Dan Egitto | ARLnow

New CC2DCA renderings released ahead of open house tonight

Published January 29, 2025 at 8:15AM | Updated January 29, 2025 at 9:53AM

An aerial rendering depicting one possibility for the planned CC2DCA bridge (courtesy of the National Landing BID, illustration by Dariush Watercolors)

An open house on plans for a pedestrian bridge between Crystal City and Reagan National Airport is happening today (Wednesday).

New watercolor renderings of the “CC2DCA” bridge — produced by the National Landing BID, and not necessarily representative of the county’s plans at the moment — depict a 20-foot-wide connector with a continuous canopy.

News

EXCLUSIVE: What Trump and Amazon return-to-office orders could mean for Arlington

By Dan Egitto and Katie Taranto

Published January 28, 2025 at 3:45PM

Aerial view of the Pentagon and Pentagon City (staff photo)

Return-to-office mandates at Amazon and in the federal government could provide an economic boon to Arlington, experts say.

As President Donald Trump’s executive order to end many remote-work arrangements sent shockwaves through federal workplaces last week, Amazon employees this month also began working five days a week at HQ2.

News

Charges pending as police identify victim of fatal Ballston crash

By Dan Egitto

Published January 28, 2025 at 2:30PM

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

Charges are expected to be filed after yesterday’s fatal, high-speed crash at along Wilson Blvd.

Police say charges are pending against one of the drivers, who was seriously injured. The deceased, meanwhile, has been identified as a 32-year-old woman: Xuewei He of McLean.

News

LGBTQ+ advocates call on Arlington County Board for greater protections

By Dan Egitto

Published January 27, 2025 at 2:30PM | Updated January 27, 2025 at 5:41PM

LGBTQ+ advocates at an Arlington County Board meeting on Saturday, Jan. 25 (via Arlington County/YouTube)

LGBTQ+ advocates are lobbying the Arlington County Board for a resolution safeguarding against potential attacks on their rights.

Dozens of activists packed the Board’s meeting room on Saturday to decry recent developments at the federal and state level, including President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting gender identity and “gender ideology.” They argue that such actions threaten the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people everywhere.

News

More advanced license plate cameras set to go live in Arlington

By Dan Egitto

Published January 23, 2025 at 3:45PM

New ACPD license plate reading technology on Fairfax Drive in Ballston (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A set of 25 new license plate cameras are scheduled to go live in Arlington in coming weeks.

The cameras, from the surveillance company Flock Safety, provide more information than the county’s existing license plate readers, which have been in use since 2012.

News

New Crystal City apartments open with cafe and boxing gym planned

By Dan Egitto

Published January 23, 2025 at 9:45AM

The Hazel and Azure apartment towers at 3030 & 3130 S. Potomac Avenue (via Hazel National Landing/Instagram)

A pair of new apartment buildings have opened in Crystal City, with plans for a boxing gym and cafe on the ground floor.

Hazel and Azure at National Landing, located at 3030 and 3130 S. Potomac Avenue, offer a total of 491 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom homes.

News

Long Bridge builder and designer named, completing $2.3B project’s team

By Dan Egitto

Published January 22, 2025 at 9:45AM

Renderings of the planned Long Bridge project over the Potomac (via Virginia Passenger Rail/Flickr)

Plans for two new bridges over the Potomac River have moved “to the next level” with the announcement of a contractor to design and build the structures.

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) last week named Long Bridge Rail Partners — a joint venture between three general contractors — as the organization responsible for finalizing designs and beginning construction on the “South Package” of the Long Bridge Project.

News

Stomach bug cases surge in Arlington as experts warn of norovirus

By Dan Egitto

Published January 21, 2025 at 1:15PM

Doctor on a computer (Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash)

A notoriously contagious stomach bug’s spread through Arlington has public health experts urging extra precautions.

An alert about a wave of suspected norovirus cases went out to Arlington Public Schools families last week as reported “norovirus-like outbreaks” have surged in Northern Virginia since late 2024.

News

Five years after unsolved Ballston homicide, police renew requests for tips

By Dan Egitto

Published January 17, 2025 at 1:15PM

The person of interest in the January 2020 death of Scott Ratigan (via ACPD/YouTube)

On the fifth anniversary of an unsolved Ballston homicide, police are renewing requests for tips as the victim’s family continues to offer a $50,000 reward.

Today (Friday) marks five years since police were dispatched to an apartment building on the 800 block of N. Randolph Street in early 2020. They found 24-year-old Scott Ratigan inside his bedroom, “suffering from trauma to the upper body.”

News

Bill to detain more undocumented suspects opposed by Arlington prosecutor

By Dan Egitto

Published January 16, 2025 at 4:05PM | Updated January 17, 2025 at 8:58AM

Anti-ICE protesters outside of county government headquarters in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington’s top prosecutor is voicing opposition to a bill that would broaden requirements for federal law enforcement to detain undocumented suspects.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti issued a statement today (Thursday) arguing that mandating detention of people charged, arrested or convicted for theft-related crimes under the Laken Riley Act would run contrary to public safety interests.

Schools

Arlington Tech math teacher earns national teaching award

By Dan Egitto

Published January 16, 2025 at 2:30PM

Geraldine Maskelony (via Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching)

An Arlington educator has received the nation’s highest honor for teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Geraldine “Gerri” Maskelony, a statistics teacher at Arlington Tech, has earned the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the White House announced this week. With the award, she received $10,000 from the National Science Foundation and a certificate signed by President Joe Biden.

News

Winter weather drives dozens of water main breaks in Arlington

By Dan Egitto

Published January 16, 2025 at 1:15PM

A crew responds to a water main break on 26th Street N. on Jan. 15, 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Fluctuating temperatures in recent weeks have led to a spate of water main breaks in Arlington.

Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 15 alone, the county saw 33 breaks, county spokesperson Katie O’Brien told ARLnow. The county’s water main break map shows issues scattered across numerous neighborhoods, some affecting well over 100 people.