Author: ARLnow.com

Dems Eye Court Overhaul — Virginia Democrats are exploring an “audacious and possibly far-fetched” proposal to replace the entire state Supreme Court by lowering judges’ mandatory retirement age, the New York Times reported, in response to Friday’s ruling that struck down their redistricting map. Former Rep. Jim Moran, who represented Arlington for 24 years, called the idea “just a bridge too far.” [NYT]

Pentagon City 5K Closures — Sections of S. Joyce Street and Army Navy Drive in Pentagon City will be closed from 8–10:30 a.m. this Sunday (May 17) for the Girls on the Run 5K. The race starts at 8:30 a.m. [Arlington County]

D.C. Golf Course Deal — D.C.’s three public golf courses will remain open after the Interior Department and the National Links Trust reached an agreement Friday night. The deal gives the nonprofit a new long-term lease, with the federal government overseeing renovations — though key details about the proposed East Potomac overhaul remain unresolved. [NBC 4, Washington Post, WJLA]

Health Officials on Alert — Virginia has reported 20 measles cases so far this year, with public health officials warning of an expected uptick as summer travel season begins. Separately, a Virginia traveler who was aboard a cruise ship with a deadly hantavirus outbreak has returned home and is being monitored by state health officials. [Virginia Mercury]

Push for Braille Ballots — Tate Jordan, a legally blind Prince William County voter, is pushing for Braille ballots in Virginia after struggling to cast a provisional ballot in last month’s special election. “Every person has a right to vote, and it was a loss of my independence as a person,” he told NBC Washington. He’s working with state Sen. Danica Roem (D) on the change. [NBC 4]

It’s Monday — Expect a 30% chance of rain through the early afternoon, otherwise mostly cloudy skies with a high near 67 and a north wind around 10 mph. Skies clear overnight, with a low around 45. [NWS]

New Legal Notice — Applicant seeks wine/beer on/off-premises, mixed-beverage license; 30-day objections. [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.

College Degrees Galore — A viral social post ranked U.S. counties by share of white adults age 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, putting Arlington (88%), Falls Church (86%) and Alexandria (83%) in the top five nationally, behind only Washington, D.C. (93%) and New York (86%). [Siddharth Khurana/X]

Police Memorial Today — The Arlington County Police Department and Sheriff’s Office will hold a ceremony this morning at 8 a.m. honoring the seven Arlington law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. The event will take place at the Justice Center Plaza (1425 N. Courthouse Road), with a road closure on N. Courthouse Road between 14th Street N. and 15th Street N. from 7–9 a.m. [Arlington County]

New 7th District Contender — Adam Dunigan, a former Marine and CIA case officer, has submitted more than 1,400 petition signatures to compete in the primary for Virginia’s newly redrawn 7th Congressional District. Dunigan’s campaign says it has raised $144,676 from individual donors without accepting money from corporate PACs, special interests or party committees. [Press Release]

Highway Shopping Cart — “Quite the scene on I-395N around 3:00 this morning. A woman pushed a shopping cart right in the middle of the highway from Route 1 up to Boundary Channel. Others driving by tried to intervene until @VSPPIO arrived. A trooper quickly disrupted her journey.” [Dave Statter/X]

Good Company Wins SBA Award — The U.S. Small Business Administration will recognize Ballston-based Good Company Doughnuts & Café as the 2026 Small Business Person of the Year for N. Va. during a ceremony today. The award recognizes co-founders Charles Kachadoorian and Kate Murphy, whose company has expanded from a single Arlington café in 2019 to multiple locations across D.C. and N. Va. [Press Release]

Arlington Foster Parents Honored — Arlington’s Sara Kirwin and Joseph Calizo were named among the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ 2026 Foster Parents of the Year. The couple has fostered 15 children in 10 years and currently cares for two teens. [MWCOG]

Falls Church Tax Cut Likely — The Falls Church City Council reached a consensus at Monday’s work session to drop the real estate tax rate by a half-penny, slightly below the recommendation of City Manager Wyatt Shields, who advocated for no change. The largely symbolic reduction will save taxpayers just over $50 on average. The Council is expected to formally adopt the budget Monday night. [Falls Church News-Press]

Spanberger Open to Service Taxes — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said she’ll consider taxing everyday services in the state, including gym memberships, dog walking and streaming services, to raise “revenue that’s necessary.” Proposals to tax such services failed to pass the General Assembly this year, but Spanberger told Richmond’s ABC News affiliate she might sign similar measures in the future. [Washington Times]

Va. Resident on Virus Ship — “The Virginia Department of Health says one Virginia traveler who was aboard a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has returned home and is under public health monitoring… The traveler “is currently in good health, not showing any signs of infection,” the department said.” [Fox 5]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 71 and west winds of 2–10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Overnight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 54. [NWS]

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