Members of the county’s Disability Advisory Commission are deeply unhappy with recent local efforts to remove snow and ice from pedestrian pathways.
A recent meeting zeroed in on a lack of attention given to a key entrance to the Bozman Government Center, as well as lingering snow on many curb cuts and sidewalks.
A Falls Church advisory panel is asking city leaders to embrace a low-tech but potentially effective tool to promote pedestrian safety.
Discussion on providing orange flags at unsignalized street crossings came up at the Feb. 11 meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation.
Fat Tuesday Events — A number of New Orleans-themed events are being held today in honor of Fat Tuesday, including at Bayou Bakery, Ragtime and William Jeffrey’s Tavern.
Sewage Line Repairs — “Emergency repairs of the Potomac Interceptor will take 4–6 weeks. Crews are close to completing the enhanced bypass system, which will allow repairs to begin soon. Added pumps are online & no overflow events were reported.” [DC Water/X, WTOP]
Feds Stepping In — “President Donald Trump said Monday that the federal government will step in to “protect” the Potomac River following the collapse of a major sewer pipe in the Washington, D.C., region, and accused local officials of mismanaging waste management systems.” [NBC News]
Carjacking Arrest — “An Arlington woman was arrested after she allegedly stole a man’s car when he refused to give her a ride, according to police. It happened around 1:59 a.m. Thursday along Seminary Road in the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County.” [WJLA, Annandale Today]
Red Light Runner on Camera — “Red light runner, possible hit & run crash early today on S. Glebe Rd near I-395. @ArlingtonVaPD
apparently found the driver of the white vehicle a few blocks away. No serious injuries reported.” [Dave Statter/X]
GW Parkway Work Update — “After more than two and a half years of major traffic disruptions for commuters and other drivers, the National Park Service (NPS) said it has reached “substantial completion” of rehabilitation work on a northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.” [WJLA]
Post Layoffs Cut Courts Reporters — “Between buyouts at the Post last year and the layoffs this month, the Post eliminated all our local courts journalists save Sal… In all, we lost 18 local reporters and 7 local editors in these layoffs; five of the 16 remaining reporters are being transferred to national politics and criminal justice coverage. (Two of those left are on fellowships and may not have jobs at the end).” [Court Watch]
Lawsuit Over D.C. Courses — “Two recreational golfers from the D.C. area have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging efforts to overhaul the East Potomac Golf Links and alleging the move could undermine its long-standing role as a public park. Dave Roberts, a Washington, D.C. resident, and Alex Dickson of Arlington, along with the D.C. Preservation League, are suing the Department of Interior and the National Park Service.” [Fox 5]
Arlington Company Expanding — “Arlington space company Umbra Lab Inc. plans to hire more than 100 employees and expand into a new 20,000-square-foot office in Reston as part of a $6.75 million investment announced Thursday. A $500,000 grant from Virginia’s Opportunity Fund is supporting the expansion.” [WBJ]
Va. Medical Leave Bill — “In Virginia, companies decide whether or not they will offer paid sick days to their employees, because there is no state policy that sets a minimum for how much sick time employers must offer. After several years of attempts, legislation to require paid sick leave for workers cleared Virginia’s House of Delegates on Monday.” [Virginia Mercury]
Lawsuit Against Fmr. AG — “A former Virginia Attorney General’s Office employee filed a lawsuit on Thursday against former Attorney General Jason Miyares, among other previous office leaders, due to allegations of wrongful termination after she spoke out about a payment she alleged was a conflict of interest.” [DC News Now]
Va. Social Media Restrictions — “Attorney General Jay Jones announces today that his office intends to fully enforce new provisions of the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, which require social media platforms to limit minors’ usage to one hour per day unless a parent opts to increase that limit.” [Press Release]
Melting Helping Disabled People — “For week two, Rochelle Harrod remained stuck. The first time she tried to leave her apartment after a late-January snowstorm left the D.C. area locked down in “snowcrete,” she made it down the elevator from her Hyattsville, Maryland, apartment but could go no further than a few feet outside the front door. The wheels of her 300-pound motorized wheelchair couldn’t make it over a snow-covered ramp.” [Washington Post]
It’s Tuesday — Expect patchy fog to clear by 8am, giving way to partly sunny skies and a high near 55 with light southwest winds. As for Tuesday night, it’ll turn cloudy with a low around 43. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.
A gas appliance reportedly exploded in an apartment in Pentagon City, blowing out windows but causing no major damage.
The incident happened around 1 p.m. at the RiverHouse Ashley building at 1600 S. Joyce Street. Initial reports suggest that a person inside the apartment at the time was thrown against a wall by the blast.
Avoid contact with the Potomac River.
That’s the message from the Virginia Dept. of Health, which just issued a recreational water advisory, three weeks after a large sewage pipe ruptured along the Clara Barton Parkway.
Buck & Associates, a 50-year-old real estate company based near Courthouse, is turning the page on residential sales.
The firm has announced that its residential real estate agents have moved to other brokerages in Northern Virginia. Buck & Associates founder Bill Buck is planning a renewed focus on commercial real estate.
Virginia voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan benefiting Democrats while a court battle plays out over the legality of the effort.
The Virginia Supreme Court said Friday that a statewide referendum can be held April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, and the court will decide sometime later whether the plan is legal.
Time is running out for 30 residents in Culpepper Garden’s assisted-living wing to find other housing before its planned closure this summer.
With the wing still at 40% capacity, officials at the apartment complex for low-income seniors say they are working with each of those residents to determine the best course of action.
The “Yes in God’s Backyard” movement scored a win this week as the Faith in Housing bill passed the Virginia Senate after gaining initial approval in the House of Delegates.
The Senate voted 21-18 on Wednesday to pass state Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-29)’s SB 388, which would eliminate the rezoning step for faith-based organizations and other tax-exempt nonprofits to develop affordable housing on their properties. The legislation might still need final approval in the House next year, however.
Arlington’s economic development efforts may need to do more with less over the coming year.
“This is a budget [year] that is very lean. There’s going to be a lot of discussion about that,” acting Arlington Economic Development (AED) director Kate Ange said at the Feb. 10 Economic Development Commission meeting.
Crystal City Metro Ridership — “Crystal City has seen massive amounts of redevelopment as well as the building of Amazon’s HQ2 campus in the area. Furthermore, the area seems to have tons of office buildings, hotels, and restaurants, and it offers VRE service just blocks from the Metro station. Despite all the nearby amenities, Crystal City has among the lowest recovery rates on the system at a meager 55.03% of 2019 ridership.” [GGW]
Fairfax Wants Flight Path Tweaks — “Fairfax County supervisors went on record at their Feb. 3 meeting asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move forward on recommendations dispersing air traffic south of Reagan National Airport.” [FFXnow]
Sewage Spill Caution — “Virginia residents are urged to use caution on the Virginia shoreline of the Potomac River between Swainson Island (overflow site) and Fletcher’s Boathouse. The results of DC Water’s bacteria samples indicate bacteria concentrations about 5.25 miles down-river from the sewage release site, at Fletcher’s Boathouse location, do not pose an imminent public health risk.” [VDH, PoPville, Fox 5]
Beyer’s Bill for Older Workers — “U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) today introduced legislation to establish an Older Workers’ Bureau within the Department of Labor. The Bureau would be responsible for identifying the challenges faced by workers aged 55 and older, developing policies to improve their employment conditions, and expanding access to employment opportunities.” [Press Release]
State Biosolids Bills — “House Bill 1443, patroned by Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, sets the limits at the 50 parts per billion for PFOS or PFOA separately on a rolling 12 month average; if those limits are exceeded, biosolids spreading would have to stop. The bill also includes a reduced rate of spreading if either chemical reaches 25-50 parts per billion. Lopez told the Virginia Mercury that there are continued negotiations with stakeholders to find the best path forward for all parties.” [Virginia Mercury]
Snow Cover Hangs On — “Thursday marked the 19th day with snow cover in and around D.C. That ties for the 11th-longest streak with snow cover for the city. It’s the longest run since one that ended Feb. 8, 2000, at 20 days.” [CWG/X]
New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks ABC wine/beer on/off license; 30-day objections. [Public Notices]
It’s Friday — Expect sunshine and a high of 39°F accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 7 to 10 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. For Friday night, the skies will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a low of around 28°F, with a gentle southwest breeze. [NWS]
Support local journalism. Join the ARLnow Press Club to boost our reporting and to get upgraded newsletters.
