By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats in Virginia have built up a hefty fundraising advantage for their effort to reclaim the governor’s mansion in a race seen as a bellwether for the party in power in Washington heading into the 2026 midterms.
Falls Church leaders remain noncommittal to a request from the owner of the city’s weekly newspaper for a partnership.
Nicholas Benton, who has owned and run the Falls Church News-Press from its founding in March 1991, came to the City Council on June 16, following up on previous proposals to have city leaders provide more funding.
A multi-day history festival commemorating the United States’ 250th birthday could be coming to Arlington next year.
The Arlington Historical Society, which presented an update on its plans for the landmark anniversary at a meeting of the Arlington County Civic Association last week, hopes to host the event next May, likely at Kenmore Middle School.
Water Park Ready for Crowds — “At Ocean Dunes Waterpark, they’re expecting hundreds of people a day throughout the weekend and next week because of potential triple-digit temperatures. They say they’re ready for the crowds and also ready to make sure their staff gets a break too.” [DC News Now]
Locals Line Up for E-CARE — “Hundreds of cars lined up along N. Quincy Street in Arlington, Virginia, before 7:30 a.m. Saturday, waiting for the opening of Arlington County’s E-CARE event. It usually happens in the spring, but it got pushed back this year to the first Saturday of summer.” [WTOP]
Metro: No Known Threats — “The Metro Transit Police Department is closely monitoring the events in Iran. At this time there are no known threats to Metro, however MTPD will have an enhanced presence throughout the system. We continue to work closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of America’s Metro System.” [WMATA/X]
Post Print Changes — “This Sunday’s edition of the Washington Post will be the last time local readers get a section all to themselves. Starting Monday, the Post is merging its Metro, Sports, and Style sections into one for the print edition on most days.” [WCP]
Karantonis Certified as Victor — Arlington Electoral Board members on Saturday met and certified Takis Karantonis as victor in the June 17 Democratic primary. The official count was 16,796 votes (64.2%) for Karantonis, 9,351 votes for James DeVita. Certification of the results of the 1st House District primary will be made later this week by state election officials. –Scott McCaffrey
It’s Monday — Expect sunny and hot conditions with temperatures reaching near 100 degrees and heat index values as high as 110. A northwest wind will be blowing at 6 to 8 mph. By Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear and temperatures will drop to around 79 degrees with a light northwest wind. [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.
Arlington County has canceled all outdoor Dept. of Parks and Recreation programming after 11 a.m. Monday due to the Extreme Heat Warning.
The cancellation affects league practices, games, and other partner outdoor programming at county outdoor facilities. Summer camp participants will be notified directly via email and phone if their programs are canceled, closed early, or relocated.
Leaders of the Arlington Young Democrats are hoping to have an impact on what could be a key downstate legislative race.
The group will be throwing its organizational efforts behind Lily Franklin in House District 41 in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg area.
The Falls Church City Council has approved a pay increase and health-care coverage for themselves and their successors.
The raise will go into effect a year from now, while Council members will become eligible for the city’s health insurance plan next month.
Firefighters battled a house fire in the Arlingwood neighborhood near Chain Bridge this morning.
Fire departments from Arlington, Fairfax County and other jurisdictions responded to a report of “a large fire in the garage” on N. Richmond Street around 9 a.m., according to scanner traffic. The blaze quickly spread to the attic and other parts of the structure.
Arlington County leaders are considering delaying the sale of municipal bonds and deferring various capital projects in the face of tight economic times.
It’s too early to think about amending the county’s recently adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget, county budget director Richard Stephenson told County Board members on Wednesday.
Crash in Clarendon — “[ACPD] says an officer saw the light blue car driving erratically and speeding moments before the crash. The driver of that car was charged with DUI and refusing a breath test. Police also say a passenger in the car had a concealed weapon while under the influence. Three people inside the dark colored SUV were seriously hurt, but the injuries are not considered life threatening.” [Dave Statter/X]
Ranked Choice Education Funding — “The Arlington County Board has released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) offering $60,000 in one-time funding to support public education and outreach efforts related to Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) ahead of the November 2025 General Election.
The Board is seeking proposals from nonpartisan organizations with demonstrated experience in civic engagement, education, and community outreach.” [Arlington County]
Pizza Index in Question — “Are we really able to get a heads up on upcoming geopolitical conflicts based on how many pies are being baked around the Pentagon? To get to the crusty bottom of the cheesy story, we asked the pizzerias themselves. And, well, they aren’t sold on the theory.” [The Bulwark]
History of Rosslyn — “Rosslyn’s history reaches back to the colonial period, when Francis Awbrey opened a ferry business in the 1730s that transported travelers to and from Georgetown. A tavern and inn was established, presaging by over 200 years the coming of the Marriott’s Hot Shoppes diner, and the Key Bridge Marriott. By the 1860s, a farm owned by William and Carolyn Ross provided a name that would be used for the larger area.” [FCNP]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high of approximately 86°F, accompanied by a west wind of around 8 mph. Tonight the sky will turn partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 68°F. [NWS]
Nearly 12,000 homes and businesses were without power throughout Arlington and Falls Church on Thursday after a destructive thunderstorm ripped through the area.
Dominion reported outages affecting 10,859 customers in Arlington and 946 customers in the City of Falls Church, as of 5 p.m. The outages extended from Crystal City and Fairlington to a higher concentration in Arlington’s northern neighborhoods.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The candidates for Virginia’s lieutenant governor are set to make history after Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for the position on Wednesday.
Hashmi is the first Muslim and the first Indian-American to be nominated to appear on the ballot for a Virginia statewide office. She defeated five other candidates, including Democrat Levar Stoney by less than a percentage point, to secure the nomination in a razor-thin primary race. Stoney congratulated Hashmi on Wednesday in a concession statement.
