News

The Arlington County Board has voted to advertise a 2-cent increase to the real estate tax rate, slightly higher than the rate proposed in this year’s budget draft.

If enacted in its entirety, the jump would increase the county’s tax rate to $1.053 per $100 assessed valuation, adding a further tax burden on homeowners already facing higher assessment values.


News

VHC Health has a new training center for staff following a sizeable donation from a local couple.

The 2,200-square-foot Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry Simulation Center, made possible through a $3 million gift from Evans and Dewberry, aims to mirror real-world clinic environments, hospital officials said on Feb. 12:


News
Flags in front of Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse on a gray winter day (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Hot Startup Opening Arlington ‘HQ2’ — “Clarksburg autonomous vehicle system developer Forterra has expanded to a new office in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood following an infusion of hundreds of millions in investor capital over the past few months. The more than 21,000-square-foot office at 1515 N. Courthouse Road… [will] eventually scale up to serve 300 workers by the end of the year in roles relating to government relations, product development and engineering.” [WBJ]

Flyover This Afternoon — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an Aircraft Flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at approximately 1PM.”

McAuliffe May Make Rep. Run — “Multiple sources are saying that former VA First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe is considering a run for the new VA07 (assuming the redistricting amendment passes, of course).” [Blue Virginia/X, Brandon Jarvis/X]

Va. Primaries Delayed — “Virginia voters will need to wait another roughly two months before they can cast ballots for the state’s primaries, according to the Virginia Board of Elections. This year’s primaries will not occur on June 16, but rather on Aug. 4, after state legislators passed House Bill 29, which was signed into law on Feb. 20, officials said.” [WJLA]

ACFD K-9 B-Day — “Happy 2nd Birthday, K9 Joker! Arlington’s accelerant detection K9 and partner to DFM Josh Runion, Joker helps investigators determine fire origin and cause across the region.” [ACFD/X]

Changes to Fairfax Casino Bill — “A bill to make Fairfax County eligible for a casino is advancing through the Virginia House of Delegates after undergoing some significant changes from the version passed by the state Senate earlier this month.” [FFXnow]

A Long, Cold Winter — “This is DC’s most severe winter so far since 2009-2010 Each of D.C.’s winter months have been colder than normal and snow and ice have been on the ground for long stretches. Taking everything together, the Midwest Regional Climate Center’s Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index ranks this winter so far right on the borderline between severe and extreme.” [CWG/X]

More Snow Increasingly Likely — “Guess we need to talk about it! We get to near 60 in most spots on Saturday, but colder air works in and BOTH the GFS (left) and the Euro (right) show a good chance for snow on Monday. It’s not a huge storm, but could be impactful Monday night into Tuesday.” [Doug Kammerer/FB, CWG/X]

It’s Thursday — Rain is likely, roughly between 10am and 4pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature of about 45°F, along with a gentle 3-6 mph northeasterly breeze. For Thursday night, anticipate partly cloudy conditions and a low temperature near 32°F. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.


Announcement

Join us on August 1 between 10 AM to 2 PM for a drop‑in event for the whole family! Explore our Dojo—the high‑tech, STEAM‑driven space where you can dive into activities like MakeCode Arcade, Roblox, Minecraft, robotics, 3D printing, drones, VR, and more. While you’re here, take advantage of our amazing enrollment specials, or simply enjoy a fun day of coding, meeting new friends, high fives, and plenty of Hi‑Yahs!


Around Town

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Feb 25, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

🌦️ Thursday’s forecast

Rain and snow are likely before 10am, followed by a chance of rain between 10am and 4pm. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature of about 45°F, along with a gentle 3-6 mph northeasterly breeze. The precipitation probability stands at 50%. For Thursday night, anticipate partly cloudy conditions and a low temperature near 32°F, accompanied by calm winds. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

– Helen Keller

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.


Event

Bring the whole family to Arlington Mill for an evening of laughs, basketball, and underdog determination with Goat.

This animated family comedy follows a determined young goat chasing his dream of becoming a professional basketball star. Before the movie, kids can enjoy face painting and family-friendly activities, making this one of our most kid-focused events of the summer.


News

A trapped driver was pulled from a flipped car and taken to the hospital after a crash Wednesday afternoon near the East Falls Church Metro station.

First responders were dispatched around 3:15 p.m. for a report of crash involving one person stuck inside an overturned vehicle, at the intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Sycamore Street.


Around Town

Expect to see a lot more kids named Charlotte and Liam running around Virginia in a couple of years.

Those are the most popular names for boys and girls among the 96,683 babies born in the commonwealth last year, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health. Both names have held the top spot for at least six years straight.


News

Supporters of Arlington youth gymnastics turned out last night (Tuesday) to press county leaders on planned cuts to local programs.

A $1.7 billion budget proposal from County Manager Mark Schwartz calls for shuttering the Arlington Aerials and Arlington Tigers, along with community gymnastics programs, at Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center. The programs, operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation, do not recoup costs through user fees, Schwartz and staff have said.


News

Reagan National Airport recorded its lowest annual passenger count in three years in 2025, even as Dulles International Airport set an all-time record.

Just under 24.9 million passengers traveled through DCA last year, down 5.3% from 26.3 million in 2024, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) reported yesterday (Tuesday) — confirming preliminary numbers released last month.


News

A driver accused of striking two pedestrians near Ballston and then fleeing the scene has been arrested.

Zai Atwater, 24, was taken into custody in D.C. over the alleged road rage incident, the Arlington County Police Department announced today.