Arlington County police and medics are on scene of a bank robbery along Columbia Pike.
The robbery happened around 11:15 a.m. at the Wells Fargo at 951 S. George Mason Drive. Initial reports suggest that a man in a black suit, fedora, and surgical mask and gloves passed a note to a teller and stole cash.
George Mason University’s law school has removed webpages related to diversity, equity and inclusion, sparking student criticism and casting doubt on the future of related programs.
Pages related to Antonin Scalia Law School’s DEI Task Force, DEI Advisory Board and overall approach to diversity have vanished following a Feb. 14 letter from the U.S. Department of Education taking aim at such programs.
County Board members have promised more follow-up with residents who lived with the contentious placement of Arlington Transit buses on a N. Quincy Street government parcel.
“We need to do an after-action evaluation,” Board Chair Takis Karantonis said on Saturday after the matter was brought up during the Board’s public comment period.
The Arlington County Board has unanimously adopted a new policy statement on the county’s response to changing climate conditions.
But some on the same side of the issue as the five elected officials urged them to move even more quickly and aggressively.
RIP Roberta Flack — “Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recordings artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She was 88.” Flack grew up in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood. [Associated Press, NPR]
Office to Apartment Proposal — “Gilbane Development Co. plans to convert a vacant office building it recently acquired in Virginia Square to apartments-over-retail. The proposal is among the first to utilize Arlington County’s recently approved adaptive reuse policy… A Gilbane affiliate owns the 1990s-era office building known as One Virginia Square, located at 3601 Wilson Blvd.” [WBJ]
GOP: Elon Posters Aren’t Ours — “This Committee does not advertise by vandalizing public spaces, and we do not stylize our committee name this way. This is a fake ad.” [Arlington GOP/X]
Beyer Blasts U.S. Attorney — “Washingtonians deserve federal law enforcement who will protect their rights without violating the Constitution, and focus on fighting crime rather than trying to censor the free press and political opponents. Basic understanding of punctuation would be nice, also.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
New Arlington Judge — Local defense attorney Adam M. Krischer will be the newest judge in Arlington’s General District Court. The 50-year-old, unanimously elected by Virginia’s General Assembly last week, will replace the Honorable Romaine Frances O’Brien starting on July 1. —Jared Serre
Queen City Remembered — “In the early 1900s, there was a once-thriving Black neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, on land that was first owned by the Mount Olive Baptist Church. You wouldn’t know that by taking a look around the county today. But at the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the memory of the Queen City community is being kept alive.” [WTOP]
Stars Added to Crash Tribute — “Nathan Chen, Nancy Kerrigan and Peggy Fleming are among a bevy of figure skaters added to the cast of a benefit event this weekend in Washington, D.C., for victims of the midair collision and crash outside Ronald Reagan International Airport.” [Associated Press]
Exhaust Noise Bill Passes — “A last-minute compromise in Richmond has kept alive one of the Fairfax County government’s key transportation initiatives of 2025. Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly approved language on Saturday (Feb. 22) allowing Fairfax and other Northern Virginia localities to host a pilot program focused on reducing vehicle-exhaust noise.” [FFXnow]
Dulles is Most Expensive Airport — “Washington Dulles International is the costliest U.S. airport to fly out of domestically on average, per the latest Transportation Department data. Add on a rideshare from D.C. and travel costs are about double what they are from Ft. Lauderdale (pro tip: take the Silver line).” [Axios]
Youngkin Unveils Job Portal — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin had a message this week for federal workers in Virginia affected by the Trump administration’s mass layoffs: there are job openings in the Commonwealth. Speaking at Capital One headquarters in Tysons today (Monday), Youngkin announced the launch of VirginiaHasJobs.com, a new website aimed at connecting job seekers with employment opportunities.” [FFXnow]
It’s Tuesday — Expect partly sunny skies with highs reaching 61 degrees and light, variable winds strengthening to a northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. For Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear as temperatures drop to a low of 37 degrees. [NWS]
Pre-K students attending Arlington’s Integration Station program could be moved to neighborhood-based classrooms next year.
Last week, parents were informed that Arlington Public Schools’ new budget proposal will include moving students currently attending Integration Station — at 4770 Langston Blvd — “closer to their home schools” within the district.
Facing job cuts and wide-ranging uncertainty at the federal level, Arlington Economic Development has launched a new program to attract more tech companies.
Arlington Tech Launchpad formally kicked off on Jan. 29, the day after President Donald Trump’s “deferred resignation” emails cast federal workplaces around the country into turmoil.
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia legislature ended its 45-day session Saturday with a slew of budget amendments ranging from tax cuts to child care, but some lawmakers said they would likely return to the Capitol later this year to address a mounting threat: massive federal government layoffs planned by the Trump administration.
County Board members on Saturday (Feb. 22) approved zoning changes needed for Melwood and Wesley Housing to move forward with a controversial mixed-use project near Crystal City.
The 4-0 vote, with one abstention, allows for plans to build a five-story building with 105 committed-affordable units to move forward. It came after nearly five hours of public comment and Board discussion.
It may come down to more school funding or homeowner tax relief as Falls Church city leaders start mulling over budget options for the coming year.
Although the formal presentation of draft city and school-system budgets is more than a month off, city officials now have a better idea of the fiscal condition of the 2.2-square-mile locality.
No tax-rate rise for property owners, but increases in the meals tax and charges for some county services, are part of the $1.69 billion draft fiscal 2026 budget unveiled Saturday (Feb. 22) by Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz.
The proposal represents an increase of 2.2% from the current spending package. Schwartz said it aims for a balance between meeting core needs, addressing concerns from homeowners about tax burdens, and contingency planning for uncertainty in federal spending and the economy.
Ranked-Choice Set for County Board Race — County Board members on Saturday voted 4-0 to use ranked-choice voting as the method of selecting a Board member in the November general election. Board member JD Spain, Sr., abstained after colleagues rebuffed his proposal to wait a month in order to put together a more comprehensive community-outreach plan. —Scott McCaffrey
Brandishing Incident in Arlington Mill — “The female victim was inside her vehicle parked in front of a residential building when the male suspect allegedly approached and engaged in a dispute over parking. The suspect then struck the vehicle’s windshield, causing property damage, and briefly walked away. The male victim then exited the residential building and confronted the suspect who subsequently made threatening statements and brandished a firearm.” [ACPD]
Crowded Trains and Busier Offices — “With employer mandates across the country taking effect, the number of people coming into an office is at its highest point since the pandemic, according to data released from property management company Kastle Systems…. At 51.5 percent [office] occupancy, D.C. had its highest week since March 2020.” [Washington Post]
Black History Month Ceremony — “Arlington County celebrated Black History Month with singing, guest speakers, and an official County Board proclamation. The event, hosted by the Black Employee Council, is the latest example of Arlington striving to be diverse and inclusive world-class community.” [YouTube]
Congressional Delegation Slams NPS Cuts — “Today, [U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. [Rep. Don Beyer, among others] pushed the Trump administration to reverse staffing cuts at the National Park Service (NPS), outlining the effect directives to eliminate employees and rescind and delay job offers will have on safety at Virginia’s 22 national park units.” [Press Release]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 54 degrees with calm winds transitioning to a southerly 6 to 11 mph breeze during the morning. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with lows around 39 degrees. [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.
