Author: ARLnow.com

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.

Beyer’s Challengers, Party Changes — Four Democrats are challenging Rep. Don Beyer (D-Arlington) in Tuesday’s primary. “If the challengers can even come close to knocking Beyer off… this will still send a message about how the party is shifting,” Virginia Commonwealth University professor Alex Keena said. [Virginia Mercury]

AvalonBay to Become Vivmark — “Two months after announcing their blockbuster merger, real estate investment trust giants AvalonBay Communities Inc. and Equity Residential have unveiled the new name for the combined company: Vivmark Residential.” The $71 billion firm will have dual headquarters in Arlington and Chicago. [WBJ]

Lawmakers Press on Golf Plans — “We write with strong objections to your rushed ‘redevelopment’ of East Potomac Park,” Beyer and 46 colleagues wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, seeking answers by Aug. 14 on the project’s cost and the fate of its cherry trees and bike trails. [Axios, Press Release]

Former Falls Church Councilman Dies — Samuel Albert Mabry, 84, died July 4. First elected to City Council in 1996 and later vice mayor, he “spearheaded efforts at limiting growth in Falls Church during the period of its most significant economic progress,” including a failed 2006 referendum. [Falls Church News-Press]

Disability Services Gap Persists — “When people with certain disabilities graduate or reach age 22, they face a ‘services cliff,’ as they lose school support but do not automatically transfer to adult services.” Virginia’s Medicaid waiver waiting list has dropped from about 15,500 to 14,300. [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 90 and a light northwest wind around 5 mph. Skies turn mostly cloudy overnight with a low around 71. [NWS]

New Legal Notice — An 80-foot monopole communication tower is proposed on a military base. [Public Notices]

New Legal Notice — Divorce order of publication; respondent must appear by 9/11/2026. [Public Notices]

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