Arlington’s five-member legislative delegation heads into the General Assembly’s home stretch with a large number of its bills still alive.
Among the most successful was Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3), who got 21 pieces of legislation through the House of Delegates before crossover, the period when bills move to the opposite house for consideration.
Beyer Meets With Postmaster — “I’m relieved that after meeting with the Arlington Postmaster, USPS has committed to clearing the backlog of undelivered mail by early next week. A new manager has already been hired and authorized additional resources, including hiring more staff, to prevent further delays.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
Lawsuit Over Arch — “A group of Vietnam War veterans has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s proposed “Independence Arch,” a massive monument planned for Memorial Circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues the 250-foot structure would obstruct the historic line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery.” [WJLA]
Sewage Spill Blame Game — “Federal officials have been aware of problems with what’s known as the Potomac Interceptor — the sewage line that carries 60 million gallons of wastewater between Virginia and Maryland daily — for several years. The National Park Service has been working to address the deteriorating quality of the Potomac Interceptor since at least 2022… DC Water is overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, not Maryland or D.C. The land where the pipe broke is managed by NPS.” [NOTUS]
Latest on Repairs — “DC Water says crews have successfully reached the damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor, which caused a sewage spill that they’ve been working to clean up for a month.” [Fox 5]
Wardian on TV — “Seven 50ks, seven days, seven continents. That is what Arlington’s very own athlete Michael Wardian just accomplished and set a world record while he did it & now he’s on Good Day DC to tell us all about it!” [Fox 5]
Cybersecurity Firm’s New Office — “The ink on a 14,100-square-foot office lease in Arlington for cybersecurity training firm KnowBe4 Inc. is barely dry, and CEO Bryan Palma is already thinking about expanding the Clearwater, Florida-based company’s local footprint. Palma and company will formally open the new office at 4075 Wilson Blvd. in Ballston on Monday, but growth projections have him thinking bigger.” [WBJ]
ARLnow Founder’s AMA Today — “Hey NoVA, there’s a lot happening in the local news world right now, and I’d love to talk about it. Got questions about local journalism, the business of covering your community, or the future of local media in an AI-driven world? Ask away.” [Reddit]
London Chain Buying Compass — “Compass Coffee, the beleaguered D.C.-based chain, may soon have a new owner. London-based giant Caffè Nero submitted the winning bid Thursday to purchase most of the assets of Compass, a homegrown business launched more than a decade ago by a pair of U.S. Marines. Compass filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month.” [Washington Post]
Real Estate Market Shifting — “For the first time in more than a decade, the pendulum is now swinging in favor of those looking for a home in the nation’s capital. “Washington, D.C. is a buyer’s market,” Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, said. “There are 22% more homes for sale than there are buyers interested in buying those homes.”” [WTOP]
Late Bloom Likely — “Peak cherry blossom bloom could arrive later than recent years thanks to D.C.’s record-breaking cold… There’s no official peak projection yet, but Litterst says bloom will likely come “later in the season than we’ve seen for the last few years.”” [Axios]
Winter Storm Rising — “In their latest update, the National Weather Service has DC at a 10-30% chance of “exceeding winter storm warning criteria” while they’re as high as 50-80% chance north of down in central and northeastern Maryland.” [Mike Thomas/X, Doug Kammerer/X]
It’s Friday — Expect rain mainly before 10am, accompanied by areas of fog lasting until noon, with the day’s high temperature reaching around 57°F. The east wind, blowing at 5-8 mph, will shift to southwest in the afternoon. Friday night, skies will be mostly clear and the low temperature will be around 40°F, with a west wind of 6-8 mph. [NWS]
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats passed a new congressional map through the Virginia legislature on Friday that aims to help their party win four more seats in the national redistricting battle. It’s a flex of state Democrats’ political power, however hurdles remain before they can benefit from friendlier U.S. House district boundaries in this year’s midterm elections.
A judge in Tazewell, a conservative area in Southwest Virginia, has effectively blocked a voter referendum on the redrawn maps from happening on April 21 by granting a temporary restraining order, issued Thursday.
Arlington County police are investigating two separate incidents this week in which ammunition was brought into a school.
The latest happened earlier today (Thursday) at Washington-Liberty High School. Police were called after a student was found to be in possession of ammo and a firearm magazine, according to scanner traffic.
A local artist’s exhibit examining the impacts of gentrification in historically Black neighborhoods is on display at the Arlington Historical Museum.
The exhibition, titled “A Different Look from a Different View,” explores local Black residents’ challenges coming to grips with changing realities in once tight-knit communities in places like Halls Hill, Green Valley and D.C. neighborhoods including Adams Morgan, Logan Circle and Navy Yard.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week, just months after resoundingly winning an office previously held by a Republican.
The Democratic rebuttal will immediately follow Trump’s address to Congress next Tuesday, offering the party’s most high-profile opportunity to deliver a countermessage.
Legislators representing Arlington are advancing matching bills to extend elections offices’ deadlines for receiving and counting absentee ballots.
HB 82 and SB 58, introduced by Del. Adele McClure (D-2) and State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40), respectively, call for moving the deadline from noon to 5 p.m. on the third day after an election.
A high school student is facing several charges after allegedly attacking police amid anti-ICE walkouts Wednesday afternoon.
Hundreds of students peacefully participated in the planned walkouts at Arlington middle and high schools, protesting immigration enforcement and violence by federal agents.
Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security headquarters is leaving Crystal City after nine years.
The aerospace and defense company announced the move Wednesday, citing a desire to be “present and engaged with teammates who are designing, producing and delivering vital defense and space products and capabilities.” The St. Louis region is home to about 18,000 Boeing employees.
Three men have been sentenced to prison over a conspiracy to steal hundreds of airbags across Northern Virginia.
Alexandria resident Adisorn Damrongchai and Chinese national Yuchen Zhang were found guilty of nabbing airbags in Virginia and selling them to a third conspirator, Severn, Md., resident Keith William Smith, beginning in August 2022.
Arlington’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) is seeking to ensure that safety programs for people on foot are considered a must-have during this budget cycle.
Major cuts in personnel and programs could “set things backwards,” PAC acting chair Eric Goodman warned at the body’s Feb. 11 meeting.
Trump Worried About Stinky River — “White House press secretary said during a Thursday briefing that President Donald Trump is “worried” that the Potomac River could smell like poop come time of Washington’s “America 250” festivities. Leavitt said the sewage leaking into the Potomac River is a “problem we want to fix,” especially as the nation prepares to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.” [WJLA]
District Declares Emergency — “D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a local public emergency regarding the sewage spill in the Potomac River, according to the Mayor’s Office. The declaration allowed her to also make a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration request, which could bring in federal support to help respond to the disaster.” [NBC 4, Washington Post, Virginia Mercury]
Half Dozen Compass Bidders — “Caffè Nero is facing off this week against five other bidders to acquire Compass Coffee’s remaining assets as D.C.’s largest homegrown coffee chain restructures under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.” [WBJ]
Arlington Firms Expanding West — “A pair of Arlington-based technology companies are planning new offices in Fairfax County, collectively promising over 300 new jobs. First, the space tech manufacturer Umbra announced last Thursday (Feb. 12) that it will expand to Reston, opening a 20,000-square-foot office expected to host over 100 employees. Then, defense contractor Grvty revealed yesterday (Tuesday) that it will establish a new corporate headquarters in Tysons.” [FFXnow]
Pothole Patrol Underway — “Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are already actively working to locate and repair potholes as we enter the time of year known for seeing more cracks and crumbles on the roads. Motorists can do their part in keeping the roads safe by reporting potholes and workers safe by moving over to give them room to work.” [Press Release]
Bishops Praise Suicide Bill’s Failure — “Two Virginia bishops are hailing the halt of legislation that would have legalized assisted suicide in that state. “Human life is sacred and no one should ever be abandoned or discarded,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington and Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond in a joint Feb. 18 statement.” [OSV News, Diocese of Arlington]
Another Hat in the 7th Ring — “Del. Dan Helmer, a Democrat who has represented southwestern Fairfax County in the House of Delegates since 2020, is once again running for Congress. The 44-year-old announced his candidacy today (Wednesday) to represent the newly-drawn 7th Congressional District — a sprawling “lobster-shaped” district that includes Helmer’s Fairfax home while stretching east to Arlington County, west to Augusta County and south to Goochland County.” [FFXnow]
Lunar New Year Celebration — “Hundreds of community members gathered Tuesday afternoon at the Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia, to welcome the Lunar New Year and pay homage to Vietnam.” [WTOP]
Caesars Looks at N. Va. — “Caesars Entertainment Inc. is prepared to kick the tires on a Fairfax County casino if the gaming bill currently before the General Assembly secures final passage.” [WBJ]
Va. Marijuana Market? — “As soon as this fall, it could be a lot easier for you to get your hands on marijuana in Virginia… However, opponents are worried about mental health and public safety.” [WJLA]
Lower Air Quality — “Why has our air quality only been “moderate” lately? We’ve gotten a bunch of questions about this. The short answer: stagnant air. Winds have been very light, which means the atmosphere hasn’t been mixing much. When air just sits in place, fine particles from tailpipes and other sources build up near the ground instead of dispersing. That same stagnant setup is also why we’ve had fog the past few mornings.” [CWG/X]
Snow Likely, Big Snow Less So — “Both the European and American ensembles are at an above 90% chance of “flakes falling” in DC…while both are a little above a 50/50 shot at a “disruptive” snowfall (2″+)…which is up from the other day. What is down is the “big storm” odds. Hovering around a 10% shot at 8″ or more.” [Mike Thomas/X]
It’s Thursday — Expect fog to clear by 9am and rain to begin after 3pm, with a high near 48°F. An east wind of 5 to 10mph accompanies an 80% chance of precipitation, with potential rainfall between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. Thursday night continues with rain and patchy fog both before midnight and after 1am, with a low around 42°F, east wind 6 to 9mph, and a 100% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
