A federal hearing for a Rosslyn man detained over his support for Palestine attracted dozens of advocates yesterday (Thursday), including U.S. Rep. Don Beyer.
At a U.S. District Court hearing in Alexandria, the Trump administration sought to have Indian citizen Badar Khan Suri’s case transferred from the Eastern District of Virginia to Texas. Khan Suri has not been accused of any crimes but is currently in custody over allegations of “spreading Hamas propaganda.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Detailed Army plans for a potential military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple thousand civilians, The Associated Press has learned.
The planning documents, obtained by the AP, are dated April 29 and 30 and have not been publicly released. They represent the Army’s most recent blueprint for its long-planned 250th anniversary festival on the National Mall and the newly added element — a large military parade that Trump has long wanted but is still being discussed.
Changes to Silver line service and less frequent Blue and Yellow line trains are scheduled for this weekend due to planned track work.
Trains between Pentagon City and Reagan National Airport will run every 18 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, the Silver line’s eastern terminus will be in New Carrollton instead of Largo.
Roosevelt Bridge Project Starting — “A key connection between D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, is about to go through a 3-and-a-half-year rehab, with traffic shifting as soon as next week. The Roosevelt Bridge over the Potomac River, which supports almost 100,000 vehicles a day, has been classified as in poor condition for some time, according to the D.C. Department of Transportation.” [NBC 4]
Beyer Bill to Benefit Fired Feds — “Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who represents more than 72,000 federal workers, is introducing legislation to make it easier for government employees removed under the Trump administration to rejoin agencies and to deter a future president from undertaking a mass firing of the workforce.” [Government Executive, Press Release]
Arlington and N. Va. Lauded — “It could be better (nobody’s perfect) Northern Virginia is probably the country’s best-executed version of suburban growth and I feel like nobody talks about it.” [Matthew Yglesias/X]
Arlington PitchFest Recap — “On April 30, 2025, 17 small business owners from Arlington and across Northern Virginia took the stage at the BizLaunch PitchFest Finale, held at Amazon’s Visitor Landing at HQ2. The event marked the culmination of the BizLaunch Transformational Challenge, a months-long program designed to equip entrepreneurs with critical skills to strengthen and scale their businesses.” [Arlington County]
ACFD Heat and Recovery Study — “Arlington Fire and GW presented a research study yesterday at the GW University research symposium on new technology to help prevent heat injuries and improve recovery for firefighters while performing fireground activities.” [ACFD/X]
Marymount Fashion Show Tomorrow — “This is not Paris Fashion Week. It’s a scene from Marymount University’s annual Portfolio in Motion (PIM) spring fashion show, where everything similarly happens by design… For the first time, PIM will make its 2025 debut at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, on May 3.” [Arlington Magazine]
More on Arlington’s ‘Green’ App — “On Earth Day and all year long, Arlington County is urging its community to “get green” and help the planet and they’re doing that with the Get Green Arlington app. The app allows residents to find green initiatives and track their daily impact on their neighborhood and planet.” [DC News Now]
It’s Friday — Showers and thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon, with otherwise mostly sunny conditions and a high near 87. Expect southwest winds of 10 mph, gusting up to 18 mph, and a 40% chance of precipitation. Friday night, the storm threat continues until 2am, with a 40% chance of precipitation, followed by partly cloudy skies and a low of 66. [NWS]
Campaigns in Arlington’s Democratic primary and School Board caucus are kicking into gear, with three competitive races at the local level.
Candidates Monique “Moe” Bryant and June Prakash are competing for one open seat on the Arlington School Board.
A week after applying for a permit to replace the vacant Giant in Lyon Village, Sprouts Farmers Market has confirmed plans to open a new grocery store in Arlington.
“We are happy to share that we will be bringing fresh, better-for-you products to the Arlington, VA community in 2026,” a representative told ARLnow.
While election officials in Arlington and Falls Church are not expecting an early rush to vote in the Democratic primary, they’re ready for those who do come.
Arlington elections director Gretchen Reinemeyer told ARLnow she expects a relatively modest first-day turnout when early voting begins on Friday.
Restaurant Files for Bankruptcy — “An affiliate of Epic Smokehouse has filed for bankruptcy petition, more than a decade after Wayne Halleran and Joon Yang, former staffers at The Palm in Tysons, teamed up open the barbecue restaurant across from the Costco in Pentagon City.” [WBJ]
Busboys and Poets to DCA — “Busboys and Poets is planning a new outpost at Reagan National Airport as part of a first-ever licensing agreement… The roughly 90-seat restaurant, slated to open as soon as next spring, will be a scaled-down version of the restaurant and cultural hub.” [WBJ]
Chick-fil-A Renovating at DCA — “Big news, Chick-fil-A fans! Our location will be TEMPORARILY closed starting today, April 30, for a fresh new remodel. Don’t worry—we’ll be back soon and better than ever, ready to serve your favorites with an upgraded look!” [Reagan Airport/X]
Local Teacher Charged in Fairfax — “A now-retired Fairfax County Public Schools teacher is facing criminal charges for allegedly assaulting a student and a colleague. Detectives began investigating Mary Simons, 63, of Arlington after Child Protective Services received a tip on March 28 alleging that she had assaulted a student while teaching at Parklawn Elementary School.” [FFXnow]
Robbery in Ballston — ” At approximately 12:09 p.m. on April 29, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was inside a stairwell of a parking garage when two male suspects entered the stairwell, assaulted him, stole clothing items and subsequently fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.” [ACPD]
ID Change for ANC Drivers — “Beginning May 7, 2025, all individuals over the age of 18 who are authorized to drive onto Arlington National Cemetery in a vehicle should be prepared to present a REAL ID at the security checkpoint… Visitors who arrive by vehicle and park in the Welcome Center parking garage, walk, take the Metro or use a ride share service to ANC will not be required to present a REAL ID” [Arlington National Cemetery]
Home Listings Up — “The number of newly listed homes for sale in Northern Virginia in March was up 25.7% compared to March of last year, indicating more existing homeowners are deciding it is time to sell, whether by choice or need.” [WTOP]
Gov. Visits DEA in Arlington — “At @DEAHQ, Suzanne and I stood before the Faces of Fentanyl: sons and daughters, friends and neighbors, lives cut short by a single pill. Operation FREE has seized nearly 800 lbs of fentanyl to date—enough to kill every Virginian 10x over. We’ll never stop fighting to save lives.” [Gov. Glenn Youngkin/X]
It’s Thursday — Expect a partly sunny day with a high around 80 and a southeast wind of 6 to 10 mph. There’s a chance of showers and storms starting in the afternoon. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low of 66 and a 40% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Hundreds more Arlington County residents began seeking work in March as federal layoffs continue to drive a region-wide surge in unemployment, new data shows.
A total of 4,929 Arlington residents were counted as without jobs and seeking work in March, the Virginia Employment Commission reported yesterday (Tuesday). That’s up 16% from the 4,249 recorded in February, and up a hefty 60% from 3,116 in March 2024.
Arlington rents are still on the rise, even as regional economic concerns mount.
Apartment List and Zumper both released new data analyses yesterday (Tuesday). They differ somewhat, but both point in a single direction: upward.
Several schools were secured this morning after a report of shots fired in the Buckingham neighborhood near Ballston.
It happened just before 9:15 a.m. At least two 911 callers reported hearing gunfire and seeing a group of teens running from the area, according to scanner traffic.
A driver pinned after a crash caused their vehicle to flip has been extricated by firefighters.
The crash happened around 8:45 a.m. on Langston Blvd and N. Lexington Street, near Sloppy Mama’s BBQ. It’s unclear what caused the crash, which involved at least two vehicles, but it left one of the cars — a Subaru — on its roof and its driver reportedly pinned against the dashboard.
