Falls Church]
New Rules at Area Schools — Phones are sidelined region-wide as the new school year brings fresh rules and security measures. Fairfax County students now tap IDs boarding buses, and Alexandria’s new elementary and middle school boundaries affect 1,400 students. [Axios]
Sotheby’s Buys TTR Brokerage — The Georgetown-based brokerage behind many of the region’s priciest home sales has been acquired by Sotheby’s International Realty, ending nearly four decades of local ownership. Terms were not disclosed, and the TTR name will be dropped. [WBJ]
Virginia Plates, Worse Drivers? — An analysis of a decade of D.C. crash data found drivers with Virginia plates are “over 20% more likely to be at fault” than those from Maryland or D.C. More than a third of them hold licenses from other states. [Washington Sun, Tara Golshan/X]
It’s Thursday — Mostly sunny today with a high near 90 and a west wind of 6–9 mph. There’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly after 2 p.m. Storms become likely overnight, with a low around 69. [NWS]
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Taxes, housing and pedestrian safety were among the issues that County Board candidates debated in their first debate of the general election season.
“We are in a fiscal challenge,” said County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti, a Democrat who is being challenged by independents Audrey Clement and David Sisson. The three took part in a candidate forum sponsored by the Arlington County Civic Federation yesterday (Tuesday).
A Northern Virginia congressional candidate who has faced strong criticism from Jewish leaders recently retweeted an antisemitic rant depicting Adolf Hitler.
Shelly Arnoldi, the Libertarian candidate in Congressional District 8, which includes Arlington, reposted a video last week that begins with Hitler shouting about “Jewish globalization” and alleges a plan to “exterminate the European race.”
Football fans in Arlington and Falls Church can find an official Penn State bar, a back room reserved for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans and a tavern that calls itself the original West Virginia bar.
With college football already underway and the NFL season kicking off tonight, more than 30 local bars and restaurants told ARLnow what they plan to have on their screens this fall.
Bus ridership on Arlington Transit (ART) was up about 1.1% in the fiscal year ending in June, despite being held back by a seven-week government shutdown.
The local bus system had a ridership total of 2,669,853 passengers for the 12 months ending June 30, according to figures from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. That’s up from the 2,640,152 riders a year before.
DHS Slams County ICE Payments — “Sanctuary politicians are taking Americans’ hard earned tax dollars to reward illegal aliens who break the law,” the federal Dept. of Homeland Security said, quote-posting ARLnow’s report on county payments of up to $2,000 to families of wage earners detained by ICE. [DHS/X]
Arch Opponents Escalate — “Veterans and Democrats are escalating efforts to prevent construction on President Donald Trump’s planned arch… arguing the project is illegal and would diminish the experience of visiting nearby Arlington National Cemetery.” Opponents say plans to build 20 hours per day could conflict with military burials. [Washington Post]
Car Windows Smashed — “During the course of the investigation, officers located four vehicles with their driver’s side windows broken. The victim vehicles vary in make and model.” The cars were on the 1100 block of S. Thomas Street and there are no suspect descriptions, police said. [ACPD]
School Bus Strikes Parked Cars — From an ACPD spokeswoman to ARLnow: “At approximately 3:37 p.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of a hit and run crash at S. Walter Reed Drive and 9th Road S. The preliminary investigation indicates an Arlington Public Schools bus struck three parked, unoccupied vehicles resulting in damage. Following the crash, the bus driver continued their route and dropped off students before subsequently returning to the scene of the crash. No injuries were reported.”
Interfaith Resource Fair Today — The county manager’s office and Department of Human Services are hosting a resource fair for faith leaders focused on social safety net services today, 9:30 a.m.-noon. It’s open to Arlington faith leaders, staff, volunteers and congregants. [Arlington County]
Notre Dame Flights From DCA — “From September through November, American and Delta will add temporary service linking Reagan National and South Bend, Indiana, home of the Fighting Irish.” American plans to sell 912 seats across 12 flights; Delta is offering 444 across six. [WBJ]
Street Sweeping Next Week — It’s street sweeping season again. Crews will sweep Clarendon, Courthouse, Lyon Village, North Rosslyn and other neighborhoods the week of Sept. 14. “Be sure to move your car to a driveway, garage or non-sweeping street on your civic association’s scheduled street sweeping day.” [Arlington County]
State Digital Chief Named — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) appointed Alexandria resident Andrea Fletcher to lead the Virginia Digital Service, a new team tasked with modernizing state systems and “preventing bad state contracts.” The governor proposed it after the state lost $52 million on a failed IT project. [Press Release]
NOTUS Becomes Washington Sun — The politics news site rebrands today and adds a $9.99-a-month paywall. Its newsroom has grown from 45 to 110 people this year, many of them former Washington Post staffers, as it expands into local news and sports. It will also publish forecasts from Capital Weather. [New York Times]
It’s Wednesday — Sunny today with a high near 89 and a south wind of 6–13 mph, gusting as high as 18 mph. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 72 and gusts up to 20 mph. [NWS]
New Legal Notice — ABC license sought for on/off-premises alcohol; objections within 30 days. [Public Notices]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
A rehabilitation project on the I-395 northbound bridge over the Potomac River has taken a key step forward.
The construction firm Skanska has been awarded a $114 million design-build contract to conduct renovations and upgrades on the bridge connecting Arlington and D.C. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, Skanska said in a press release.
Arlington-based True Ground Housing Partners says it can’t build apartments for the region’s poorest renters without a level of subsidy that doesn’t exist.
The nonprofit developer laid out the math for the Associated Press: a unit for those earning 60% of the area’s median income — nearly $70,000 a year — brings in $1,715 per month in rent. But after $1,575 in mortgage and operating expenses, only $140 is left.
The Arlington County Board has set aside $50,000 for grants to support families whose primary wage earner has been detained by immigration enforcement.
Grants distributed by Arlington Thrive will provide up to $2,000 per affected family over the coming 10 months. Funds will support basic needs such as housing, food and utilities.
The county’s Democratic leadership is advising local voters to take no chances as the Nov. 3 general election draws closer.
“I am concerned about threats to voting,” Arlington County Democratic Committee chair Paul Ruiz said at the party’s monthly meeting on Sept. 2.
