Outdoor Fire in Courthouse — “Traffic is closed on N Courthouse Rd from 12th Ct N to Fairfax dr… This is reportedly due to a sizable outdoor fire. ACFD on scene… A second fire along Langston Blvd at N. Adams Street was also reported. Per an ACFD spokesperson, investigators are trying to determine if the fires are related and/or intentionally set.” [Twitter]
N. Va.’s Economic Power — “Were Northern Virginia its own independent country – and let’s not give regional leaders any ideas – it would have the world’s 48th largest economy… That would rank Northern Virginia just below the Czech Republic and Finland and just above Iraq, Portugal and New Zealand.” [Gazette Leader]
New Operator for Food Hall — “The Assembly food hall in Rosslyn is being primed for a refresh. American Real Estate Partners has tapped Mothersauce Partners, the hospitality company behind The Eleanor, Thompson Italian and City-State Brewing Co., to oversee the roughly 27,000-square-foot space at Rosslyn City Center. AREP owns the building, 1700 N. Moore St., and opened the food hall in 2021. Mothersauce hopes to freshen up the design, branding and concept curation at the food hall.” [Washington Business Journal]
FCPS Keeps Kaiser — “Employees and retirees of the Arlington school system may be looking with envy at their counterparts one locality to the west. Because Fairfax County Public Schools staff and retirees get to keep their insurance provider for 2024 and beyond. Fairfax County School Board members on Dec. 14 approved a health-maintenance organization (HMO) and Medicare Advantage plan agreement with Kaiser Permanente to provide health services to about 5,550 FCPS employees and retirees and their 4,921 dependents.” [Gazette Leader]
Upcoming Holiday Closures — “Arlington County Government offices and services are operating on modified schedules for the Christmas holiday, Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, and the New Year’s Day holiday, Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Trash/Recycling/Yard Waste Curbside Routes – No collection on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. Curbside collection will shift by one day for all routes (e.g., Monday routes will be serviced on Tuesday).” [Arlington County]
Some Restaurants Open on Xmas — “Many restaurants in Arlington and the D.C. area will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but some will remain open to serve people who don’t want to fuss with a big meal, are traveling or who don’t celebrate the holiday.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Expect a gradual transition from mostly cloudy to sunny skies, with temperatures reaching a high of around 46 degrees. In the morning, the light and variable wind will shift to southeast at around 6 mph. Friday night will be partly cloudy, with lows around 33 degrees. [Weather.gov]