Protest in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house in Arlington (staff photo)
Protest in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house in Arlington (staff photo)
Protest in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house in Arlington (staff photo)
Protest in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house in Arlington (staff photo)
Protest in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house in Arlington (staff photo)
Protest in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house in Arlington (staff photo)
A loud, sizable pro-Palestinian protest has taken up residence outside of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house.
Protesters are lining Chain Bridge Road in Arlington, near the McLean border, in front of the house. They’re holding signs with messages like “Full Ceasefire in Gaza Now” and chanting slogans, including calling Blinken a “war criminal.” They’ve also erected several tents.
This protest started last night, after at least two other short-lived protests in front of the house in recent weeks. Police from Arlington and Fairfax County responded to assist the Diplomatic Security Service with security and roadway safety.
As of midday Saturday, a number of Arlington police cruisers and Arlington County vehicles were on scene, along with two electronic signboards, advising drivers to slow down and stay alert.
Storms bring heavy rain, wind and flooding at night (file photo)
It’s going to be a soggy Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The National Weather Service just issued a Flood Watch for Arlington and other parts of the D.C. area. It will go into effect at 1 a.m.
Forecasters say heavy rain overnight, combined with upstream snow melt, may cause localized flooding.
From NWS:
…A band of moderate to locally heavy rain will accompany a potent frontal system. This pushes across the affected area during the middle of this evening into Sunday morning…
…FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM EST SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING…
* WHAT…Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
* WHERE…Portions of DC, including the following , District of Columbia, Maryland, including the following areas, Anne Arundel, Central and Southeast Howard, Central and Southeast Montgomery, Northwest Howard, Northwest Montgomery, Prince Georges and Southern Baltimore, and northern Virginia, including the following areas, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria, Eastern Loudoun, Fairfax and Western Loudoun.
* WHEN…From 1 AM EST Sunday through Sunday morning.
* IMPACTS…Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– The combination of moderate to locally heavy rainfall coupled with increased upstream snow melt into the area watersheds. 6-hour rain totals could easily reach 1 inch in many spots. Expected storm totals range from 1.50 to 2.00 inches, particularly closer to I-95.
A Flood Watch has been issued for a large portion of our region along and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Nelson Co up to southern Baltimore Co. This Flood Watch is in effect for late this evening into Sun morning. Total amounts will range from 1.50-2.00". #MDwx#VAwx#DCwxpic.twitter.com/QLn1f0NiRR
Rain is expected mostly after 5pm alongside increasing clouds and a high temperature near 56 degrees, with a northwest wind of 5 to 8 mph and a 30% chance of precipitation. On Saturday night, rain will be more prevalent after 8pm, with a low temperature around 44 degrees, and an east wind of 5 to 10 mph. There is a 100% chance of precipitation and new rainfall amounts may range between half to three quarters of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” – Lewis Carroll
🌅 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. 👋
Arlington Independent Media in Clarendon (file photo)
Arlington’s local radio station has been playing the same music on repeat since December.
The continuous lo-fi beats, noted by listeners more than a month ago, are a result of aging equipment and financing delays complicating Arlington Independent Media‘s move into a new office building that is home to a transmitter critical to AIM’s operations.
The nonprofit community media outlet — which has TV and radio programming and offers media training courses — is mid-way through its move from its Clarendon outpost at the corner of N. Danville Street and Wilson Blvd, behind the Beyond Hello dispensary, to a new location at 2300 Clarendon Blvd.
Staff packed up and stored all AIM’s non-technical equipment in its new Green Valley outpost while its TV and radio broadcasting equipment sits in the lobby, awaiting contractors who can rewire it in 2300 Clarendon Blvd, a new space dubbed AIM Live!
It is a point of consternation for Alvin Jones, the station manager for the community media outlet’s radio station, WERA 96.7 FM.
“It’s been frustrating,” he told ARLnow. “I don’t get to hear, when I’m in my car, the great programming 50 producers are putting out.”
Former radio show producer Bennett Kobb says he has noticed the same music playing since Dec. 1, 2023. The beats are intended as a backup when interruptions arise, whether that is due to a power outage, a delayed DJ or problems with a station computer, he said.
“It is not permitted to broadcast ‘dead air’ for any significant length of time, that is, a radio signal with no content and no station identification,” he said. “Many radio stations have such arrangements in place… But this was never intended to go on for weeks as it has.”
As of Jan. 12, he had not heard of any communications to the public explaining what was going on. AIM did ultimately provide an update that listeners should expect the radio to go silent on Jan. 20, followed by TV on Jan. 24, as a result of the move. The post noted listeners “will continue to hear music through our transmitter on WERA 96.7 FM.”
The reason for the prolonged continuous loop is because the equipment that relayed microwave signals from AIM’s Clarendon location to the transmitter at 2300 Clarendon Blvd went down, says Jones. AIM will not need this equipment once it is set up in the same building as the transmitter. Jones likened fixing it before the move to upgrading the tires on a car just before trading it in for a new vehicle.
AIM originally had until Dec. 31, 2023, to move out but now predicts that full move-out will happen next week. The delays come down to finances, according to Jones and AIM CEO Whytni Kernodle.
They say they are waiting for Arlington County to approve the rest of a funding request from November for Public, Educational and Government (PEG) funds — subscription revenue that the county receives from franchise agreements with Comcast and Verizon.
These funds only cover capital expenses, which include hiring contractors to take down and rewire equipment.
