Construction equipment near the Pentagon and U.S. Air Force Memorial along S. Joyce St. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fundraiser for Fmr. Restaurant Owner — “The Kawasakis legally immigrated to the United States 35+ years ago, and it wasn’t long until they opened their own restaurant in Washington, D.C., Sushi Kappo Kawasaki… Following 9/11, drastic changes in international travel and business practices to and in Washington eventually led to the downfall and closure of their restaurant. Over time, they have been unable to financially survive.” [GoFundMe]
Stabbing Near Columbia Pike — “At approximately 7:18 a.m. on December 12, police were dispatched to the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim and female suspect, who are known to each other, had a verbal dispute inside the victim’s residence during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a kitchen tool, resulting in injury. Medics treated the victim on scene for non-life threatening injuries.” [ACPD]
ACPD’s Police Academy Grads — “The Arlington County Police Department proudly welcomes our newest officers as Session 149 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy on December 11, 2023. Family, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate their achievements and watch as the new officers took their solemn oath to serve and protect the Arlington community and safeguard the Constitutional rights of all.” [ACPD]
Home Supply Remains Tight — “Real estate experts are forecasting even tighter housing inventories in Northern Virginia in 2024, although home sales prices are not expected to rise at the same rate as they have in recent years.” [Patch]
Dental Office Opening in Williamsburg — “Today, Kalis Development Corporation’s Nicholas Kalis announced Mayer Smile Be Bright – leasing 1,781 square feet in its Williamsburg Shopping Center – will open January 2024.” [Press Release]
County Prepped for Winter Weather — “Arlington County is prepared for snow no matter what the forecast predicts. Staff from the Department of Environmental Services’ (DES) Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau have conducted driver trainings since early fall to ensure our fleet of almost 50 trucks can clear roads, allowing vehicles to travel safely and maintaining essential County operations.” [Arlington County]
It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching a high of around 45, accompanied by a gentle northwest wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. As night approaches, the sky will remain clear and the temperature will drop to a low of about 29, with a southwest wind circulating at roughly 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 44 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at around 5 mph which will eventually become light and variable. As for Thursday night, the skies will be clear with a low temperature around 29 degrees, and a west wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
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.
Washington Capitals team headquarters in Ballston on Tuesday evening (staff photo)
Rendering of aerial view of Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Rendering of concert venue at Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Rendering of outdoor plaza at Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Map of Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)
Temporary event tents set up near the Potomac Yard Metro station in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)
Rendering of potential changes to Route 1 – Option A (via National Landing BID)
Current view of Route 1 (via National Landing BID)
Ballston might remain the place where the Washington Capitals practice if everything goes to plan and the hockey team begins playing games in a newly announced sports arena in Potomac Yard.
The new arena for the Caps and Washington Wizards, as well as a concert venue, could open as soon as 2028 in the Alexandria neighborhood already seeing heavy investment, including a new Metro station and Virginia Tech’s forthcoming Innovation Campus.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Monumental Sports & Entertainment owner Ted Leonsis, the city of Alexandria and developer JBG Smith officially confirmed the murmurings of a move today (Wednesday), to which county officials and business leaders reacted with excitement.
Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey called the news an “excellent opportunity for Arlington to continue to partner with Alexandria” and, in a statement, said that “it further cements our region among the world’s most innovative and dynamic places to live, play, and do business.”
But whether the Caps continue to practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, adjoining the Ballston Quarter mall, is just one of the moving pieces with impacts on Arlington, should the project move forward.
Another concern — top-of-mind for residents around Richmond Hwy (Route 1) — is what the new facility will mean for state plans to bring the key north-south artery to grade, which was part of a suite of transportation projects promised if Amazon settled in Pentagon City.
In today’s announcement, the expansion into Alexandria did not explicitly mention relocating the Capital’s practice facility from Ballston, though it was included in a map of the planned development.
Arlington County says Monumental has indicated it intends to negotiate a renewed lease in Ballston — even with the planned arena in Potomac Yard — as it prefers to separate practice facilities and administrative offices from their arena.
A Monumental spokesperson told ARLnow where the Caps practice is one of many details that still need to be finalized, emphasizing that the Iceplex in Ballston is a state-of-the-art facility. The spokesperson said Monumental might renovate the second-floor office space to serve as the front office and athlete space after the business staff move to Potomac Yard, but it is also exploring building a new practice facility at Potomac Yard.
Tina Leone, CEO of the Ballston Business Improvement District, is optimistic the team will stick around. She spoke highly of the Capitals, who she called great supporters of Ballston for the 17 years they have practiced there.
“We can’t help but draw parallels between the evolution of Ballston, the Capitals, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment; and while there are still moving pieces, we couldn’t be happier for the Leonsis family, the Capitals organization, and the MSE team,” she told ARLnow in a statement.
“When the Capitals were looking for an urban setting with access, an amenity-rich neighborhood, and a community their players and coaches wanted to call home, they chose Ballston. Nearly two decades later, we’re proud Ballston continues to be all those things and more,” she continued. “We’ve been fortunate to have such a globally recognized, highly visible organization contribute to Ballston’s growing identity and culture.”
Monumental is similarly keeping a foot in both camps, for now, in D.C. In a letter to fans, circulating on social media, Leonsis said he hopes Capital One Arena and downtown D.C. “remain an essential part of our future.”
He said the company plans to invest in the existing arena so it can continue hosting large-scale events, from concerts to WNBA games and college sports. In the hours leading up to today’s announcement, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled legislation to support a complete, $500 million renovation of the Capital One Arena, if the NHL and NBA team stay.
While some NHL teams opt to keep games and practices under one roof, others maintain separate facilities for games and practices. Sometimes, this is out of necessity, if the location for games cannot accommodate practices. Other teams, however, view practice spaces as a way to engage the community and, with the right amenities, to help lure free agents.
The Iceplex, for instance, holds open practices that fans can watch as well as youth clinics, and it has served as a springboard for Monumental, which has also sponsored community events and invested in local organizations.
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(Updated at 4:40 p.m.) A group of about 15 protesters are waving Palestinian flags and holding signs in Rosslyn.
The late afternoon protest is taking place at the busy intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Lynn Street, in front of the Raytheon headquarters at 1100 Wilson Blvd.
A similar protest was held in the same location last month, by demonstrators who also protested in front of the Lockheed Martin building in Crystal City.
This past weekend, a larger pro-Palestinian protest was held in Pentagon City, moving from the area around the Pentagon City mall to the Boeing headquarters several blocks away.
A police dispatch suggests that the protesters in Rosslyn today might have briefly blocked the street, but otherwise traffic camera images show them standing on the sidewalk and crossing when the walk signal comes on.
As of 4:30 p.m. a sizable police presence is on scene monitoring the protest.
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