Clement Qualifies for Ballot — Independent Audrey Clement has qualified to be on the Nov. 3 Arlington County Board ballot, election officials confirmed to ARLnow. Clement has been running for local office as a protest candidate since 2011, typically for County Board but on two occasions for School Board. Last November, she finished second in the five-candidate County Board race, receiving 15% of the vote to 65% for Democrat Takis Karantonis. —Scott McCaffrey
Nvidia Backs Clarendon Startup — Arlington software startup ORAN Development Co. (2300 Clarendon Blvd) has raised $45 million in a round led by Nvidia and Booz Allen Hamilton’s venture arm to develop software that turns cell towers into mini data centers. AT&T, Nokia and Cisco also invested. [WBJ]
AeroVironment Buys ESAero — Arlington-based defense tech company AeroVironment has acquired California-based Empirical Systems Aerospace for approximately $200 million, its second major deal following the $4.1 billion purchase of BlueHalo in 2025. [Potomac Tech Wire]
Caffè Nero’s Compass Makeover — Caffè Nero, the European coffee chain that won Compass Coffee’s assets at auction for $4.76 million, is taking a slow approach to rebranding the local shops. The company plans to close the Rosslyn location (1201 Wilson Blvd) briefly next week to repair plumbing damage from before the sale. [WBJ]
Vision Zero’s Cautionary Snail — Arlington County is offering free Vision Zero lawn signs featuring a “Cautionary Snail” mascot to remind drivers to slow down. Supplies are limited. [Arlington County]
Pentagon City Skating Ends — “Time to garage the zamboni and put the ice skates away for the winter. Spring is here!” [CartChaos22202/X]
Restaurant Burglary Arrest — An Arlington man, 27, has been charged with burglarizing Pupatella Pizza in Merrifield’s Mosaic District last August and Churasuko in Tysons in March, stealing alcohol and cash, according to FCPD. [FFXnow]
Peak Bloom Declared — “PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! It’s official! The cherry blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle.” [National Mall NPS/X]
Warner: Moratorium ‘Idiocy’ — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) called a proposed national moratorium on AI data center construction “idiocy,” saying it would give China an edge in the AI race. The moratorium was proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). [Axios]
D.C. Federal Task Force Extended — The House voted 218-206 to extend Trump’s D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force through 2029. The bill, sponsored by Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.), seeks to codify the executive order that ramped up federal law enforcement and immigration arrests in D.C. [Washington Post]
Helicopter Flight Stats — Military, air medical and law enforcement helicopters average about 91 flights per day in the D.C. area, according to a new GAO report that recommends military operators improve community outreach about noise impacts. [PoPville, Martin Austermuhle/X]
It’s Friday — Expect rain throughout the day with a high near 64 degrees, though temperatures will fall to around 50 by the afternoon. Winds out of the north at 9–13 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. A dramatic cooldown follows overnight, with a low around 33 and rain likely before 2 a.m. [NWS]
