Author: ARLnow.com

Flyover Showcase Today — Following last night’s flyovers, eight military aircraft are set to fly in formation over the National Mall today, including the B-52 Stratofortress, F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II. The flyover opens the second night of the Great American State Fair’s celebrations for the nation’s 250th and will bring added air traffic noise to Arlington. [ARLnow]

Longtime Recovery CEO Stepping Down — Arlington-based National Capital Treatment and Recovery has announced a search for a successor to Debby Taylor, who has served as president/CEO for 37 years. “This is not a moment of abrupt change, but rather a carefully planned and strategic transition,” Taylor said in an email to supporters of the organization, founded in 1962. — Scott McCaffrey

LibraryFest Marks the 250th — Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street) will host LibraryFest, a free all-ages celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, on Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The day includes a U.S. Marine Band brass quintet, a large-scale LEGO sculpture of the Constitution, live music, food trucks and historical demonstrations. [Arlington County]

W-L Hosting Stop on ‘Relay for America’ — Washington-Liberty High School will be a stop on the 20-day, 3,000-mile Relay for America as it moves across the nation, with hundreds of runners carrying the U.S. flag a portion of the way. The high school will host the event on Saturday, July 4 from midnight to 9 a.m., before it completes the cross-country journey finishing in front of the U.S. Capitol. [RunWashington]

Pole Down Since January — A concrete light pole knocked down during snowstorm cleanup on Jan. 26 is still lying at 3829 N. Stafford Street five months later, a resident says, tagging Dominion Energy in a plea for removal: “Concrete base is not repairable.” [Jay Hoffman/X]

Better Than New York? — A local creator’s Instagram reel, set to “Empire State of Mind” and featuring Rosslyn skyscrapers, makes a tongue-in-cheek case that the area beats New York. The clip has drawn more than 4,400 likes. [Instagram]

Region Asked to Save Water — With the D.C. region under a drought watch, Spanberger has asked Virginians to voluntarily conserve water amid the state’s driest stretch since 1941. The Potomac River hit its lowest level in 130 years this spring. Maryland and a regional council are also urging cutbacks, though restrictions remain voluntary for now. [Axios]

Hope Backs Prison Reforms — Gov. Spanberger has created a new Community Partnership Council on Corrections and touted early results, including a 39% drop in use of force across state prisons since January. Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington) welcomed the moves, calling them “a strong step toward reform” while urging that improvements also reach local jails. [Virginia Mercury, Patrick Hope/X]

Ex-Felon Voting in Limbo — The ACLU of Virginia filed a motion to enforce a court order it won this year, accusing officials of leaving thousands of Virginians with past felony convictions in voter-registration limbo. Registrars have been told since June not to fully process such registrations. This fall, voters will weigh a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to those who’ve served their sentences. [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 88 and winds out of the south at 2–9 mph. It turns partly cloudy overnight, with a low around 69. [NWS]

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Border Czar Badge Mystery — Arlington police helped return a Culpeper County deputy sheriff’s badge issued to White House border czar Tom Homan after a woman said she found it in a used Cadillac she bought in 2023. Homan was sworn in as a reserve deputy in 2020 under then-Sheriff Scott Jenkins, who was later convicted in a bribes-for-badges scheme and pardoned by President Trump. [NBC 4]

Transit Merger Studied — “Virginia lawmakers want to examine consolidating Northern Virginia’s transit agencies to assess potential cost savings and service improvements.” A study in the new two-year state budget could reshape four systems, including ART Arlington Transit, DASH, Fairfax Connector and CUE. A report is due Dec. 15. [Virginia Mercury]

Ballston’s Buzzing Culprit — Residents near Fairfax Drive and N. Randolph Street spent weeks chasing a relentless buzzing noise, now traced to a rental chiller behind the office building at 4040 Fairfax Drive. “It is louder than a data center and can be heard in a three block radius,” one neighbor wrote, urging others to email Arlington County code enforcement. [Reddit, Reddit]

The Plymouth in the Wall — Ghosts of DC chronicles 2000 Wilson Blvd in Courthouse, once home to Olmstead Oldsmobile, then the brewpub Bardo Rodeo, known for a 1966 Plymouth jutting through its showroom window. It later became the dive bar Dr. Dremo’s Taphouse before giving way to today’s condo tower. [Ghosts of DC]

Crash-Testing Work Trucks — “The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which has a 30-year history of conducting crash tests… is now testing cargo vans and work trucks that many people drive on the job.” The Arlington-based group hopes the ratings will prompt fleet operators and manufacturers to add safety features. [WTOP]

Trump Arch Mockup — “A replica of the Arc de Trump popped up on the National Mall, joining Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair.” The temporary, eagle-topped installation is far smaller than the 250-foot arch President Trump (R) wants built at Memorial Circle, near Arlington National Cemetery. [Axios]

Million-Dollar Starters — “The DMV is home to four cities where the typical starter home costs $1 million or more, according to new Zillow data.” Great Falls leads the region at $1,233,946, ahead of three Maryland communities: Chevy Chase View, Glen Echo and Potomac. The typical U.S. starter home is $198,649. [Axios]

It’s Wednesday — Sunny with a high of 81°F and a northwest wind at 7 mph. For Wednesday night, expect mostly clear skies and a low of 62°F, with calm winds. [NWS]

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Arlington Pick Draws Criticism — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has drawn criticism from conservative outlets for appointing Kellen MacBeth, founder and president of the advocacy group Equality Arlington, to Virginia’s 26-member LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. The Washington Free Beacon called the appointment evidence of an “embrace of left-wing gender activism,” as Equality Arlington, which advocates for transgender and nonbinary students, has opposed the Trump administration’s policies on trans youth. [LGBTQ Nation, Free Beacon]

Arlington Native’s Jungle Run — Arlington native Sarah Awad, a 26-year-old former rugby player, competed on Netflix’s “Outlast: The Jungle,” lasting until the season’s penultimate episode in the Panamanian jungle. Among her proudest moments: building a raised bamboo bed and cooking a scorpion, which she said “tasted like beef jerky.” [WTOP]

French Jets Over Arlington — From the French Embassy on Monday: “The Patrouille de France from the French Air and Space Force took to the skies above cherished American sites like the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery, and Mount Vernon. This flyover is part of the #liberté250 commemorating a very special anniversary for America’s independence.” [French Embassy/FB]

Height Law Exemption Argued — The Trump administration says new federal construction, including a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, is not subject to the 1910 Height of Buildings Act that caps most D.C. construction at 130 feet. An Interior Department memo concludes that “federal buildings are not subject to” the act, reversing the longstanding position of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is set to review the arch July 9. [Washington Post]

Crystal City Dronemaker’s Loss Grows — Shares of military dronemaker AeroVironment hit a 52-week low Monday after the Crystal City-based company restated its fiscal third-quarter loss to $268.4 million, up $89 million from what it previously reported. The revision reflects a larger goodwill charge tied to a $1.4 billion Space Force contract that was terminated in March. AeroVironment shares have fallen 63% since mid-January, and several law firms have filed class-action suits alleging executives misled investors. [WBJ]

Warner Lauds Housing Bill — “This landmark legislation will boost the housing supply, bring down costs, and protect renters, veterans, and rural Virginians. I encourage my colleagues in the House to quickly pass this bipartisan housing package and deliver some real relief to Americans across the country.” [Press Release]

E-Bike Safety Push — Police and parks officials across Northern Virginia, including along the W&OD Trail, are stepping up e-bike safety awareness amid a rise in complaints about reckless and illegal riding. “We have certainly received an increase in complaints regarding unsafe behavior on the trail, including e-bikes, scooters and other motorized devices,” a NOVA Parks spokesperson told FFXnow. The agency permits only Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, capped at 20 mph, on the trail. [FFXnow]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly cloudy day with a high near 81, with rain showers likely before 3 p.m. Northwest winds will be 5–10 mph, gusting as high as 20 mph. Skies clear overnight, with a low around 62. [NWS]

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