A supporter and an opponent of Virginia’s April 21 congressional redistricting referendum found themselves in agreement on at least one thing during an April 8 forum sponsored by Advance Arlington.
Del. Marcus Simon (D-13), speaking in favor of the referendum, and former Arlington Electoral Board member Richard Samp, who opposes it, both suggested that an ever-escalating national political tit-for-tat on gerrymandering is not the way to run a country.
Foot Chase on Columbia Pike — A teen was arrested Friday night after a reported fight near Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street, according to police. The suspect allegedly pulled a knife during the altercation, then fled on foot before being caught behind a 7-Eleven. He faces charges including attempted malicious wounding, assault on a police officer and obstruction of justice. [Dave Statter/X, WUSA 9]
Meals on Wheels Lands $70M Gift — Crystal City-based Meals on Wheels America has received a $70 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The nonprofit, headquartered at 1550 Crystal Drive, supports roughly 5,000 community-based meal providers nationwide and says it will use the unrestricted funds to strengthen local provider capacity. [WBJ]
Pull-Up Busts GMU Pipe — A man admitted to doing a pull-up that burst a water pipe at George Mason University’s Mason Square campus (3300 Fairfax Drive) in late March, flooding the parking garage. He turned himself in to university police. “Moral of the story is ‘if you mess up, you fess up!’” a GMU police spokesperson said. [WTOP]
Snowcrete Finally Melts — The huge pile of snowcrete at the county’s N. Quincy Street property is now just a puddle, 75 days after the original storm. [ARLnow/X]
Cheese Cartel Opens — State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37th) joined the ribbon cutting last week for The Cheese Cartel, a new cheese shop at Founders Row (922 W. Broad Street) in Falls Church. [Sen. Salim/X]
F.C. Housing Costs Questioned — The chair of Falls Church’s Economic Development Authority balked at costs tied to the planned Virginia Village redevelopment on S. Maple Avenue, which aims to boost the city’s affordable housing stock. A consultant proposal of $175,000 for a couple months’ work drew sharp criticism. [FCNP]
Va. Minimum Wage Headed to $15 — Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill that will incrementally increase Virginia’s minimum wage from $12.77 to $15 an hour by 2028. The N. Va. Chamber of Commerce had urged a veto, warning the increase could worsen inflation. [NBC 4]
Chick-fil-A Visa Luck — Chinese students and workers, including those in Northern Virginia, have embraced Chick-fil-A as a good-luck charm for U.S. visa applications because the name sounds like “check files” in Chinese. Some 3D-print the logo, embroider it on keychains or set it as their social media profile picture, hoping for H-1B lottery luck. [AP]
D.C. Eyes Driverless Rides — The D.C. Council plans to begin reviewing legislation by month’s end that would permit commercial driverless vehicle service. Waymo, which has about 25 test vehicles in D.C., is eyeing multiple depot sites that would each employ about 100 people. [WBJ]
Drought Deepens in Region — Most of the D.C. area remains in moderate drought after a dry March, and April is tracking below average for precipitation. Portions of Virginia near Richmond have slipped to severe drought, and the Capital Weather Gang says there’s not much rain in the near future. [CWG/X]
Region Preps for America 250 — D.C., Maryland and Virginia organizers are planning celebrations for the nation’s 250th birthday, including what they say will be the largest fireworks display in U.S. history on July 4. Events run from May through July, and Fairfax County is rolling out “Fairfax 250” wine. [WTOP]
It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 83 and southwest winds around 14 mph, gusting to 26 mph. There’s a slight chance of afternoon rain showers. Overnight lows drop to around 63. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
The Trump administration has submitted detailed architectural plans for a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, drawing strong pushback from Arlington’s congressman.
The 12-page filing, prepared by Harrison Design and submitted by the Department of the Interior, was posted today (Friday) to the website of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts ahead of the panel’s meeting next Wednesday. It marks the first time the administration has formally filed plans for the project, which Trump has spent months teasing on social media and in the Oval Office, according to the Washington Post.
Numerous pieces of legislation from Arlington lawmakers are officially set to become law following final approval from Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).
Among the approximately 1,200 bills passed out of the 2026 session, legislation on elections, eviction prevention, tourism improvement districts and the minimum wage all came by way of state senators and delegates representing Arlington. Most signed bills will take effect on July 1, 2026, unless otherwise specified.
A 26-year-old has been arrested after allegedly providing fentanyl to a man in Penrose, inadvertently causing his death.
Angel Delcid, of Alexandria, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter through the distribution of fentanyl — one of the first instances of the charge being levied in Arlington after Virginia’s criminal code was updated last year.
Even though the current Arlington County budget draft doesn’t include additional costs from this year’s change-ups at the ballot box, the county government is still planning to cover them.
Elections Director Gretchen Reinemeyer laid out budget pressures during an April 7 work session with Board members, voicing concern that her office’s proposed $2.18 million budget likely would not be robust enough to handle additional requirements this year.
Beyer Blasts GOP on War Powers — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said he and other House Democrats went to the floor to defend Congress’s constitutional war powers but Republicans refused to recognize their resolution. “They’re choosing this war, and Trump’s violence and chaos,” Beyer said, separately criticizing the president for boasting about the military’s “next conquest.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, X]
Underground Pipe Flash Fire — “Engine 109, Rescue 109, and BC101 responded to an underground pipe flash fire at the intersection of S Glebe Road and Walter Reed Drive. The situation has been brought under control, and crews have secured the scene while checking for any remaining hazards.” [ACFD/X]
Route 1 Theft Arrest — Arlington police arrested a man on Route 1 at S. 23rd Street yesterday afternoon who was suspected of stealing from a nearby 7-Eleven. [Dave Statter/X]
Arlington Home Prices Dip — Arlington saw the D.C. region’s steepest drop in median home sale price, declining 7.9% to $692,500, according to Bright MLS data. The broader market continues to feel the effects of January’s “snowcrete” storm and uncertainty from the Iran conflict. [Washington Post]
Local Clubs Among Region’s Largest — Two Arlington country clubs rank among the D.C. area’s largest nonprofits by revenue. Army Navy Country Club (1700 Army Navy Drive) placed second with $50.75 million in revenue, while Washington Golf and Country Club (3017 N. Glebe Road) ranked sixth at $23.98 million. [WBJ]
Peace Officers Memorial Day — ACPD and the Sheriff’s Office will hold a ceremony on Friday, May 8 at 8 a.m. at the Justice Center Plaza (1425 N. Courthouse Road) to honor the seven Arlington law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. N. Courthouse Road will be closed between 14th and 15th streets N. from approximately 7–9 a.m. [Arlington County]
Va. Minimum Wage Rising to $15 — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed legislation raising Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2028. The wage will rise from the current $12.77 to $13.75 on Jan. 1, 2027, and then to $15 on Jan. 1, 2028, with annual adjustments tied to the consumer price index beginning in 2029. [Virginia Mercury]
Contraception Bill Signed — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed the Right to Contraception Act, barring state and local governments from restricting access to contraceptives including emergency contraceptives and IUDs. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin had vetoed similar legislation. [WJLA]
Fairfax Casino Vetoed — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has rejected legislation that would’ve opened the door for a casino in Fairfax County… In her explanation, Spanberger argued that the bill would’ve set a new precedent reducing local authority over gambling after many residents and Fairfax County leaders expressed opposition to the possibility of a casino.” [FFXnow, Scott Surovell/X]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 75 degrees and south winds at 2–10 mph. Overnight lows will drop to around 56 under partly cloudy skies. [NWS]
Four more contenders in a potentially redrawn 7th Congressional District made their pitches to Arlington Democrats on April 8.
J.P. Cooney, Dave Kennedy, Del. Adele McClure and State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim join a field of Democrats for the 7th District that includes State Sen. Dan Helmer, who spoke to county Democrats in March, and former Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, who has yet to make an appearance. Another contender, Joe Schiarizzi, announced his candidacy today (Thursday).
Arlington’s commonwealth attorney seeking higher pay for prosecutors this budget season, pointing to increased salaries for police officers and potentially better compensation in surrounding localities.
The proposed fiscal year 2027 budget calls for increasing funding for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office by roughly 3%: from about $7.7 million to $7.9 million. But Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told the Arlington County Board on Tuesday that prosecutors’ starting salary of $82,000 should be higher.
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.
Falls Church’s newest City Council member is suggesting an increase in the city’s meals tax to ease budget pressures.
“I think it should be something we’re considering,” Arthur Agin said at an April 6 Council work session that stretched well past midnight, focused largely on budget issues.
A man was charged with robbery and carjacking after a shoplifting attempt turned violent at a business in Cherrydale yesterday (Monday) afternoon.
Police were dispatched to the 4000 block of Langston Blvd around 2:30 p.m. after a report of a larceny, according to the Arlington County Police Department.
