Author: ARLnow.com

Cherry Blossom 5K Closures — ACPD will close portions of S. Joyce Street and Army Navy Drive on Saturday, April 11 for the Cherry Blossom 5K starting and finishing at Virginia Highlands Park. Closures begin as early as 4 a.m. and run until 1 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to use Metro’s Pentagon City station. [Arlington County]

O’Connell Star in Capital Classic — Bishop O’Connell senior point guard Darius Bivins was selected to play in the 53rd annual Capital Classic at Capital One Arena this past weekend, the longest-running high school basketball all-star game in the nation. Bivins has offers from Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Miami, Rutgers and VCU. [WTOP]

Car Fire on I-395 — “The left two lanes of I-395N between Glebe and Washington Blvd. are blocked due to this car fire. The fire is now out courtesy of @ArlingtonVaFD.” [Dave Statter/X]

Redistricting Poll Tight — A slim majority of Va. voters (52%) favors the redistricting referendum ahead of the April 21 vote, but opponents are more motivated to turn out, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll. Among voters who participated in the last three general elections, 53% oppose the measure. [Washington Post]

ACA Enrollment Drops — About 33,000 Virginians have dropped their ACA health insurance since federal subsidies expired, the largest first-quarter decline on record, according to State Health Exchange Director Keven Patchett. An estimated 100,000 Virginians who relied on the subsidies are expected to be affected. [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 63 degrees and northwest winds at 6–10 mph, gusting to 22 mph. Clear tonight with a low around 42. [NWS]

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.

Juvenile Robbed of Scooter — A juvenile was riding his scooter near N. Quincy Street at Wilson Blvd on Wednesday evening when another juvenile approached, shoved him off and stole it, police say. The victim chased after the suspect and was briefly reported missing before officers located him nearby. [ACPD]

Route 50 Flex Posts Expand — “More flex post devices are headed for Route 50 between Fillmore and Glebe to prevent those turns that become crashes at intersections lacking traffic signals.” [Arlington DES/X]

Flyover This Afternoon — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an Aircraft Flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, April 3, at approximately 3:05 p.m.”

Noise Bill Nears Finish Line — “I suspect she’s going to sign it, and I suspect the Board of Supervisors is going to implement it,” Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6) said of legislation creating a two-year pilot program allowing localities to use electronic noise monitoring to detect excessively loud vehicles. [FFXnow]

DHS Targets Spanberger — The Department of Homeland Security accused Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) of being a “sanctuary politician” whose policies “allowed pedophiles, rapists, gang members and murderers to be released onto Virginia’s streets” by ending cooperation with ICE. [DHS/X]

Sewer Repair Delays Revealed — A Washington Post investigation found that D.C. Water planned to reinforce the aging Potomac Interceptor years before it ruptured in January but repeatedly delayed construction as the National Park Service studied environmental impacts, including risks to a wildflower and an endangered bat species. [Washington Post]

School Safety Bills Signed — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed multiple bills aimed at protecting kids at school, including one allowing school boards to provide teachers with wearable panic alarm systems for use during emergencies. Other measures strengthen red flag law training and expand mental health support. [WJLA]

Moran Goes Independent — Mark Moran, who planned to challenge Sen. Mark Warner (D) for the Democratic Senate nomination this year, announced he is now running as an independent. [Jared Serre/X]

It’s Friday — Expect areas of fog and a slight chance of drizzle early, then mostly sunny skies with a high near 83 degrees. South winds at 6–13 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

Preparedness Month Begins — “Arlington Preparedness Month, held every April, highlights the importance of preparing for disasters, emergencies, and the unexpected.” The county encourages residents to sign up for Arlington Alert and build an emergency kit. Weekly themes cover flooding, family preparedness, volunteer training and low-cost preparedness. [Arlington County]

WWII Ace Laid to Rest — Brig. Gen. Clarence “Bud” Anderson, the last surviving triple-ace pilot from World War II, received full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday. Anderson died in May 2024 at 102 after flying 116 combat missions in his P-51 Mustang “Old Crow.” [U.S. Air Force]

Beyer on DHS Funding — “I’m glad to see Speaker Johnson and House Republican leadership accept reality and decide to bring the Senate-passed bill to fund the law-abiding parts of DHS and pay our public servants to the floor. They should bring it up for a vote without delay.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]

Warner on Iran — “President Trump’s address tonight did little to answer the most basic questions the American people deserve when our nation is engaged in a costly and dangerous conflict with Iran,” U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D) said. [Press Release]

Spanberger Signs First Bills — “No Virginian should ever have to choose between seeing their doctor, paying their rent or mortgage, or keeping their lights on,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said in signing the first set of bills from the 2026 General Assembly. The bills address housing, health care and energy affordability. [ALXnow]

Vape Crackdown Begins — “Vape shops have been allowed to get away with selling unregulated products, with documented negative health impacts not only to adults, but to minors without penalty,” Attorney General Jay Jones (D) said as enforcement of Virginia’s vape product directory begins today. Retailers selling unlisted products face a $1,000 fine per product per day. [Virginia Scope]

It’s Thursday — Patchy fog this morning gives way to mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain showers and a high near 63 degrees. East winds at 2–9 mph. Tonight, a chance of showers continues with a low around 50. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.

Lucky Lockbox Find — An Arlington woman claimed the final $1 million prize in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle after discovering a forgotten ticket in her lock box. The ticket, purchased at the 7-Eleven on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, was a Christmas gift from a friend. [Patch]

Driver Flees Into Pentagon Lot — A minor crash on S. Fern Street at Army Navy Drive in Pentagon City reportedly became a hit-and-run after the driver fled north on Fern, onto the Pentagon reservation. [Dave Statter/X]

Warner Sounds Election Alarm — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) argued in a New York Times op-ed that the greatest threat to American elections now comes from inside the federal government, citing a reported draft executive order that would invoke emergency powers to override state election authority. [New York Times]

It’s Wednesday — Mostly sunny this morning with a high near 86 degrees, but showers and thunderstorms become likely by mid-afternoon with a 50% chance of precipitation. Overnight lows drop to around 59 as storms continue, with a 70% chance of rain. [NWS]

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