An open house on plans for a pedestrian bridge between Crystal City and Reagan National Airport is happening today (Wednesday).
New watercolor renderings of the “CC2DCA” bridge — produced by the National Landing BID, and not necessarily representative of the county’s plans at the moment — depict a 20-foot-wide connector with a continuous canopy.
Buyouts Offered to Federal Workers — “The White House issued a memo Tuesday offering to pay federal workers who don’t want to return to the office through Sept. 30, as long as they resign by Feb. 6… The Office of Personnel Management described the offer as administrative leave with pay and benefits.” [Axios]
Senators Blast Trump Order — From U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine: “President Trump’s reckless and illegal order to stop all federal grant and loan programs will have an immediate and profound negative impact on Americans all over the country. This is money that builds roads and bridges, helps small businesses make payroll, and makes our communities healthier, safer, and more economically competitive.” [Press Release]
Dems Nix ‘No Tax on Tips’ — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plan to make Virginia the first state with a President Donald Trump-inspired ‘no tax on tips’ policy got stiffed by a House of Delegates panel Monday, suggesting that Democrats aren’t likely to pass the attention-grabbing campaign proposal.” [Washington Post]
Show Nearly Sells Out After Threat — From comedian Steve Hofstetter: “When I posted the video of the guy who threatened to shoot me if I proceeded with my show in Arlington, I was wondering if it would slow ticket sales. Nope. We sold 54 more tickets THAT DAY. That show is now inches from being sold out.” [Facebook]
Spotted in Arlington — From Sam Shirazi: “Lots going on today so something different. Saw a house in Arlington flying the flag of Greenland.” [Twitter]
Tysons Casino Bill Advances — “The push to allow a casino in Fairfax County has officially entered new territory… the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted 9-6 this morning (Tuesday) to report Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s (D-34) bill to add the county to Virginia’s list of eligible casino hosts to the full chamber.” [FFXnow]
MoCo Considers Housing Proposal — “Two Montgomery County Council members are planning to introduce legislation that would allow more residential building types – including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and apartments – along the county’s transit corridors, with a requirement that 15% of the housing serve the local workforce.” [Bethesda Magazine]
Winter Weather Outlook — “Matt Rogers, who specializes in long-range forecasting, believes more wintry weather is possible around mid-February. ‘There’s a window from Feb. 10 to 20 for possibly resetting the pattern into a colder period,’ Rogers said. ‘But it shouldn’t be as severe as what we just we went through.'” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 56 degrees, accompanied by breezy conditions, including a west wind blowing at 13 to 23 mph and gusts reaching up to 44 mph. The night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 30 degrees, a northwest wind at 8 to 16 mph, and gusts peaking at 30 mph. [NWS]
Return-to-office mandates at Amazon and in the federal government could provide an economic boon to Arlington, experts say.
As President Donald Trump’s executive order to end many remote-work arrangements sent shockwaves through federal workplaces last week, Amazon employees this month also began working five days a week at HQ2.
Charges are expected to be filed after yesterday’s fatal, high-speed crash at along Wilson Blvd.
Police say charges are pending against one of the drivers, who was seriously injured. The deceased, meanwhile, has been identified as a 32-year-old woman: Xuewei He of McLean.
A man was hospitalized with serious injuries after he was found bleeding profusely Saturday night in Pentagon City.
The man was attacked with a glass bottle and a Taser by a man and a woman he knew, who then stole his wallet and phone, police said.
A small but critical piece of the effort to improve sidewalk conditions on S. Carlin Springs Road took a step forward this weekend.
Arlington County Board members voted to pay a property owner $29,230 for easements that will allow for a wider sidewalk at Carlin Springs and 2nd Street S., near Kenmore Middle School.
CNN Interviews WHS Students — From the Wakefield Chieftain: “Wow! @cnn is at Wakefield! @pamelabrowncnn interviews students and staff about the YONDR cell phone pouch program. Thanks for letting Broadcast students be part of the set up before the interview. WE LEARNED A LOT!” [Twitter, Twitter]
Bishop Blasts In Vitro — “In vitro fertilization (IVF) is ‘unjust and morally wrong’ and promotes eugenics, according to Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge. The Virginia prelate recently released a pastoral letter titled ‘The Christian Family, In Vitro Fertilization, and Heroic Witness to True Love.'” [LifeSiteNews]
Housing Is Hot in Falls Church — “Being raised here, it was like a very slow evolution in Falls Church City. We saw things happen in North Arlington, down in Clarendon. We saw things move into Ballston. And we were just kind of wondering, ‘Well, when’s it going to happen here?’ But now, I think we’re in it. It’s happening…. But, you have to pay for it to get in.” [Falls Church Independent]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies today with a high of around 52 degrees and west winds at 7 to 12 mph, increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon, with potential gusts up to 33 mph. The evening will bring mostly clear skies and a low of about 31 degrees, accompanied by light and variable winds shifting to 5 to 9 mph from the southwest. [NWS]
Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick
One person is dead and another is fighting for their life after a serious crash Monday afternoon at a Ballston intersection.
Traffic camera footage (below) shows a gray pickup truck traveling eastbound on Wilson Blvd before slamming into another vehicle — which had just turned onto Wilson from N. Vermont Street — around 2:40 p.m.
The Arlington County Board has approved $18 million in revenue bonds to support the redevelopment of the Goodwill on S. Glebe Road.
The funding will benefit AHC Inc., which is partnering with Goodwill to develop affordable housing on the site, located at 10 S. Glebe Road in the Alcova Heights community.
LGBTQ+ advocates are lobbying the Arlington County Board for a resolution safeguarding against potential attacks on their rights.
Dozens of activists packed the Board’s meeting room on Saturday to decry recent developments at the federal and state level, including President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting gender identity and “gender ideology.” They argue that such actions threaten the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
Falls Church officials are nearing a decision on an ordinance that would make it easier to build accessory-dwelling units.
A vote on the ordinance is expected in late March or April. At a Council work session last week, however, there was a split between elected leaders and top staff on how much remaining public input is advisable before the matter goes to a vote.
Flyover Planned Today — From Arlington Alert: “A United States military aircraft flyover is scheduled for Monday, January 27, at 3:11 PM at @ArlingtonNatl. While there will be an increase in air traffic noise, there is no cause for alarm.” [Twitter]
Mom Recounts Sex Offender Encounter — “‘We finished class, we walked into the women’s locker rooms, and immediately, as we turned the corner, we saw an individual who was an individual man, as I saw it in the women’s locker room, completely naked, facing the doorway… There had to have been at least a dozen other small girls and moms scattered about the room,’ she said.” [WJLA]
Scooter Approval Latest — “Arlington County has announced the approved shared micromobility vendors for 2025. Bird, Lime, and Spin will continue providing e-scooters, making it easy for residents and visitors to get around in a convenient and sustainable way… This year, Arlington County has approved 1,600 e-scooters.” [Arlington Transportation Partners]
Costs Forcing People Out of N. Va. — “Northern Virginia’s high cost of living is driving more residents to leave for areas where their money stretches further, a new report shows… Those leaving are often young adults, middle-income families and first-time homebuyers, many of whom are struggling to afford housing in the region.” [FFXnow]
Summer Day Camp Guide — “Temps may be chilly, but the heat is on to register for summer camps. They fill up fast in this area, and some have already opened for registration. Trying to get a handle on the vast array of options in and around Arlington? We’ve rounded up information on nearly 40 day camps where kids from tots to teens and with all abilities can thrive.” [Arlington Magazine]
AI Spend May Benefit Region — “‘This $500 billion [effort] reflects that this is going to be a generational change coming and a wave of innovation that could be much, much greater than the internet, and now the investments are being made to build that out,’ Jordan Blashek, president and chief operating officer of Arlington startup investor America’s Frontier Fund, told me.” [WBJ]
It’s Monday — Expect a partly sunny day that will eventually transition into full sunshine, with temperatures peaking around 45°F. Winds will come from the southwest, blowing at 5-10 mph. For Monday night, anticipate an increase in cloud coverage and lows near 31°F, while the southwest wind continues at 7-10 mph. [NWS]
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