Dan Egitto | ARLnow

Masked teen reportedly brandished gun at two pedestrians on trail

Published April 14, 2026 at 12:45PM

Arlington police car (file photo)

Police arrested a teenager yesterday (Monday) after he reportedly brandished a gun at two victims walking on the W&OD Trail.

The two female victims were out on the trail near Glencarlyn Park around 7:15 p.m. when they encountered the suspect. According to scanner chatter, he began yelling and making threats, then pulled out a gun and cocked it.

News

Langston Blvd townhouse project gets Planning Commission’s support, despite staff opposition

By Dan Egitto

Published April 9, 2026 at 10:00AM

Renderings of proposed townhouses at 2134 N. Taylor Street (via Arlington County)

The Arlington Planning Commission has given its nod to a 47-unit townhouse development, despite staff concerns that the proposal doesn’t match the Langston Boulevard Area Plan.

Commissioners supported developer BCN Homes’ plan for 2134 N. Taylor Street in a split 5-2 vote, with Commissioner Peter Robertson and Chair Denyse “Nia” Bagley voting against. The vote follows support from the Transportation Commission, the Waverly Hills and Cherrydale civic associations, the Langston Boulevard Alliance and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, although county staff recommended against the project.

News

New ‘peacetech’ accelerator coming to National Landing, seeking to reduce violent conflict

By Dan Egitto

Published April 8, 2026 at 3:45PM

The Pentagon and National Landing, as seen from a departing flight (courtesy photo)

A new accelerator for startups promoting peace is launching in National Landing, helping founders raise capital and gain traction in the shadow of the Pentagon.

While the United States, Israel and Iran forge ahead with a two-week ceasefire after weeks of airstrikes and talk of dramatic escalation, the PeaceTech Accelerator — a 12-week program for organizations building software and AI that focuses on peacemaking — is still seeking applications as it plans to launch next month.

News

Virginia Supreme Court hears Missing Middle arguments as projects advance

By Dan Egitto

Published April 8, 2026 at 10:00AM

An EHO duplex on N. Troy Street in May 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Oral arguments in the lawsuit over Arlington County’s “Missing Middle” zoning changes are taking place in the Virginia Supreme Court this morning (Wednesday).

Justices are scheduled to hear a roughly 10-minute argument on plaintiffs’ attempt to reverse a Court of Appeals decision, which effectively put Missing Middle back on the books in Arlington last summer for procedural reasons. This moves the court one step closer to deciding whether to accept the case for full review.

News

New ‘microtransit’ program launches in northwest Arlington next week

By Dan Egitto

Published April 8, 2026 at 8:30AM

An example of a Via microtransit vehicle (via Via)

Arlington’s new “microtransit” pilot program is launching next week, providing on-demand rides in portions of the county with limited transit options.

The program launches next Monday, April 13. It will be available in two service zones: one in Westover Village and the other in a large swath of northwestern Arlington, including all or some of the neighborhoods of Rock Spring, Yorktown, East Falls Church, Williamsburg, Leeway Overlee, Hall’s Hill and Old Dominion.

News

Proposed 300-unit building on Langston Blvd gets thumbs up from Planning Commission

By Dan Egitto

Published April 7, 2026 at 3:45PM

A proposed redevelopment project at 3130 Langston Blvd (via Arlington County)

The Arlington Planning Commission has given its nod to a proposed 300-unit residential building on Langston Blvd despite concerns about the safety of a nearby intersection.

Planning commissioners voted 9-0, with one recusal, in support of developer Rooney Properties’ proposal at 3130 Langston Blvd, the site of a shuttered Walgreens near the I-66 off-ramp in the Lyon Village area. However, they also recommended that the County Board move up a study on reconfiguring the surrounding streetscape to match the Langston Boulevard Area Plan’s goals.

Schools

Panel on AI ethics and classroom instruction coming to APS next week

By Dan Egitto

Published April 2, 2026 at 3:45PM

Students at computer (via Anastassia Anufrieva/Unsplash)

A panel discussion on AI in the classroom and beyond is coming to Arlington Public Schools, supporting efforts to keep pace with the developing technology.

Superintendent Francisco Durán will moderate the community conversation next Tuesday, April 7. Educators, students and leaders in higher education and the workplace will “talk candidly about what AI means for teaching and learning right now,” Chief Academic Officer Gerald Mann said in an email to teachers.

News

Misleading anti-redistricting mailers prompt outcry from AG Jones, Virginia NAACP

By Dan Egitto

Published April 1, 2026 at 3:45PM

An anti-redistricting mailer sent to Arlington households (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A public messaging brawl over Virginia’s upcoming redistricting referendum has gotten even messier with new mailers prominently displaying out-of-context quotes from former President Barack Obama.

The front of the mailers, which some Arlington households received last week, urges residents to vote against redistricting and quotes Obama as saying, “Let voters decide, not politicians.” Obama actually supports redistricting, and his quote is taken from a pro-redistricting ad released a few weeks ago.

News

Amazon’s HQ2 workforce increases slightly, despite company-wide layoffs

By Dan Egitto

Published April 1, 2026 at 1:45PM

The grand opening of HQ2 in 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Total employment at HQ2 has increased slightly since 2024, despite multiple rounds of corporate layoffs at Amazon in recent months.

Around 8,500 employees currently work out of Amazon’s headquarters in Pentagon City, the company announced in a blog post this afternoon. That’s a modest increase from 8,330 employees reported at the end of 2024.

News

Construction begins on 42 new townhouses near Crystal City

By Dan Egitto

Published April 1, 2026 at 10:00AM

Construction on the Highlands Row development along S. Fern Street (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Construction on a row of new townhomes is getting underway at Crystal House Apartments, with completion expected in about a year.

The Highlands Row development of 42 townhouses along S. Fern Street — each with three bedrooms, two and a half baths and a price tag of about $1.2 million — is currently expected to begin foundation work next month and finish in May 2027, ARLnow is told.

News

Plans to redevelop two Rosslyn office buildings get a revamp after 12 years

By Dan Egitto

Published March 31, 2026 at 3:45PM

Renderings of proposed apartment buildings at 1401 Wilson Blvd (via Arlington County/YouTube)

A plan to redevelop two Rosslyn office towers and a parking garage has gotten a refresh, more than a decade after it was first approved.

Developer Monday Properties is back with a new proposal for two vacant, 12-story buildings at 1401 Wilson Blvd and 1400 Key Blvd, along with a parking garage that played a notable role in the Watergate scandal.

News

‘Snowcrete’ clearing operations cost Arlington $4.5M in unbudgeted costs

By Dan Egitto

Published March 30, 2026 at 3:45PM

Crews clear snowbanks in Ballston on Jan. 28, 2026 (staff photo)

Clearing operations after this January’s snow and ice storm cost Arlington County upwards of $4.5 million.

The county’s response to the Jan. 25 winter storm — including hauling over 2 million pounds of snow from commercial corridors, clearing over 900 bus stops and running emergency operations for 165 hours straight — far exceeded the Department of Environmental Services’ base budget for snow operations.