Arlington County is taking steps toward making virtual meeting participation a post-pandemic option for residents, staff and local officials.
“We are all trying to figure out what worked really well about virtual engagement and adapting it,” County Board Vice Chair Katie Cristol tells ARLnow.
The county fair, a longstanding event and summer staple, is returning to Arlington this August.
Last year, organizers canceled the fair and took some events online due to the pandemic.
Arlington County’s form of government has largely stayed the same since 1930. Now, a local civic organization is inviting Arlingtonians to consider possible reforms.
The Arlington County Civic Federation, a nonprofit that provides a forum for about 90 civic groups to discuss community topics, is holding a series of Zoom meetings to discuss reforms, from changing the number of County Board members and their term limits to moving to ward-based Board representation to using ranked-choice voting.
A technology initiative to help Arlington emergency responders — by relying on the heat mapping of crowds — is expected to ramp up next month.
The pilot program looks to equip streetlights with sensors on the 2900 block of Wilson Blvd, feeding information to county emergency operations staff and allowing them to monitor potential incidents while helping first responders.
Arlington County Attorney Steve MacIsaac is leaving his position after two decades with the county government.
“Our attorney, Mr. MacIsaac, is going to be leaving us to return to where he started — to work for the Virginia Railway Express,” Matt de Ferranti, County Board Chair, said May 18 during a county meeting. “We will certainly miss Mr. MacIsaac.”
Arlington County has hit a setback in its fight against the opioid epidemic, as a high-stakes legal battle is mired in a squabble over where the case should be tried.
The county is currently suing dozens of businesses, such as CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart, McKesson Corporation and Express Scripts. In its lawsuit, the county says these manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies were key players in the opioid problem.
A music-producing memorial tied to World War II received some fanfare this morning, as part of a restoration effort that began in 2019.
The towering Netherlands Carillon, located near the Marine Corps War Memorial and a short walk from Rosslyn, had its bells removed and shipped back to the Netherlands for restoration and tuning. The country gifted the memorial to the U.S. for its help during and after the war.
Mike Cantwell is seeking an Arlington County Board seat.
Arlington’s elections office confirmed Wednesday morning that Cantwell indicated by email his intention to run but hadn’t yet filed paperwork.
A new combination veterinarian service, dog daycare and grooming business is being unveiled at the Ballston Quarter.
Heart + Paw’s grand opening is this Saturday, at 700 N. Randolph Street, marking the company’s first location in Virginia. Company co-founder George Melillo said the spot was a natural choice.
A blank canvas awaits artists next to a busy Metro entrance.
The National Landing Business Improvement District is looking for designs for a Crystal City Metro station project: creating a mural on a blank retaining wall to greet travelers.
A fire station project in Arlington is getting an additional $2.88 million to add environmental-friendly upgrades and more.
The County Board approved the budget increase Saturday, bringing the total project cost — including contingencies — to $27.92 million. It covers the new Fire Station No. 8 at 4845 Lee Highway, in the Hall’s Hill area, and a temporary facility to allow firefighting operations to continue during construction.
Arlington police officers are getting bonuses with the help of state money.
The County Board approved $229,961 for the one-time bonuses on Saturday from funding through the 2020 state budget bill signed into law in November. It’s part of approximately $7.5 million distributed to police departments across Virginia.
