Author: ARLnow.com

Amazon HQ2 Employment Update — “Five years and a month after choosing Arlington County as the home of its second headquarters, Amazon.com Inc. has secured its place as the county’s top private employer, leapfrogging a pair of mainstays… HQ2’s headcount continues to stand at 8,000, an Amazon spokesperson said Tuesday. It has not changed since June, when the ribbon was officially cut on Metropolitan Park’s two, 22-story high-rises.” [Washington Business Journal]

Bethesda Woman Brings Gun to DCA — “Bethesda woman was prevented from bringing a loaded 9mm handgun onto her flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Christmas Eve, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The 9mm gun was loaded with six bullets when TSA officers detected the weapon among the woman’s carry-on items. The gun was the 39th that TSA officers at Reagan National Airport have detected at the airport’s checkpoints so far this year.” [Patch]

Avoid Arlington? — A viral video posted by Clarendon-based Axios earlier this month received some backlash in the comments for an attempt at humor — a takeoff of the “We’re DINKs” TikTok trend — that included the line “We’re Washingtonians, we avoid Arlington at all costs.” [Instagram]

Arena’s Expected Economic Impact — “An economic impact report released last Friday said the new Potomac Yard arena would create 30,000 jobs and more than double the economic output of previous development plans. The report came from HR&A Advisors, a consultant hired by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership.” [ALXnow]

It’s Wednesday — Expect showers and possible thunderstorms after 1pm, along with patchy fog and a high near 56. The east wind will be 7-10 mph, with a 100% chance of precipitation and new rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch. Wednesday night, showers are likely with potential thunderstorms and patchy fog before 1am. The night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 47 and an east wind at 6 mph becoming light and variable. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with new amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, though higher amounts could occur in thunderstorms. [Weather.gov]

Crash Closes George Mason — “Arlington County Fire and EMS said North George Mason Drive at North Buchanan Street was shut down in both directions after a car crashed into a utility pole. Fire officials shared photos of the aftermath on the X platform on Friday, Dec. 22. The photos showed a black car with its back end crumpled and the utility pole shooting through the trunk.” [DC News Now]

Free Arts Workshops — “The Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA) is proud to present seven free workshops for artists and arts organizations, covering topics such as gallery representation, cultural intelligence, arts marketing insights, creating content in a digital world, and more.” [Arlington County]

New Clarendon Fitness Studio — “Cut Seven, a boutique fitness studio, officially opened its flagship studio on Thursday in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington. After a series of construction delays, the 5,000-square foot space, at 3101 Wilson Blvd across from the Clarendon Metro station, is now open. The new studio has indoor and outdoor space, as well as a cold plunge, sauna and recovery area.” [Patch]

Another Eight Years for Ferguson — “He’s usually the one doing the swearing – er, we mean doing the swearing in – but on Dec. 19, it was Paul Ferguson taking the oath of office for a third eight-year term as Clerk of the Circuit Court for Arlington and Falls Church. The oath was administered during his office’s holiday party by Circuit Court Chief Judge Judith Wheat.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Tuesday — Expect rain mainly after 1pm, with cloudy skies and a high near 51, accompanied by a 6 mph east wind. Precipitation chances are at 70%, with less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tuesday night will bring more rain and a low around 48, along with a 7 mph east wind. Precipitation chances increase to 90%, with new amounts between a quarter to half an inch possible. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by wolfpackWX

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]