Dan Egitto | ARLnow

JUST IN: House committee subpoenas Arlington prosecutor in bias investigation

Published March 20, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated March 23, 2026 at 12:25PM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an anti-ICE rally in Courthouse this month (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney, the latest escalation in a months-long dispute over her handling of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has filed a subpoena seeking to compel Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti to release numerous documents related to a case involving the search and seizure of an activist’s cellphone.

News

ACPD: Alexandria man charged for “unprovoked” attack on officers this morning in Clarendon

By Dan Egitto

Published March 20, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated March 20, 2026 at 4:50PM

Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

A 26-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly assaulting two Arlington police officers without provocation early this morning (Friday).

Quinton Berry, an Alexandria resident, was “bloody and agitated” when he allegedly approached two officers whose police vehicle was stopped at a traffic light in Clarendon around 3 a.m., the Arlington County Police Department said in a press release.

News

‘Soft interview room’ for victims of crime to be installed at Arlington courthouse

By Dan Egitto

Published March 20, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated March 23, 2026 at 4:35PM

An example of a Project Beloved "soft interview" room (via Project Beloved/Facebook)

Victims of crime in Arlington will soon have a more soothing and intentionally designed space to speak with an attorney about their experiences.

A planned “soft interview room” from the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office is intended to create a greater sense of ease and safety during victim interviews. With pleasant art, a couch, blankets and a soothing color palette, the room — created in partnership with the nonprofit Project Beloved — will finish installation next week on the fifth floor of the courthouse.

News

Arlington tap water may taste chlorinated during cleaning starting next week

By Dan Egitto

Published March 20, 2026 at 8:30AM

Tap water in a kitchen sink (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Tap water in Arlington may have a distinct taste and smell of chlorine for a while as an annual cleaning of the county’s pipe network begins next week.

Starting Monday, Arlington will swap out its year-round disinfectant, chloramine, for chlorine — resulting in “a slight change in taste or scent when using the tap.”

Around Town

ACPD officer steps in with pizza after APS charter bus gets stuck in mud

By Dan Egitto

Published March 19, 2026 at 3:45PM

A charter bus stuck in the mud next to Arlington Blvd (via ACPD/X)

A busload of middle schoolers had a rollercoaster of a morning earlier this week after a charter bus took a wrong turn onto a bike path next to Arlington Blvd.

The students from Kenmore Middle School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School were on their way to a music assessment on Tuesday morning when their bus driver, who was trying to follow GPS directions, ended up turning onto a paved pathway that runs alongside Arlington Blvd, police spokesperson Kiyah Daniell told ARLnow.

News

Restoration work begins on memorials and masonry near Arlington National Cemetery

By Dan Egitto

Published March 19, 2026 at 2:45PM

The eagles on GW Parkway, looking toward Arlington National Cemetery (courtesy of NPS)

Historic preservation work began today (Thursday) on several structures and memorials near Arlington National Cemetery, resulting in lane closures on Washington Blvd and GW Parkway.

Through mid to late May, the National Park Service will be cleaning the Boundary Channel Bridge, repairing deteriorating mortar and conducting restoration work on the Seabees Memorial, the United Spanish War Veterans Memorial and the structural bases of the nearby eagle statues.

News

County withholding nearly $1M from trash contractor due to missed collections

By Dan Egitto

Published March 17, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated April 28, 2026 at 1:48PM

A Bates trash truck on 26th Street N. in January (courtesy Anne Wilson)

Problems with missed collections appear to have persisted in the months since Arlington changed its trash contractor last summer, resulting in almost $1 million in withheld payments.

The county withheld more than $855,000 from its invoices to Bates Trucking and Trash Removal between August and January, Katie O’Brien, spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Services, told ARLnow.

News

Public comment sought on GW Parkway’s ‘long-term’ tree removal strategy

By Dan Egitto

Published March 17, 2026 at 2:45PM

Construction and lane closures along the GW Parkway (via National Park Service)

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input on big-picture plans for GW Parkway’s vistas and foliage — a topic that has previously sparked significant controversy.

A virtual public meeting on “long-term care of historic scenic views,” featuring a presentation and an opportunity for questions, is scheduled for 6 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Respondents can also comment online through Saturday, April 11.

Events

Easter Bunny hops into Pentagon City mall next week

By Dan Egitto

Published March 13, 2026 at 1:45PM

The Easter Bunny (courtesy of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City)

As the first spring flowers bloom and warmer weather gradually returns, Pentagon City is welcoming back the Easter Bunny beginning next week.

Photos with the beloved rabbit begin at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City on Thursday, March 19 and continue through Easter Sunday on April 5. He will be in Nordstrom Court on the mall’s first level.

Around Town

Four Courts Four Miler brings road closures to Courthouse this weekend

By Dan Egitto

Published March 12, 2026 at 12:15PM

Ireland's Four Courts (via Ireland's Four Courts/Facebook)

A pre-St. Patrick’s Day race centered around Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse will result in some road closures on Saturday.

The Arlington County Police Department plans to close the following roads from 8-11 a.m. for the Four Courts Four Miler, which begins and ends on the hill at 2051 Wilson Blvd.

News

Demolition begins at office building near Columbia Pike, making way for townhomes

By Dan Egitto

Published March 12, 2026 at 8:30AM

Demolition at 2300 9th Street S. (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Demolition has begun at the site of an eight-story former office building off of Columbia Pike, making way for a 16-home townhouse redevelopment.

Crews got to work last week tearing down a garage structure at 2300 9th Street S., preparing to demolish the 1970s-era office building beginning next week. That teardown is expected to take four to six weeks, according to a notice shared with nearby residents.

Around Town

Falls Church leads the pack in Virginia’s most ‘dog-loving’ cities

By Dan Egitto

Published March 11, 2026 at 2:45PM

English bulldog Turbo at a local park in April 2025 (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Falls Church is top dog in Virginia when it comes to devotion to adopting canines and showering them with purchases, according to one metric.

The Little City was crowned the No. 1 most “dog-loving” city in the commonwealth and No. 5 in the nation in a new ranking from PetSmart.