Arlington’s two main political parties are driving opposing messages as early voting on Virginia’s congressional redistricting referendum began this morning (Friday).
The Arlington County Democratic Committee’s rank and file voted to support the redrawing of the commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts at a Wednesday meeting.
Arlington Democrats have officially endorsed School Board Chair Bethany Zecher Sutton’s bid for a second term.
Zecher Sutton was the lone candidate to seek the party’s endorsement prior to the Feb. 27 filing deadline. As a result, the planned May caucus was canceled, and party members unanimously voted to support her on Wednesday.
When your home no longer feels quite right, it can be hard to know what to do next.
Maybe your family needs more space, your layout no longer works, or your 1940s Cape Cod is simply ready for a modern update. Deciding whether to remodel, rebuild, or move requires thoughtful planning and a clear understanding of the costs, timelines, and trade-offs involved.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Every home, lot, and family is different, which is why working with an experienced local builder can help you make a more informed decision.
Here are four key questions to ask before you decide.
For many Arlington homeowners, the neighborhood is the reason they bought the home in the first place. If your neighbors, schools, walkability, or favorite local spots make Arlington feel like home, remodeling or rebuilding may be worth exploring before deciding to sell.
If you plan to stay for the next five years, a thoughtful remodel or addition can help preserve the location and character you love while improving the home’s functionality. However, if you truly see this as your “forever home”, a larger renovation or a teardown-and-rebuild might be a better option to give you the space and comfort you need, without trying to force an older home to work around its existing limitations.
Some homeowners choose to phase renovations over time. That approach can work well, as long as you start with a clear master plan to ensure each stage supports the next and avoids costly rework later.
On the flip side, if you plan to sell soon, a smaller-scale remodel, such as a kitchen renovation, might make more sense to avoid overinvesting in a project that may not recoup its full value.
Arlington is unique because much of a home’s value comes from the land and location. This means that, in general, Arlington property values will always support just about anything you would like to do to your house or property. The real question is how much you want to invest.
A major renovation, addition, or new custom build may affect appraisal and financing differently. New construction often appraises higher initially than a similar remodeled home, but over time, a well-executed renovation can ultimately be worth more than a newly built home.
As you plan a renovation, you may reach a point where building new makes more sense than continuing to work around an older home’s limitations. A new build can provide a more functional layout, better efficiency, and stronger long-term value. On the other hand, some homeowners considering new construction may find that a thoughtful remodel and addition can accomplish everything they need while making their dollars go further.
That is why understanding the numbers early matters. (more…)
Metro Funding Advances — Maryland and Virginia lawmakers are advancing funding proposals supporting the DMVMoves plan, which calls for $460 million in new annual capital funding for Metro starting in fiscal 2028, according to Metro. [WMATA/X]
Peak Bloom Predicted — The National Park Service projects cherry blossom peak bloom will arrive between March 29 and April 1 this year. [National Mall NPS/X]
Jones Sues Over Tariffs — “These illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on Virginia families and when a President tries to impose them without legal authority, it is our responsibility to step in and defend the rule of law,” Attorney General Jay Jones said. The coalition suit challenges tariffs of up to 15% imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. [Press Release]
Median Signs Debate — In a letter to the County Board, Dave Schutz argues against banning political signs from road medians, saying the move would disadvantage apartment dwellers. “In areas dominated by apartments, median signs are often one of the primary ways residents know an election is happening.” [Letter to the Editor]
It’s Friday — Foggy conditions clear up before 11am, then showers are possible in the late afternoon. Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 54 degrees and an east wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. For Friday night, there’s a 30% chance of showers, with a low temperature around 45 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk
Update at 10:25 p.m. — The bridge and the lanes have reopened.
Earlier: Northbound S. George Mason Drive is closed between S. Columbus Street and Four Mile Run Drive due to an outside fire.
Join Arlington for Palestine and NAACP Arlington Branch for a movie night and community discussion about Israeli apartheid.
We will watch two short Palestinian films about life under Israeli apartheid, hear from a member of Arlington for Palestine about their trip to Palestine last year, and discuss together what all this means to us living in Arlington .
Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 5, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Showers may occur after 4pm, with foggy conditions clearing up before 11am. Expect a mostly cloudy sky with a high near 54 degrees and an east wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation stands at 20%. For Friday night, showers could occur after 7pm, and a low temperature around 45 degrees under a mostly cloudy sky with east winds at 5 to 8 mph and a 30% chance of precipitation. See more from Weather.gov.
“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me…. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing
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.
After 26 years of serving customers at Silver Diner in Arlington, Dorothy Johnson — known to regulars as “Mama D” — is hanging up her uniform.
Johnson will wait on customers for the last time this Saturday (March 7) at the Ballston restaurant, located at 750 N. Glebe Road. Silver Diner will hold a going away party at the restaurant at 1:30 p.m. so coworkers and customers can say their goodbyes, according to a press release.
Arlington County’s firefighter union is speaking out against a proposal to remove four vacant firefighter positions from the payroll.
The current county budget draft proposes to consolidate the Arlington County Fire Department’s two heavy rescue companies, relocating them under a single roof at Fire Station 1 (500 S. Glebe Road). This would reduce ACFD’s total authorized staffing by four full-time employees.
The Virginia Department of Health has partially lifted a recreational water advisory for the Potomac River, though the warning remains in place for a 4.7-mile stretch upstream of Chain Bridge.
VDH issued the advisory on Feb. 13 out of caution following a sewage spill in the Potomac that occurred Jan. 19 and subsequent sewage discharges in early February. The situation has been monitored by Virginia, Maryland and D.C. since then, and a bipartisan group of D.C.-area lawmakers recently sought additional federal funding for the repairs and cleanup.
A bounty hunter has pleaded guilty to illegal brandishing in an incident where he is accused of unlawfully detaining a Green Valley resident, falsely claiming to have a warrant for his immigration arrest.
Matthew Mallory has also entered a no contest plea to a charge of trespassing in connection to the June incident, where prosecutors say he lied about having a document from the Department of Homeland Security in order to enter a home and detain a victim at gunpoint.
