Oral arguments in the lawsuit over Arlington County’s “Missing Middle” zoning changes are taking place in the Virginia Supreme Court this morning (Wednesday).
Justices are scheduled to hear a roughly 10-minute argument on plaintiffs’ attempt to reverse a Court of Appeals decision, which effectively put Missing Middle back on the books in Arlington last summer for procedural reasons. This moves the court one step closer to deciding whether to accept the case for full review.
Arlington’s new “microtransit” pilot program is launching next week, providing on-demand rides in portions of the county with limited transit options.
The program launches next Monday, April 13. It will be available in two service zones: one in Westover Village and the other in a large swath of northwestern Arlington, including all or some of the neighborhoods of Rock Spring, Yorktown, East Falls Church, Williamsburg, Leeway Overlee, Hall’s Hill and Old Dominion.
Fed Child Exploitation Cases — Two Arlington men pled guilty last month to federal child sexual abuse charges under the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. One defendant, 26, urinated on his laptop during an FBI search to prevent agents from accessing evidence. A second man, 35, was found with hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material on his devices. [Patch, U.S. Attorney’s Office]
RNC Sues Over Va. Voting — The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit challenging Virginia’s voting system, alleging the state allows some people who have never been residents to cast ballots. The suit targets a provision letting children of overseas Virginians vote without ever having lived in the state. Matthew Hurtt, head of the Arlington GOP, joined the suit. [Washington Times]
Long Bridge Work Delays — Drivers should expect periodic traffic impacts on Boundary Channel Drive and surrounding loop ramps through April 13 as the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority continues work on the Long Bridge Project. Lane narrowing and equipment storage will be in place during weekday off-peak hours, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. [Patch]
Infrastructure Input Sought — Arlington County is asking residents where to prioritize maintenance and funding for streets, parks, technology, stormwater systems and county buildings. Feedback is due by April 23. [Arlington County/X]
MCM Registration Opens — Registration for the 51st Marine Corps Marathon opened Monday, and organizers expect it to sell out. “Last year it took us about a month,” said marketing manager Amber Traunero. The race will be held Oct. 25 with new corral starts and a four-day expo at the National Building Museum. [WTOP]
Art of Pink This Friday — The National Landing BID’s Pink in the Park series wraps up Friday with Art of Pink, a free after-hours event at Metropolitan Park from 5–10 p.m. featuring a cherry blossom art exhibition with 60-plus local artists, a live paint battle, food vendors and live music. [National Landing BID]
Corvex Touts Public Edge — Arlington-based AI cloud computing firm Corvex Inc. is leveraging its new public company status to recruit talent, offering stock options tied to tradeable shares. “It absolutely is an advantage for us,” CEO Jay Crystal said. The company, which went public via an all-stock merger last month, has 38 employees at Fuse at Mason Square in Virginia Square. [WBJ]
Speed Camera Bill Advances — A bill that would expand speed camera locations to high-risk “safety red zones” designated by the state is awaiting Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) signature. The bill, crafted in memory of two Oakton High School students killed on Blake Lane in 2022, would apply to N. Va. localities including Arlington. [FFXnow]
Spanberger Signs School Bills — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed a package of education bills today targeting school construction planning and classroom cellphone restrictions. The laws make the Commission on School Construction and Modernization permanent and set “bell to bell” limits on student device use during the school day. [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 55 degrees and light east winds around 6 mph. Tonight’s low drops to around 35 degrees with areas of frost possible after 3 a.m. [NWS]
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Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) is calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately reconvene Congress and hold a vote on a War Powers Resolution as President Trump escalates threats against Iran, warning today (Tuesday) that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if a deal is not reached.
Beyer, whose 8th District includes Arlington, described Trump’s threats as “sick” and “murderous” and accused Republicans of enabling what he called “an immoral and unwell man willing to wield it recklessly.”
The Arlington Planning Commission has given its nod to a proposed 300-unit residential building on Langston Blvd despite concerns about the safety of a nearby intersection.
Planning commissioners voted 9-0, with one recusal, in support of developer Rooney Properties’ proposal at 3130 Langston Blvd, the site of a shuttered Walgreens near the I-66 off-ramp in the Lyon Village area. However, they also recommended that the County Board move up a study on reconfiguring the surrounding streetscape to match the Langston Boulevard Area Plan’s goals.
A man who attempted to rob a bank along Columbia Pike last year will spend nearly four years behind bars.
Steve Jamal Smith, 31, was sentenced Thursday to 46 months in federal prison over the Feb. 25, 2025, incident, in which he stole $711 from the Wells Fargo at 951 S. George Mason Drive.
Falls Church City Council members are questioning a proposal to reduce the city’s budget for road paving.
City staff currently propose spending $700,000 on paving operations for the fiscal year beginning July 1. That’s down from $1.4 million in the current fiscal year, when Council members pumped additional funding into the paving budget to catch up as road conditions deteriorated.
Operational costs at Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center are projected to grow by about $2 million over the next few years as a financial partnership comes to an end.
The county government’s net operational cost, funded by taxpayers, is expected to grow from $1.13 million in fiscal 2027 to a projected $3.14 million by fiscal 2030 as its agreement with Boeing ends.
Arlington’s AI Job Risk — Arlington has the third-highest share of jobs exposed to generative AI in the U.S., according to Treasury data cited in a Virginia Chamber Foundation report. Up to 39% of N. Va. jobs face AI exposure, though the region also leads the state in AI job postings. [Axios]
Rock Creek Crash Verdict — A driver who crashed into a Lyft at 100 mph on Rock Creek Parkway in 2023, killing three men including two heading home to Arlington, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter but acquitted of second-degree murder. [NBC 4]
Metro Gun Arrest — A D.C. man, 22, was arrested at the Pentagon City Metro station after police stopped him for fare evasion and allegedly recovered a firearm during a search. [ACPD, ACPD/X]
Cemetery’s Living Memorials — Arlington National Cemetery’s urban forester Greg Huse oversees about 9,800 trees across 300 species, many designated as living memorials to fallen service members. Arboretum tours are scheduled for April 24, May 1 and May 8. [WTOP]
Tysons Senator Eyes Congress — State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D) announced plans to seek the proposed 7th Congressional District seat, joining a crowded primary field. The district would only take effect if voters approve a constitutional amendment on April 21. [FFXnow]
Alexandria Tick Campaign — The Alexandria Health Department is placing 30 educational signs across parks and trails as part of a spring tick prevention campaign, citing rising rates of Lyme disease and Alpha-gal syndrome in Virginia. [ALXnow]
Spanberger’s Support Slipping — Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) approval rating stands at 47% two months into her term, with 46% disapproving, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll. The mark is 13 percentage points lower than the average for Virginia governors in Post polling since the 1990s. [Washington Post]
ICE Arrests Surge in Region — ICE agents made nearly 20,000 arrests in D.C., Maryland and Virginia from the start of Trump’s second term through early March, with about 60% of those arrested having no prior criminal record, a Washington Post analysis found. [Washington Post]
CRE Recovery Signs — Greater Washington’s commercial real estate market is showing signs of a turnaround, with rents, investor activity and demand for space rising for the third consecutive month, according to CBRE’s REVIVE Regional Vibrancy Index. [WBJ]
Trees Fight Urban Heat — State and local groups are working to plant trees to cool neighborhoods that can be up to 15 degrees hotter than those with tree cover. A bill awaiting action from Gov. Spanberger would give localities authority to require tree planting as part of development plans. [Virginia Mercury]
Big Warm-Up Ahead — Highs could reach the upper 80s early next week, with 90 in play — record territory for April, Capital Weather Gang says. The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook shows very high chances for above-normal temperatures. [CWG/X]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 54 and northwest winds of 8–13 mph, gusting up to 25 mph. Clear tonight with a low around 33. [NWS]
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Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar
Arlington is still the priciest place to rent in the D.C. metro area, even as local rents continue to trend downward from their 2022 peak.
The median one-bedroom apartment in Arlington costs $2,420 a month, topping all other metro-area cities in Zumper’s monthly Washington D.C. Metro Report, released today (Monday). Washington, D.C. was second at $2,250, followed by Alexandria at $2,230.
A community tradition of nearly 90 years continues later this month when the Arlington County Civic Federation presents the 2026 “ARLnow Cup” for outstanding leadership.
The recipient’s name will be unveiled at the organization’s April 24 awards banquet. He or she will be enshrined in a pantheon of civic involvement that dates back to 1938.
Backers of ranked-choice voting (RCV) believe this fall’s congressional races may bolster their case for changing the format of statewide elections.
If Virginia voters approve the congressional redistricting constitutional amendment on April 21, crowded ballots in many parts of the state could lead to future representatives being selected by an unusually small sliver of the overall electorate.
