Author: ARLnow.com

Car Windows Smashed — Police found 12 vehicles with their driver’s-side windows broken across several South Arlington blocks, including near 10th Street S. and S. Columbus Street, in a series of reports filed June 17. The vehicles vary in make and model and there are no suspect descriptions, according to police. The case remains under investigation. [ACPD]

Rosslyn Cyberwarfare Unicorn — Twenty Technologies, a Rosslyn-based startup, raised $100 million at a $1 billion valuation, becoming what it calls the first venture-backed cyberwarfare unicorn in America. The company builds offensive cyber tools for the Defense Department and intelligence community. “We’re building software that enables our war fighters, our elite cyberoperators, to move even faster,” CEO Joe Lin said. [WBJ]

JFK Agent Laid to Rest — Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who threw himself over President Kennedy and the first lady after shots rang out in Dallas in 1963, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors Thursday. Hill, who died at 93, served under five presidents. Asked why the family chose Arlington, his widow Lisa McCubbin Hill said, “There was no other place.” [Arlington National Cemetery]

Juneteenth Holiday Schedule — Arlington County government offices are closed today for the Juneteenth holiday. Trash, recycling and organics curbside collection will run on its regular schedule, and parking meters won’t be enforced, though permit parking remains in effect. [Arlington County]

Toilet, Not Trash Can — Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services tied the Wizards’ expected No. 1 NBA draft pick to a sewer-system reminder on social media. “If you go No. 1 or even No. 2, only flush paper from the roll alongside. Everything else is a threat to sewer lines. Let’s go Wiz!” [Arlington DES/X]

Chiefs Reaffirm Mutual Aid — Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn joined regional public safety leaders at an Alexandria Police Department summit Thursday, where chiefs reaffirmed a commitment to mutual aid. “I’m confident that if I need something and I call Pete [Newsham] or Tarrick [McGuire], they’re going to help me,” Penn said. [ALXnow]

Driest Spell Since 1941 — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) is urging Virginians to voluntarily conserve water as the state endures its driest period since 1941, with precipitation about eight inches below average. “All Virginians can play a role in protecting our water supply during this historic dry period,” she said. The Department of Environmental Quality reports 100% of the commonwealth in drought. [Press Release]

It’s Friday — Expect scattered rain showers before 10 a.m. today, then partly sunny skies with a high near 83 and northwest winds of 3–10 mph gusting to 20. Skies turn mostly clear overnight, with a low around 64. [NWS]

New Legal Notice — Convenience grocery store applying for off-premises beer and wine license. [Public Notices]

County, School Board Fields Set — Audrey Clement and David Sisson were the only independents to qualify for the Nov. 3 County Board ballot, and will join the winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary that includes James DeVita, Julie Farnam and incumbent Matt de Ferranti. For School Board, incumbent Bethany Zecher Sutton and challenger James “Vell” Rives IV qualified for the ballot before the June 16 deadline, county election officials told ARLnow yesterday. —Scott McCaffrey

Ballston Metro Entrance Funded — The Commonwealth Transportation Board on Tuesday approved $20 million to support a second entrance to the Ballston Metro station, plus $475,000 for enhanced service on Arlington Transit Route 55 between East Falls Church and Rosslyn. Funding comes from the Commuter Choice revenue stream. —Scott McCaffrey

Daily Show Features Duffin — Michael Duffin, a Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, was featured on The Daily Show on Tuesday night during a segment on fired federal workers running for office. [The Daily Show]

World Cup Watch Party — The Arlington Sister City Association will host a World Cup watch party on Saturday, June 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Bronson Bierhall. The German team taking on Ivory Coast features Kai Havertz, a native of Arlington’s sister city of Aachen. It is his second World Cup appearance for Germany. [Arlington Sister City Association]

Farmers Market Pushback — A community group’s push to expand the award-winning Falls Church Farmers Market onto adjacent streets has drawn opposition from vendors and restaurant owners, who raised concerns about parking, competition and lost revenue. The Economic Development Authority declined to formally endorse the pilot, which would ultimately require City Council approval. [Falls Church Pulse]

Spanberger Signs Contraception Bills — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed the Right to Contraception Act and the Contraception Equity Act into law, guaranteeing access to birth control and requiring insurers to cover it. “Virginia is the only state in the South where a woman has the same freedom to make her own healthcare decisions as she did before the Dobbs decision,” Spanberger said. The measure had twice been vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). [Press Release]

It’s Thursday — Expect a high near 94 with partly sunny skies and a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Southwest winds of 13–22 mph could gust as high as 33 mph, with overnight lows around 69. [NWS]

New Public Notice — ABC permit application: limited mixed beverage restaurant, beer/wine/liqueurs, on/off-premises. [Public Notices]

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

Arlington-Backed Gun Bills Signed — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed four bills closing loopholes that allowed domestic abusers to keep firearms, including the “boyfriend loophole” covering unmarried partners. The laws, effective July 1, were championed by Arlington’s Sen. Barbara Favola (D) and Del. Adele McClure (D) and praised by Doorways, the county’s sole shelter for abuse survivors. [Press Release]

ACPD Adds 18 Officers — Arlington County’s 18 newest police officers graduated from Session 154 of the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. The class of 12 men and six women, from 10 states, will now complete a 12-week field training program before starting solo patrol. [Arlington County]

River Place’s 2052 Deadline — Owners at River Place, the four brick towers in Rosslyn, don’t own the ground beneath them. A 99-year ground lease signed in 1953 runs out in 2052, when the land and buildings revert to the land owner — the quirk that lets a Potomac-view condo in the roughly 1,720-unit complex sell for under $200,000. [Ghosts of DC]

Arlington Classics Make the List — Two Arlington mainstays made Washingtonian’s roundup of 25 D.C.-area restaurants still thriving after a quarter-century or more: Carlyle in Shirlington and Nam-Viet in Clarendon. Carlyle, the Great American Restaurants flagship, opened with the Village at Shirlington 40 years ago, while Nam-Viet has served Vietnamese fare since 1986 and is still known for its spring rolls. [Washingtonian]

Historical Society President Re-Elected — Peter Vaselopulos was reelected president of the Arlington Historical Society at the organization’s June 11 annual meeting. Sean Denniston was re-elected vice president, while Richard Samp will serve as treasurer and Harry Evans as secretary. —Scott McCaffrey

Parkway Speed Cameras Cleared — A new state law taking effect July 1 clears the way for speed cameras and added police enforcement on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, where a National Park Service study found speeding is a major crash factor. The cameras still need federal sign-off; the law lets Virginia State Police and Fairfax County police help U.S. Park Police, who now patrol the federally owned road alone. [Fox 5]

Squash Lanternflies Now — The invasive spotted lanternflies are back in their young “nymph” stage, and Fairfax County is urging residents to kill them before they mature into winged adults in July. “Vacuuming or squashing nymphs are the easiest ways to reduce the population,” the county said. Soapy water also works. [FFXnow]

Retail Weed Deal Reached — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) and legislators announced a compromise to open Virginia’s recreational marijuana market on July 1, 2027, reviving a plan she had vetoed. Sales would carry a 6% state tax, rising to 8% in 2029, with up to 350 retailers licensed in a phased rollout. The deal hinges on a state budget lawmakers must pass by June 30 to avert a first-ever shutdown. [NBC 4, WTOP, Virginia Mercury]

Microsoft Backpedals on Clean Energy — As the data center boom strains Virginia’s power grid, Microsoft is considering abandoning its goal of running on carbon-free electricity around the clock by 2030. The reversal collides with the state’s own climate targets. Virginia, the world’s data center capital, hosts Microsoft facilities in Loudoun, Prince William and Fairfax counties. [Inside Climate News]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 88 and a light southwest wind. Skies turn partly cloudy overnight with a low around 69. [NWS]

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