Arlington’s treasurer is taking a more conservative stance on investments amid fears that local tax revenue could run short in the coming months.
“I have decided to make all of our investments fairly short-term,” Carla de la Pava told County Board members at a March 3 budget hearing. “Right now, it has been the wisest [action]. The safety of having liquid assets during this time of chaos has been really important.”
Local Co. Makes $200M Drone Deal — Crystal City-based AeroVironment has acquired California drone designer and manufacturer ESAero for $200 million in cash and stock, strengthening its capabilities in unmanned aerial systems increasingly used in global conflicts. The deal is AV’s second acquisition in less than a year. [WBJ]
AV Lasers on 60 Minutes — 60 Minutes featured AeroVironment and CEO Wahid Nawabi on a segment its Locust laser system, which destroys drones at a fraction of the cost of interceptor missiles. “The cost per shot goes from $4 million a shot to less than $5 a shot,” Nawabi said. The segment also revealed the Army is using the lasers to shoot down cartel drones along the Mexican border. [CBS News, 60 Minutes/X]
Sunrise at the Tomb — Arlington National Cemetery offered a rare sight Tuesday morning as the sunrise aligned perfectly with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, marking the tomb’s 100th anniversary year. [Fox 5]
Sister City Mayor Leads — Incumbent Arnaud Robinet led the first of two rounds of voting in the election for mayor in Arlington’s Sister City of Reims, France, held March 15. Robinet, leading a center-right coalition, won 44% of the vote to National Rally candidate Anne-Sophie Frigout (21%) and Eric Quénard (18%), who led a center-left coalition. All three advance to the final round of voting on March 22. — Scott McCaffrey
D.C. Self-Driving Update — “As self-driving taxis, like Waymo, continue to be tested on D.C. Streets, DDOT is restarting a study to potentially give the vehicles a green light.” [NBC 4]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny weather with a high near 42 degrees and light, variable winds shifting to the south at 6 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low of around 31 degrees. [NWS]
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Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler
The Virginia Department of Health has lifted its remaining recreational water advisory for the Potomac River.
Today’s announcement ends restrictions that had been in place for more than a month following a massive sewage spill that sent millions of gallons of raw waste into the river.
Problems with missed collections appear to have persisted in the months since Arlington changed its trash contractor last summer, resulting in almost $1 million in withheld payments.
The county withheld more than $855,000 from its invoices to Bates Trucking and Trash Removal between August and January, Katie O’Brien, spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Services, told ARLnow.
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input on big-picture plans for GW Parkway’s vistas and foliage — a topic that has previously sparked significant controversy.
A virtual public meeting on “long-term care of historic scenic views,” featuring a presentation and an opportunity for questions, is scheduled for 6 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Respondents can also comment online through Saturday, April 11.
Arlington has some of the most expensive three-bedroom apartments in the D.C. area, with a median asking price of $3,700 last month.
That equates to $44,400 on an annual basis — 17% higher than the median cost for a two-bedroom Arlington apartment and 55% higher than renting a one-bedroom unit, according to data provided by Zumper to ARLnow.
County officials now have real-world data on how Arlington Transit’s electric buses operate in winter’s chill.
Frigid temperatures in late January created unique challenges for the county’s fleet, draining batteries more quickly than normal and sometimes requiring a midday recharge, said Ryan Jones, a transportation planner who briefed the county’s Transit Advisory Committee on March 10.
Big Gusts Last Night — An intense line of storms Monday evening produced a 68 mph wind gust at Reagan National Airport — the strongest recorded there since 2019, according to the Capital Weather Gang. Temperatures dropped more than 20 degrees in under 30 minutes. Several trees came down in Potomac, Md. and a power pole was reported down in Alexandria. [CWG/X, WWG/X]
Monday Trash Runs Today — Arlington suspended curbside collection Monday due to the severe weather. Uncompleted Monday routes will run with regular Tuesday routes today. [Arlington DES/X]
Attempted Purse Snatching — A woman was entering a residential building in the 1800 block of Columbia Pike around 3 a.m. Saturday when two women approached and attempted to steal her purse, according to police. The victim ran away after a brief struggle and no injuries were reported. [ACPD]
Hurtt Keeps GOP Chair — Matthew Hurtt was the only candidate to seek the Arlington County Republican Committee chair’s post before the recent filing deadline, and will continue serving in that capacity through early 2028, party officials said Monday. Committee members will gather Monday, March 23 to plan strategy for upcoming elections. — Scott McCaffrey
Tysons Casino Bill Advances — The Virginia Senate voted 22-16 Friday to accept a revised casino bill that would allow a temporary facility near a Silver Line Metro station in Tysons without a voter referendum. Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) opposed the measure. All gaming revenue from the temporary facility would go to Fairfax County Public Schools. [FFXnow]
Kennedy Center to Close — The Kennedy Center’s board voted Monday to shut down operations for two years following this summer’s July 4 celebrations. The board also replaced Trump ally Richard Grenell with Matt Floca as CEO and executive director. [Associated Press]
Gas Prices Surging — The average price of regular gas in Virginia is $3.52 per gallon and rising amid the conflict with Iran, with the 26.9% national increase over the past month the largest since Hurricane Katrina, according to CNN. [Washingtonian]
D.C. Sheds 22K Fed Jobs — D.C. lost over 22,000 federal jobs in 2025 as a result of DOGE-driven workforce cuts, carrying $3.66 billion in annual pay, according to new OPM data. The city’s budget had anticipated the losses, projecting 40,000 fewer federal jobs by 2029. [WTOP]
It’s Tuesday — Mostly sunny skies today with increasing cloudiness, a high near 40 and west winds of 12–15 mph, gusting to 26 mph. Colder tonight with skies clearing and a low around 27. [NWS]
Want more local news from around the region? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today introduced legislation that would create a tiered surtax on income above $1 million and use the revenue to eliminate federal income taxes for Americans earning less than the median cost of living.
The Working Americans’ Tax Cut Act, introduced with companion legislation by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), would apply an additional 5% tax on individual income above $1 million, an additional 10% tax above $2 million and an additional 12% tax above $5 million. Higher thresholds apply to married couples. The surtax would cover both wages and investment income.
Program cuts and staff furloughs could become a reality in Arlington if tax revenue continues to fall below expectations over the next two months.
County Manager Mark Schwartz said at a March 11 forum that there’s a possibility “we will have to shut down some of our services” and temporarily send staff home. Any cutbacks likely wouldn’t hit until the last two months of the fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Arlington County Board elections will continue to use ranked-choice voting through at least 2027.
County Board members unanimously opted for a two-year extension of the pilot program that has been in place since 2024 — coming up short of advocates’ requests to make the switch permanent for all future general elections.
Plans to cover only a portion of a quarter-mile pedestrian bridge between Crystal City and Reagan National Airport are raising concerns among some local residents.
Officials from Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services have proposed to cover the CC2DCA multimodal connection on the western portion as it passes above rail lines, then on the eastern portion as it approaches the airport. For aesthetic reasons, however, the current plan is to leave the bridge open to the sky as it passes over GW Parkway.
