Author: ARLnow.com

Another Assault Arrest After Arraignment — Bryan Betancur, a pardoned Jan. 6 Capitol rioter, was arraigned in Arlington County court on an assault and battery charge for allegedly touching a woman’s hair on a Metro train. He was then arrested again in the courthouse parking lot by Metro Transit Police on an outstanding D.C. warrant related to a series of similar incidents on Metro. [NBC 4, Tisha Lewis/X]

Mob Assault Near Pentagon City — Two D.C. women, ages 23 and 24, were arrested and charged with malicious wounding by mob after allegedly assaulting an acquaintance outside a building on the 1100 block of Army Navy Drive early Friday. The victim sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital. One suspect was additionally charged with DUI and breath test refusal. [ACPD]

MPD Frets About ACPD Raise — D.C.’s police force has dropped to 3,144 officers, with attrition outpacing hiring for seven consecutive years, according to the Washington Post. Interim chief Jeffery W. Carroll told the D.C. Council that federal agencies offering signing bonuses of up to $70,000 are “drawing not only recruits, but also MPD officers who resign.” Carroll also cited Arlington’s forthcoming pay hike to $90,000 as a recruiting challenge. [Washington Post]

Condo Project for Langston Blvd — Taicoon Property Partners will take plans for a seven-story, 88-unit condominium project at 1501 Langston Blvd before the county Site Plan Review Committee in the coming weeks. The building would replace a vacant office that housed the Air & Space Forces Association for 40 years and include a 1,300-square-foot Air Force Heritage Gallery on the ground floor. [UrbanTurf]

Board Visits Fire Training — “Today, several County Board members attended a live burn training at the Fire Training Academy and saw firsthand the discipline, teamwork and preparation required of Arlington’s fire recruits. We’re grateful for their commitment to serving the community.” [Arlington County Board/X]

County Survey Is Real — Arlington County is reminding residents that a survey about county services and programs — distributed via direct mail, email, social media and in person — is legitimate. [Arlington County/X]

Dems Challenge Trump Arch — Congressional Democrats have joined a legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch, arguing in U.S. District Court that the project at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery must receive congressional approval. “This is not Pyongyang,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said. “Most Americans want to be able to appreciate the view of Arlington Cemetery without a massive eyesore.” [Washington Post]

D.C. Water Still at Risk — The Potomac River remains the sole source of drinking water for D.C. and surrounding N. Va. communities, and the region has narrowly avoided a contamination crisis three times in the past six years, according to NOTUS. The Army Corps of Engineers is studying backup supply options but has so far identified only a modest reservoir expansion that would add about 12 hours of supply. [NOTUS]

Cristol Leaving Tysons Alliance — Former Arlington County Board chair Katie Cristol will resign Friday as CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance after leading the organization for less than three years. Cristol told FFXnow she is “departing to pursue other opportunities.” [FFXnow]

Taco Bell 50K Returns — The Taco Bell DC 50K, a 32.4-mile race to eight Taco Bell locations through Alexandria, Arlington and D.C., is returning Nov. 27. About 500 people participated in last year’s Tex-Mex-fueled race, which requires runners to eat at least one menu item at every stop. [ALXnow]

Super El Niño Possible — New climate data suggests a strong or even historically intense El Niño could develop by fall or winter, according to the Washington Post. The Capital Weather Gang notes big El Niño winters tend to be “feast or famine for snow in DC,” bringing either a massive snowstorm or a too-warm, mostly-rain season. [Washington Post, CWG/X]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 77, accompanied by calm winds that will shift to the south at 5 to 7 mph later in the afternoon. The night will remain mostly clear, with a low around 61 and a gentle south wind of 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]

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

Telephone Scam Alert — “The scam has been around for years, but we’re hearing about Arlington residents again getting “jury duty” calls from someone falsely claiming to be local law enforcement. Reminder: this is a scam, do not pay them or give them personal information.” [ARLnow/Bluesky]

ACPD St. Paddy’s Event — “As part of the Department’s anti-drunk driving educational efforts, the Arlington County Police Department is hosting an interactive event highlighting the impacts alcohol has on motor skills — because even one drink is one too many to get behind the wheel. This event is free and open to the public. DATE: Saturday, March 14, 2026. TIME: 8-10 p.m. LOCATION: N. Hudson Street at Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon.” [ACPD]

Driver Flees After Crash — “Hit & walk crash: Here’s the crash at Army Navy & S. Joyce in Pentagon City around 1 a.m. After sitting in his car for more than 4 minutes, the driver in the intersection got up and walked away. @ArlingtonVaPD
found him on Columbia Pike after he passed the Air Force Memorial.” [Dave Statter/X]

Serious Assault on the Pike — “Officers located the injured victim in the lobby residential building. The preliminary investigation indicates at approximately 6:30 p.m., the victim was inside a residence with two male suspects, who are known to him, when they became involved in a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation. The suspects subsequently fled the scene. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital.” [ACPD]

Metro Assault Suspect on Bail — “A Maryland man accused of assault and battery on a Metro train was released on bail after being arrested by Metro Transit Police, according to court records… Betancur had an active arrest warrant through the Arlington County General District Court for assault and battery offense on a Silver Line train at the Clarendon Metro Station around 10:09 p.m. on March 1.” [WJLA]

Data Center Budget Debate — “Virginia Democrats wield total control over state government, but leaders of the state Senate and House of Delegates are heading for a showdown over a few key provisions of the biggest legislation the General Assembly will consider this year: the budget. At the heart of the dispute is a disagreement over how to tax data centers — those high-tech facilities that provide the backbone of the internet.” [Washington Post]

Va. Bill on Jan. 6 Teaching — “Virginia lawmakers have passed a bill that prohibits schools from teaching that the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection was a peaceful demonstration or that there was massive fraud in the 2020 presidential election, the first Democratic state to try to shape how such events are taught. Democrats, who control the state House and Senate, expect Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to sign the measure.” [Washington Post]

New Legal Notice — Application for on/off-premises beer, wine, mixed-beverage restaurant license; objections due. [Public Notices]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 72 degrees, accompanied by a calm wind shifting to the south at around 5 mph in the afternoon. As night falls on Monday, the sky will remain mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to a low of around 48 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.

Metro Funding Advances — Maryland and Virginia lawmakers are advancing funding proposals supporting the DMVMoves plan, which calls for $460 million in new annual capital funding for Metro starting in fiscal 2028, according to Metro. [WMATA/X]

Peak Bloom Predicted — The National Park Service projects cherry blossom peak bloom will arrive between March 29 and April 1 this year. [National Mall NPS/X]

Jones Sues Over Tariffs — “These illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on Virginia families and when a President tries to impose them without legal authority, it is our responsibility to step in and defend the rule of law,” Attorney General Jay Jones said. The coalition suit challenges tariffs of up to 15% imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. [Press Release]

Median Signs Debate — In a letter to the County Board, Dave Schutz argues against banning political signs from road medians, saying the move would disadvantage apartment dwellers. “In areas dominated by apartments, median signs are often one of the primary ways residents know an election is happening.” [Letter to the Editor]

It’s Friday — Foggy conditions clear up before 11am, then showers are possible in the late afternoon. Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 54 degrees and an east wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. For Friday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers, with a low temperature around 45 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk