Arlington County Board members have a lighter-than-usual agenda as they plan to gather for their monthly meeting on Saturday (March 15).
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some items worth watching. Among them:
News
Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney is pushing for an increase in funding for her office as the county continues to wrestle with a relatively tight budget.
At a budget work session last week, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti argued on behalf of three additional staff positions not included in the current budget draft.
A security guard who shot and wounded a trespassing teen at the Key Bridge Marriott site in Rosslyn will spend the next year behind bars.
Ahmed Namnoom, 54, was sentenced to the maximum five years of incarceration on Friday for unlawful wounding, though Circuit Court Judge Daniel S. Lopez suspended all but one year.
Three members of Arlington’s delegation to the House of Delegates launched re-election bids last week.
Dels. Adele McClure (D-2), Patrick Hope (D-1) and Alfonso Lopez (D-3) were widely expected to seek new terms.
Public Company Moves to Arlington — “Argan, Inc. (NYSE: AGX) today announced that it has moved its corporate headquarters to Arlington, Virginia. The new location at Two Liberty Center, 4075 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 440, is just minutes from the nation’s capital, and provides convenient access for customers, investors and employees, as well as proximity to a variety of restaurants, hotels and other amenities, most within walking distance from the new office.” [BusinessWire]
Drones to Count Deer — “Arlington County will conduct its second aerial drone deer population survey from March 17-21, 2025 (weather permitting), to document the number and distribution of white-tailed deer. This effort builds on the initial drone study conducted in 2021.” [Arlington County]
Reminder: ARLnow Event Today — “Should you build new or renovate your existing home? If you’ve been debating that very question, or expect to down the road, you won’t want to miss a free event at the Arlington Central Library… Taking place on Tuesday, March 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the event will feature a panel discussion and podcast recording, followed by an off-the-record audience Q&A.” [ARLnow]
Measles Exposure in N. Va. — “The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was notified of a confirmed case of measles at Washington Dulles International Airport on Wednesday, March 5. The confirmed case was an individual who was returning from international travel.” [VDH, ALXnow]
Events and Deals for Feds — “The following local businesses, nonprofits, public schools and municipal governments are offering help in the form of job fairs, discounts and deals.” [Arlington Magainze]
D.C. May Face Major Budget Cuts — “A federal spending bill introduced Saturday by House Republicans could have a drastic impact on D.C.’s budget, potentially leading to about $1 billion in overnight cuts impacting everything from the city’s law enforcement to schools, according to D.C. officials.” [Washington Post, PoPville]
Beyer Blasts GOP Budget Bill — “Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today announced that he will oppose the Republican appropriations bill scheduled for a vote in the House later this week.” [Press Release]
Here’s Why Your Car is Dirty –“We received multiple reports of “muddy rain” in portions of the D.C. region Friday night, including Loudoun, Montgomery and Fairfax counties, and reports of long lines at car washes on Saturday. We researched the cause and found out dust from New Mexico and Texas had traveled all this way!” [CWG]
Spring Takes Hold — “The tide is turning after D.C. experienced its chilliest winter in a decade — and a springlike weather pattern is taking hold. With little sign of any sustained cold in either short-or-long-range forecasts, we declare winter over in the D.C. area.” [CWG]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 72 degrees, with calm winds shifting to the south at around 6 mph in the afternoon. As for Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of approximately 44 degrees. [NWS]
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A trial date has been set for a former Washington-Liberty High School substitute teacher accused of taking indecent liberties with a high school student.
The trial of Timothy McGhee, 47, is scheduled to begin in Arlington’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on April 23.
Three people were arrested in Clarendon early this morning after a bar fight prompted a large police response.
An officer was flagged down by security at Don Tito shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, according to scanner traffic. The officer then requested backup to help “separate a couple of females inside.” That was soon followed by a more urgent request for more officers.
A popular drop-off event for electronics and hazardous household materials has been canceled, due to high expected attendance at an Arlington Public Schools job fair.
Arlington County announced on Friday that its spring E-CARE event, originally scheduled to happen this Saturday at Wakefield High School, was being canceled due to an APS recuitment event set to happen around the same time.
The Arlington government’s budget woes likely won’t be severe enough to impact new deer-culling efforts.
The $151,000 proposed in County Manager Mark Schwartz’s draft fiscal 2026 budget “will fund these efforts,” Department of Parks and Recreation director Jane Rudolph told County Board members at a Feb. 27 budget work session.
A year into a project experimenting with parking prices, the divide between the most and least expensive street parking in Arlington continues to widen.
The latest round of changes increases the prices of 29% of parking spots included in the program, but decreases the cost of 12% of parking spaces.
An Arlington request for $8 million to support construction of a key segment of the Cross Potomac Trail has gotten the ax.
Staff from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) determined that the project does not meet the criteria for funding through the Commuter Choice initiative.
Spotlight on Big Arlington Homes — “As I’ve visited other cities in recent years, I’ve noticed that Arlington is far from alone. This style is becoming the dominant mode in well-off neighborhoods everywhere, from Atlanta to Nashville to Austin to Boulder. If you drive through the Arlington of wherever you live, you’ll surely see Giant White Houses sprouting on every cleared lot.” [Slate]
Perplexing Crash on Camera — “Driver sees that the right lane is blocked by a big sign just a little too late and his car ends up wearing the sign. Witnesses say the person/people in the car walked away. At least one person was stopped by police.” [Dave Statter/X]
ACPD Nabs Fleeing Suspect — “At approximately 11:50 p.m. on March 6, a patrol officer observed a vehicle which had previously fled from officers and conducted a traffic stop. The suspect, who was the driver of the vehicle, disregarded the officer’s activated emergency equipment and attempted to flee the scene during which he twice struck the officer’s cruiser causing damage.” [ACPD]
Anti-DUI Event This Saturday — “As part of the department’s anti-drunk driving educational efforts, the Arlington County Police Department is hosting an interactive event highlighting the impacts alcohol has on motor skills — because even one drink is one too many to get behind the wheel. This event is free and open to the public.” [ACPD]
Buckingham Burger Joint Lauded — “Safa Farighi’s passion for Jon’s Joint, the smashburger restaurant he opened in November with his best friend, Amaan Jan, matches the thrill I felt with my first bite of their OKC—two patties heaped with onions and melty American cheese on a buttered, toasted potato bun that does this Oklahoma City specialty proud.” [Arlington Magazine]
Outreach to Arlington Immigrants — “Activists took to their neighborhood streets Saturday in a show of support for the local immigrant community… “We’re here as a show of solidarity, reminding folks that we have rights to protect ourselves against police agencies like ICE,” Danny Cendejas, an organizer with La ColectiVA, said.” [WJLA]
Beyer Blasts Musk and Trump — “Congressman Don Beyer (D-8th) criticized Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s efficiency efforts as “cruel” and “inefficient” during a roundtable on potential Medicaid cuts on Friday.” [ALXnow]
Women in Tech Fair in Ballston — “Hundreds poured into the Women in Technology Career Fair in Arlington, Virginia’s Ballston neighborhood Thursday afternoon.” [WJLA]
Fmr. Fort Myer Soldier Sentenced — “Former Army soldier Stephan Smerk was given the maximum sentence — 70 years in prison — today (Friday) for the murder of West Springfield woman Robin Lawrence… According to prosecutors, Smerk was stationed at the Army facility now known as Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington in November 1994 when he ‘left his barracks with [the] intent to kill someone.'” [FFXnow]
Flood Awareness Week — “Virginia Flood Awareness Week, March 9 – 15, 2025, encourages Virginians to learn about their flood risk and protect the life they’ve built with flood insurance. Just an inch of water entering a home can result in as much as $25,000 in damages, yet only 3% of Virginians have flood insurance.” [Arlington County]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature around 65 accompanied by a light southwest breeze. Tonight, it will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 40. [NWS]
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