Eads Street Burglary Arrest — A man was arrested after allegedly assaulting people in a residential building lobby in the 1900 block of S. Eads Street early Wednesday, then forcing his way into a neighboring building and assaulting a victim again, police said. He faces burglary, assault and battery and destruction of property charges. [ACPD]
Courthouse Robbery Reported — A man was robbed in the 2100 block of Clarendon Blvd early Tuesday. Police say a suspect approached, struck the victim and stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing. Officers canvassed the area without success and the investigation is ongoing. [ACPD]
Spy Case Guilty Plea — A former Defense Intelligence Agency cybersecurity specialist who monitored insider threats pleaded guilty Wednesday to an Espionage Act charge, admitting he tried to trade classified records for citizenship in a friendly foreign country. Nathan Laatsch was arrested last year after an FBI sting in an Arlington park. [ALXnow, Washington Post]
Lottery Impostor Scam Warning — The Virginia Lottery says people have been offered money in exchange for personal information by someone claiming a connection to the agency. It says it never pays for personal data or asks for photos, driver’s licenses or banking details, and is working with law enforcement. [Press Release]
Renters Warned of ICE Activity — Housing Alexandria told residents of an Arlandria property to stay inside and not open building doors to strangers after ICE activity in the area. ICE said it arrested 1,328 people across Virginia and Maryland this month, including at least four in Alexandria. [ALXnow]
Hispanic Enrollment Slips — Fewer Hispanic students are enrolling in Virginia and Maryland public schools amid stepped-up immigration enforcement. Maryland Department of Education data shows statewide Hispanic K-12 enrollment down 0.6% after four years of post-pandemic growth, with Montgomery County down more than 3%, or over 1,800 students, compared to 2021. [Fox 5]
Governor Rips ICE Tactics — Spanberger criticized federal immigration enforcement after a two-week operation that DHS said netted more than 1,300 arrests in Virginia and Maryland, roughly 400 of them people with a criminal conviction or charge. She said agents’ “actions are sowing fear and degrading a lot of trust.” [WUSA 9]
Governor Vows Change After Escape — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has promised changes after a man committed to a Fairfax County mental health facility — found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2019 killing — used a weekend pass to board a one-way flight to Tajikistan from Dulles in July. [Fox 5]
Two-Way Express Lanes Eyed — VDOT is studying whether to run the I-95 express lanes in both directions at all times, instead of the current inbound-morning, outbound-afternoon setup, and to extend them south past Fredericksburg. Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay (D) has long called the one-way design a problem. [NBC 4]
VRE Weighs Event Trains — VRE is weighing more weekend service for festivals and sporting events after running Sunday trains for the Freedom 250 IndyCar race in D.C., which drew more than 550 riders. CEO Katie Choe said the agency is in talks with Amtrak and CSX about trains for events like next year’s NFL draft. [WBJ]
Bring Your Own Power — PJM, the regional grid operator serving Virginia, has asked federal regulators to require new data centers and other large customers to supply their own power to the grid. Those that don’t would be first in line to move onto backup generators or cut usage when the grid is strained. [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Friday — Patchy fog and a slight chance of showers before 8 a.m., then partly sunny with a high near 88 and a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Northwest winds will be light, at 1–5 mph. Expect mostly cloudy skies overnight with a low around 70. [NWS]
New Legal Notice — Certificate request for passenger/NEMT transport; protests due Sept. 15. [Public Notices]
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