Author: Dan Egitto

Dan Egitto is an editor and reporter at ARLnow. Originally from Central Florida, he graduated from Duke University and previously reported at the Palatka Daily News in Florida and the Vallejo Times-Herald in California. Dan joined ARLnow in January 2024.

Events

Holiday events in Arlington: Tree lightings, a dog sweater contest and more

By Dan Egitto
Shirlington's tree lighting celebration from a past year (courtesy photo)

Christmastime in Arlington brings numerous tree lightings, holiday markets and other festive activities for residents of all ages.

Upcoming highlights include a snowball fight in Aurora Highlands, a dog sweater contest and various opportunities for Christmas shopping. Here’s a look at what is ahead.

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News

Demolition concludes at former Key Bridge Marriott, leaving empty lot worth $47.5M

By Dan Egitto
The former Key Bridge Marriott at 1401 Langston Blvd (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The former Key Bridge Marriott building is no more, leaving behind a void on a piece of prime real estate in Rosslyn.

Virtually nothing remains of the notorious closed hotel at 1401 Langston Blvd, which began demolition in February after being declared a “public nuisance” in May 2024.

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News

Thanksgiving brings closures across Arlington on Thursday and Friday

By Dan Egitto
Bozman Government Center in Courthouse (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

The Thanksgiving holiday will bring closures to some Arlington County offices and services on Thursday and Friday.

All public libraries in Arlington will be closed on both days, as will almost all community centers and administrative offices at the parks department. The Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center will be open from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday, however.

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News

WBJ: Arlington’s busiest Metro station is at the Pentagon

By Dan Egitto
A Metrorail train (file photo)

The Pentagon’s Metro station was the most popular in Arlington this year, followed closely by the one in Pentagon City, according to a new analysis.

The stop at the Pentagon received about 10,300 daily riders, while Pentagon City saw around 9,000 riders per day, according to a Washington Business Journal ranking of weekday ridership numbers in May 2025.

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News

Construction on new Green Valley art space expected to finish next month

By Dan Egitto
The forthcoming art space at 2700 S. Nelson Street (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Construction on a new art space next to Jennie Dean Park is entering its final stages as the county plans for a public debut next year.

Work on the recreation area at 2700 S. Nelson Street — between the Arlington Food Assistance Center warehouse and the Cultural Affairs building in Green Valley — is expected to wrap up next month, county spokesperson Alyson Jordan Tomaszewski told ARLnow.

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News

Arlington health care leaders warn of surging need due to federal spending cuts

By Dan Egitto
Arlington Free Clinic on Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Expected spikes in health care premiums, cuts to Medicaid funding and tighter eligibility requirements have left Arlington social services scrambling to meet an incoming surge in need.

Northern Virginia officials at the state and federal level say they’re doing what they can to soften the impacts of planned federal rollbacks, many of which aren’t scheduled to take effect for months or years. Despite Democrats’ efforts in Congress, however, one of the first major changes — a lapse in enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act — is expected to hit as many as 100,000 Virginians at the end of the year.

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News

After church rebuke of immigration enforcement, Arlington bishop calls for common ground

By Dan Egitto
Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge (courtesy of the Diocese of Arlington)

Arlington’s Roman Catholic bishop is emphasizing both border security and humanitarian issues after helping to write a rare rebuke of immigration enforcement nationwide.

In an interview on the Diocese of Arlington’s podcast this week, Bishop Michael Burbidge defended the special statement on immigration that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved in a 216-5-3 vote last week — but particularly stressed the need to safeguard national interests while supporting immigrant communities.

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Around Town

Arlington’s snowplow naming contest returns, seeking fresh puns

By Dan Egitto
A snowplow in Lyon Park (file photo)

As the days get chillier, Arlington County is looking for a new flurry of winter wit to name its fleet of brine trucks and snowplows.

The “Name that Plow!” competition — which produced more than 1,200 responses in 2024 — is back for its second year, seeking out punchy suggestions for the 60 names that will appear on the county’s snow and ice map if Arlington gets more than two inches of snow.

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News

Planned Langston Blvd upgrades include revamped I-66 off-ramp, changes to Custis Trail

By Dan Egitto
Commuters in cars and on bikes along Langston Blvd in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Planned changes to the easternmost leg of Langston Blvd include efforts to improve safety for bicyclists and reduce backups onto I-66.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has released a set of six conceptual sketches at Langston Blvd intersections between N. Lynn Street and N. Veitch Street. The agency is seeking more public feedback as part of an attempt to strengthen safety and operations along the busy road and the nearby Custis Trail.

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News

Arlington ranked No. 1 most generous ‘medium city’ in the nation

By Dan Egitto
Goodwill's Mobile Donation Express in Clarendon (courtesy of Goodwill)

Arlington has once again ranked as one of the most generous localities in the nation, by one measure.

The county clocked in at No. 1 in Charity Navigator’s latest ranking of the most charitable “cities” with a population between 200,001 and 500,000 people.

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Events

Photos with Santa Claus coming to Ballston next month

By Dan Egitto
A Christmas tree at Ballston Quarter in a previous year (file photo)

Santa Claus is coming to Ballston in just a couple weeks.

The champion of Christmas cheer will set up shop on Dec. 5 on the first floor of the Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd). This is in addition to another Santa outpost at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, where families began getting photos today (Friday) near Nordstrom on the first level.

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News

DEVELOPING: House Judiciary Committee chair launches inquiry into Arlington’s top prosecutor

By Dan Egitto
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at her election watch party in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The chair of the House Judiciary Committee is challenging Arlington’s top prosecutor over a case involving a local activist critical of the Trump administration.

Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti yesterday (Thursday), accusing her of “political bias” and requesting numerous documents related to court proceedings and federal funding for her office.

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