Around Town

Here’s a snapshot of what ARLnow reporters covered in just the past two weeks…

Dan Egitto reported that a House committee subpoenaed Arlington’s Commonwealth’s Attorney in a bias investigation — a story with national implications unfolding in our own courthouse. He also reported that Arlington County is withholding nearly $1 million from its trash contractor over more than 8,500 missed collections since August, and covered how a partisan “pink slime” newspaper showed up in Arlington mailboxes ahead of the redistricting vote.

Dan also brought us the story of a police officer who ordered pizza for stranded middle schoolers after their charter bus got stuck in the mud, and reported that Ireland’s Four Courts was named America’s Best Soccer Bar in a nationwide contest.

Scott McCaffrey reported that service cutbacks and staff furloughs may be coming if tax revenue stays below expectations, dug into the county treasurer’s shift to short-term investments as the fiscal picture worsens, and broke down a county proposal to withhold extra tax revenue from Arlington Public Schools. This week, he reported that the fire chief offered to reevaluate the controversial plan to consolidate rescue units and that the police chief is seeking funding to unfreeze 20 officer positions.

McCaffrey also found that Arlington unemployment jumped 23% in 2025, and covered a neighborhood plan update for Arlington View — its first since 1965.

Emily Leayman reported on how a proposed $25 minimum wage in D.C. could shift business to Northern Virginia and covered Virginia’s return to the multistate voter roll system — state-level policy stories with direct local impact.

Katie Taranto reported that a local restaurateur is buying out Westover Taco to open Northern Virginia’s first women’s sports bar — one of our most-read stories of the month — and that Xi’an Famous Foods is planning a new location in Clarendon.

Then there’s our reporting on police raiding six Arlington vape stores as part of a regional drug trafficking investigation that seized over $2 million in narcotics. Regional outlets focused on the raids in Fairfax County, while we kept you informed about what happened in our community.

That’s two weeks. Accountability reporting on government spending, public safety, and contracts. Data-driven stories on the local economy and public services. New restaurants, neighborhood plans, and the hyperlocal stories that make Arlington feel like Arlington. Many of these stories aren’t being covered by anyone else — and without ARLnow, they simply wouldn’t get told.

ARLnow is free to read, and it will stay that way. But the reporting behind it isn’t free to produce.

ARLnow Press Club members help make it possible — and get upgraded newsletters in return, with article summaries, previews of upcoming coverage, and fewer ads.

If you read ARLnow every day, Press Club is the way to help us keep you, and everyone else in Arlington, informed.


Opinion

Arlington residents preparing for home improvements this spring have no shortage of exterior painters to choose from.

Professionals known for their thoughtful preparation, clean workmanship and consistent results can transform the look of a home and protect its exterior for years to come.

Here are the nominees for “Best Exterior Painter Serving Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.

Did we miss your favorite painting service? Write it in!

Voting will close in two weeks.

Voting for Best Cleaning Service is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.

Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Home Renovation Firm Serving Arlington. The results are now official:

  1. Cook Bros. Design Build Remodeling
  2. TriVistaUSA Design + Build
  3. Arlington Designer Homes

Around Town

An iconic Irish pub in Courthouse has been crowned champion in a nationwide competition to name the nation’s best soccer bar.

Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd) beat out competition from around the country in an online voting contest organized by the soccer media company Men in Blazers. The selection process for America’s Best Soccer Bar included thousands of votes and hundreds of nominees from all 50 states.


Announcement

There’s something a little bit magical about picking up a foil for the first time — or drawing back a bow and watching your arrow fly true. It’s why fencing and archery have such a hold on kids and adults alike: real focus, real skill, and a thrill you don’t get from the usual sports lineup.

This fall, Nova Fencing & Archery Club in Bailey’s Crossroads is opening registration for both, with beginner classes for every age starting the week of September 12th. Fencing welcomes ages 7 to 12 and teens and adults 13 and up. Explore Archery, coached by USA Archery certified instructors, welcomes ages 8 to 12 and meets Tuesdays or Saturdays. And for our youngest fencers, ages 4 to 6, ABC’s of Fencing meets on Saturdays. All classes run eight sessions for $195, equipment provided, no experience needed — yes, even for grown-ups who’ve never held a sword or a bow before.


Around Town

A family-owned nail salon franchise that opened during the throes of the pandemic has closed for business near Rosslyn.

Paint Nail Bar, a nationwide chain franchised by local couple Kevin and Amber Donohoo, closed at 1520 Clarendon Blvd this week after more than five years in business. The salon is holding a final sale to get rid of merchandise, supplies and furniture at discounted prices through this Saturday.


Event

Join us for the Saint Ann Fall Festival on Saturday, September 26! Start the day with our Fun Run at 9:30 AM, followed by the Fall Festival beginning at 10:00 AM.
This family friendly celebration is open to the entire Arlington community and offers something for everyone! Enjoy rides and inflatables, live entertainment, family friendly Bingo, raffles, a Beer Garden, delicious food, and plenty of opportunities to gather with the community.
The festival is also a celebration of Saint Ann’s diverse Catholic community, featuring food and entertainment representing our Filipino, Latino, and Peruvian communities, along with some local favorites.
This year’s entertainment includes a live band in the Beer Garden, and exciting Bolivian and Peruvian dance performances. Admission is free, and tickets for food, rides, and activities can be purchased at the festival.
Come celebrate with us and experience the warm, welcoming spirit of Saint Ann! We look forward to welcoming the greater Arlington community for a fun-filled day together.
The Fall Festival will take place rain or shine! Come join the fun!


News

Prominent voting rights advocates are applauding a new executive order returning Virginia to a multistate voter roll program and limiting when voters can be removed from the rolls before elections.

An executive order signed earlier this week by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) reverses Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R)’s 2023 decision to leave the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a nonpartisan organization that shares voter registration and identification data between 26 member states.


News

Plans to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with a July 3 “civic jam” celebration are solidifying in Falls Church.

Rather than attempt to compete with national celebrations the following day, the Falls Church event will focus on citizen involvement.


News
White tree blossoms against a gray early spring sky (staff photo)

Clement Qualifies for Ballot — Independent Audrey Clement has qualified to be on the Nov. 3 Arlington County Board ballot, election officials confirmed to ARLnow. Clement has been running for local office as a protest candidate since 2011, typically for County Board but on two occasions for School Board. Last November, she finished second in the five-candidate County Board race, receiving 15% of the vote to 65% for Democrat Takis Karantonis. —Scott McCaffrey

Nvidia Backs Clarendon Startup — Arlington software startup ORAN Development Co. (2300 Clarendon Blvd) has raised $45 million in a round led by Nvidia and Booz Allen Hamilton’s venture arm to develop software that turns cell towers into mini data centers. AT&T, Nokia and Cisco also invested. [WBJ]

AeroVironment Buys ESAero — Arlington-based defense tech company AeroVironment has acquired California-based Empirical Systems Aerospace for approximately $200 million, its second major deal following the $4.1 billion purchase of BlueHalo in 2025. [Potomac Tech Wire]

Caffè Nero’s Compass Makeover — Caffè Nero, the European coffee chain that won Compass Coffee’s assets at auction for $4.76 million, is taking a slow approach to rebranding the local shops. The company plans to close the Rosslyn location (1201 Wilson Blvd) briefly next week to repair plumbing damage from before the sale. [WBJ]

Vision Zero’s Cautionary Snail — Arlington County is offering free Vision Zero lawn signs featuring a “Cautionary Snail” mascot to remind drivers to slow down. Supplies are limited. [Arlington County]

Pentagon City Skating Ends — “Time to garage the zamboni and put the ice skates away for the winter. Spring is here!” [CartChaos22202/X]

Restaurant Burglary Arrest — An Arlington man, 27, has been charged with burglarizing Pupatella Pizza in Merrifield’s Mosaic District last August and Churasuko in Tysons in March, stealing alcohol and cash, according to FCPD. [FFXnow]

Peak Bloom Declared — “PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! It’s official! The cherry blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle.” [National Mall NPS/X]

Warner: Moratorium ‘Idiocy’ — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) called a proposed national moratorium on AI data center construction “idiocy,” saying it would give China an edge in the AI race. The moratorium was proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). [Axios]

D.C. Federal Task Force Extended — The House voted 218-206 to extend Trump’s D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force through 2029. The bill, sponsored by Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.), seeks to codify the executive order that ramped up federal law enforcement and immigration arrests in D.C. [Washington Post]

Helicopter Flight Stats — Military, air medical and law enforcement helicopters average about 91 flights per day in the D.C. area, according to a new GAO report that recommends military operators improve community outreach about noise impacts. [PoPville, Martin Austermuhle/X]

It’s Friday — Expect rain throughout the day with a high near 64 degrees, though temperatures will fall to around 50 by the afternoon. Winds out of the north at 9–13 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. A dramatic cooldown follows overnight, with a low around 33 and rain likely before 2 a.m. [NWS]


Around Town

Good Thursday 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 — Mar 26, 2026.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌦️ Friday’s forecast

Expect rain throughout the day with temperatures dropping to 49°F by 5 PM and north winds up to 23 mph. There’s an 80% chance of rain, with 0.1 to 0.25 inches expected. Rain is likely in the evening, mainly before 7 PM, with skies turning partly cloudy overnight and a low of 33°F. Winds will decrease slightly to 18 mph, with a 60% chance of additional light rain. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“When you choose to forgive those who have hurt you, you take away their power.”
– Oprah Winfrey

🌅 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.


Events

Mister Days is bringing its “Rally in the Alley” fundraiser back to Clarendon this weekend, with barbecue, a DJ and thousands of expected revelers.

The event is scheduled for this Saturday (March 28) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1101 N. Highland Street, with a portion of 11th Street closing to make room for the festivities. Admission is $10, with proceeds going to the Mister Days Reach Out Foundation, which supports Arlingtonians in need.


Announcement

Pentagon MMA has brought a special honor home to Arlington from the birthplace of Muay Thai.

The Arlington Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu Academy is now officially a certified and registered Muay Thai Gym Partner through the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, making Pentagon MMA the only Muay Thai academy on the East Coast to have earned this distinction.