A new directive to focus more on big-picture advocacy and less on specific projects has Arlington’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee seeking more guidance about its role.
Some committee members say they understand the reasoning behind County Manager Mark Schwartz’s request last month. However, they don’t want to give up entirely on providing input about individual projects or policies — which they see as an important public service.
Arlington’s congressman and several state legislators are hosting a town hall at Central Library later this month.
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, state Sen. Barbara Favola and Dels. Adele McClure and Alfonso Lopez (all D) will participate in the program, to be held on April 29 at 6 p.m. in the Barbara Donnellan Auditorium (1015 N. Quincy Street).
New data on sales tax and meals tax revenues in Falls Church might show the first headwinds of a looming economic storm, leaders say.
Sales-tax revenues in the city were flat in February despite the opening of a Whole Foods supermarket in early February. Revenue from the city’s meals tax also wasn’t as high as officials had anticipated.
A teen girl is facing charges after police say she threw food at an officer in Pentagon City.
The incident happened this past Friday around 5:15 p.m. at the Pentagon City Metro station. The girl started throwing food at an officer who stopped her male companion for fare evasion, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.
Primary Two Months Away — “The upcoming election on June 17 will be a Dual Party Primary! Mark your calendars with these important dates. Sample ballots will be available on our website soon.” Early voting starts Friday, May 2. [Arlington Elections/X]
Local CEO Sentenced for Fraud — “An Arlington-based mergers and acquisitions firm executive, who admitted to defrauding a total of $2,002,750 from eight companies, was sentenced in federal court earlier this month. Kiel Brendan Brandt, 34, the founder and owner of Epsilon Acquisition Services, was convicted of wire fraud in December and faced a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Instead, was sentenced on April 3 to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release, according to court documents.” Note: Patch updated its reporting on April 17. [Patch]
Video: Crash on I-395 — “A lot of questions about this video: It sure looks like the middle vehicle was playing bumper cars on I-395S near the Pentagon just before 6 p.m. yesterday. Also, my video shows the car on the left side of the screen kept going.” [Dave Statter/X]
It’s Tuesday — Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible after 2pm. Otherwise, expect a breezy and partly sunny day, reaching highs near 65°F. West winds start at 10-15 mph, later increasing to 21-26 mph and potentially gusting up to 41 mph. There’s a 30% chance of precipitation. Tuesday night brings mostly clear skies with lows around 44°F, and west winds at 11-16 mph, gusting up to 24 mph. [NWS]
School leaders are still trying to find out what, if anything, a February letter from a federal agency means for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in Arlington.
A Feb. 14 letter from the U.S. Department of Education gave institutions an April 12 deadline to comply with a new interpretation of “nondiscrimination obligations” in order to continue receiving federal funding.
A stricter policy on banning riders from the Metro system has some leaders optimistic about better safety in Northern Virginia.
Beginning June 2, the policy will allow the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to impose longer bans on people arrested for sex crimes or assaults on Metro employees and customers.
Recently constructed apartments in Arlington are among the smallest in the country — and they’ve been getting smaller over time, a new report finds.
The average new Arlington apartment has shrunk by 70 square feet over the past decade, according to data from the real estate site RentCafe. At an average of 809 square feet, the county’s apartments rank as the 20th smallest out of 100 U.S. localities analyzed.
Animal-loving filmmakers have tales to tell at a pair of upcoming dog- and cat-themed film festivals on Columbia Pike.
The 2025 New York Cat & Dog Film Festivals are coming to the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse at 2903 Columbia Pike. It’s a two-night event on Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7 “celebrating the love, charm, and companionship of our feline and canine friends.”
Add another type of gold medal to Torri Huske’s swimming accomplishments.
The Arlington resident and 2021 Yorktown High School graduate recently won her initial individual first-place medal in the NCAA women’s national championships in this year’s Division I meet.
County Unemployment Rate Up — Arlington’s jobless rate was 2.7% in February, according to new Virginia Employment Commission data. That’s up from 2.5% in January and 2.1% a year before. In February, Arlington had 150,037 employed in the civilian workforce. The number looking for jobs was 4,189, an increase from 3,814 a month before and 3,413 a year ago. –Scott McCaffrey
Violent Bike Theft Near Rosslyn — “The juvenile male victim was outside on his bike when he was assaulted by four known juvenile suspects. Following the assault, two suspects stole the victim’s bike and subsequently fled the scene. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital and subsequently released following medical treatment. During the course of the investigation, officers identified the four juvenile male suspects in their teens and obtained petitions.” [ACPD]
Another Rainy I-395 Crash — “It happened again: When it rains, watch out for I-395S near the Arlington Ridge Rd overpass. The latest crash at this spot was around 11:45. There have been so many crashes there on wet roads I am convinced there’s standing water or something else going on with the left side of the road at that point.” [Dave Statter/X]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly cloudy day with temperatures reaching near 69°F, and a calm wind turning south at 5-7 mph in the morning. Monday night will likely bring showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a low temperature around 58°F. There is a 60% chance of precipitation at night. [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.
Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk
A former Arlington School Board member has published a new memoir about her work in education, politics and activism.
“Dreams and Shadows: An Immigrant’s Journey” recounts Emma Violand-Sánchez’s extensive career in Arlington Public Schools after traveling from Bolivia to the United States. From reliving the loss of her first husband to exploring her advocacy for immigrant students in Arlington, the 336-page book, co-written with David Bearinger, is full of both triumph and tragedy.
