News

Boats burn in Columbia Island blaze

By ARLnow.com
Boats on fire at Columbia Island Marina (photo courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS)

It was a dreadful sight for boaters looking forward to a Memorial Day on the water.

Early Sunday morning, a significant blaze broke out at Columbia Island Marina, between the GW Parkway and the Pentagon, prompting a large fire department response from Arlington and D.C., including D.C. fireboats.

At least three boats and some of the marina’s dock were damaged, according to D.C. Fire and EMS. The flames could be seen from a distance.

Despite the intensity of the fire at times, fed by the boats’ fuel tanks, no injuries were reported.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Softball near Washington-Liberty High School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Memorial Day in Arlington — “President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who ‘dared all and gave all’ fighting for their country and called on Americans to ensure their ‘sacrifice was not in vain’ in Memorial Day observances at Arlington National Cemetery. Biden was joined at the traditional wreath-laying ceremony by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff.” [Associated Press]

Fmr. County Board Candidate Assaulted — “My friend Dan Alban and I are creating this fundraiser for our dear friend Adam Theo, who was assaulted the night of May 28th. Theo, as he likes to be called, tells the story: ‘This evening when walking home I passed a young guy arguing w/ (I presume) his girlfriend in Clarendon. He starts getting violent with her – pushing her around and trying to rip off her clothes. I intervened… and got the s*** beat out of me.'” [GoFundMe, Twitter, WUSA 9]

Wrong-Way Driver Hits ACPD Cruiser — “At approximately 3:50 a.m. on May 26, an officer driving in the area of Wilson Boulevard and N. Edgewood Street observed a vehicle driving the opposite direction down a one-way street. The officer activated her emergency equipment and as she attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the driver, and sole occupant, exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. The suspect vehicle continued to roll and struck the occupied cruiser head-on.” [ACPD, Twitter]

South Block Expansion Plan — “Arlington-based smoothie and juice bar chain South Block is planning a major expansion that could see its local footprint more than triple over the next few years. The company, founded in 2011 by Amir Mostafavi, has kicked off a capital raise aimed at increasing the number of stores in the D.C. area from 15 to 50… Further out, Mostafavi hopes to strike out into new markets outside Greater Washington, potentially to include Richmond.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington No. 2 in Va. for Wealth — “Arlington ranks second in Virginia in a new ‘wealth index’ compiled by SmartAsset.com. Counties across the nation were ranked based on per-capita income, investment income and property value. The highest scoring community (San Mateo County, Calif.) had its result set at 100, with all other communities ranking below it. With an overall wealth index of 64.86, Arlington ranked below the city of Falls Church (72.89) among Virginia locales.” [Gazette Leader]

New Commander at Fort Myer — “Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall welcomed the new joint base commander, Col. Tasha N. Lowery, and bade farewell to Col. David D. Bowling, during a change of command ceremony May 25 at Conmy Hall. Welcome to JBM-HH, Col. Lowery!” [Twitter]

New Arlington Monopoly Game — “Arlingtonopoly, a one-of-a-kind Arlington-themed board game produced by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, will hit store shelves later this year… The game is expected to go on sale in fall 2023 and will cost $40.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Local Student in Nat’l Spelling Bee — “Ruby Kadera is one of 231 competitors in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week! Opening ceremony tonight. Spelling begins tomorrow.” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — Cloudy in the morning, then turning sunny, with a high near 76. Northeast wind around 10 mph. At night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 55. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. [Weather.gov]

Sponsored

Biz Talk: DC Startup & Tech Week turns 10 and celebrates in Arlington at Amazon HQ2

By Business Investment Group

 

This article is sponsored by the Arlington Economic Development Business Investment Group.

This month, DC Startup & Tech Week (DCSTW) marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of entrepreneurship, collaboration and innovation across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia tech ecosystem. The annual event, running Oct. 20–24, 2025, will once again unite thousands of founders, investors and innovators for a week of sessions, workshops and networking opportunities.

This milestone year carries special significance for Arlington. On Thursday, Oct. 23, for the second time, DCSTW will host a full day of programming in Arlington. This year will take place at Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington’s National Landing — a symbolic nod to the region’s rise as a global innovation hub.

The day is sponsored by Arlington Economic Development (AED), which worked with DCSTW to bring programming to Arlington. The partnership underscores Arlington’s growing role as a magnet for startups, investors and enterprises driving the future of technology, defense and artificial intelligence.

“Celebrating our 10th anniversary at Amazon HQ2 in Arlington is a defining moment that showcases the DMV’s transformation into a thriving epicenter of innovation globally — and this is only the beginning,” said Rachel Koretsky, co-founder and co-chair of DCSTW. “By bringing together the brightest entrepreneurs, boldest investors, and most passionate builders from across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, we’re proving that when our region unites, we don’t just compete with other ecosystems — we redefine what’s possible.”

Thursday at Amazon HQ2: Panels that Define the DMV Advantage

Thursday’s sessions at HQ2 will spotlight why the DMV has become one of the nation’s most dynamic places to build and scale a company.

At 10:10 a.m., the first panel, held on the Merlin Large Main Stage, will explore why founders are choosing to build and grow in the DMV region. Moderated by Matt Gittleman of VC in DC, the discussion will feature Gerald Kierce of Trustible, Ivan Jackson of WriteHuman.ai, and Haley Bryant of Hustle Fund. Together, they’ll examine what sets the region apart for startups — from its deep talent pool and access to federal partners to a growing network of investors and accelerators.

At 1:45 p.m., don’t miss “The $100B Defense Tech Opportunity: Why AI & Autonomous Startups Are Winning in the DMV.” Moderated by AWS Defense, the discussion will feature Blake Souter of AeroVironment, Christian Seifert of Forterra and Dr. Jenny McArdle of Helsing, among others. The session will examine how the DMV’s defense and intelligence ecosystem is fueling breakthroughs in AI, autonomy and dual-use technologies.

Arlington’s Moment

For Arlington, hosting DCSTW’s 10th anniversary reflects its growing influence in the region’s innovation economy. We hope you’ll join us as Arlington takes center stage during D.C.’s biggest week for entrepreneurs.

Tickets for DC Startup & Tech Week are available at dcstw.com. Attendees can receive 20% off with the promo code AED20OFF.

Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for May 26, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 8149 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — May 26, 2023.

  1. UPDATED: Man with rifle stolen from police car arrested at Pentagon City mall
  2. Police: Man with guns arrested after trying to evade fare at Metro station
  3. Morning Notes

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Arlington ranks as 10th priciest rental market in U.S. (8033 views)
  2. Demolition comes for the Americana Hotel in Crystal City (6609 views)
  3. NEW: Driver charged with DUI manslaughter after woman struck and killed (6329 views)
  4. ACPD: Twenty-five vehicles damaged during recent theft sprees (5944 views)
  5. Redevelopment plans for Columbia Pike strip mall stall after grocery tenant pulls out (5601 views)
  6. Police: Armed, drunk men arrested in Clarendon and Ballston over weekend (4562 views)
  7. Goodwill and AHC propose new affordable housing, new store and child care (4321 views)
  8. Arlington resident to compete on Jeopardy! this week (4298 views)
  9. UPDATED: Man with rifle stolen from police car arrested at Pentagon City mall (4385 views)
  10. Rolling Thunder will rumble back into Arlington this weekend (3611 views)
  11. Arlington man arrested after attacking employees at hospital (3062 views)
  12. Joe’s had its place, but A Modo Mio is the way forward (2781 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. At night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”
– Helen Keller

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

Around Town

Photos: Memorial Day weekend in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
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It’s Memorial Day weekend in Arlington.

The flags are in at Arlington National Cemetery, ‘Rolling to Remember’ participants are rolling up to local hotels, and the 35% of locals who say they’re traveling for the weekend have been keeping National Airport busy.

ARLnow staff photographer Jay Westcott has been out and about over the past day or so, documenting some of the scenes around the county. Providing an assist is Army photographer Elizabeth Fraser, whose photos of the “Flags In” event were published online by Arlington National Cemetery.

This was the 75th annual Flags In at the cemetery. More, below, from the U.S. Dept. of Defense.

An honored tradition.

Soldiers assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” and other service members placed American flags at headstones at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., in advance of Memorial Day.

This was the 75th anniversary of “Flags In,” during which service members adorn gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery to honor the nation’s fallen heroes.

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