Author: ARLnow.com

Prosecutor-Police Relationship Debated — “‘To wear animosity towards the police department almost as a badge of honor makes no sense,’ said Josh Katcher, who is seeking to knock off first-term prosecutor Parisa Dehghani-Tafti in the primary and clearly aimed that remark in her direction. Dehghani-Tafti shot back that she has a ‘healthy’ relationship with the police rank-and-file and its leadership, suggesting that Katcher (who long served in the prosecutor’s office) has had a ‘too cozy’ relationship with them.” [Gazette Leader]

New Taxiway for DCA — “The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $5 million to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for the construction of a new taxiway, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced Tuesday. The funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s fiscal year 2023 Airport Improvement Program.” [Patch]

Current Prosecutors Back Boss — “In the heated Democratic primary contest for commonwealth’s attorney for Arlington and Falls Church, former prosecutor Josh Katcher has accused incumbent Parisa Dehghani-Tafti of mismanaging the office, leading to the departure of many attorneys and creating an environment where the office is falling short of implementing her criminal justice reform agenda. But top prosecutors who work in Dehghani-Tafti’s office contend she has assembled a strong group of attorneys who are turning Arlington into a model for what reform prosecution should look like.” [Patch]

Pickleball Meeting Next Week — “Next stop in the contentious battle over pickleball facilities in Arlington? A community meeting set for May 23. The event, to start at 7 p.m., will be held at ground zero of the pickleball wars: Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th St. South).” [Gazette Leader]

Housing and Food Need Still High — “Nonprofits ‘are seeing really dire things,’ said Anne Vor der Bruegge, director of grants initiatives at the Arlington Community Foundation… ‘To Arlington’s credit, the county has put as much as it can find into rent relief, but it’s still a serious situation.’ With the fiscal 2024 budget providing $4.6 million for eviction prevention, Vor der Bruegge said ‘Arlington is the only local jurisdiction that stepped up significantly to help renters still in arrears.'” [Falls Church News-Press]

Board Approves Bridge Location — “The Arlington County Board in Virginia has approved a location and a preliminary budget for the pedestrian bridge coming to Crystal City… The bridge will connect the area to Reagan National Airport, making the downtown area only a short walk away to hop on a flight.” [WTOP, WJLA]