Author: ARLnow.com

A Late Fourth — D.C.’s July 4 fireworks keep slipping later, in part because President Trump is slated to give a 45-minute speech on the National Mall starting around 9:50 p.m. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the show won’t begin until 11 p.m., though Freedom 250 still advertises 10:30 p.m. as it tries to set a world record with 850,000 shells over 40 minutes. “The timeline is subject to change right up until the start of the event,” a Secret Service official said. [Axios, Washington Post]

County Closed Friday — Arlington County government offices will be closed Friday (July 3) for the Independence Day holiday, including the courts, DMV Select and the treasurer’s and commonwealth’s attorney’s offices. Curbside trash, recycling and organics collection will run on the regular schedule, though the recycling center and Earth Products yard will be closed until Monday (July 6). Parking meters won’t be enforced. [Arlington County]

Man Tries to Disarm Officer — A man, 27, was arrested in Rosslyn on Monday morning after he allegedly became combative and tried to disarm an officer who was taking him into custody, according to police. Officers had responded to a trespassing report in the 1800 block of N. Kent Street, where the man was allegedly inside a parking garage he had been banned from. He was charged with attempting to disarm an officer and four other offenses and held without bond. [ACPD]

Arlington Man Charged in Hit-and-Run — An Arlington man, 63, has been charged with felony hit-and-run in the death of a Falls Church pedestrian in Seven Corners last month, Fairfax County police said. Jose Jimenez, 60, was crossing Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at Patrick Henry Drive against the signal early on May 26 when he was struck by a silver Honda Civic that fled the scene. The driver turned himself in Sunday and is being held without bond. [FFXnow]

VRE Buys Alexandria Rail Yard — Virginia Railway Express has bought the former Seminary Yard, near Duke Street and I-495, for $35.8 million as part of a five-year, $155 million deal to take over four properties from the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. The site will be used for midday train storage. “Midday storage is critical for VRE operations,” CEO Katie Choe said. [VRE, ALXnow]

East Potomac Golf Overhaul — President Trump says a sweeping overhaul of the century-old East Potomac Golf Links, the public course just south of the National Mall, will begin Sept. 1, with architect Tom Fazio redesigning it to potentially host major tournaments. Officials haven’t said how that squares with environmental reviews or a pending lawsuit in which a judge warned against major changes without notifying the court. Critics worry the affordable course will become pricier. [Washington Post]

Beyer Wary of Impeachment — Rep. Don Beyer (D), whose district includes Arlington, told ALXnow that President Trump deserves to be impeached a third time but that Democrats shouldn’t pursue it as a doomed messaging exercise. “He certainly has done enough stuff to deserve impeachment. I think we’ll wait,” Beyer said, noting that a Senate conviction would be out of reach even if Democrats retake Congress. [ALXnow]

Trump’s 250th Takeover — A bipartisan commission Congress created a decade ago to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary has been overshadowed by President Trump’s own Freedom 250 group, which is staging rally-style events on the National Mall and is set to receive $68 million in taxpayer funds this year. “If the celebration of the miracle of democracy… becomes partisan, shame on us,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R) said. [NOTUS]

Hemp Businesses in Limbo — Virginia hemp farmers and retailers are scrambling as state and federal rules shift, with federal changes set to make many hemp products illegal by November and a legal cannabis market not arriving until July 2027. “We are left with zero pathway and will not survive until July 2027 without a grace period,” said Caroline County farmer Graham Redfern. [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Wednesday — Expect a hot, mostly sunny day with a high near 100 and a heat index as high as 107, plus a slight chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Southwest winds will be 6–9 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. It stays warm overnight, with a low around 77. [NWS]

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July 4 Road Closures — ACPD and other agencies will close multiple roads on Saturday to handle crowds for the Independence Day fireworks on the National Mall, expected around 11 p.m. Memorial Bridge and the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge close as early as 5 a.m., and the Air Force Memorial is closed all day. Drivers should expect significant delays. [Arlington County]

Ballston Brandishing Incident — A driver in the 600 block of N. Quincy Street exchanged words with a man walking in the area Friday evening and drove off, but the man later pulled alongside him in a vehicle and brandished what appeared to be a firearm before fleeing, according to police. No injuries were reported. [ACPD]

County Lands Innovation Grant — Arlington Economic Development secured approximately $3.9 million in GO Virginia funding for the National Innovation Quarter, a regional initiative with Alexandria focused on cybersecurity, AI, robotics and national security innovation. The agency also won a $250,000 grant to lead a study of future office demand across N. Va., Greater Richmond and Hampton Roads. [Arlington County]

Pentagon City Event for 250th — Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is marking America’s 250th with a “star-spangled weekend” from July 3–5. Friday’s lineup includes a Polo Ralph Lauren fashion show, kids’ activities and free Häagen-Dazs ice cream from 3-4 p.m., with retailer perks and promotions throughout the weekend. [Simon]

Beyond District Elections — In a letter to the editor, County Board candidate David Sisson argues the county’s debate over at-large versus district County Board elections is too narrow. He writes that districts can’t create a majority-minority district in Arlington, and instead calls for a nonpartisan “jungle” primary, caps on political donations and publicly financed campaigns. [Letter to the Editor]

Free Metro on July 4 — Metro will be free systemwide from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on July 4, with rail service increasing at 5 p.m. and free parking at all Metro facilities. Riders should plan ahead for enhanced security around the National Mall, including fencing and airport-style checkpoints. [WMATA]

Clarendon-Born Bakeshop Expands — Bakeshop, the dessert shop that launched in Clarendon in 2010, has opened its largest location yet in Vienna — its third in Virginia. “Vienna was always the next spot for a Bakeshop,” founder Justin Stegall told FFXnow. “I really love the community vibe there.” [FFXnow]

Reagan National Falls to 28th — Reagan National Airport was the 28th busiest in the nation last year with just over 12 million enplanements, according to preliminary federal data. Its passenger count dropped 5.9% from 2024, when the airport had been ranked 26th busiest nationally. From 2024 to 2025, Dulles rose from 24th to 22nd busiest, while BWI fell from 23rd to 26th. — Scott McCaffrey

Beat the Holiday Traffic — The worst July 4 holiday traffic is expected between D.C. and Annapolis on Friday at 12:45 p.m., according to AAA, which advises driving before 11 a.m. that day. About 77.2 million Americans are expected to travel for the holiday, with 85% driving. The worst time to be on the road July 4 is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. [Axios]

Fireworks Rattle Wildlife — This year’s record-setting July 4 fireworks — set to run twice their usual length — are raising concerns for animals, including ospreys nesting along the Potomac during breeding season and pets prone to noise anxiety. Searches for pet-friendly July 4 Airbnbs within 300 miles of D.C. have risen 51% since 2024. [Axios]

Big Little League Win — “Congratulations to the Arlington National Intermediate team on winning the District 4 Championship last night. The boys bested Alexandria 7-5 and advance to the state tournament July 9 in Woodstock, Va.” [Facebook]

UVA Closing Email Accounts — “Former University of Virginia students and other alumni might lose their UVA email accounts this week. UVA Information Technology Services says UVA Google accounts will be retired on June 30, with all Gmail and Drive data being deleted.” [CBS 19]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 91 and a south wind of 2–10 mph. It will stay mostly clear overnight with a low around 71. [NWS]

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