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.

News

Activists and Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears debate APS transgender policy at School Board meeting

By Dan Egitto
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears speaks at an Arlington School Board meeting while Tony Weaver, Mary Detweiler and other activists wave trans flags (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

An Arlington School Board meeting yesterday evening (Thursday) attracted Republican governor candidate Winsome Earle-Sears and a large crowd of activists, most advocating for transgender rights.

This was the School Board members’ first meeting since they announced that they would be maintaining their current policy of letting transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity, despite the U.S. Department of Education’s threats to withhold federal funding.

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News

New poll finds broad support among Northern Virginians for state-level housing reforms

By Dan Egitto
An apartment building in Courthouse (courtesy George Brazier)

New polling suggests broad support among Virginians for state-level legislation to support building more housing.

A survey of about 1,300 Virginia voters found that the vast majority of respondents — about 73% — believe that the state lacks enough homes that people can afford to rent or buy.

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News

New speed cameras and speed humps installed in Arlington school zones

By Dan Egitto
A speed camera on Washington Blvd, east of N. Glebe Road in August 2024 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

As students head back to school on Monday, new speed cameras and speed humps are intended to improve safety in Arlington school zones.

The Arlington County Police Department has installed 10 additional cameras over the summer, bringing its total number up to 28. Additionally, the county is in the process of installing new speed humps at seven locations near schools.

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News

Columbia Pike roadwork nears finish line, shoots for completion by end of year

By Dan Egitto
Roadwork along Columbia Pike (via Arlington County/YouTube)

Years of construction on Columbia Pike are finally nearing a conclusion, with county staff targeting “substantial completion” by the end of this year.

Crews have finished construction on five segments of the busy corridor, and only two segments remain in “heavy construction,” county spokesperson Claudia Pors said in a recent project update. These stretches of the Pike run between S. Garfield Street and S. Quinn Street.

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News

Arlington plans public outreach on rules for impermeable surfaces at single-family homes

By Dan Egitto
Minor flooding along Military Road in 2017 (staff photo)

County staff are gearing up to start public outreach on potentially tighter regulations for impermeable surfaces in Arlington’s low-density residential neighborhoods.

Arlington County currently regulates lot coverage in these neighborhoods, but incremental changes to properties — such as adding patios and walkways — can cover more and more of a parcel with surfaces that don’t absorb water. This can increase the risk of flooding and more intense heat in surrounding areas.

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News

Missed trash pick-ups continue weeks after Arlington hired new waste contractor

By Dan Egitto
Bates trash truck in August 2025 (staff photo)

Issues with Arlington County’s new solid waste contractor have continued throughout this month, with customers still reporting about 100 missed collections every day.

While the new contractor, Bates Trucking and Trash Removal, has extended collection hours and weekend service since beginning work on Aug. 1, the county has initiated “financial penalties” and lent some trash trucks to assist with collection. The Department of Environmental Services (DES) has four trash trucks it uses to assist with street litter cans, special events and other activities.

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News

Raids on D.C. homeless encampments come amid growing demand for services in Arlington

By Dan Egitto and Katie Taranto
A Rosslyn-area homeless encampment (courtesy George Brazier)

President Donald Trump’s crackdown on homeless encampments in D.C. comes during a period of increasing need for homelessness resources in Arlington.

The number of people without homes in Arlington has been steadily rising for the past four years — growing from a 10-year low of 171 in 2021 to 271 as of this January. Those numbers come hand-in-hand with increased demands on a local network of related services, including emergency housing.

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Traffic

NOW: Traffic blocked on Key Bridge as Ukraine’s president visits D.C.

By Dan Egitto and The Associated Press
Traffic camera footage of the road closure at the Key Bridge (via Arlington County)

Lanes on the Key Bridge were closed to traffic while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders visit D.C. today.

Some drivers began posting about the closure on social media during their commutes this morning (Monday). Further closures and traffic backups were also reported on the D.C. side of the bridge in Georgetown.

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Schools

DEVELOPING: APS holds firm to transgender policy, defying Dept. of Education

By Dan Egitto
Students at Washington-Liberty High School protest for transgender students' rights in 2022 (staff photo)

Defying demands from the U.S. Department of Education, Arlington Public Schools has announced plans to retain its current policy on transgender students’ access to facilities.

In a statement to parents and an accompanying letter to the federal agency, the school system argued that it cannot legally comply with federal attempts to stop letting transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding with their gender identity.

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News

Woman rescued from early-morning house fire in Alcova Heights

By Dan Egitto
A house fire on the 3700 block of 8th Street S. (courtesy of Pat Kehs)

Firefighters rescued a woman from a second-floor window while responding to a house fire in Alcova Heights early this morning (Tuesday).

The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the blaze on the 3700 block of 8th Street S. around 5:45 a.m. First responders described a fire in the attic and smoke coming from the roof.

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News

Beyer and DHS trade blows after congressman visits immigration detention center

By Dan Egitto
Protesters call for the release of an ICE detainee in May (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Arlington’s congressman is quarreling with the Department of Homeland Security following a visit to one of Virginia’s immigration detention centers.

The federal department publicly criticized U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D) in a press release after he visited Farmville Detention Center on Friday. It accused him of prioritizing detainees with criminal convictions over crime victims.

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News

Record demand for food and shaky economy leave $891K budget gap at AFAC

By Dan Egitto
Volunteers place food in crates for distribution at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Record demand has left Arlington’s largest food pantry with an $891,000 hole in its budget this fiscal year — and it may only get worse.

Almost one out of every 10 Arlington residents, 23,190 people, had an active referral to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) in fiscal year 2025.

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