News

Third Democrat Joins County Board Race — Julie Farnam has become the third Democrat running in the Aug. 4 County Board primary. She joins the existing field of James DeVita and incumbent Matt de Ferranti. Farnam, who also competed in the 2024 County Board primary, promised “leadership with integrity and accountability” if elected. —Scott McCaffrey

Teens Charged in Assault on Officer — Three juveniles were arrested after two of them assaulted an officer who was detaining a shoplifting suspect on the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street on Thursday evening, according to police. The officer sustained minor injuries. [ACPD]

Eggs Thrown at Officers in Clarendon — Police tried to apprehend two young suspects accused of throwing eggs at officers Saturday night in Clarendon, but at least one escaped down a bike trail. An egg was first thrown at an officer near Wilson Blvd and N. Highland Street, and a police vehicle was later hit on N. Fillmore Street. [Dave Statter/X]

Trade Group Relocates in Crystal City — The American Public Power Association, a trade group representing community-owned utilities, leased 34,000 square feet at 2733 Crystal Drive, moving one block south from its current space. The building, part of the National Landing Center project, was renovated after the EPA relocated to downtown D.C. [WBJ]

Redistricting Referendum Forum — Advance Arlington will host a program on the April 21 congressional redistricting referendum at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 8 at 6:45 p.m. at Walter Reed Community Center. The program is open to the public with both in-person and online options. [Advance Arlington]

Va. Hospitals Sound Alarm — Virginia hospital chains are becoming more vocal about the financial risks posed by federal health care funding changes, with Sentara’s vice president of government relations saying the health system is “getting hit on all sides.” Tens of thousands of Virginians have already dropped their insurance due to spiked premiums. [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 70, but there’s a 40% chance of rain showers after 8 a.m. Southwest winds around 13 mph, with gusts up to 23 mph. Overnight lows drop to around 59 with lingering shower chances. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we stay for 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.

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

Clement Qualifies for Ballot — Independent Audrey Clement has qualified to be on the Nov. 3 Arlington County Board ballot, election officials confirmed to ARLnow. Clement has been running for local office as a protest candidate since 2011, typically for County Board but on two occasions for School Board. Last November, she finished second in the five-candidate County Board race, receiving 15% of the vote to 65% for Democrat Takis Karantonis. —Scott McCaffrey

Nvidia Backs Clarendon Startup — Arlington software startup ORAN Development Co. (2300 Clarendon Blvd) has raised $45 million in a round led by Nvidia and Booz Allen Hamilton’s venture arm to develop software that turns cell towers into mini data centers. AT&T, Nokia and Cisco also invested. [WBJ]

AeroVironment Buys ESAero — Arlington-based defense tech company AeroVironment has acquired California-based Empirical Systems Aerospace for approximately $200 million, its second major deal following the $4.1 billion purchase of BlueHalo in 2025. [Potomac Tech Wire]

Caffè Nero’s Compass Makeover — Caffè Nero, the European coffee chain that won Compass Coffee’s assets at auction for $4.76 million, is taking a slow approach to rebranding the local shops. The company plans to close the Rosslyn location (1201 Wilson Blvd) briefly next week to repair plumbing damage from before the sale. [WBJ]

Vision Zero’s Cautionary Snail — Arlington County is offering free Vision Zero lawn signs featuring a “Cautionary Snail” mascot to remind drivers to slow down. Supplies are limited. [Arlington County]

Pentagon City Skating Ends — “Time to garage the zamboni and put the ice skates away for the winter. Spring is here!” [CartChaos22202/X]

Restaurant Burglary Arrest — An Arlington man, 27, has been charged with burglarizing Pupatella Pizza in Merrifield’s Mosaic District last August and Churasuko in Tysons in March, stealing alcohol and cash, according to FCPD. [FFXnow]

Peak Bloom Declared — “PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! It’s official! The cherry blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle.” [National Mall NPS/X]

Warner: Moratorium ‘Idiocy’ — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) called a proposed national moratorium on AI data center construction “idiocy,” saying it would give China an edge in the AI race. The moratorium was proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). [Axios]

D.C. Federal Task Force Extended — The House voted 218-206 to extend Trump’s D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force through 2029. The bill, sponsored by Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.), seeks to codify the executive order that ramped up federal law enforcement and immigration arrests in D.C. [Washington Post]

Helicopter Flight Stats — Military, air medical and law enforcement helicopters average about 91 flights per day in the D.C. area, according to a new GAO report that recommends military operators improve community outreach about noise impacts. [PoPville, Martin Austermuhle/X]

It’s Friday — Expect rain throughout the day with a high near 64 degrees, though temperatures will fall to around 50 by the afternoon. Winds out of the north at 9–13 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. A dramatic cooldown follows overnight, with a low around 33 and rain likely before 2 a.m. [NWS]