A driver accused of striking two pedestrians near Ballston and then fleeing the scene has been arrested.
Zai Atwater, 24, was taken into custody in D.C. over the alleged road rage incident, the Arlington County Police Department announced today.
News
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered a Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address yesterday (Tuesday), questioning whether the president was improving affordability and keeping Americans safe.
Spanberger took aim at Trump’s policies including tariffs, the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress, federal immigration enforcement tied to the deaths of two Americans, federal workforce reductions through DOGE, withholding of the Epstein files, and the threat of a war with Iran.
Falls Church city leaders appear to have a little more budget breathing room over the coming months compared to surrounding jurisdictions.
At a Feb. 23 City Council meeting, finance officials estimated 4% revenue growth in fiscal year 2027 without increasing tax rates. It was a figure Mayor Letty Hardi called “very, very rosy” compared to the situations in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County.
ACPD Starting Pay Among Highest — “Interesting: The range of starting salaries and hiring bonuses for different police forces in the Washington region range pretty widely. But the federal forces generally outpace local ones. Supreme Court Police start at $83k with $50k of hiring bonuses; MPD is $75k and $25k.” [Martin Austermuhle/X]
Housing Lawsuit Bill Tabled — “Among a slate of bills lawmakers introduced this year to address housing stock and affordability issues was House Bill 447 by Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax. It aimed to curb people filing lawsuits to stall housing developments by fine-tuning requirements for legal challenges against local government land use decisions.” [Virginia Mercury]
Data Center Tax Bill — “Senate Democrats in Virginia are pushing to end the tax incentive largely credited with driving the surge in data center development across the commonwealth, arguing the lucrative tax break is costing the state billions… Proponents of the incentive say ending the exemption will damage Virginia’s economy and cost local jurisdictions revenue.” [WBJ, VPM]
Biz Groups Worry About Bill Costs — “Virginia business costs set to rise as Gov. Spanberger is expected to sign paid family leave and minimum wage hike bills. Business groups worry about competitiveness but are aligned with Spanberger on housing/affordability measures. Paid leave would offer 12 weeks off, funded by employer/worker contributions starting 2028.” [ARLnow/X, WBJ]
MoCo Cutting Gymnastics, Too — “Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School gymnastics instructor Paula Shaibani stood in front of the Montgomery County school board Thursday in Rockville carrying the message of a community frustrated with the district’s recent decision to stop offering girls gymnastics as a varsity-level sport at the end of the academic year.” [Bethesda Today]
More Snow on Tap — “In addition to a barely noticeable chance of flakes early Wednesday and another light inconsequential rain with maybe some wet snow mix Thursday, a potentially bigger and perhaps multipart event looms early next week. We could see a few rain or snow showers from it as soon as late Sunday. Larger waves of wintry weather currently look to arrive Monday as well as Tuesday.” [CWG/X]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a slight chance of snow before 8am, followed by a slight chance of rain between 8am and 10am. Skies will transition from mostly cloudy to sunny, and the temperature will reach a high near 55. The southwest wind will blow at 10 to 14 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 37, as the west wind shifts to 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
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Flickr pool photo by Rob Pegoraro
A coalition of D.C.-area representatives is seeking more funding for infrastructure upgrades as authorities continue to monitor the effects of a massive sewage spill in the Potomac.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was among 14 members of Congress from the region who requested federal funding today (Tuesday) to rehabilitate and modernize the burst Potomac Interceptor. The delegation is also seeking additional funds for wastewater infrastructure nationwide following a recent briefing on efforts to repair the sewer line and mitigate health risks.
The House failed to approve a bill Tuesday that was crafted after last year’s tragic midair collision near Washington D.C. to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent such crashes. The collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter killed 67 people.
The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed since 2008. The bill that already passed the Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complementary ADS-B Out system that broadcasts an aircraft’s location is already required.
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Demolition has begun at the Joyce Motors site in Clarendon, and another nearby project may be getting underway soon.
The home of the longtime auto shop at 3211 10th Street N. has been fenced off and demo work was in full swing today (Tuesday) as crews broke and hauled debris under a towering crane.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) hopes to maintain national competitiveness on AI while preparing the U.S. economy for potentially massive disruptions brought on by new technology.
Speaking yesterday (Monday) at the grand opening of a new Ballston office for the cybersecurity company KnowBe4, which focuses on human and AI risk management, the senator emphasized the need to prepare for sweeping technological changes and their impacts on society.
A D.C. man has been arrested in connection to a string of recent burglaries at Arlington businesses — including two break-ins at a popular Langston Blvd hardware store.
More than a dozen charges have been levied against Jimmie Lamont Williams, including four counts of burglary and five counts of destruction of property, the Arlington County Police Department announced Tuesday.
Political campaign signs could soon be a thing of the past on Arlington medians.
County Board members in March are expected to consider a staff recommendation that would prohibit all signage — commercial, personal and political — on county-owned median strips and areas between sidewalks and roadways.
County Board members will return tonight (Tuesday) for more discussion on an affordable housing proposal on Langston Blvd following debate at a weekend meeting.
At a lengthy discussion on Saturday, Board members and the public zeroed in on remaining concerns at the Leckey Gardens Apartments site — including building height, tree canopy and parking — before deferring final action to tonight’s meeting.
Expiring affordability commitments and a large site where leaders could potentially expand affordable housing are presenting questions for Falls Church policymakers.
“There’s a policy decision: What are the choices before us?” Mayor Letty Hardi said at a Feb. 18 meeting to set the timetable for discussion of key upcoming issues.