Falls Church’s Urban Forestry Commission is considering ideas to increase the city’s tree canopy without breaking the bank.
With several years of difficult budget years on the horizon, it may be hard to find funding for some previous proposals, such as creating a city urban-forestry management plan and a comprehensive tree inventory, said Erin Flynn, the Council’s liaison to the commission.
Flyover This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, May 29, at approximately 11:03AM.”
More on Waymo’s Plans — Waymo has begun mapping Alexandria and will soon bring its self-driving cars to Arlington, the company told Virginia officials — though it said it does “not currently have plans for a commercial service there.” Drivers operate the mapping vehicles for now. Self-driving cars aren’t yet permitted in Virginia, and a state senator behind an autonomous-vehicle bill doesn’t expect robotaxis before 2028. [Wired]
DHS Weighs in on Local Case — A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in the stairwell of a Columbia Pike parking garage is in the country illegally and had prior charges including rape, according to the Department of Homeland Security. ICE recently lodged a detainer for the 25-year-old, according to DHS, which criticized state policies limiting cooperation with immigration agents. ACPD is seeking additional victims. [WJLA]
Truck Blocks Army Navy Drive — A car carrier sat in the middle of Army Navy Drive for nearly 12 hours, blocking turn lanes in both directions, according to Dave Statter. The driver appeared to sleep in the rig overnight and began off-loading cars near the end of Thursday’s morning rush — despite open space on the closed Fashion Centre mall property where the cars were headed. [Dave Statter/X]
Top Meetings Destination — Arlington landed at No. 44 on Cvent’s list of top meeting destinations in North America, the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service announced. It’s the county’s fifth straight year on the venue-sourcing platform’s top-destinations list, which ranks cities by group-business activity. [Arlington County]
Bus Fare Crackdown — Metro has issued nearly 400 citations and made 21 arrests since launching a Metrobus fare-evasion crackdown this week, with about 7 in 10 bus riders skipping the $2.25 fare — roughly twice the national average. “People will pay the fare, or they will be taken off the bus,” General Manager Randy Clarke said. Officers are monitoring live bus-camera feeds to flag non-payers, a method Clarke believes is a national first. [Fox 5, NBC 4, WTOP]
Affordable Housing ‘Lost’ — Falls Church’s longtime commitment to truly affordable housing has been “lost,” Hal Lippman, a former vice mayor who now leads the Citizens for a Better City, told the City Council. He argued the city’s efforts have failed to reach lower-income households and have left it an “economic gated community.” [FCNP]
NDAs for Federal Workers — The Trump administration is proposing a government-wide nondisclosure agreement barring federal workers from sharing a broad range of confidential government information. Signing would be voluntary, but the draft warns that refusing “may result in removal from federal service.” Civil-liberties groups call it an unconstitutional gag order; the rule includes a whistleblower carve-out. [Washington Post]
Forever Chemicals Targeted — Virginia has adopted new testing rules aimed at keeping PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, out of the food supply, targeting the sewage sludge that’s converted into farm fertilizer. The law requires treatment plants and state regulators to test for PFAS and share results with anyone spreading the sludge. Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington), who chairs the House Agriculture committee, called it a “farmer’s right to know” measure. [WAMU]
Disability Emergency Drills — A new state law will require certain health care providers to run regular emergency drills so staff are better prepared when people with disabilities face medical crises. The measure, signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, followed a 2025 report that found staff delayed or failed to perform CPR or call 911 in nearly half of reviewed sudden-death cases. Backers estimate it could save about seven lives a month. [Virginia Mercury]
Rain Eases the Drought — A nine-day stretch of rain — among the longest the area has seen since 2000 — dropped nearly two inches on the D.C. area since May 19 and finally eased the region’s drought, forecasters say. Much of the area has improved to moderate drought, though spots to the south remain in severe drought, NBC4 meteorologist Doug Kammerer said. [CWG/X, Doug Kammerer/X]
It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high of 78°F. Winds will shift from north to west at 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, the weather will be mostly clear with a low of around 60°F. [NWS]
A motorcyclist was hurled into the street following a collision with a vehicle on N. Glebe Road this afternoon.
The collision took place at Glebe and 4th Street N. around 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday), according to scanner chatter.
An office building in Crystal City has begun the process of transforming into a 195-unit multifamily building.
JBG Smith announced that construction has begun at 2200 Crystal Drive, an 11-story building that the Arlington County Board approved for conversion from offices to apartments in July 2025.
Legislation addressing the high cost of childcare in Virginia has received Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature — but it’s still unclear how much funding it will entail.
The governor held a ceremonial signing at a Richmond daycare yesterday (Wednesday) for Del. Adele McClure’s HB 18 and the Senate version (SB 3) by state Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D-13). The pair of bills will create an Employee Child Care Assistance Program with matching funds to incentivize employers to provide contributions for their employees’ childcare costs.
The National Landing BID is refreshing its brand, rolling out a new look aimed at spotlighting the area’s amenities, events and connectivity.
The organization is debuting a new logo and a hummingbird mascot intended to reflect the area’s commercial transformation, plus a new tagline: “The everyday unexpected.”
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is taking legislative aim at President Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” near Arlington National Cemetery.
Beyer announced Wednesday that he will introduce the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act this week alongside Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.). The bill would explicitly prohibit a triumphal arch from being built in the area, permanently bar federal funds from being used for one, and prohibit similar “non-Congressionally approved structures” on any National Park Service land in the National Capital Region, according to a press release from Beyer’s office.
Waymo Eyes Arlington — Driverless car company Waymo is now mapping parts of N. Va. as it prepares for possible autonomous ride-hailing in the commonwealth. Policy adviser Rich Harrington said the company’s vehicles are already operating on Alexandria roads with safety drivers and will soon begin operating in Arlington as well. [Fox 5]
Cathedral Rector on Leave — “The Very Reverend Patrick L. Posey, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation of an allegation of sexual misconduct with minors. The alleged incidents occurred between 1992 and 1993 outside the Diocese of Arlington.” Posey, rector at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington, denies the accusation. [Arlington Diocese]
Shoplifter Strikes Officer — Police say a larceny call near Ballston on Tuesday afternoon ended with an Arlington man, 35, charged with assault on police, obstruction and robbery. The suspect allegedly grabbed merchandise from a business on the 4200 block of Fairfax Drive, made threatening statements to an employee and struck an officer near N. Stuart Street while resisting arrest. [ACPD]
Sweetgreen’s First Local Drive-Thru — The McLean Sweetgreen at 6220 Old Dominion Drive in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center will be the chain’s first D.C. area location to add a “sweetlane” pickup window, per permits filed this week. Customers order online and pick up curbside; the concept was first piloted in Illinois in 2022. [WBJ]
Tick Boom — “This year has started off with a bang. Wet and warm certainly makes ticks really happy. So they are up and active and ready to find some food,” Old Dominion University biological sciences professor Holly Gaff said. She added that booming deer, raccoon and rodent populations are also fueling the surge. [WJLA]
It’s Thursday — Sunny skies and a high near 78 are expected today, with a breezy north wind 6–13 mph and gusts up to 22 mph. Skies should remain mostly clear overnight with a cool low around 54. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
A proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy raises new possibilities and further questions in the race to match Virginia’s booming energy demand.
NextEra, which seeks to create the world’s largest regulated electric utility business through the $67 billion acquisition, has framed the plan as a path toward reducing energy costs in an era of rising need, driven in part by the construction of new data centers to power AI.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) has come close to achieving a clean sweep of re-election endorsements from Arlington’s local elected officials.
Among those formally supporting his bid for a seventh two-year term, according to a release from the Beyer campaign:
A suspect has been arrested over an alleged sexual attack in the stairwell of a Columbia Pike parking garage.
Police are seeking other possible victims as the suspect, a 25-year-old of “no fixed address,” faces charges of sexual battery and attempted object sexual penetration.
A sinkhole has been blocking a small stretch of road in Pentagon City for the last several days.
A portion of 13th Street S. between Costco and Metropolitan Park has been cordoned off since last week, with a traffic barrel sitting in the middle of the hole as of yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.
