Author: ARLnow.com

Ranked-Choice Set for County Board Race — County Board members on Saturday voted 4-0 to use ranked-choice voting as the method of selecting a Board member in the November general election. Board member JD Spain, Sr., abstained after colleagues rebuffed his proposal to wait a month in order to put together a more comprehensive community-outreach plan. —Scott McCaffrey

Brandishing Incident in Arlington Mill — “The female victim was inside her vehicle parked in front of a residential building when the male suspect allegedly approached and engaged in a dispute over parking. The suspect then struck the vehicle’s windshield, causing property damage, and briefly walked away. The male victim then exited the residential building and confronted the suspect who subsequently made threatening statements and brandished a firearm.” [ACPD]

Crowded Trains and Busier Offices — “With employer mandates across the country taking effect, the number of people coming into an office is at its highest point since the pandemic, according to data released from property management company Kastle Systems…. At 51.5 percent [office] occupancy, D.C. had its highest week since March 2020.” [Washington Post]

Black History Month Ceremony — “Arlington County celebrated Black History Month with singing, guest speakers, and an official County Board proclamation. The event, hosted by the Black Employee Council, is the latest example of Arlington striving to be diverse and inclusive world-class community.” [YouTube]

Congressional Delegation Slams NPS Cuts — “Today, [U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. [Rep. Don Beyer, among others] pushed the Trump administration to reverse staffing cuts at the National Park Service (NPS), outlining the effect directives to eliminate employees and rescind and delay job offers will have on safety at Virginia’s 22 national park units.” [Press Release]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 54 degrees with calm winds transitioning to a southerly 6 to 11 mph breeze during the morning. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with lows around 39 degrees. [NWS]

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.

Big Cuts Coming to Pentagon — “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior leaders at the Pentagon and throughout the U.S. military to develop plans for cutting 8 percent from the defense budget in each of the next five years.” [Washington Post]

Top Brass May Be Fired — “Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could soon move to fire more than half a dozen generals and flag officers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, part of an effort to purge the department of senior leaders perceived as either too political or too close to former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.” [CNN]

Wrong-Way Crash in Rosslyn — “Wrong way driver causes 4 car crash: A driver coming off of I-66W in Rosslyn went the wrong way on N. Lynn Street. They hit a curb, sideswiped one car, hit a second car head-on, and that car was pushed into a third vehicle. It happened around 6:45 p.m.” [Dave Statter/X]

Street Racing Legislation — “Reckless drivers tearing up Virginia’s highways and public spaces may soon face tougher penalties, as legislation targeting exhibition driving heads to the governor’s desk. Lawmakers moved swiftly this week, approving legislation that aims to curb street racing, burnouts, and illegal road takeovers — dangerous stunts that have turned deadly in recent years.” [Virginia Mercury]

FCPD Video of Sex Offender — “Police body camera video first obtained by 7News, shows 58-year-old Richard Cox, who identifies as transgender, telling Fairfax County police that he should be allowed to use a women’s locker room in Oakton despite being a registered sex offender. Cox is facing more than 20 charges in Arlington, Va. after allegedly exposing himself in women’s locker rooms.” [WJLA]

Trump Floats D.C. Takeover — “President Donald Trump said Wednesday night that the federal government ‘should take over the governance of D.C.,’ claiming that leaders of the nation’s capital are not doing enough to reduce crime, clean up graffiti and remove homeless encampments.” [Washington Post, Axios]

Beyer Blasts IRS Cuts — From Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.): “Purging thousands of IRS workers in the middle of tax filing season is another act of plain corruption designed to benefit Musk, Trump, and their wealthy friends. These firings appear to particularly target tax enforcement on the wealthy, which will make it easier for tax cheats to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.” [Press Release]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny and breezy conditions with a high around 37 degrees and northwest winds at 17 to 20 mph, gusting up to 32 mph. Friday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 22 degrees. Winds will decrease to 5 to 10 mph, still gusting up to 18 mph from the northwest. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Deckerme

First DCA Crash Legal Claim — “The family of one of the 67 people killed in the deadly collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport late last month has taken steps to sue both the federal government and the private airline.” [Washington Post]

Pentagon Firings Imminent — “The Trump administration has directed defense agencies to turn over a list of their probationary employees by the end of Tuesday, with the expectation that many could be fired as soon as this week, according to five people familiar with the matter. The directive coincides with the arrival at the Pentagon of personnel from billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service.” [Washington Post]

Another Local Musk Protest — “On a cold Tuesday afternoon, protesters bundled up and held up signs during a demonstration outside a Tesla dealership in Arlington, Virginia. The anti-Elon Musk protest is one of hundreds happening across the nation targeting the Musk-owned car company locations.” [WTOP]

Store Robbed By Six Men — “200 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 9:02 p.m. on February 17, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the six male suspects entered the business, collected merchandise and exited the store without payment. As the suspects left the business, one struck an employee before fleeing the scene on foot.” [ACPD]

Library Wedding Winners — “Getting a free wedding at an Arlington County Public Library sounds pretty great! On Wednesday, the winning couple of the giveaway joined Good Morning Washington to talk about their application. This comes after last week’s interview with a librarian ahead of the giveaway.” [WJLA]

Girl Scout Cookie Sales Underway — “At publication time, least 16 cookie booths are planned across the county, with at least six more in the Little City. They’ll appear on sidewalks outside local grocery stores, apartment buildings and more, beginning Friday, Feb. 7 and continuing through mid-March.” [ARLnow]

Reminder: Feel the Heritage Fest — “Get ready for Arlington’s 31st annual Feel the Heritage Festival on Sat., Feb. 22, noon-5 p.m. at Charles Drew Community Center. Celebrate Black History Month and Arlington’s rich African-American history as you groove to live music, savor delicious food, and explore an amazing lineup of vendors!” [Arlington County, Event Calendar]

It’s Thursday — Snow showers are expected mainly before 1pm, with a high near 29. The day will be blustery as the northwest wind increases from 9-14 mph to 15-20 mph in the afternoon, and gusts may reach 33 mph. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation, and new snow accumulation could be less than one inch. Thursday evening will be partly cloudy and continue to be blustery, with a low around 22 and northwest winds of 17-20 mph; gusts may still be as high as 33 mph. [NWS]