The Department of Justice has a new list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” that it accuses of impeding federal immigration enforcement — and Arlington isn’t on it.
The Justice Department previously included Arlington on a much longer list of “sanctuary jurisdictions,” which included 19 Virginia counties and 13 cities in the commonwealth and hundreds of others nationwide.
No Return to SROs — “Today, two school systems around the region still operate without [School Resource Officers]. In Arlington County, there’s no consideration being made to bring them back. “We have 50 or 51 really well trained school safety coordinators, and their focus is on building positive relationships with students and staff,” said Bethany Zecher Sutton, who chairs the Arlington School Board. She said leaders of that program are former SROs.” [WTOP]
Back to School Soon — “Summer will soon wrap up for students around Arlington. The first day of school in Arlington Public Schools for K-12 students is Monday, Aug. 25, with PreK & VPI starting on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The 2025-2026 school year will include the introduction of a new cellphone policy.” [Patch]
Fmr. Gov. Teaching at GMU — “The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University welcomes former Virginia governor Robert F. (Bob) McDonnell to the faculty as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice. A seasoned public servant with a deep background in law, governance, business, law enforcement, and military service, McDonnell brings nearly 4 decades of practical experience to one of the nation’s most dynamic public policy schools.” [GMU]
Frozen Cocktail Destinations — “Top off the summer season and chill out with creative frozen cocktails. Scroll on, sweet tooths and fruit fans, for the area’s best takes on coladas, daiquiris, margaritas and the almighty frosé. Cool your heels with these slushy sippers.” [Arlington Magazine]
Cool Start to August — “From Aug. 1-5, the average high temperature was 82 degrees, a bit past half a degree below our last cool start to August in 2023. In fact, the five-day average is the coolest since 1985, when the same stretch was 81.4 degrees… These weather good times won’t last. The 90s are set to return next week.” [CWG]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies, reaching a high of around 82 degrees, accompanied by an east wind blowing at approximately 10 mph. The wind may pick up, gusting as high as 22 mph. As the night sets in, it will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to about 65 degrees. The east wind will slow down to around 5 to 8 mph. [NWS]
The Arlington County Police Department is asking for the public’s help in investigating dozens of traffic signs vandalized with anti-fascist graffiti.
The wave of vandalism incidents, many of which involve the word “fascism” written under the word “stop,” has been going on for months — at a significant cost to taxpayers, according to local officials.
Arlington’s unemployment rate continued its upward trajectory in June, reaching a 55% year-over-year increase, according to new data.
A total of 5,247 county residents were reported as seeking work that month, according to state data released earlier this week. That’s up from the 3,380 residents reported as unemployed in June 2024, and up from 5,061 recorded in May of this year.
New technology is helping Arlington County keep track of the millions of times that bicyclists and pedestrians use local trails and bridges throughout the year.
An updated online dashboard in partnership with the French firm Eco Counter includes a running tally of pedestrians and bicyclists that pass by 35 sites on trails countywide.
By ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Washington, D.C.-area statues commemorating the Confederacy will be restored and replaced, in line with President Donald Trump’s pushback on recent efforts to reframe America’s historical narrative.
Blame an unforgiving Mother Nature for a jump in flight cancellations at Reagan National Airport this summer.
An analysis by CBS News covering the early-summer period (Memorial Day to mid-July) found a 274% increase in flight cancellations at the airport compared to the same period in 2024.
Famous Rosslyn Condo For Sale — An Arlington condo owned by Kastle Systems founder A. Gene Samburg is on the market for $3.85 million. The 4,000-square-foot home features three levels, an in-unit elevator, and panoramic views of the Iwo Jima Memorial and the National Mall. The Tom Hanks film “Charlie Wilson’s War” featured scenes shots from inside the condo. (Wilson lived next door.) [WBJ]
Trash Collection Issues — “We are aware of reports of incomplete or missed collections as crews from Arlington County’s new household solid waste contractor become familiar with routes and neighborhoods. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for patience during this transition period between contractors… Please leave carts at the curb until they are emptied.” [Arlington County]
Burkman Pleads in Michigan — “Today, John Burkman, 59, of Arlington, Virginia, and Jacob Wohl, 27, of Fairfax, Virginia, pled no contest to orchestrating a series of robocalls aimed at suppressing the vote of predominantly black voters in Detroit in the 2020 general election, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.” [State of Michigan]
Hawaii Lawmakers Visit Arlington — “Hawaii Senators Stanley Chang and Troy Hashimoto led a delegation to Arlington for a roundtable with Board Members Julius D. “JD” Spain, Sr. and Maureen Coffey on transit-oriented development. A strong conversation on smart growth, housing, and regional planning.” [Arlington County Board/X]
Big Raise for Autism Startup — Positive Development Inc. has raised $51.5 million to expand its autism care services, aiming to double its presence and triple revenue by broadening insurance coverage and improving tech infrastructure. Arlington native Mike Suiters co-founded the McLean-based company in 2020 after working for BlueCross BlueShield’s venture fund. [WBJ]
Va. Tourism Record — “Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) announced today that Virginia’s tourism industry generated a record high $35.1 billion in visitor spending in 2024, marking a 5.4% increase from $33.3 billion in 2023.” [Press Release]
It’s Wednesday — There is a 20% chance of showers after 3pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 82°F accompanied by an east wind at 3-7 mph. Wednesday night, expect cloudy skies to turn partly cloudy, with a low of around 67°F. [NWS]
Activists bearing Palestinian flags, pots and pans and flyers calling a resident a “war criminal” descended on a North Arlington home last week.
The Friday protest was the second time in recent days that activists have targeted the Williamsburg residence of Loik Henderson, a member of the board of directors at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
A new bill with the backing of U.S. Rep. Don Beyer is seeking to redraw congressional lines to combat gerrymandering and improve representation.
The measure, called the Fair Representation Act, was introduced by Beyer and Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin on July 23. It would involve creating larger congressional districts with multiple representatives, elected through ranked-choice voting.
The Arlington Housing Commission is considering a push to make it easier for houses of worship to redevelop their land with affordable housing.
A subcommittee of the full commission discussed whether to press the issue in advance of next year’s legislative session, which opens in January. Whether County Board members embrace the proposal remains to be seen.
Arlington County police are investigating numerous vehicle break-ins over the weekend.
The break-ins happened in a pair of parking garages along Columbia Pike, between late Saturday and early Sunday. Sixteen vehicles had windows smashed in and items were stolen from many of them, police said.
