Falls Church leaders are weighing a few options as they decide the fate of a major affordable housing project.
City officials plan to rehabilitate or redevelop at least a portion of the 40 fourplex apartment buildings on the Virginia Village site through a future partnership with a housing developer. A work session on Monday focused on refining the request for proposal that will be put out, soliciting partnerships.
Crime in Arlington fell last year for the first time since 2018, with reported serious offenses down 10.9% — largely driven by a drop in property crimes ranging from larceny to motor vehicle theft.
The decline, detailed in the police department’s annual report published yesterday (Wednesday), reverses a yearslong climb. ARLnow flagged the drop in December using preliminary numbers.
The Virginia Court of Appeals will review some of the many charges against a convicted sex offender accused of indecent exposure in multiple girls’ locker rooms.
Richard Kenneth Cox, who is accused of entering public changing areas at Arlington Public Schools pools in order to undress and remain there while naked, has successfully challenged indictments on charges of illegal loitering near a school, WJLA reported this week. The rest of Cox’s charges are currently on hold pending an appeal of the Arlington County Circuit Court decision.
Clarendon Hotel Plan Scrapped — Mill Creek Residential wants to swap the planned hotel at the former Silver Diner site (3200 Wilson Blvd) in Clarendon for an 11-story, 168-unit residential building. The developer says it pursued hotel partners but “just came up empty.” [WBJ]
Tobacco Shop Robbery Charge — A 30-year-old Alexandria man has been charged with robbery after grabbing a display of Kratom products and shoving an employee at a tobacco shop in the 3400 block of Washington Blvd, according to a search warrant affidavit. Alexandria police are investigating whether he’s linked to a separate shop theft in the city. [ALXnow]
Arlington Legal Funder Expands — Rocade Capital, an Arlington firm that lends to the legal industry, has acquired California’s Law Finance Group, a deal it says will expand its reach in the niche sector. The combined firms have deployed roughly $2.3 billion over the past decade-plus. A price wasn’t disclosed. [WBJ]
Car Carriers Run Amok — Car carriers keep blocking the bus lane on Army Navy Drive in Pentagon City and driving the wrong way. One also recently blocked the Fashion Centre’s driveway exit, forcing drivers “to leave through the entrance,” Dave Statter reported in the latest of a series of posts and videos on the issue. He saw no ticketing. [Dave Statter/X]
Del Ray House Fire — Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 2600 block of E. Randolph Avenue in Del Ray on Wednesday afternoon. The homeowner said she, her partner and son escaped safely. She believes an ember from a backyard fire pit started it. Smoke was visible from Arlington. [ALXnow]
Inside Trump’s Arch — “For years, some enthusiasts of classical architecture have argued that Washington needs a triumphal arch… President Donald Trump took the idea, enlarged it and is now pushing to begin construction on a 250-foot-tall arch as soon as possible… Many have focused on the arch’s exterior, but The Washington Post has created the first 3D visualization of its interior.” [Washington Post]
Fare Evasion Crackdown Update — Metro Transit Police have issued 807 citations and made 51 arrests since May 24 as part of a system-wide fare evasion crackdown, with 10 of those arrested having outstanding warrants. The agency, which launched a “Fares Pay for Service” campaign, estimates bus fare evasion alone could cost it roughly $50 million this fiscal year. [DC News Now]
River Water Quality Dashboard — A coalition of local water groups has launched a public dashboard with real-time water quality data for the Anacostia, Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, drawing on nine sensor sites. “The recent catastrophic sewage spill in the Potomac taught us many lessons,” said Potomac Riverkeeper Network president Betsy Nicholas, citing the need for timely monitoring. [Press Release]
Rain Chances Stay Slim — Wednesday marked the D.C. area’s sixth straight rain-free day, and the dry streak will likely reach nine before showers return Sunday, Capital Weather reports. Even then, models project only 0.01 to 0.1 inches — bad news as the region sits under a newly declared drought watch. [Capital Weather]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies with a high near 89 and light northwest winds of 5 mph or less. Skies stay mostly clear overnight with a low around 65. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk
An Arlington man is facing charges after police say he accidentally fired a shot into a neighboring home while cleaning his gun.
The incident happened just before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 1100 block of S. Highland Street, just south of Columbia Pike.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is throwing support behind legislation intended to address the impacts of data centers on rising prices of electricity for Virginia residents.
The Power for the People Act, which Warner is co-sponsoring, aims to address cost and reliability issues associated with data centers’ power needs. The legislation directs states to look into new rate classes for data centers, seeks a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rule to ensure data centers are paying for infrastructure upgrades that would not be otherwise needed, and seeks to increase accountability in local electricity infrastructure.
A drought watch went into effect throughout the D.C. area today (Wednesday), responding to below-average rainfall and historically low flow in the Potomac River.
Despite the stretch of wet weather that the region received last month, all of Arlington is currently classified in either “moderate” or “severe” drought, while some portions of the Potomac Basin have been designated in “extreme drought.”
Arlington added a company to the Fortune 500 this year, bringing to four the number of the nation’s 500 largest public companies headquartered in the county.
Liquefied natural gas company Venture Global debuted at No. 328 on the 2026 list, which Fortune released Wednesday morning. The Arlington-based firm, public since early 2025, reported $13.8 billion in revenue, according to the Washington Business Journal.
The lower level of the Metro station at the Pentagon is closed after person was struck and killed by a train.
A person reportedly jumped in front of a train around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Passengers were evacuated off the train, power to the third rail was cut and the lower level of the station closed.
An affordable housing redevelopment project at the Goodwill on S. Glebe Road broke ground over the weekend.
Community leaders joined Goodwill of Greater Washington and Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC) personnel at the ceremony to mark the beginning of work on redeveloping Goodwill’s longstanding retail outlet and collection facility at 10 S. Glebe Road.
An Arlington police officer who died of cancer related to 9/11 relief efforts is remembered for his intense work ethic, kind heart and playful sense of humor.
Family members and Arlington County Police Department personnel honored ACPD Cpl. Barry Foust at a funeral service yesterday (Tuesday). They shared memories of the 64-year-old who grew up tussling and competing with his four sisters on a dairy farm in rural Pennsylvania, and how he matured into a mentor and inspiration for generations officers across his 35 years of service at ACPD.
Judge Tosses Sex-Offender Indictments — An Arlington County Circuit Court judge has dismissed indictments against registered sex offender Richard Cox, who was charged with loitering near schools and exposing himself in women’s locker rooms at two Arlington high schools and a county fitness center in 2024. The judge ruled the Virginia loitering statute unconstitutionally vague under the 14th Amendment. Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti has appealed, and the Court of Appeals has taken the case. [WJLA]
EMS Tribute Headed to Arlington — A cross-country procession honoring 37 EMS providers who died in the line of duty last year began Monday in Redding, Calif., and will travel more than 9,000 miles before reaching Arlington on July 19 for the National EMS Memorial Service. A specially wrapped ambulance carries the memorial’s Tree of Life. [Action News Now, Global Medical Response]
DCA Crash Memorial Dedicated — A memorial to the 67 people killed in the Jan. 29, 2025 mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport was dedicated Monday at Rivergate City Park in Alexandria’s Old Town North. The waterfront bench reads: “May the 67 lives lost over these waters on January 29, 2025 be forever remembered.” [ALXnow]
Beyer Rips DNI Pick — Rep. Don Beyer (D), who represents Arlington, criticized President Trump’s choice of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. “This is insane. Bill Pulte has no business being anywhere near intelligence or national security,” Beyer said on X. [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
Service Dog Mishap at DCA — “Fire, EMS, and hazmat were dispatched to a gate at Reagan National Airport… for an incoming commercial jet where the initial report is that a service dog had diarrhea on the flight.” [Dave Statter/X, NBC 4]
Del Ray Thai Mainstay Closing — Thai Peppers, a Del Ray fixture since 1998, will close June 15 after more than 27 years. The owners, who plan to retire and “hopefully relax on a beach in Phuket sipping Singhas and Mai Tais,” will keep their Bristow and Haymarket locations open. [ALXnow]
Va. Revenue Forecast Jumps — Virginia’s revenue outlook has improved by $1.5 billion over the next three fiscal years, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) told legislative budget writers Monday, potentially giving lawmakers more room to break a budget impasse before the June 30 deadline. Spanberger said she remains “concerned by rising national economic instability, the ongoing conflict in Iran, and the continued impacts of federal workforce cuts.” [Virginia Mercury, Press Release]
Spanberger Signs Housing Bills — Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a package of housing bills Monday at a manufactured-home plant in Rocky Mount, creating a two-year pilot program to spur development, boost manufactured-home supply and protect renters from hidden fees. “The answers and the solutions lie right before us,” she said. [WJLA]
Casino Fight Spawns Advocacy Group — Spurred by this year’s fight over a Tysons casino, some Fairfax County leaders have launched a nonprofit, Communities First VA, to counter what they characterize as state overreach on local development. The group says the 2026 session “showed a broader pattern: Richmond politicians repeatedly tried to substitute state mandates for local judgment on land use, housing and community character.” [FFXnow]
Virginia No. 1 for Income — A new WalletHub study ranks Virginia first in the nation for income, ahead of New York, New Jersey, Washington and Connecticut. Adjusted for cost of living, the state’s top 5% of earners average $545,097 a year and its median income is $95,339. Maryland ranked 16th. [MoCoShow]
It’s Wednesday — Another nice day with sunny skies, a high near 82 and a north wind around 5–8 mph. Skies stay clear overnight with a low around 60. [NWS]
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