News

Safety Concerns After Fatal Crash — “Virginia State Police say they believe a driver of a Scion XB stopped in the roadway as she entered the Express Lanes before a chain-reaction crash involving five vehicles Monday afternoon… The details of Monday’s crash are still under investigation, but McGurk says you should never stop in the lanes if you have mistakenly entered them.” [NBC 4]

More on Rising Ambulance Fees — “The fire department went on to explain the expenses for providing EMS care have gone up due to rising costs of technological advances, medical equipment, wages for personnel, fuel and the ambulances themselves. No one is ever denied services because they can’t pay or don’t have insurance, ACFD said.” [NBC 4]

Aspire Faces Funding Cut — “Aspire is now confronting an existential crisis, which CEO Paul Fynboh said could result in turning students away. The program, which provides free academic and enrichment support to low-income families in Arlington County, has lost nearly a third of its funding after the Trump administration cut roughly $400 million in federal funding for AmeriCorps.” [DC News Now]

New Fund for Ballston VC — “Arlington venture capital firm Marlinspike is nearly halfway to its goal of raising $70 million for an investment fund to back emerging defense tech startups… It plans to cut checks totaling $250,000 to more than $10 million to companies developing technologies at the convergence of AI systems and manufacturing.” [WBJ]

Recognition for Motor Startup — “Torev Motors, an Arlington-based developer of electric motors that don’t rely on rare earth minerals, was named the “People’s Choice Award” winner at this month’s Accelerate Breakfast Series event in Reston.” [Potomac Tech Wire]

Defense Conference Mulls Threats — “Leading experts in national security, aviation, and transportation convened this week for a critical workshop, “Defense of the Homeland: Aviation and Transportation in Irregular Warfare.” Held from July 15-16 in Arlington, Virginia, the event brought together government officials, military leaders, academics, and industry professionals.” [DVIDS]

D.C. Traffic Worse Than LA? — “Washington DC has overtaken Los Angeles as the US city with the worst traffic, in annual rankings from ConsumerAffairs. Drivers around the US capital spend more time in traffic than in any other city, with average daily commute times of 33.4 minutes, according to traffic data from the 50 biggest metropolitan areas in the nation.” [BBC]

FCNP Publisher Honored — “The venerable Washington Business Journal… honored 14 LGBTQ+ business leaders in the D.C. region with a classy rooftop reception in Arlington… Among the honored are two from Falls Church, Falls Church News-Press founder, owner and editor Nicholas F. Benton and Dr. Jorge Ramallo, medical director of the Inova Pride Clinic located in Falls Church.” [FCNP]

It’s Friday — Showers and thunderstorms are possible, mainly between 2pm and 5pm, with increasing clouds and a scorching high of 98. A heat index up to 106 is expected, with a southwest wind at 5-7 mph and a 30% chance of precipitation. On Friday night, anticipate more storm chances, primarily before 7pm, followed by partly cloudy conditions and a low of 77. There will be a northwest wind around 6 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

VSP Arrests Cruiser Crash Suspect — “Arrest in trooper hit & run: A man trying to retrieve his Porsche 911 after it ran into a Virginia State trooper early yesterday on I-395 has been charged with felony hit and run.” [Dave Statter/X]

Arlington Man Arrested in Fairfax — “A 25-year-old man has been arrested after police allege that he forced his way into two Fairfax County hotel rooms earlier this week. Arlington resident Eric Isler was taken into custody yesterday (Tuesday), hours after the second of two incidents, the Fairfax County Police Department says.” [FFXnow]

Police: Man Threatens Boy — “The juvenile male victim was in the stairwell of a residential building when the adult male suspect approached and began yelling at the victim. The victim attempted to leave the scene when the suspect grabbed his hand, displayed a knife and made jabbing movements. The victim’s family entered the stairwell upon hearing the commotion, confronted the suspect and he fled the scene on foot.” [ACPD]

Crash in Crystal City — “Trying to make the left turn from the right thru lane is rarely a good idea, but many people like to do it. This vehicle came off the ramp from the airport road where there is no legal access to make the left turn onto S. 23rd St. from Richmond Highway.” [Dave Statter/X]

Toastique Opening Update — Branded signage has appeared at 244 19th Court S., where the D.C.-born gourmet toast franchise hopes to open next month, a representative tells ARLnow. The expanding eatery is currently working to open 19 new locations nationwide, including one in Reston. The new restaurant will be Arlington’s second Toastique, joining a Clarendon location that opened last year. –Katie Taranto

Waterfront Wine Party This Weekend — Seasonal outdoor restaurant Catboat Pizza Bar plans to host its first-ever natural wine party from noon-4 p.m. this Saturday at Washington Sailing Marina. Tickets come with bottomless pizza and pours from local wine distributors at $75 per person. –Katie Taranto

Hotel Renovation Complete — “AC Hotel Arlington National Landing is officially open, unveiling a multi-million dollar transformation. The reimagined property joins Marriott International’s AC Hotels brand portfolio with distinction, as it’s the largest AC Hotel in North America with 355 European-inspired guest rooms.” [Press Release]

Grant for Local Rescue Group — “Lucky Dog Animal Rescue is pleased to have received $15,000 in funding through a PEDIGREE Foundation Program Development Grant. This generous grant will support a new initiative called Project Paws in Homes, which will provide those who adopt Lucky Dog’s long-stay – or challenging –  dogs with the resources they need to make their adoption successful.” [Press Release]

Westover Profiled by Post — “In a rare configuration for Arlington, Westover has original 1940s-era single-family houses alongside duplexes, condominiums and apartments, all clustered around the commercial district along Washington Boulevard.” [Washington Post]

Senators Question FAA Cuts — “The tragic crash of American Airlines flight 5342 highlighted serious gaps in our aviation safety system and demonstrated the need for a robust and experienced analytical workforce at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Unfortunately, over the past six months, your agency has significantly reduced its workforce. We are deeply concerned.” [Press Release]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 90 degrees, accompanied by a south wind of 3 to 8 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 74 degrees. [NWS]