News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Sunny and wet Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Interest Rates Could Slow Development — “Arlington County leaders are preparing for a difficult economic environment for multifamily development, even as they say they’re optimistic about the region’s future… [I]f the Federal Reserve pushes the federal funds rate to 3.5% by year-end as it has targeted, that could have serious repercussions, said Shooshan Co. Chairman John Shooshan, speaking at Bisnow’s Future of Arlington County event on Thursday.” [Bisnow]

Talent Driving Local Tech Strength — “Northern Virginia has become a magnet for the industry, with the Dulles Technology Corridor continuing its growth along the Silver Line and Amazon HQ2 going up in Arlington… Taylor said the upcoming Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria and George Mason’s Fuse at Mason Square in Arlington are two projects that will be pivotal to ‘churning out more talent.'” [Axios]

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Arlington dropping Covid emergency declaration as cases hold steady

By ARLnow.com
Covid cases in Arlington as of 7/21/22 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

The news this morning brought a good reminder that Covid is very much still circulating.

President Biden has tested positive for the virus and is receiving antiviral treatment and has “very mild” symptoms, the White House said. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was among those wishing the president well.

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UPDATED: Ground stop at National Airport after report of drone in the area

By ARLnow.com
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Departures from Reagan National Airport are delayed as a result of a ground stop caused by an unauthorized drone in the area.

The ground stop went into effect around 1 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration website, though as of 1:45 p.m. it appears to have been lifted.

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New transit stations coming to Columbia Pike starting this summer

By Mavis Chan
Eight new transit stations will be constructed on Columbia Pike this summer (via Arlington County)

New shelters are expected this summer at eight bus stops on Columbia Pike.

The project was delayed last year because of structural problems with the original shelter design, but the delay presented an opportunity to increase the original contract and complete more stations at one time.

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Two people to be charged after W-L fireworks incident

By ARLnow.com
Response to incident at Washington-Liberty High School in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Two juvenile suspects are being charged with fire code violations after police say they set off fireworks at Washington-Liberty High School, prompting an active shooter panic.

Shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday, Arlington’s emergency communications center received multiple 911 calls about shots being fired in the school. W-L was locked down and police responded en masse, conducting an extensive search of the school which only yielded evidence of fireworks.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A runner passes a construction site in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Capital Plan, Bond Referenda Approved — “The Arlington County Board has unanimously approved a $3.9 billion ten-year Capital Improvement Plan that focuses on stormwater management and flood response, climate and environmental programs, parks, transportation, and community infrastructure over the next decade… [as well as] bond referenda totaling $510.5 million to be put before Arlington voters on the November ballot.” [Arlington County]

GOP Group Wants Fewer Vote Drops — “A Republican group seeking to have Arlington election officials reduce the number of 24-hour voting dropboxes in the county got something of a cold shoulder at the July 14 Electoral Board meeting… Representatives of a national Republican voter-integrity effort asked that the number of dropboxes be reduced from nine to as few as three, citing both cost and ballot-integrity issues.” [Sun Gazette]

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County Board approves policy limiting police cooperation with ICE despite criticism from activists

By Mavis Chan
Anti-ICE protesters outside of county government headquarters in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Arlington County Board approved a policy limiting police cooperation with federal immigration agencies despite continued concern from activists.

In response to criticism on the proposal, dubbed the “Trust Policy,” the County Board updated some sections ahead of the unanimous vote at its meeting yesterday (Tuesday). However, criticism from immigration advocacy groups remains.

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No monkeypox vaccine clinics planned in Arlington yet as N. Va. cases rise

By Matt Blitz
Colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (photo via NIAID)

Though monkeypox cases continue to rise in the region, the county has yet to open vaccine clinics for the disease.

Supply of the monkeypox vaccine JYNNEOS remains “limited,” county spokesperson Ryan Hudson tells ARLnow, and Arlington is coordinating with the Virginia Department of Health to obtain and administer doses.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rooftop sunset in Rosslyn (Flickr pool photo by Jeff Vincent)

SFH Prices Up 11 Percent — “Something may have to give, eventually, but, for now, average single-family-home sales prices in Arlington continue to spike, according to new data. The average sales price of the 108 existing single-family homes that went to closing across the county in June stood at just over $1.35 million, up 11 percent from the already red-hot market of June 2021.” [Sun Gazette]

CAIR Backs Arlington House Bill — “The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed its support for legislation that would rename a memorial currently dedicated to Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Arlington, Va.” [Press Release]

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Alexandria double murder suspect was released from jail in Arlington earlier this year

By ARLnow.com
Two people were killed in the 200 block of Century Drive on Saturday, July 16 (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated at 4:30 p.m. on 7/20/22) The man arrested after the fatal shooting of two construction workers in Alexandria over the weekend was set to be tried for weapons and drug charges in Arlington earlier this year, but charges were dropped.

The reason: a ruling that police conducted an unconstitutional search prior to a 2020 arrest.

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Officials say new pickleball courts are coming as players rally for more county support

By Matt Blitz
A tennis court at Glebe Road Park was restriped for pickleball (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

More pickleball courts are likely coming to Arlington as local players urge the county to provide more support.

Last week, County Board member Libby Garvey and Nakish Jordan from Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation paid a visit to the outdoor pickleball courts at Walter Reed Park, near the community center. They were there to talk about what the county was doing to create more courts for a sport that continues to grow in popularity.

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