News

Veto of Arlington Bill Upheld — The House of Delegates on Wednesday upheld Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto of the Arlington governance-change legislation patroned by Del. Patrick Hope (D-1). The measure aimed to permit referendums on the number of County Board members and how they are chosen. –Scott McCaffrey

Arlington Has Strongest Home Demand — Arlington had the best performance in Bright MLS’s monthly “T3 Home Demand Index” for March across the Washington region. Alexandria was second, DC third in the forward-looking ranking, which generates data down to the ZIP-code level looking at projected buyer activity. –Scott McCaffrey

More DCA Changes — “The Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday it may slow flight arrivals at Reagan Washington National Airport after a January 29 collision between a helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed 67 people. The FAA also said it is increasing operational supervisor staffing from six to eight and was reviewing air traffic control staffing figures.” [Reuters]

Daughter Donates Kidney to Dad — “In 2024, Mark Maggio of Arlington, Virginia, received news he figured might come soon but hoped it wouldn’t — testing showed he needed a second kidney transplant… Maggio, 65, saw his name added to a list of people in need of donations again, but it turned out a match would be found closer to home. His daughter, Carrie, stepped up and offered to be a donor.” [WTOP]

New County Grant Opportunity — “Arlington County is offering up to $500,000 in one-time funding to expand and enhance digital inclusion activities. This is the first cycle of digital equity grants that will be a cornerstone of the Digital Equity Initiative to promote community-driven solutions that address barriers to accessing and using technology. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on May 15.” [Arlington County]

Beyer Wants to Nix Stadium Tax Breaks — “Today, Congressmen Glenn Grothman (R-WI) and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the No Tax Subsidies for Stadiums Act, a bill that will end taxpayer subsidies for the construction of professional sports stadiums.” [Press Release]

Big Win for Local Startup — “Lennar Corp., one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, will purchase up to 1,500 geothermal heating and cooling systems from Arlington startup Dandelion Energy over the next two years for use in new residential housing units being built in and around Denver.” [WBJ]

Fiery Crash Downs Lines, Blocks Road — “Old Dominion Drive was blocked for hours after an SUV crashed into a power pole and caught fire in McLean this afternoon (Thursday). Police and firefighters responded to the Chesterbrook Shopping Center around 5 p.m. for the crash, which happened near the Starbucks store and brought down power lines, according to scanner traffic.” [FFXnow]

It’s Friday — Expect showers and thunderstorms with a high around 68 degrees and a north wind of 6 to 9 mph, with a 50% chance of precipitation. Friday night will also see possible showers and storms, with a low of around 55 degrees, an east wind near 5 mph, and a 50% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

Beyer Blasts Trump Tariffs — “Trump’s mass tariffs are stupid. The White House is predicting the largest tax increase in history. Trump likes tariffs because he’s a bully, because he’s an authoritarian, because he doesn’t care who gets hurt.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]

Worries About Regional Economy — “The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond told Virginia lawmakers Wednesday that D.C., Maryland and Virginia could see significant economic challenges in the near future amid the mass federal layoffs. The Fed made a presentation to a special subcommittee that was created to address any economic fallout from federal layoffs and spending cuts.” [NBC 4]

Authorities Attend Immigrant Event — “In addition to an immigration lawyer, there are two police officers and a sheriff’s deputy taking questions, part of a community engagement team designed to build connections between residents and law enforcement. Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, the county’s top law enforcement officer, had one message for the group. ‘We want you to know that we are here to keep you safe, and no one’s going to get deported until they get a conviction.'” [WAMU]

New Local Billionaires — “The latest edition of the World’s Billionaires List published Tuesday anoints Mike Sabel and Bob Pender, founders of Venture Global Inc., as newly minted billionaires. The duo took their Arlington-based liquefied natural gas company public in January, giving them each, at the time, a net worth of $23.7 billion…. Sabel, a former investment banker, lives in D.C. and Pender, a longtime D.C. attorney, lives in Falls Church.” [WBJ]

ACSO Rebrands Visitation Program — “Hosted around major holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and during the various seasons, Hugs of Hope events allow children to reconnect with their parents in a safe, nurturing environment that doesn’t feel like a jail. The initiative is rooted in the belief that incarceration should not sever the bonds of love and trust between parent and child.” [Arlington County Sheriff’s Office]

Longtime Firefighter Retires — “After more than 34 years of service, the senior firefighter in the department, FF/EMT [Charles Cake] is retiring effective April 1, 2025. We wish Chuck and his family health and happiness during his well-deserved retirement. Chuck, take care and thank you.” [ACFD/X]

It’s Thursday — There is a slight chance of showers before 8am and after 2pm, with patchy fog expected between 9am and 10am. Cloudy conditions persist with a high near 80 and southwest winds at 14-17 mph, gusting up to 28 mph. Precipitation chance is 40%. Thursday night, showers and thunderstorms are possible, with mostly cloudy skies and a low around 64. Southwest winds will be 7-10 mph and a 50% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar