Mushrooms in Lubber Run Park (Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk)
Metro Funding Advances — Maryland and Virginia lawmakers are advancing funding proposals supporting the DMVMoves plan, which calls for $460 million in new annual capital funding for Metro starting in fiscal 2028, according to Metro. [WMATA/X]
Peak Bloom Predicted — The National Park Service projects cherry blossom peak bloom will arrive between March 29 and April 1 this year. [National Mall NPS/X]
Jones Sues Over Tariffs — “These illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on Virginia families and when a President tries to impose them without legal authority, it is our responsibility to step in and defend the rule of law,” Attorney General Jay Jones said. The coalition suit challenges tariffs of up to 15% imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. [Press Release]
Median Signs Debate — In a letter to the County Board, Dave Schutz argues against banning political signs from road medians, saying the move would disadvantage apartment dwellers. “In areas dominated by apartments, median signs are often one of the primary ways residents know an election is happening.” [Letter to the Editor]
It’s Friday — Foggy conditions clear up before 11am, then showers are possible in the late afternoon. Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 54 degrees and an east wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. For Friday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers, with a low temperature around 45 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. [NWS]
Firefighters respond to a house fire in August 2025 (courtesy of Pat Kehs)
Arlington County’s firefighter union is speaking out against a proposal to remove four vacant firefighter positions from the payroll.
The current county budget draft proposes to consolidate the Arlington County Fire Department’s two heavy rescue companies, relocating them under a single roof at Fire Station 1 (500 S. Glebe Road). This would reduce ACFD’s total authorized staffing by four full-time employees.
Low tide along the Potomac River near the Chain Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Virginia Department of Health has partially lifted a recreational water advisory for the Potomac River, though the warning remains in place for a 4.7-mile stretch upstream of Chain Bridge.
Arlington County courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A bounty hunter has pleaded guilty to illegal brandishing in an incident where he is accused of unlawfully detaining a Green Valley resident, falsely claiming to have a warrant for his immigration arrest.
Matthew Mallory has also entered a no contest plea to a charge of trespassing in connection to the June incident, where prosecutors say he lied about having a document from the Department of Homeland Security in order to enter a home and detain a victim at gunpoint.
State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) introduced an amendment to HB 816 before it was defeated in the Senate (via Virginia General Assembly)
A bill seeking to permit by-right multifamily development in commercial zones was defeated in the Virginia Senate yesterday (Thursday) despite limitations proposed by Arlington’s state Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40).
The Senate voted 17-22 on HB 816 by Del. Dan Helmer (D-10). The House did not vote on the companion bill SB 454 by state Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-16) but referred it back to the House Counties, Cities and Towns committee.
Culpepper Garden senior housing community (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)
Larger numbers of seniors and declining numbers of younger adults are forcing Arlington leaders to rethink how to allocate services in the fiscal 2027 budget.
Demographic shifts are also calling into question whether the cost of living is making it difficult for residents between ages 20 and 34 to establish roots in the county.
Rain and fog looking into Georgetown from Freedom Park in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Bookstore Eyed for Westpost — Federal Realty wants to replace the Walgreens at Westpost in Pentagon City with an unnamed bookstore, but a 1998 site plan condition requiring a full-service drug store makes that virtually impossible. The company is requesting the condition be eliminated, warning the storefront “will remain vacant” otherwise. [WBJ]
Stranded in Qatar — Arlington resident Anjali Sharma was on her way to a wedding in India with a layover in Qatar when Iran’s retaliatory strikes began and the airspace closed. “I hear explosions every day,” she said. Rep. Don Beyer (D) said his office has heard from about 100 families with loved ones stuck abroad. [NBC 4]
Brandishing at Pentagon City — Police responded Monday to the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street after a man inside a business displayed what appeared to be a firearm and made threatening statements before leaving the scene. No injuries were reported. [ACPD]
Flood Awareness Week — Arlington County is urging residents to prepare for the spring rainy season as Virginia Flood Awareness Week runs March 8–14. 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]
Amazon Cutting 49K Desks — Amazon’s real estate team plans to eliminate 49,000 desks globally this year to reduce its average office vacancy from about 31% to 22.9%. “If you can envision a sold-out Taylor Swift concert and give every single person their desk, that’s how many desks we need to get rid of,” a senior real estate manager said. In the D.C. area, Amazon had about 20,000 corporate employees as of October. [WBJ]
Bakeshop Heading to Vienna — Clarendon-founded Bakeshop expects to open at 421 Maple Avenue East in Vienna in early April. “The buildout has taken a bit longer than expected, but we are very happy with it,” general manager Monica Garcia told FFXnow. “We cannot wait to get in there and start baking.” [FFXnow]
VA250 at HistoryFest — The VA250 Mobile Museum, part of Virginia’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, will visit Arlington’s HistoryFest on May 9 at Kenmore Middle School. The immersive traveling exhibit features interactive displays and artifact reproductions. [Press Release]
Fairfax Casino Clears House — The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill 64-32 yesterday that would make Fairfax County eligible to host a casino. The legislation from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell now heads to conference before potentially reaching Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk. [FFXnow]
ICE Bills Advancing — Three bills from state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-Fairfax) that would restrict federal immigration enforcement activities in Virginia await final action in the House of Delegates. “We are confident… that we will deliver these bills to the Governor’s desk,” Salim told FFXnow. [FFXnow]
AG Pressed on Schools, ICE — Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) withdrew his predecessor’s brief in a Fairfax County Schools Title IX case and said he is reviewing guidance on ICE cooperation with local law enforcement. On gender identity in schools, Jones said he is focused on “students having a high-quality education.” [Fox 5]
Hacktivists Eye Local Gov’t — Iran-aligned hacktivists may target state and local governments with denial-of-service attacks and website defacement as hostilities in the Middle East escalate, cybersecurity experts warned. The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center said hacktivist groups are “mobilizing to try to start targeting domestic U.S.… networks.” [Route Fifty]
Cherry Blossoms Running Late — Capital Weather Gang predicts peak bloom of D.C.’s Yoshino cherry trees between April 3 and 7, which would be the latest since 2018, following the chilliest winter in more than two decades. Abnormally warm weather this week should jump-start bud development, but cooler conditions in mid-March may slow progress. [Washington Post]
New Legal Notice — ABC restaurant/caterer on/off-premise alcohol license; objections due 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Thursday — There are chances of rain before 10am and after 4pm, with patchy fog expected before noon. The cloudy skies will later turn mostly sunny, reaching a high of 63°F. Rain is likely Thursday night, with a 60% chance of precipitation. The night will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 51°F. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — For the second time, Virginia’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that voters can cast ballots on a Democrat-led congressional redistricting plan that could help the party win four more U.S. House seats, as the justices review legal challenges to the effort.
The court ruled that a statewide referendum can be held on April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, upending a temporary restraining order put in place by a Tazewell County judge last month. It comes after the top court made a similar ruling last month in a related case.
Renderings of planned changes in Shirlington (courtesy of Federal Realty Investment Trust)
A set of pedestrian-oriented upgrades to sidewalks, lighting and seating is getting underway in the Village at Shirlington.
Construction work, which was proposed in May 2025 and is intended to “improve connectivity, enhance public spaces, and preserve the property’s historic character,” is expected to last through November.
