Author: ARLnow.com

Trump Worried About Stinky River — “White House press secretary said during a Thursday briefing that President Donald Trump is “worried” that the Potomac River could smell like poop come time of Washington’s “America 250” festivities. Leavitt said the sewage leaking into the Potomac River is a “problem we want to fix,” especially as the nation prepares to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.” [WJLA]

District Declares Emergency — “D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a local public emergency regarding the sewage spill in the Potomac River, according to the Mayor’s Office. The declaration allowed her to also make a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration request, which could bring in federal support to help respond to the disaster.” [NBC 4, Washington Post, Virginia Mercury]

Half Dozen Compass Bidders — “Caffè Nero is facing off this week against five other bidders to acquire Compass Coffee’s remaining assets as D.C.’s largest homegrown coffee chain restructures under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.” [WBJ]

Arlington Firms Expanding West — “A pair of Arlington-based technology companies are planning new offices in Fairfax County, collectively promising over 300 new jobs. First, the space tech manufacturer Umbra announced last Thursday (Feb. 12) that it will expand to Reston, opening a 20,000-square-foot office expected to host over 100 employees. Then, defense contractor Grvty revealed yesterday (Tuesday) that it will establish a new corporate headquarters in Tysons.” [FFXnow]

Pothole Patrol Underway — “Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are already actively working to locate and repair potholes as we enter the time of year known for seeing more cracks and crumbles on the roads. Motorists can do their part in keeping the roads safe by reporting potholes and workers safe by moving over to give them room to work.” [Press Release]

Bishops Praise Suicide Bill’s Failure — “Two Virginia bishops are hailing the halt of legislation that would have legalized assisted suicide in that state. “Human life is sacred and no one should ever be abandoned or discarded,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington and Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond in a joint Feb. 18 statement.” [OSV News, Diocese of Arlington]

Another Hat in the 7th Ring — “Del. Dan Helmer, a Democrat who has represented southwestern Fairfax County in the House of Delegates since 2020, is once again running for Congress. The 44-year-old announced his candidacy today (Wednesday) to represent the newly-drawn 7th Congressional District — a sprawling “lobster-shaped” district that includes Helmer’s Fairfax home while stretching east to Arlington County, west to Augusta County and south to Goochland County.” [FFXnow]

Lunar New Year Celebration — “Hundreds of community members gathered Tuesday afternoon at the Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia, to welcome the Lunar New Year and pay homage to Vietnam.” [WTOP]

Caesars Looks at N. Va. — “Caesars Entertainment Inc. is prepared to kick the tires on a Fairfax County casino if the gaming bill currently before the General Assembly secures final passage.” [WBJ]

Va. Marijuana Market? — “As soon as this fall, it could be a lot easier for you to get your hands on marijuana in Virginia… However, opponents are worried about mental health and public safety.” [WJLA]

Lower Air Quality — “Why has our air quality only been “moderate” lately? We’ve gotten a bunch of questions about this. The short answer: stagnant air. Winds have been very light, which means the atmosphere hasn’t been mixing much. When air just sits in place, fine particles from tailpipes and other sources build up near the ground instead of dispersing. That same stagnant setup is also why we’ve had fog the past few mornings.” [CWG/X]

Snow Likely, Big Snow Less So — “Both the European and American ensembles are at an above 90% chance of “flakes falling” in DC…while both are a little above a 50/50 shot at a “disruptive” snowfall (2″+)…which is up from the other day. What is down is the “big storm” odds. Hovering around a 10% shot at 8″ or more.” [Mike Thomas/X]

It’s Thursday — Expect fog to clear by 9am and rain to begin after 3pm, with a high near 48°F. An east wind of 5 to 10mph accompanies an 80% chance of precipitation, with potential rainfall between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. Thursday night continues with rain and patchy fog both before midnight and after 1am, with a low around 42°F, east wind 6 to 9mph, and a 100% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

Arlington’s 22205 Among ‘Hottest’ — “Anyone who’s thought about buying or selling a house in Northern Virginia knows the real estate market in our region is strong. But which areas are the most in demand? Check out our ranking of the Top 20 Hottest Zip Codes in Northern Virginia.” [N. Va. Magazine]

No Impact on Streams, So Far — “While the sewage discharge is not expected to impact Arlington’s stream water quality, the County’s bacteria monitoring program is collecting additional samples on Four Mile Run to supplement understanding of any impacts in the area. To date, this sampling has not shown an impact on Arlington streams, with low levels of E. coli bacteria.” [Arlington County]

Final Report on Crash Near DCA — “Ghe NTSB found that the crash was caused by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) placement of a helicopter route so close to the runway approach at DCA, combined with heavy airport traffic and inadequate safety systems and training.” [Fox 5, Axios]

Bridge Repairs in EFC — “The EB Washington Blvd left lane along the bridge over I-66 by the East Falls Church Metro station will be closed from 9:30 am Wed 2/18 until 11:59 pm Sat 2/21 for bridge repair work.” [VDOT/X]

Library Back Open After Water Leak — “Courthouse Library will reopen with its standard hours beginning Wednesday, February 18. We thank you for your patience as we worked to reopen this location.” [APL/X]

County Conducting Survey — “Arlington County is conducting its seventh Countywide, statistically valid community survey to understand the community’s satisfaction with County services and programs, as well as overall perceptions of the local government.” [Arlington County]

Va. Redistricting Vote Coming Soon — “In just three weeks, Virginia voters will have the chance to start casting ballots in a special election on a constitutional amendment to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional districts. Two groups have already formed: Virginians for Fair Elections, which is trying to win approval for the amendment, and Virginians for Fair Maps, which is pushing a no vote.” [NBC 4]

Region in Severe Drought — “How are we in a severe drought after all of the snow and ice? The 6–9 inches that fell Jan. 25 equaled only about 2 inches of rain. And because it has melted slowly, that moisture has trickled into the ground over weeks. Even with that storm, we entered January nearly 10 inches (of rain) below normal after six straight dry months.” [CWG/X]

Snow Storm Chance — “Multiple models are signaling the potential for significant snow in the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday, including the D.C. area, while some models show just lighter snow or rain. As of today (Tuesday), confidence in accumulating snow for our region on Sunday is too low to change any plans.” [CWG/X]

It’s Wednesday — Fog expected is before 9am, followed by mostly cloudy condition and a high temperature near 58°F. There is a slight chance of rain after 2pm. Southwest winds will be 5 to 10 mph, with gusts of up to 20 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. For Wednesday night, the clouds will gradually clear, leading to a low temperature around 43°F. [NWS]

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Fat Tuesday Events — A number of New Orleans-themed events are being held today in honor of Fat Tuesday, including at Bayou Bakery, Ragtime and William Jeffrey’s Tavern.

Sewage Line Repairs — “Emergency repairs of the Potomac Interceptor will take 4–6 weeks. Crews are close to completing the enhanced bypass system, which will allow repairs to begin soon. Added pumps are online & no overflow events were reported.” [DC Water/X, WTOP]

Feds Stepping In — “President Donald Trump said Monday that the federal government will step in to “protect” the Potomac River following the collapse of a major sewer pipe in the Washington, D.C., region, and accused local officials of mismanaging waste management systems.” [NBC News]

Carjacking Arrest — “An Arlington woman was arrested after she allegedly stole a man’s car when he refused to give her a ride, according to police. It happened around 1:59 a.m. Thursday along Seminary Road in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County.” [WJLA, Annandale Today]

Red Light Runner on Camera — “Red light runner, possible hit & run crash early today on S. Glebe Rd near I-395. @ArlingtonVaPD
apparently found the driver of the white vehicle a few blocks away. No serious injuries reported.” [Dave Statter/X]

GW Parkway Work Update — “After more than two and a half years of major traffic disruptions for commuters and other drivers, the National Park Service (NPS) said it has reached “substantial completion” of rehabilitation work on a northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.” [WJLA]

Post Layoffs Cut Courts Reporters — “Between buyouts at the Post last year and the layoffs this month, the Post eliminated all our local courts journalists save Sal… In all, we lost 18 local reporters and 7 local editors in these layoffs; five of the 16 remaining reporters are being transferred to national politics and criminal justice coverage. (Two of those left are on fellowships and may not have jobs at the end).” [Court Watch]

Lawsuit Over D.C. Courses — “Two recreational golfers from the D.C. area have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging efforts to overhaul the East Potomac Golf Links and alleging the move could undermine its long-standing role as a public park. Dave Roberts, a Washington, D.C. resident, and Alex Dickson of Arlington, along with the D.C. Preservation League, are suing the Department of Interior and the National Park Service.” [Fox 5]

Arlington Company Expanding — “Arlington space company Umbra Lab Inc. plans to hire more than 100 employees and expand into a new 20,000-square-foot office in Reston as part of a $6.75 million investment announced Thursday. A $500,000 grant from Virginia’s Opportunity Fund is supporting the expansion.” [WBJ]

Va. Medical Leave Bill — “In Virginia, companies decide whether or not they will offer paid sick days to their employees, because there is no state policy that sets a minimum for how much sick time employers must offer. After several years of attempts, legislation to require paid sick leave for workers cleared Virginia’s House of Delegates on Monday.” [Virginia Mercury]

Lawsuit Against Fmr. AG — “A former Virginia Attorney General’s Office employee filed a lawsuit on Thursday against former Attorney General Jason Miyares, among other previous office leaders, due to allegations of wrongful termination after she spoke out about a payment she alleged was a conflict of interest.” [DC News Now]

Va. Social Media Restrictions — “Attorney General Jay Jones announces today that his office intends to fully enforce new provisions of the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, which require social media platforms to limit minors’ usage to one hour per day unless a parent opts to increase that limit.” [Press Release]

Melting Helping Disabled People — “For week two, Rochelle Harrod remained stuck. The first time she tried to leave her apartment after a late-January snowstorm left the D.C. area locked down in “snowcrete,” she made it down the elevator from her Hyattsville, Maryland, apartment but could go no further than a few feet outside the front door. The wheels of her 300-pound motorized wheelchair couldn’t make it over a snow-covered ramp.” [Washington Post]

It’s Tuesday — Expect patchy fog to clear by 8am, giving way to partly sunny skies and a high near 55 with light southwest winds. As for Tuesday night, it’ll turn cloudy with a low around 43. [NWS]

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