Adoptable dogs from the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation will be there, dressed in their Halloween best. Pups will be able to eat “doggy dishes,” such as chicken strips and sweet potato bites. Plus, 20% of proceeds from those dishes go straight to the rescue foundation.
Starting tomorrow, Thursday, the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington will host a Howl-ween event at Metropolitan Park in Pentagon City from 4:40-6:30 p.m., complete with art-making and a dog costume contest.
On Friday, Fire Works Pizza in Courthouse is throwing a “Halloween Yappy Hour” from 4-7 p.m., where the best dog costume will snag its owner a $100 gift card.
Over at the Gateway Park interim dog park, Rosslyn Business Improvement District and the Rosslyn Dog Owners Group are also hosting a Halloween event for dog owners from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Expect pet vendors, raffles, and a beer and wine bar.
Wrapping up the weekend, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue is holding “Doggie Trick-or-Treating” at Dogma Bakery in Shirlington Village from 2-4 p.m. For a $20 registration fee, you’ll get a treat bag, a Halloween toy from BarkBox, and a shot at the costume contest.
Wilson Blvd in Ballston, as seen from the pedestrian bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Shirlington Development Proposal — “The longtime owner of a Shirlington apartment building is looking to expand with new infill development on the property. Arlington real estate firm Snell Properties filed a conceptual site plan application Oct. 23 with Arlington’s planning department to develop a midrise multifamily building and stacked townhouses at the Shirlington House apartments.” [Washington Business Journal]
Arson Investigation in Glencarlyn — “The Arlington County Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating a possible Arson that occurred on 10/21/23 between the hours of 2am – 3:30am in the 5900 block of 3rd St S. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. R. Murphy at 703-203-7289.” [Twitter]
More State Education Funding — “County School Board members on Oct. 26 are being asked to update the school system’s budget to account for just under $4.8 million in additional state funding. That is Arlington’s share of the statewide total that was approved during a special session of the General Assembly.” [Gazette Leader]
Arlington Lauded for Energy Savings — “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized Arlington for achieving (and exceeding) its energy savings goal in the Better Buildings Challenge. The Challenge aims to cut energy use across participants’ facilities by 20% as part of the DOE Better Buildings Initiative.” [Arlington County]
Library Book Sale Approaching — “The Friends of Arlington Public Library is making preparations for its fall book sale at Arlington Central Library, where thousands of books, games and puzzles will be for sale. The book sale will take place Friday, Oct. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 29 in the parking garage at the Central Library at 1015 N. Quincy Street.” [Patch]
YHS Field Hockey Wins Tourney — “In addition to winning a third straight Liberty District girls field hockey tournament title, the Yorktown Patriots’ dominance over those high-school opponents during the three-year run is impressive. Top-seed Yorktown (15-1) won the 2023 tourney crown with a 2-0 record, including a 1-0 home victory over the No. 2 seed Langley Saxons in the Oct. 20 championship game.” [Gazette Leader]
Breaking Baby News — From ARLnow Assistant Managing Editor Jo DeVoe: “Our family is growing! James does not understand what’s going on, yet, but he has until late this March to figure it out.” [Twitter]
It’s Wednesday — Mostly sunny with temperatures reaching a high of around 74 degrees. A south wind of 6 to 9 mph can be expected. Tonight, the sky will become partly cloudy and temperatures will drop to a low of around 51. [Weather.gov]
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
Arlington County police are investigating shots fired in the Green Valley neighborhood.
The gunfire rang out around 10 p.m. Friday night near The Shelton apartment complex. No injuries were reported but a bullet damaged a window in a nearby residential building.
SHOTS FIRED, 2025-10100198, 3200 block of 24th Street S. At approximately 10:01 p.m. on October 10, police were dispatched to the report of possible shots heard in the area. During the course of the investigation, officers recovered evidence confirming shots had been fired in the area and property damage to the window of a residential building was located. No injuries were reported. There are no suspect(s) descriptions. The investigation is ongoing.
The same block was the scene of a shooting in November 2024. The teen victim of that shooting survived his serious injuries.
Expect mostly sunny skies with a high around 74 degrees and a south wind between 6 to 9 mph today. Tonight, the weather will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dipping to a low of around 51 degrees and a south wind around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
How about a splash of art this Memorial Day Weekend? After a dip in the pool or between barbecues, dive into the magical world of “The Sleeping Beauty” as BalletNova performs this classic ballet on May 28 and May 29 at Kenmore Theatre.
Dr. Mandy Cohen stopped in Arlington on Tuesday as part of a nationwide tour aimed at boosting vaccinations for Covid and other illnesses, including the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), while reminding healthcare workers why it is crucial to urge patients to get their vaccinations.
“We know that folks are tired of all things Covid and vaccines and the whole thing,” she told a room full of nurses and staff Tuesday. “So, you need to bring the extra energy this season to make sure that folks know how important it is to still get vaccines, to still get protected. We don’t want fatigue to be the reason that folks aren’t protected.”
The visit also coincided with a clinic vaccination event in which 75 of the clinic’s more than 1,300 patients — all of whom are uninsured — rolled up their sleeves for Covid, RSV and flu shots.
Many live in the 22204 zip code, which is where the clinic is located and which has “one of the largest populations of uninsured people in the county,” Arlington Free Clinic Director of Clinical Services Surekha Cohen told ARLnow.
During her remarks, the CDC director cautioned that the effectiveness of previous vaccines can wane as the virus evolves, though nearly 97% of the U.S. population currently has some level of immunity to Covid — either from past infections or vaccinations.
“I think everyone is wishing Covid would be gone but it is still here with us. Unfortunately, the virus has changed and your protection from past vaccines has decreased over time. So, it’s really important to get your updated Covid vaccine and your flu shot,” Dr. Mandy Cohen told ARLnow.
As of Tuesday, about 30% of Arlington’s resident population is up to date on its Covid vaccinations, according to the Virginia Dept. of Health (VDH).
Cohen says the U.S. is already starting to see a steady uptick in both cases and deaths.
“We went through a summer wave where we had 30,000 to 40,000 people in the hospital per week in the United States,” she said, adding that Virginia saw 295 Covid-related deaths in just the last three months.
Arlington experienced a brief spike in Covid cases last month, but the numbers have started to trend down from the summer high, per VDH data. As of today, the state health department is reporting a seven-day average of a little more than seven daily cases in the county.
This past week there were 71 Covid-related hospital admissions across Arlington, according to CDC data.
Covid cases in Arlington over the past three months, as of Oct. 24, 2023 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)
Although the numbers have dipped, Cohen noted the use of at-home rapid tests may mask Virginia’s actual number of cases.
That is because Covid cases are not being reported to health departments as consistently as earlier in the pandemic, in part due to the availability of at-home tests.
She argued it is essential for older adults and children to stay on their guard in case Covid and other types of respiratory diseases, including RSV, start to surge again this winter.
“There were a lot of babies who were in the hospital last year with RSV, so we definitely want to protect our babies with the tools that we have,” Cohen told the room full of Arlington Free Clinic staff.
“But it starts with you all protecting yourselves right and your families,” she continued. “So, make sure that you’re getting vaccinated so you can be your your best and healthiest selves as you work hard for the community.”
Encore Stage & Studio is celebrating the magic of “Theatre by Kids, for Kids” with a benefit on Thursday, May 26 at 8:30 a.m. at the Washington Golf and Country Club (3017 N. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA 22207). Community members are invited to learn about Encore’s array of award-winning theatre arts education programs, including productions, classes, and outreach to underserved children.
“We are delighted to host the breakfast in person again and to share the impact of our programs,” says Executive Director Sara Duke. Encore will honor Susan A. Keady with the Celeste Groves Award. For over thirty years, Susan has served children and families with her inspired artistic direction and dedication to Encore’s mission. Erin Driscoll will perform in Keady’s honor. There is no cost to attend the breakfast. Attendees are asked to make meaningful donations in support of Encore’s programs. RSVP at www.encorestage.org
