Dan Egitto | ARLnow

Bicyclist hurt in collision with sprinting deer on W&OD Trail

Published May 4, 2026 at 2:45PM

The W&OD Trail at the N. Ohio Street overpass (via Google Maps)

A bicyclist took a tumble over the weekend after a white-tailed deer crashed into her at full speed on the W&OD Trail.

The unusual cyclist-deer collision took place around 11:30 a.m. Saturday near the N. Ohio Street overpass in the Madison Manor neighborhood, according to scanner chatter.

News

JUST IN: House committee targets Arlington police, sheriff’s office and prosecutors over ‘sanctuary policies’

By Dan Egitto

Published May 4, 2026 at 10:00AM | Updated May 5, 2026 at 1:10PM

Flags flying in the wind at Arlington County's justice center in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The House Judiciary Committee is targeting all three of Arlington’s main criminal justice agencies over local policies that restrict contact with immigration enforcement.

In separate letters to the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the committee took issue with the limits that these agencies have placed on their cooperation with immigration officers, arguing that such policies endanger the public.

Around Town

Trivia enthusiast from Halls Hill to appear on ‘Jeopardy!’ after years of effort

By Dan Egitto

Published May 1, 2026 at 10:00AM

Matt Davis appears on 'Jeopardy!' (courtesy of Jeopardy Productions, Inc)

An Arlington man with a background in trivia game shows will be competing on “Jeopardy!” on Monday night.

Matt Davis, a Capital One banker who lives in Halls Hill, previously competed on “It’s Academic” when he was in high school, and on “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” in college. He took his first online test to try and compete on “Jeopardy!” 15 years ago, and had auditioned for the show three times before finally getting his chance.

Around Town

Rhodes scholar from Arlington honors influential teacher at Stanford ceremony

By Dan Egitto

Published April 29, 2026 at 3:45PM

Sydney Barta and her former teacher, Ashley Mattoon (courtesy of Sydney Barta)

A Rhodes scholar and Paralympian who grew up in Arlington is preparing to graduate Stanford University as one of its top engineering students.

Sydney Barta, who was named a 2026 Rhodes scholar last November, was honored last weekend with the Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Scholastic Award — an honorific that goes to Stanford’s top 30 undergraduate seniors studying engineering.

News

County Board candidate criticizes prosecutors over handling of assault case

By Dan Egitto

Published April 29, 2026 at 2:45PM

Audrey Clement gathering signatures outside of Arlington Central Library on Monday, March 9, 2026 (staff photo)

Frequent County Board candidate Audrey Clement has taken issue with the amount of time her assailant was sentenced to serve for attacking her and a bystander outside a library in March.

The man, 47-year-old Jonathan Rogers, pleaded guilty to striking Clement in the back of the head and hitting a bystander in the eye when he intervened in the apparently unprovoked attack. Rogers was released from jail on Sunday after spending just 50 days behind bars — an amount of time that Clement believes is unacceptable.

News

Self-driving delivery robots begin exploring the sidewalks of Arlington

By Dan Egitto

Published April 29, 2026 at 10:00AM

A robotic delivery service at Wilson Blvd and Barton Street (via DES/Bluesky)

A company that uses self-driving robots to deliver food, groceries and online purchases has begun mapping out the streets and sidewalks of Arlington County.

Avride, a Massachusetts-based company that produces autonomous cars in addition to delivery bots, has deployed at least one “personal delivery device” to chart a two-mile radius in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. The initial phase is expected to last for about two weeks, according to a county webpage about the devices.

News

County hires new waste contractor to help with missed organics pickups

By Dan Egitto

Published April 28, 2026 at 11:45AM | Updated April 28, 2026 at 1:47PM

Bates trash truck in August 2025 (staff photo)

Arlington County has taken on a second waste contractor to help account for missed organics collections this spring.

The county hired Rockville, Md.-based Compost Crew to assist Bates Trucking and Trash Removal with collections starting on April 20. The cost is $9,920 per week, Katie O’Brien, spokesperson for Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services, told ARLnow.

News

Man who attacked County Board candidate sentenced to 100 days in jail

By Dan Egitto

Published April 27, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated April 27, 2026 at 11:23PM

Audrey Clement gathering signatures outside of Arlington Central Library on Monday, March 9, 2026 (staff photo)

A man who attacked frequent County Board candidate Audrey Clement while she was gathering signatures outside a library has been sentenced to 100 days of active jail time.

Jonathan Rogers, 47, was sentenced to just shy of two years, with all but 100 days suspended, for the March 7 attack in which he struck Clement in the back of the head and hit another man in the eye, according to sentencing documents. He must also pay $16,050 in restitution for the violent, and apparently unprovoked, struggle outside Central Library.

News

Spotted lanternflies hatch in Arlington for another buggy season

By Dan Egitto

Published April 27, 2026 at 9:15AM

Spotted lanternfly nymphs (via Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services/Facebook)

One of Arlington’s least favorite insects is back for the spring, as invasive as ever.

Spotted lanternflies have begun hatching after their annual winter die-off and are currently in their nymph stage, Alonso Abugattas, Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County, informed ARLnow.

News

New turning restrictions on Arlington Blvd to be installed starting next week

By Dan Egitto

Published April 23, 2026 at 2:45PM

The intersection of Irving Street and Arlington Blvd (via VDOT)

Additional signs, markings and flex posts will be coming to six Arlington Blvd intersections beginning next week, seeking to promote safety at crossings without traffic signals.

Building on the success of similar installations at N. and S. Highland Street, the project will add left-turn and through restrictions at all unsignalized intersections on Arlington Blvd between Fillmore Street and Glebe Road, along with a left-turn restriction at N. and S. Irving Street.

Events

Earth Day celebration, Clarendon art festival bring weekend road closures

By Dan Egitto

Published April 23, 2026 at 11:45AM

Festivities at the Earth Day Every Day Festival (via Langston Boulevard Alliance/Facebook)

An annual arts festival in Clarendon and an Earth Day celebration near Langston Blvd will result in some road closures this weekend.

The 12th annual Arlington Festival of the Arts will kick off the weekend with over 125 exhibitors showcasing original pieces beginning on Saturday. The following roads will be closed from 3 a.m. Saturday through 8 p.m. Sunday.

News

Ballston Holiday Inn closes, preparing for 504-unit redevelopment project

By Katie Taranto and Dan Egitto

Published April 23, 2026 at 10:00AM

Fencing around the Ballston Holiday Inn hotel site in April 2026 (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A Holiday Inn hotel in the Ballston area has closed and is now fenced off, apparently in preparation for a redevelopment project approved back in 2023.

Multiple tipsters contacted ARLnow this month after the hotel at 4610 Fairfax Drive closed its doors. The hotel has left IHG Hotels and Resorts’ system, a spokesperson said, although they did not say exactly when the location stopped admitting guests.