RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia voters will decide whether to back a redrawn district map that favors Democrats in the tit-for-tat battle for the U.S. House after the left-leaning Senate advanced a proposed constitutional amendment on Friday that supports mid-decade congressional redistricting.
Such a congressional map has not been publicly released, though lawmakers say that will change by the end of the month. Officials have repeatedly vowed that voters would see a proposed map before the referendum is held, likely in April.
A 38-year-old Arlington woman has been charged with attempted arson after allegedly pouring gasoline in the office of an apartment building.
The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday on the 3200 block of 24th Street S. in the Green Valley neighborhood. That corresponds with The Shelton, an apartment building with a years-long history of resident complaints about safety and living conditions.
Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an anti-ICE rally in Courthouse this month (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
The House Judiciary Committee is threatening to legally force Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney to send documents related to her handling of an ongoing criminal investigation.
In the latest escalation of a months-long dispute, Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) argued that he has the authority to compel Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti to submit a wide variety of materials related to her requesting limits on the search and seizure of an Arlington activist’s cellphone.
Arlington County police are investigating a burglary of bulky items from a Ballston house.
The burglaries happened on two separate days over the past week, from an under-construction home on the 3400 block of 14th Street N., near Arlington Science Focus Elementary.
Sunset in East Falls Church over Langston Blvd on the Pete Beers Memorial Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Tech Training Grant for MU — “Marymount University has received a grant to lead the development of NOVATech Works, a new regional initiative designed to strengthen Northern Virginia’s technology workforce and create clearer pathways into high-demand tech careers. This project is funded in part by GO Virginia, a state-funded initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.” [Marymount University]
MLK, Jr. Day Closures — “Arlington County Government offices and services are operating on modified schedules for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. Trash/Recycling/Yard Waste Curbside Routes – Regular collection. Parking – Permit parking is always in effect unless specifically noted on the sign. Meters are not enforced on holidays.” [Arlington County]
Caps Host Kids With Disabilities — “A duo of Washington Capitals players hosted dozens of kids Wednesday afternoon to skate, shoot and save goals with them after practice in Ballston, Virginia. It is all an effort to empower kids with physical and developmental disabilities.” [WTOP]
F.C. School Budget Growth — “Dade said the 5.02 percent increase represents a “floor” for what the schools will need to receive during the coming budget process, which formally begins with his introduction of a proposed overall budget on February 10 and leads to the School Board’s budget ask to the City Council on March 10, ahead of the Council’s final budget adoption in early May.” [FCNP]
F.C. Biz Owners Lament No NYE Event — “One of the issues that drove the meeting was the poorly-notified fact that after two dozen years, the annual New Year’s Eve Watch Night celebration was called off, an annual event that helped fill a number of downtown restaurants… The City decided in finalizing its current fiscal year budget late last spring not to fund the event for this year, but local business owners were not made aware of the decision, one which puzzled most of them, until only a few weeks before it was supposed to happen.” [FCNP]
Local Leaders Talk Homeless Funding — “Leaders from across the D.C. region voted on Wednesday (Jan. 14) to ask Congress and the Trump administration to bring back predictability when it comes to funding homelessness response services at the local level.” [FFXnow]
Pole Problem in Douglas Park — “Roads in the area of S. Quincy Street and 16th Street South are currently [Thursday afternoon] closed due to a power pole fire. The electric utility is on scene and working with the Fire Department to mitigate the hazard. Avoid the area.” [ACFD/X]
Snow Possible This Weekend — “We are still monitoring a potential system that could bring snow to the region Sunday into Sunday night, but there remains high uncertainty in the forecast… if this track were to trend westward, this could set the stage for accumulating snow along the I-95 Corridor.” [WWG/X]
It’s Friday — Clouds will increase today, bringing a high temperature near 37 degrees and a southern wind of 7 to 10 mph. Tonight, there’s a 30% chance of snow showers after 1am. The low temperature will be around 32 degrees, accompanied by a southern wind at 8 mph. [NWS]
Workers calling for unionization at Hyatt Regency Crystal City in 2024 (courtesy of UNITE HERE Local 25)
Representatives of both the business community and organized labor voiced skepticism at a recent forum that an end to Virginia’s right-to-work law is on the horizon for 2026.
“Right to work is not a big thing to us right now,” said Don Slaiman, political coordinator for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26.
Rhodeside Grill at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Democratic Nominee Selected — “Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) has been declared the winner in a firehouse primary for Virginia’s 39th District Senate seat, defeating three opponents with 70.6% of the 4,647 ballots cast. Bennett Parker received 3,281 votes, followed by former Del. Mark Levine with 807 votes (17.4%), Charles Sumpter with 321 votes (6.9%) and former Vice Mayor Amy Jackson with 238 votes (5.1%).” [ALXnow]
Legislative Session Underway — “The proposed redistricting amendment could go before the state’s voters as soon as April if it clears the Senate as expected. Democratic leaders promised Wednesday to unveil potential new maps by the end of the month… The measure was among a group of big-issue amendment proposals that advanced on largely party-line votes. The others would enshrine same-sex marriage, secure access to abortions and automatically restore voting rights to people who complete felony sentences.” [Washington Post]
Governor’s Last Address — “In his final State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday evening, outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin offered a sweeping defense of his four-year tenure, arguing that Virginia is stronger economically, fiscally and educationally than when he took office in January 2022, as he prepares to hand power to Abigail Spanberger, who will be sworn in as the state’s 75th governor this weekend.” [Virginia Mercury]
Youngkin Touts State Finances — “Virginia’s revenues are $1.2B ahead of forecast! The strong year-over-year increase is not noise, it’s real. It reflects strong job creation, rising incomes, healthy consumer activity, and disciplined fiscal stewardship.” [Gov. Glenn Youngkin/X]
‘Inn’ Comes to F.C. Woman’s Bedside — “A few weeks ago, [Chef Patrick O’Connell of The Inn at Little Washington] received an email from Falls Church resident Ashley Brumbaugh, 42. She was hospitalized at UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center while being treated for life-threatening liver disease. A devoted foodie and seasoned traveler, Brumbaugh found herself longing for the pleasures of fine dining she once enjoyed while globe-trotting and visiting Michelin-starred restaurants.” [N. Va. Magazine]
Good Samaritans Help Driver — “Let’s hear it for the kind people who stopped to help a driver apparently having a seizure in the intersection of Army Navy and S. Fern Street in Arlington a few minutes ago.” [Dave Statter/X]
Verizon Outage Resolved — “Verizon Communications said Wednesday night that it had resolved an hourslong, widespread outage that prevented customers from making calls and sending messages. The problem, which started at around noon Eastern time, affected wireless voice and data services for some customers, particularly in the eastern half of the country, a Verizon spokesman said. The company said at around 10 p.m. ET that the outage had been fixed.” [WSJ, USA Today]
Letter: No to Rent Control — “There is a more humane and sustainable way to address housing affordability in Arlington. Rather than lobbying Richmond for anti rent gouging powers, local leaders should focus on removing barriers to building more housing—streamlining zoning, easing density limits, shortening permitting timelines, and letting a variety of housing types emerge where demand exists.” [Letter to the Editor]
Letter: No to Killing Deer — “Arlington parks are beautiful sanctuaries, natural spaces of peace, relaxation, and learning. Arlington residents cherish the presence of deer in our parks and neighborhoods. Deer bring joy to our lives and enhance the quality of our entire community. Killing deer with guns and teaching our children that violence is an acceptable approach to resolving environmental challenges does not reflect the values of Arlington County residents.” [Letter to the Editor]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 32 degrees with a west wind at 17 mph, gusting up to 30 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 22 degrees, a west wind of 9 to 14 mph, and gusts up to 26 mph. [NWS]
Crash with overturned vehicle on Wilson Blvd near Ballston (via ACFD/X)
Two people were hospitalized after a lunchtime crash near Ballston.
Police and firefighters were dispatched around 12:40 p.m. to the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Wakefield Street, in the Bluemont neighborhood just west of Ballston, for an overturned vehicle.
Real estate for sale sign (photo illustration by ARLnow)
Arlington home sales grew 5.4% year-over-year in 2025 despite economic headwinds, according to new data.
A total of 2,315 properties went to closing during the year, up from 2,196 in 2024, according to figures reported Jan. 12 by MarketStats by ShowingTime.
