“Stumbling stones” honoring the lives of people enslaved in pre-Civil War Arlington will soon be coming to more local neighborhoods.
An additional 15 of the brass memorial markers are slated to be placed in seven neighborhoods in coming months, part of a joint initiative of the Arlington Historical Society, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and the county government.
Possible changes to Arlington rules on lot coverage could affect how large swaths of the county can be developed — and also make numerous existing homes out of step with zoning regulations.
County Board members on Feb. 25 directed staff to begin preparatory work to study if it makes sense to change how permeable surfaces on a lot are calculated.
A 19-year-old Fairfax woman is behind bars after police say she pepper sprayed someone during a dispute last night.
Police were dispatched to the 3500 block of Wilson Blvd in Virginia Square, near the 7-Eleven store, around 10:20 p.m. Sunday.
Bad Flu Season Continues — “The worst flu season in 15 years has left hundreds of thousands of Americans hospitalized nationwide, and D.C. is feeling it too. The virus is causing more severe complications and hitting young children especially hard.” [Axios]
Local Recession Worries — “Keith Waters, assistant director of the Stephen Fuller Institute at George Mason University, said the likelihood of the region falling into one is extremely high. ‘If I had to throw a number out, the odds are north of 80% that we tip into a technical recession,’ said Waters, one of the few academics who closely tracks the D.C. region’s economy.” [WBJ]
Luxury Home Sales Rise — “Luxury home sales in the D.C. metropolitan area are performing better than the overall market right now. In January, more than 200 homes priced at over $1.5 million sold. Almost 5% of homes currently on the market are priced at $2.5 million or higher, according to Long & Foster Real Estate.” [WTOP]
ACPD Mourns Retired K-9 — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is mourning the loss of retired K-9 Deuce Sunday. The 13-year-old German Shepherd ‘faithfully served’ the Arlington community from January 2013 to November 2021 as a patrol and narcotics K-9.” [DC News Now]
Sex Offender Appears in Court — “Richard Cox, a registered child sex offender, appeared in Arlington General District Court on Monday morning for a hearing related to a series of alleged indecent exposure incidents in an Arlington fitness center and at two Arlington schools.” [WJLA]
National Dems Look to Va. — “The national Democratic Party arm for state races said Tuesday it’s targeting Virginia as a battleground state ‘we must win and defend before the end of this decade.’ It’s a sign that Virginia’s November elections, which include all 100 House of Delegates seats being up for grabs, are being eyed as an early national political test ahead of the 2026 midterms.” [Axios]
Starbucks Menu Changes — “Starbucks launches its spring menu with new and returning limited-time drinks Tuesday — the same day the coffee giant removes 13 longtime items.” [Axios]
It’s Tuesday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high near 60 degrees, accompanied by a south wind between 6-11 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. Tonight, there is a 30% chance of showers after 1 am as clouds increase. The temperature will dip to around 50 degrees, with a south wind at 8-14 mph and gusts reaching 23 mph. [NWS]
Several people have been injured, one seriously, after horses escaped on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this afternoon, according to initial reports.
Arlington County police were initially dispatched around 2 p.m. to check along Route 50 near Courthouse for possible sightings of the escaped horses. Shortly thereafter, police were called off but firefighters and medics were dispatched to the base for reports of injuries.
Renovations are coming to the Association of the U.S. Army’s headquarters in Courthouse, bringing sidewalk closures starting this week.
Pedestrian traffic on a portion of sidewalk near 2425 Wilson Blvd will be closed as the 32-week project gets underway. To perform structural repairs and improve below-ground waterproofing, work crews will be temporarily removing the sidewalk, planters and the building’s accessibility ramp.
A new policy limiting state and federal law enforcement’s access to Arlington Public Schools facilities is going into effect.
The Arlington School Board has approved a policy revision that restricts access for law enforcement agencies other than the Arlington County Police Department.
Flyover Planned Today — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 1:15PM.”
Beyer Again Takes on Robert E. Lee — Rep. Don Beyer last week reintroduced legislation calling for the removal of Robert E. Lee’s name from the National Park Service’s Arlington House property. Beyer and Sen. Tim Kaine several times before patroned similar legislation, only to see it languish and die each time in committee. –Scott McCaffrey
Reagan National Sets Annual Record — Reagan National Airport’s 2024 passenger count of 26.29 million was up 3.3% from 2023 and set another record at the 83-year-old facility. Dulles Airport’s 2024 passenger total of 27.25 million passengers also a single-year best, topping a record that had stood since 2005. —Scott McCaffrey
Business License Tax Due Today — “Annually, businesses must file and pay their business license online via CAPP by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 (or the next business day).” [Arlington County]
Office Owner Planning for Future — “Beacon Capital Partners LLC is beginning to formulate plans for a seven-building Rosslyn office portfolio it now controls, with an eye toward maintaining and improving most of it as office… The new owner, in the process of selecting an architect, is noodling amenity and retail upgrades for most of the buildings, especially The Towers on Wilson Boulevard bearing the signs of Raytheon (now RTX) and Grant Thornton.” [WBJ]
Va. Delegation Worried About USPS — “From delivering prescription medications and household goods, to election ballots, paychecks, and critical bills, USPS continues to be an essential part of Americans’ everyday lives. However, press reports indicate you are planning to upend over 50 years of Congressionally-mandated independence at USPS with no clear strategy for continuing essential mail delivery services or achieving financial sustainability.” [Press Release]
Post Covers Locker Room Incidents — “The case, which is winding its way through court and has a hearing scheduled for Monday, has elicited outrage from Arlington County to Richmond, with families incensed over the lack of strong screening processes and the state’s top law enforcement officer publicly criticizing a local prosecutor for not pursuing an earlier allegation against Cox.” [Washington Post]
Call for More Lighting in F.C. — “The physical area may be small, but in terms of density, we can bet there were few places that offered more for entertainment-seekers anywhere in the region that night. On top of that, there was, and is, an abundance of very good food. We strongly urge City officials to put more outside lighting in and around that intersection to encourage the attendees at all these offerings to move around and make the most of their visits here.” [FCNP]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 45 today, with light and variable wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the morning. Tonight, the skies will be mostly clear and the temperature will drop to a low of around 31, accompanied by a south wind of 3 to 6 mph. [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.
Arlington and much of the D.C. area is under a Red Flag Warning today (Saturday).
Strong, gusty winds will start to pick up later this morning. Low humidity levels increase the likelihood that brush fires could spread during the wind event.
An Arlington leader is showing interest in a pilot program to monitor noise levels from vehicles’ exhaust systems.
Legislation now on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk would allow localities in Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg area to begin using automated monitoring equipment to gauge the noise levels of passing vehicles.
Repairs are coming to a decades-old water main tunnel under I-66 near Virginia Square, bringing parking restrictions and closing some basketball courts.
The Hayes Park basketball courts will be closed for about three months and parking will be restricted on 15th Street N. and part of N. Lincoln Street starting the week of March 10.
New speeding cameras in Arlington have led to fines for over 7,000 drivers since September, new data shows.
As of January, Arlington County had collected $713,525 from motorists speeding in front of school zone cameras. A total of 13,627 alleged violations were prosecuted, but only 7,135 prosecutions have been successful so far, according to a Virginia State Police report.
