Author: ARLnow.com

Local Man Stops Sexual Assault — A man riding his electric unicycle home to Arlington after an early-morning viewing of the latest Spider-Man movie interrupted an apparent sexual assault at Georgetown Waterfront Park. “I heard a cry for help over and over, repeated,” he told News4. Park Police took a suspect into custody. [NBC 4]

Kayak Launch Floats Away — The $500,000 floating kayak launch at Four Mile Run Park broke from its moorings after weekend rainstorms and is now resting under the Route 1 bridge. “We will make sure it is stronger than it ever was before,” conservancy president Kurt Moser told ALXnow. [ALXnow]

Data Centers to Pay More — State regulators ordered Dominion Energy to develop a policy assigning transmission infrastructure costs directly to data centers and other large-load customers. “This order… makes sure that data centers are paying the full cost of the transmission infrastructure their developments require,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said. [Virginia Mercury, Fox 5]

Beyer on Data Center Backlash — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Arlington) said data center growth is now a top voter concern heading into the midterms. “Most things in America, you’re trying to build a new road, it takes six or eight years. Data centers are going up in a matter of months, and that’s freaking people out.” [E&E News]

Self-Driving Rules Take Shape — A state work group is weighing permitting and liability rules for self-driving vehicles ahead of a Nov. 1 report to the General Assembly. “I don’t think that we want to go down the path of allowing localities to determine where, when, or how autonomous vehicles are going to be used,” Del. David Reid (D-Loudoun) said. [Virginia Mercury]

Reentry Program Expands — “Reentry programming should not stop at the doors of our maximum-security facilities,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger said of a new Intensive Reentry Program at Red Onion State Prison, the 15th such program in Virginia and among the first in the nation at a maximum-security facility. [Press Release]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 91 and a south wind of 6–10 mph gusting as high as 18 mph. There’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Overnight lows will be around 75. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.

Ballston Office Conversion Scrapped — “Jemal Real Estate Strategies recently bought 4100 N. Fairfax Drive… Arlington officials approved an application to convert the office building into 269 residential units and ground-floor retail last fall. Jemal scrapped the approved project and instead plans to renovate the 26-year-old building to maintain it as an office.” [WBJ]

Barnes & Noble Replacing Walgreens — “Barnes & Noble will fill the retail vacancy at Pentagon City’s Westpost left by Walgreens, which shuttered in May… The store is expected to open in early 2027… This will be Barnes & Noble’s second Arlington location, joining a 14,000-square-foot outpost in Clarendon.” [WBJ]

Arlington Baseball a Century Ago — “There were several men’s baseball leagues, generally organized around Arlington neighborhoods (e.g., the Ballston Eagles, the Cherrydale Cherries)… Yes, there was a KKK team, and its nickname really was ‘the Klansmen.’ Obviously, those leagues were ‘whites only.’” [FCNP]

First Local Va. Dengue Case — Virginia health officials, working with the Fairfax and Loudoun county health departments, are investigating “a confirmed case of dengue virus infection in a resident who did not have known travel outside of Virginia… This is the first documented case of locally acquired dengue in Virginia.” [VDH]

Oppressive Humidity Arriving — “An unusually intense surge of tropical moisture… may linger for more than a week… Highs should average around 90, producing afternoon heat indexes near 100 on many days.” The city is also nearing its annual average of 40 days at or above 90. [Capital Weather]

It’s Wednesday — A Flood Watch is in effect until 11 a.m., with showers and thunderstorms likely this morning and rain heavy at times. Otherwise, expect patchy fog, mostly cloudy skies and a high near 87. The low tonight will be around 74. [NWS]

Want to keep the discussion going? Try our new community forum.

Primary Day Is Here — Polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Local Democrats will pick nominees for the 8th Congressional District and County Board, while Republicans choose a U.S. Senate challenger. Voters can cast a ballot in one party’s primary, but not both. [Arlington County]

Critical Missing Person Alert — U.S. Park Police are searching for Susannah Keefe, 52, who was last seen Sunday near the second scenic overlook off the GW Parkway in Arlington. Anyone with information is asked to call 202-610-7505. [U.S. Park Police/X]

Waterfall in Ballston Station — “Heavy rain from Sunday’s storms sent water pouring from the ceiling onto the tracks at Metro’s Ballston station in Arlington.” [WJLA/X]

Arch Would Obscure Cemetery Views — President Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle would disrupt the symbolic link between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and block sightlines from the Kennedy Gravesite and Arlington House, according to a National Park Service assessment of 37 affected historic sites. [New York Times]

National Night Out Tonight — Neighborhoods across Arlington will hold cookouts, block parties and ice cream socials tonight as part of the annual police-community event, held every year on the first Tuesday in August. Residents are encouraged to leave porch lights on and socialize outdoors with neighbors and public safety personnel. [Arlington County]

Cigar Educator Finds Her Niche — Arlington resident Mechelle Merkerson, 31, runs the education platform Cigars with “M” and says she is the first Black woman to found a company devoted to premium cigar education. “It is such a beautiful art form,” she told WTOP. [WTOP]

Aurora Highlands Power Outage — Just over 800 homes and businesses lost power yesterday afternoon in an outage centered on the Aurora Highlands neighborhood, near Crystal City. Dominion attributed it to a damaged power line and expected restoration between 5-8 p.m. [ARLnow/X]

Long Road to Safer Skies — Eighteen months after the midair collision near Reagan National killed 67 people, the FAA says its air traffic control overhaul will be finished by 2028. A retired FAA surveillance engineer told WTOP it could take closer to 10 years. [WTOP]

McLean Leads in High-End Sales — More than half of second-quarter home sales in McLean’s 22101 ZIP code — 76 of 144 — topped Bright MLS’s $1.9 million threshold for high-end homes, the most of any market in the Mid-Atlantic. The ZIP code borders North Arlington. Vienna’s 22180 placed fifth. [FFXnow]

Data Center Pause Gains Steam — State Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R) has asked Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) for an immediate statewide moratorium on new data center approvals, saying the question is now whether Virginia can accommodate the industry at all. Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas (D) said the idea deserves serious consideration. [NBC 4, WJLA]

Rain Didn’t Dent the Drought — The Potomac is running so low that regional water suppliers have begun daily drought monitoring, despite recent heavy rain. Flow at the Point of Rocks, Md., gauge hit 1,720 cubic feet per second, against a 130-year median of 2,760 for the date. [WTOP]

It’s Tuesday — Expect partly sunny skies today with a high near 86 and a northeast wind around 7 mph. Rain is unlikely during the day. Overnight, look for a low around 71 with a chance of showers after 4 a.m. [NWS]

New Legal Notice — Ten foot antenna on 30-ft pole; comments due in 10 days. [Public Notices]

New Legal Notice — Establishment seeks restaurant wine/beer/mixed-beverage on/off-premises license; objections 30 days. [Public Notices]

Want more local news from around the region? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow.

Fall at Pentagon Metro — “A busy night for @ArlingtonVaFD. Now they are handling a person who apparently fell off the platform at the Pentagon Metro Station,” Dave Statter posted early Sunday. The person was conscious and alert, and injuries were not considered serious. [Dave Statter/X]

Storms Flood I-66 Lanes — From VDOT on Sunday afternoon: “Water on EB and WB I-66 lanes near MM 74, just west of Rosslyn Tunnel, due to heavy rainstorm. Drivers should use caution and follow police direction. Choose an alternate route.” [VDOT/X]

DCA Demolition Underway — “Demolition crews have begun tearing down structures at Reagan National Airport as part of an overhaul of the airport’s bottlenecked roadways leading to its terminals.” The cleared Hill Complex site will make room for a widened road and a consolidated rental car and parking facility. [WBJ]

Flyover This Morning — From AlertDC: “The US Military will conduct an Aircraft Flyover in the NCR over the Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, August 3, 2026, at approximately 11:05AM.”

Remembering Larry Wright — “Yesterday, we honored Firefighter Larry Wright. The stories shared made it clear just how many lives he touched and the lasting impact he had on everyone who knew him. Larry, we know you’re looking down on us with that big smile.” [ACFD/X]

Robbery Suspect Nabbed at Metro — Police say a man took merchandise from a business in the 900 block of Army Navy Drive, then displayed a knife when loss prevention staff confronted him Thursday. Officers found him at the Pentagon City Metro station, where he resisted arrest. A D.C. man, 31, is charged with robbery. [ACPD]

Beyer Bill Targets Building Tariffs — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced a bill that would exempt homebuilding materials like ceramic tile, glass, particle board and cement from tariffs imposed since January 2025. A Center for American Progress report found the tariffs could raise the average cost of building a home by $17,500. [Press Release]

Gilded Statues Unveiled — “The two statues on the Arlington Memorial Bridge, Valor and Sacrifice, have now had their tarps removed,” photographer Andrew Leyden posted Friday, sharing images of the newly regilded bronze figures. [Andrew Leyden/X]

ICE Expands Airport Arrests — “Six immigration lawyers interviewed by The Washington Post said immigration officials have stepped up enforcement at the three airports that serve the D.C. region, detaining passengers as they prepare to board or step off domestic flights.” One immigrant rights group knows of about a dozen arrests at Reagan National, Dulles and BWI. [Washington Post]

Dulles Funding Questions — “Specifics remain vague on how the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) plans to fund the $22.5 billion proposed Dulles International Airport expansion plan announced July 29 at the White House.” MWAA has suggested municipal bonds and public-private partnerships. [FFXnow]

Voting Rights Restored — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has restored civil rights to 66,085 Virginians since taking office in January, her administration said Friday. Those affected “may now vote, serve on juries, run for public office and become notaries public.” [Virginia Mercury]

Parasite Sickens Hundreds — “Hundreds of people in Maryland and Virginia have gotten cyclosporiasis, the parasitic infection known for causing explosive diarrhea, health officials say.” Virginia has recorded 126 cases, 66 of them acquired domestically. The CDC has logged more than 6,700 lab-confirmed cases nationally. [NBC Washington]

New Vape Enforcement Unit — “Virginia is creating an enforcement unit to oversee the rapidly expanding market for vaping products, hemp-derived intoxicants, THC and kratom, consolidating several regulatory responsibilities within the attorney general’s office.” It grew out of the Vape Enforcement Act, sponsored by Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington). [Virginia Mercury]

Summer Power Bills Climbing — “Higher bills are primarily driven by higher usage,” Dominion Energy’s Aisha Khan said, adding that air conditioners can account for about half of a household’s electricity use. A fuel factor adjustment that took effect July 1 added about $8 a month for average residential customers. [Fox 5]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly cloudy skies today with a high near 86 and a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly from late morning into the afternoon. Southwest wind around 7 mph. Storm chances taper after midnight, with a low around 69. [NWS]

New Legal Notice — Application for on/off-premise beer, wine, mixed beverages license. [Public Notices]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.