Dan Egitto | ARLnow

Facing federal uncertainty, Arlington seeks more tech companies

Published February 24, 2025 at 2:30PM

Amazon HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Facing job cuts and wide-ranging uncertainty at the federal level, Arlington Economic Development has launched a new program to attract more tech companies.

Arlington Tech Launchpad formally kicked off on Jan. 29, the day after President Donald Trump’s “deferred resignation” emails cast federal workplaces around the country into turmoil.

Schools

APS stops posting on X, heads to Bluesky

By Dan Egitto

Published February 21, 2025 at 8:15AM

The Arlington Public Schools page on X (via APS/X)

Arlington Public Schools is abandoning X for Bluesky.

The school system announced Wednesday that it will no longer post updates on X — formerly Twitter — although its account will “remain open.”

News

Feedback sought on Rosslyn, Ballston and Shirlington projects with over 1,200 units proposed

By Dan Egitto

Published February 20, 2025 at 9:00AM

Illustrative concepts of the Ballston One project at 4601 N. Fairfax Drive (via Arlington County)

Arlington County is currently seeking feedback on three development projects with a total of 1,255 proposed units.

Online engagement periods for all three proposals, located in Rosslyn, Ballston and Shirlington, are wrapping up soon. A list of the projects and their locations is below.

Schools

LGBTQ+ group urges more support for APS transgender students amid federal investigation

By Dan Egitto

Published February 19, 2025 at 3:30PM

LBGTQ+ advocates at an Arlington County Board meeting on Jan. 27, 2025 (courtesy of Kellen MacBeth)

An LGBTQ+ advocacy group is calling for Arlington Public Schools to take a more aggressive stance in support of transgender students.

Equality Arlington released a letter this week urging the school system to “stand up for the rights of transgender athletes and oppose all discriminatory policies from whatever source they come.”

News

Driver in fatal Ballston crash remains hospitalized, police say

By Jared Serre and Dan Egitto

Published February 19, 2025 at 9:00AM | Updated February 19, 2025 at 9:55AM

A crash at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Glebe Road in Ballston (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The driver of a pickup truck involved in a fatal crash in Ballston last month is still hospitalized, local officials told ARLnow.

A criminal investigation into the incident, which killed a 32-year-old doctoral candidate and snarled traffic in Ballston for hours, is still underway, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow.

News

Federal workforce cuts drive bleak economic outlook in Arlington

By Dan Egitto

Published February 18, 2025 at 3:45PM | Updated February 19, 2025 at 9:30AM

Storm clouds, as seen from Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Mass resignations, layoffs and turmoil within the federal workforce present sweeping and potentially unprecedented challenges for Arlington’s economy, experts say.

As President Donald Trump’s plans to dramatically shrink the federal government have begun to take shape in recent weeks, so have projections for wide-ranging economic fallout throughout the D.C. area.

News

DEVELOPING: Dept. of Education announces investigation of APS transgender policies

By Dan Egitto

Published February 14, 2025 at 2:01PM | Updated February 14, 2025 at 3:09PM

The Arlington School Board at a meeting earlier this year (via APS)

The U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into Arlington Public Schools’ policies around transgender students.

The federal department announced this week that it is investigating five Northern Virginia school districts, including APS, following a complaint from America First Legal.

News

Parking reductions at National Airport go into effect next week

By Dan Egitto

Published February 14, 2025 at 9:00AM

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A sizeable portion of Reagan National Airport’s economy parking lot will be closed for construction starting next week.

Beginning Monday, about 850 of the parking lot’s 2,680 spaces will be unavailable, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said in a press release. Construction is expected to continue into 2026, and at its peak, up to 1,100 of the lot’s spaces will be displaced.

News

AIM regains access to radio room, but hurdles remain for WERA 96.7

By Dan Egitto

Published February 13, 2025 at 3:45PM

The Bozman Government Center at 2100 Clarendon Blvd on Sept. 6, 2024 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Arlington Independent Media has paid a visit to the county’s radio room, but the organization’s FM station isn’t back on the air just yet.

The county allowed the struggling nonprofit to access its transmission room — with supervision — today (Thursday), county spokesperson David Barrera told ARLnow this afternoon.

News

As demolition starts at Key Bridge Marriott site, Georgetown fans pine for an arena

By Dan Egitto

Published February 13, 2025 at 9:00AM

Demolition starting at the former Key Bridge Marriott at 1401 Langston Blvd in Rosslyn (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Demolition is getting underway at the former Key Bridge Marriott, raising questions about what happens next at the Rosslyn property.

Current plans for 1401 Langston Blvd, approved back in March 2020, call for hundreds of new apartments and a renovated hotel. Property owner KBLH has until July 1 to either act on those plans or let them expire, county spokesperson Ryan Hudson told ARLnow.

News

Will better safety around National Airport mean more helicopters over Arlington?

By Dan Egitto

Published February 10, 2025 at 3:50PM

Reagan National Airport (staff photo by James Jarvis)

As safety restrictions tighten around Reagan National Airport, Arlington’s congressman is pushing to ensure this doesn’t mean more aircraft noise over residential areas.

Following last month’s fatal midair collision between a military helicopter and a commercial jet, the Federal Aviation Administration has announced new guardrails on flights around the airport.

News

History-making Black female firefighter retires after 30 years at ACFD

By Dan Egitto

Published February 10, 2025 at 1:15PM

ACFD Chief Tiffanye Wesley was honored for 30 years of service outside Bozman Government Center on Feb. 7, 2025 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A history-making Black female leader retired Friday after a 30-year career at the Arlington County Fire Department.

Tiffanye Wesley — the department’s first Black female lieutenant, captain, battalion chief and deputy chief — celebrated her last day at the agency surrounded by dozens of friends and fellow firefighters.