Author: ARLnow.com

Drug Take-Back Saturday — “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Spring National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, April 25. The Arlington County Police Department encourages community members to include their medicine cabinets in their spring-cleaning routine by safely disposing of unused or expired medications.” [Arlington County]

Coverage of Women’s Sports Bar — Under new ownership, Westover Taco has relaunched as the D.C. area’s first sports bar dedicated to women’s sports. “We’ll show men’s games if somebody wants to watch it, but we’ll prioritize women’s. When you’re hearing sports in the bar, it’s going to be women’s games,” owner Sarah White said. [Washington Post, Washingtonian]

Rosslyn Spring Market Returns — The Rosslyn Spring Market will return to the NOW Pop-Up Park (1401 Wilson Blvd) on Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free outdoor event features local makers, live music from singer Jessica Allossery, a Turning the Page used book sale and a typewriter poet composing custom poems on-site. [Patch]

Kennedy Center Two-Year Closure — The Kennedy Center will close in July for a two-year renovation supported by nearly $257 million from Congress to fund repairs. New executive director Matt Floca said he recommended a single closure rather than piecemeal work: “You close the building and you do everything over a definite period of time, two years.” [NBC 4]

Va. Gets Paid Family Leave — “Virginia is now the first state in the South to create a paid family and medical leave program,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said. The portable insurance program — funded by both workers and employers — allows Virginians to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for themselves or a family member, including parental leave. [Press Release]

Maternal Health Bills Signed — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed several maternal health bills yesterday — including expanded insurance coverage for mental health screenings — as the latest installment of Virginia’s “Momnibus” package. The signing came just ahead of an annual Virginia March for Life rally around Capitol Square, where more than 1,000 people gathered to support anti-abortion legislation. [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 82, with a northwest wind of 3–7 mph. Skies become partly cloudy overnight with a low around 58. [NWS]

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

Teen Charged in Officer Assault — A boy in his late teens was taken into custody Monday afternoon after police say he kicked an officer while being detained at a business in the 200 block of S. Glebe Road. The officer was not injured. Petitions for assault on police and disorderly conduct were sought. [ACPD]

Fire Station 8 Goes Green — Arlington’s new Fire Station 8 has earned LEED Gold certification, featuring an underground stormwater vault, a green vegetated roof, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and 57 solar panels. The station stands on the historic footprint of the Halls Hill Volunteer Fire Department, the only Arlington station staffed by an all-Black volunteer unit for decades during segregation. [Arlington County]

Water Shortage Risk Grows — A growing risk of water shortages looms as the Potomac River hits near-record lows. The river is “at its lowest point that it’s ever been for this particular date,” based on more than 130 years of data, said Michael Nardolilli of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. Severe drought has expanded to cover 31% of the region. [WTOP, CWG/X]

Red Flag Law Takes Guns — Fairfax County has processed 481 Emergency Substantial Risk cases and temporarily seized 947 guns since Virginia’s Red Flag law took effect in 2020. “Every one of those cases, I believe, is the opportunity to not only make our community safer, but potentially save a life,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said. [WTOP]

Airport Merch Coming — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is preparing to launch an online store selling merchandise branded for Reagan National and Dulles airports, aimed at “AVGeeks, locals and everyone in between.” The store is in a testing phase and no launch date has been announced. MWAA’s move follows WMATA’s popular Metro-branded merchandise offerings. [WBJ]

Pentagon’s Record Budget Ask — President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request includes a new “presidential priorities” category, earmarking $750 billion for the Golden Dome missile defense system, drones, artificial intelligence and building up the defense industrial base. The proposed 42% increase from last year would be the biggest year-over-year boost since WWII. [The Hill]

It’s Wednesday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms mainly between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. today, with a high near 74, a west wind around 8 mph, and a 50% chance of precipitation. Showers should taper by 8 p.m., with a mostly clear overnight low around 55. [NWS]

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Polls Open Today — Virginia’s special election is today, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must go to their assigned polling place. On the ballot: a proposed state constitutional amendment that would temporarily allow the General Assembly to redraw congressional districts. Arlington Public Schools is off today due to the election. [Arlington Elections/X, Arlington County]

Amazon Behind on HQ2 Jobs — Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City is falling short of its promised job targets for a third straight year. By the end of 2025, the company should have added 11,643 jobs under its state incentive agreement; instead it has created 7,159, or 28.6% of its 25,000-job goal by 2038. [Washington Post]

Defense Powers Office Market — Defense contractors drove N. Va.’s office leasing market in the first quarter, accounting for 85.2% of the largest deals, per JLL. Trophy vacancy fell to 13.9% as Lockheed Martin renewed its 176,127-square-foot lease at 2121 Crystal Drive in Crystal City — the quarter’s biggest deal. [WBJ]

Beyer Vows Kennedy Center Fight — Rep. Don Beyer (D) vowed to fight changes at the Kennedy Center, calling them “a disturbing extension of this Administration’s pay-to-play corruption.” Beyer was responding to a new Atlantic article on the institution’s ongoing leadership drama. [Rep. Don Beyer/X]

Sen. Warner Mourns Daughter — Sen. Mark Warner (D) and his wife Lisa Collis announced yesterday that their daughter Madison Warner, 36, has died after decades of battling juvenile diabetes and other health issues. “She filled our lives with love and laughter,” the family said. [ALXnow]

Tick Season Returns — As temperatures rise, tick activity is picking up across Virginia. State health officials say ticks can spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Alpha-gal Syndrome, and are urging Virginians to use EPA-registered insect repellents and check themselves after spending time outdoors. [VDH]

It’s Tuesday — Expect widespread frost before 10 am, followed by sunny weather with a high near 62°F. Winds will be calm, shifting to the south at about 6 mph in the afternoon. On Tuesday night, there is a 30% chance of showers after 2 am, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 50°F. South winds will increase to 7 to 9 mph. [NWS]

Want more local news from around the region? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow.

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

Officers Hurt in Condo Arrest — A man was arrested Friday evening after injuring five Arlington police officers during his removal from an unoccupied condo in the 1800 block of Columbia Pike. “He assaulted several officers and was eventually put into custody after officers tased him and deployed a K9,” police said. One officer was hospitalized as a precaution and charges are pending. [WJLA]

Sunday Funday Chaos — Clarendon’s Don Tito required significant ACPD and ACFD response Saturday evening, as noted by public safety watcher Dave Statter. “It started with a fight just before 5:30, apparently leaving one of the staff injured. Other customers surrounded police as officers had a man handcuffed in front of an ACPD SUV. As that calmed down, police called EMS for someone who was drunk.” [Dave Statter/X]

Overnight Crash Cleanup — Arlington DES crews spent an overnight shift cleaning up after a crash at S. Glebe Road and S. Eads Street near Pentagon City. “Instant intersection modifications made at 2:15a,” Dave Statter posted, sharing video of the aftermath. [Dave Statter/X]

Weekend Road Closures Planned — ACPD will close a number of streets for two events next weekend: the Arlington Festival of the Arts in Clarendon (April 25–26) and the Earth Day Every Day Festival (April 26). Washington Blvd, N. Highland Street, Cherry Hill Road and parts of N. Woodrow Street will see closures. [Arlington County]

HALRB Approves Sign Honoring Campbells — Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board members on April 15 approved designs for new commemorative markers honoring Edmund and Elizabeth Campbell in Shirlington. The new signage will replace aging signs honoring the late couple’s contributions to civic life. —Scott McCaffrey

Cathedral Wins Design Award — “The recent renovation to the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington was recognized with a 2026 Commercial Palladio Award, a premier national award that spotlights architectural excellence,” the Arlington Catholic Herald reports. The award went to Arlington-based firm O’Brien and Keane Architecture. [Arlington Catholic Herald]

Beyer Wants Kash Out — “We’ve seen the failures of Kash Patel’s inept leadership play out again and again in some of our most high profile investigations since last January… Patel is unfit to lead and is putting our national security at risk,” Rep. Don Beyer (D) posted in response to an Atlantic article reporting concerns from Patel’s colleagues at the FBI. [Rep. Don Beyer/X]

It’s Monday — Expect scattered rain showers today with a high near 55 and gusty northwest winds of 9–15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph. Overnight lows will dip to around 34 degrees under mostly clear skies. [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.