A Virginia State Police chase through Fairfax County ended in a fleeing vehicle striking a Metrobus and a minivan near Fairlington on Saturday.
No passengers were on board the bus and the driver was uninjured, while the minivan driver was hospitalized for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to a press release.
With beautiful weather and tables loaded with local goods, the new Green Valley farmers market’s second week in business attracted a host of vendors and shoppers.
The market’s opening day earlier this month had been marred by a combination of cold and rainy weather. On Friday, however, plentiful sunshine and temperatures in the 70s — combined with plentiful fresh produce and ready-to-eat offerings — made for an almost picture-perfect evening from 4-7 p.m.
Dispute Leads to Brandishing, Hit and Run — “The two male victims and the two male suspects, who are known to each other, became engaged in a verbal dispute outside a residential building. The dispute escalated when Suspect One attempted to strike one of the victims and brandished what appeared to be a firearm. The two suspects then entered a vehicle and attempted to flee the scene during which they struck the other victim with their vehicle, described as a white sedan, before leaving the area. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]
Immigration Arrests in Arlington — “Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested two men for felony charges in Arlington, Virginia, according to X posts by the ICE Washington bureau on Saturday. Francisco Reyes-Ramirez from El Salvador was charged with felony drug possession and distribution charges and faces removal from the United States, according to ICE.” [WJLA]
Va. Dems Campaign Against Musk — “Virginia Democrats vying to shield their statehouse majority and flip the governor’s mansion in November raised millions of dollars more than Republicans in the first three months of 2025, according to newly released campaign finance reports, securing a cash advantage in their pursuit of voters frustrated with Republican tech billionaire Elon Musk.” [Associated Press]
Dems Planning Another Town Hall — “Back by popular demand – the Arlington Democrats are hosting a Federal Employees & Contractors Town Hall featuring an expert panel at Arlington Central Library on May 6th from 6-8pm.” [Arlington Democrats/X]
Migratory Bird Event Returns — “Tiny hummingbirds and fierce osprey are some of the many birds migrating northward this spring. Come learn about these and other fabulous flyers with hands-on activities, games, crafts, bird walks and more at this bilingual event on Sat., May 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lacey Woods Park. Free!” [Arlington County]
It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny conditions and a high of 71°F with southeast winds at 8-11 mph. There is a slight chance of rain later in the day. Showers are more likely after 8pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 63°F. Nighttime winds range from 5-9 mph, with gusts up to 18 mph. There is a 40% chance of precipitation. [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.
The Clarendon Trader Joe’s is Arlington’s most accessible grocery store for walkers, bicyclists and transit users, according to a new ranking for a local advocacy group.
Other winners in Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County’s ranking of 18 Arlington grocery stores include grocers in Bluemont, Cherrydale, Pentagon City and Penrose. The lowest-ranking businesses, based on the group’s rubric, were a pair of grocers in Yorktown.
A new high-rise Hilton hotel in Rosslyn has begun accepting reservations for this fall.
The 36-story building at 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive will receive its first guests on Nov. 15, according to its website. Two on-site restaurants, Locket and Scott’s Coffee Shop, are expected to open then as well, a Hilton spokesperson told ARLnow.
Arlington County is changing the way it bills performing arts groups for services, raising concerns among some advocates.
Beginning July 1, the county will shift from charging groups a 10% surcharge for tickets to charging an hourly fee for each staff member or contractor who provides services at a county- or school system-owned theater facility.
Spotlight on Student’s Volunteer Work — “Aliyah went to New York in March to be interviewed on the Today Show, hosted by Jenna Bush Hager. At the end of an engaging interview about the Points of Light award, the hosts announced a wonderful surprise for Aliyah: Scholastic Books was donating $10,000 worth of books to her One Word Reading Initiative!” [FCNP, Today Show]
Theft from Shirlington Building — “2700 block of S. Arlington Mill Drive. On April 14, police received an online report for a late breaking and entering. It was reported that on March 14 at approximately 10:44 p.m., the two male suspects forced entry into a secured residential building, stole a key and mail and subsequently fled the scene in a black sedan.” [ACPD]
Police Week Approaching — “Members of the public and the media are invited to attend the Observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Friday, May 9, 2025. 8:00 a.m. Arlington County Justice Center Plaza located at 1425 North Courthouse Road.” [ACPD]
More Pentagon Turmoil — “Ullyot’s departure comes in the midst of a tumultuous week for the Pentagon. Three political appointees were put on administrative leave on Tuesday and Wednesday during an investigation into potential leaks, including two top aides to Hegseth and the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg.” [Politico, Stars and Stripes]
F.C. Mulls Trash Fee — “In response to residents at Park Tower condominiums who have been asking the City to include them in the City’s solid waste services for several years, saying it was unfair that they pay taxes but do not receive the service, staff presented options last October to move to a fee-based trash service.” [Falls Church Pulse]
It’s Friday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching about 77°F, accompanied by a south wind blowing at 7-16 mph and gusts up to 28 mph. The night will be partly cloudy, as temperatures drop to around 64°F. The south wind will persist at around 14 mph and may gust up to 22 mph. [NWS]
The Falls Church City Council has reached a compromise on accessory dwelling units, allowing for by-right development on most single-family parcels.
The unanimous 7-0 vote followed public discussions with the public last summer and nearly a year of further deliberation. Most public speakers showed up in support of the decision, although some controversy remains on issues such as setbacks.
A group trying to jump the Metro turnstiles in Pentagon City assaulted an officer and led police on a series of foot chases Tuesday night.
The wild incident started around 7 p.m., when Arlington County police were dispatched for as many as eight people reportedly loitering in the mall and refusing to leave. Shortly thereafter, as the group was said to be leaving the mall, a Metro Transit Police officer was allegedly assaulted by a “a group of individuals attempting to fare evade.”
In the months since a circuit court judge struck down Arlington’s Missing Middle zoning changes, one of the initiative’s core goals appears to have backfired.
Beyond increasing the county’s overall housing stock, one of the main stated intentions of Missing Middle was to address a trend of developers tearing down existing single-family homes to replace them with larger, more expensive single-family homes.
The Falls Church City Council is keeping the door open to maintaining the same tax rate in the coming fiscal year.
Council members unanimously voted on Monday night to advertise a maximum tax rate of $1.21 per $100 assessed valuation — unchanged from the current rate.
ACPD Arrests Sexual Assault Suspect — “A 35-year-old man is in custody after abducting a woman and attempting to sexually assault her in Seven Corners… Through security footage, detectives learned the suspect was driving a 2008 Ford Escape and had traveled to Arlington County. Arlington County Police were notified and located El Moctar Mohamed M’Bareck, 35, of Falls Church and took him into custody.” [FFXnow, FCPD]
State May Support ‘Microtransit’ Pilot — The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation has proposed spending $2 million in support of Arlington’s microtransit pilot program in the coming year. If grant funding is approved in coming months, county officials would need to provide a $500,000 match. —Scott McCaffrey
Exit Sign Fixed on I-395 — “Confirmation… that the Exit 8B 110N to Rosslyn sign on I-395S is finally positioned properly after the @VaDOTNOVA work overnight.” [Dave Statter/X]
GMU Student Visas Revoked — “More than a dozen international students at George Mason University have recently had their visas terminated or revoked by the federal government, the university says. The U.S. departments of state and homeland security apparently changed the statuses of 15 students without any involvement by or prior notice to university officials.” [FFXnow]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 64 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at about 7 mph. For Thursday night, the skies will be partly cloudy with temperatures dipping to around 47 degrees. The calm wind will shift to a southerly direction at approximately 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]
