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.

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Federal workforce cuts drive bleak economic outlook in Arlington

By Dan Egitto
Storm clouds, as seen from Rosslyn in 2023 (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.

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

By Dan Egitto
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.

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Parking reductions at National Airport go into effect next week

By Dan Egitto
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.

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

By Dan Egitto
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.

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

By Dan Egitto
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.

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

By Dan Egitto
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.

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

By Dan Egitto
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.

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EXCLUSIVE: Arlington firefighters ’embarrassed’ by failure to send water rescue team to crash

By Dan Egitto
A Prince William County fire boat searches the Potomac River the morning after the mid-air collision and crash (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The Arlington County Fire Department’s water rescue team did not respond to last week’s fatal midair collision, against the wishes of local firefighters, ARLnow has learned.

While first responders from throughout the D.C. area descended on the site of the devastating collision that killed 67 people on Jan. 29, ACFD personnel trained to respond to water emergencies did not receive permission to act. That is according to internal materials that this news site obtained through an anonymous source.

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NEW: AIM audit reveals ‘deeply concerning’ issues in handling of $2M from county

By Dan Egitto
Arlington Independent Media logo (via AIM)

The results of an audit on Arlington Independent Media are out, revealing substantial gaps and errors in how the nonprofit handled some $2 million in county-provided funds.

The audit report appears to have been uploaded by Arlington County yesterday, the day after ARLnow reported on delays in its release. It suggests that AIM failed to provide adequate documentation for over $1 million in expenditures, including payments to dozens of third-party contractors.

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AIM renews calls for county help as ‘hard deadline’ to reboot WERA 96.7 approaches

By Dan Egitto
Arlington Independent Media staff at work in earlier times (via Arlington County)

An impending deadline for Arlington Independent Media’s broadcasting license is reinvigorating the nonprofit’s requests for county help.

AIM — which has been attempting to reboot after laying off its entire staff last March amid significant debt and a pending county audit — has until March 21 to resume broadcasting at WERA 96.7.

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JUST IN: Road near hospital blocked after driver smashes into wall, utility pole

By Dan Egitto
A crash near 16th Road N. and N Abingdon Street (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A road near Virginia Hospital Center was blocked Tuesday afternoon following an unusual crash.

The crash happened around noon on 16th Street N. near N. Abingdon Street, in the Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood.

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Before fatal plane crash, Arlington advocates fought crowded airspace for years

By Dan Egitto and Scott McCaffrey
Police and fire boats search the Potomac River the morning after the mid-air collision and crash, with the crash site visible in the background (Staff photo by James Jarvis)

Last week’s fatal aircraft collision over the Potomac River reverberates with many Arlington leaders’ longstanding concerns about the county’s crowded airspace.

In the immediate aftermath of the collision near Reagan National Airport — which claimed the lives of 64 people on a regional jet and three soldiers on a military helicopter — U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is calling for permanent changes.

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