Arlington’s five-member legislative delegation heads into the General Assembly’s home stretch with a large number of its bills still alive.
Among the most successful was Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3), who got 21 pieces of legislation through the House of Delegates before crossover, the period when bills move to the opposite house for consideration.
Beyer Meets With Postmaster — “I’m relieved that after meeting with the Arlington Postmaster, USPS has committed to clearing the backlog of undelivered mail by early next week. A new manager has already been hired and authorized additional resources, including hiring more staff, to prevent further delays.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X]
Lawsuit Over Arch — “A group of Vietnam War veterans has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s proposed “Independence Arch,” a massive monument planned for Memorial Circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues the 250-foot structure would obstruct the historic line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery.” [WJLA]
Sewage Spill Blame Game — “Federal officials have been aware of problems with what’s known as the Potomac Interceptor — the sewage line that carries 60 million gallons of wastewater between Virginia and Maryland daily — for several years. The National Park Service has been working to address the deteriorating quality of the Potomac Interceptor since at least 2022… DC Water is overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, not Maryland or D.C. The land where the pipe broke is managed by NPS.” [NOTUS]
Latest on Repairs — “DC Water says crews have successfully reached the damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor, which caused a sewage spill that they’ve been working to clean up for a month.” [Fox 5]
Wardian on TV — “Seven 50ks, seven days, seven continents. That is what Arlington’s very own athlete Michael Wardian just accomplished and set a world record while he did it & now he’s on Good Day DC to tell us all about it!” [Fox 5]
Cybersecurity Firm’s New Office — “The ink on a 14,100-square-foot office lease in Arlington for cybersecurity training firm KnowBe4 Inc. is barely dry, and CEO Bryan Palma is already thinking about expanding the Clearwater, Florida-based company’s local footprint. Palma and company will formally open the new office at 4075 Wilson Blvd. in Ballston on Monday, but growth projections have him thinking bigger.” [WBJ]
ARLnow Founder’s AMA Today — “Hey NoVA, there’s a lot happening in the local news world right now, and I’d love to talk about it. Got questions about local journalism, the business of covering your community, or the future of local media in an AI-driven world? Ask away.” [Reddit]
London Chain Buying Compass — “Compass Coffee, the beleaguered D.C.-based chain, may soon have a new owner. London-based giant Caffè Nero submitted the winning bid Thursday to purchase most of the assets of Compass, a homegrown business launched more than a decade ago by a pair of U.S. Marines. Compass filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month.” [Washington Post]
Real Estate Market Shifting — “For the first time in more than a decade, the pendulum is now swinging in favor of those looking for a home in the nation’s capital. “Washington, D.C. is a buyer’s market,” Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, said. “There are 22% more homes for sale than there are buyers interested in buying those homes.”” [WTOP]
Late Bloom Likely — “Peak cherry blossom bloom could arrive later than recent years thanks to D.C.’s record-breaking cold… There’s no official peak projection yet, but Litterst says bloom will likely come “later in the season than we’ve seen for the last few years.”” [Axios]
Winter Storm Rising — “In their latest update, the National Weather Service has DC at a 10-30% chance of “exceeding winter storm warning criteria” while they’re as high as 50-80% chance north of down in central and northeastern Maryland.” [Mike Thomas/X, Doug Kammerer/X]
It’s Friday — Expect rain mainly before 10am, accompanied by areas of fog lasting until noon, with the day’s high temperature reaching around 57°F. The east wind, blowing at 5-8 mph, will shift to southwest in the afternoon. Friday night, skies will be mostly clear and the low temperature will be around 40°F, with a west wind of 6-8 mph. [NWS]
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…)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats passed a new congressional map through the Virginia legislature on Friday that aims to help their party win four more seats in the national redistricting battle. It’s a flex of state Democrats’ political power, however hurdles remain before they can benefit from friendlier U.S. House district boundaries in this year’s midterm elections.
A judge in Tazewell, a conservative area in Southwest Virginia, has effectively blocked a voter referendum on the redrawn maps from happening on April 21 by granting a temporary restraining order, issued Thursday.
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 — Feb 19, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect rain mainly before 10am, accompanied by areas of fog lasting until noon, with the day’s high temperature reaching around 57°F. The east wind, blowing at 5-8 mph, will shift to southwest in the afternoon; there is a 90% chance of precipitation, potentially amounting to less than a tenth of an inch of new rain. As for Friday night, skies will be mostly clear and the low temperature will be around 40°F, with a west wind of 6-8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
– J.K. Rowling
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.
*Mamistad Groups meet IN PERSON-only the introductory Zoom call is virtual. :)
Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for.
Arlington County police are investigating two separate incidents this week in which ammunition was brought into a school.
The latest happened earlier today (Thursday) at Washington-Liberty High School. Police were called after a student was found to be in possession of ammo and a firearm magazine, according to scanner traffic.
A local artist’s exhibit examining the impacts of gentrification in historically Black neighborhoods is on display at the Arlington Historical Museum.
The exhibition, titled “A Different Look from a Different View,” explores local Black residents’ challenges coming to grips with changing realities in once tight-knit communities in places like Halls Hill, Green Valley and D.C. neighborhoods including Adams Morgan, Logan Circle and Navy Yard.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week, just months after resoundingly winning an office previously held by a Republican.
The Democratic rebuttal will immediately follow Trump’s address to Congress next Tuesday, offering the party’s most high-profile opportunity to deliver a countermessage.
Legislators representing Arlington are advancing matching bills to extend elections offices’ deadlines for receiving and counting absentee ballots.
HB 82 and SB 58, introduced by Del. Adele McClure (D-2) and State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40), respectively, call for moving the deadline from noon to 5 p.m. on the third day after an election.
A high school student is facing several charges after allegedly attacking police amid anti-ICE walkouts Wednesday afternoon.
Hundreds of students peacefully participated in the planned walkouts at Arlington middle and high schools, protesting immigration enforcement and violence by federal agents.
