Democratic Nominee Selected — “Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) has been declared the winner in a firehouse primary for Virginia’s 39th District Senate seat, defeating three opponents with 70.6% of the 4,647 ballots cast. Bennett Parker received 3,281 votes, followed by former Del. Mark Levine with 807 votes (17.4%), Charles Sumpter with 321 votes (6.9%) and former Vice Mayor Amy Jackson with 238 votes (5.1%).” [ALXnow]
Legislative Session Underway — “The proposed redistricting amendment could go before the state’s voters as soon as April if it clears the Senate as expected. Democratic leaders promised Wednesday to unveil potential new maps by the end of the month… The measure was among a group of big-issue amendment proposals that advanced on largely party-line votes. The others would enshrine same-sex marriage, secure access to abortions and automatically restore voting rights to people who complete felony sentences.” [Washington Post]
Governor’s Last Address — “In his final State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday evening, outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin offered a sweeping defense of his four-year tenure, arguing that Virginia is stronger economically, fiscally and educationally than when he took office in January 2022, as he prepares to hand power to Abigail Spanberger, who will be sworn in as the state’s 75th governor this weekend.” [Virginia Mercury]
Youngkin Touts State Finances — “Virginia’s revenues are $1.2B ahead of forecast! The strong year-over-year increase is not noise, it’s real. It reflects strong job creation, rising incomes, healthy consumer activity, and disciplined fiscal stewardship.” [Gov. Glenn Youngkin/X]
‘Inn’ Comes to F.C. Woman’s Bedside — “A few weeks ago, [Chef Patrick O’Connell of The Inn at Little Washington] received an email from Falls Church resident Ashley Brumbaugh, 42. She was hospitalized at UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center while being treated for life-threatening liver disease. A devoted foodie and seasoned traveler, Brumbaugh found herself longing for the pleasures of fine dining she once enjoyed while globe-trotting and visiting Michelin-starred restaurants.” [N. Va. Magazine]
Good Samaritans Help Driver — “Let’s hear it for the kind people who stopped to help a driver apparently having a seizure in the intersection of Army Navy and S. Fern Street in Arlington a few minutes ago.” [Dave Statter/X]
Verizon Outage Resolved — “Verizon Communications said Wednesday night that it had resolved an hourslong, widespread outage that prevented customers from making calls and sending messages. The problem, which started at around noon Eastern time, affected wireless voice and data services for some customers, particularly in the eastern half of the country, a Verizon spokesman said. The company said at around 10 p.m. ET that the outage had been fixed.” [WSJ, USA Today]
Letter: No to Rent Control — “There is a more humane and sustainable way to address housing affordability in Arlington. Rather than lobbying Richmond for anti rent gouging powers, local leaders should focus on removing barriers to building more housing—streamlining zoning, easing density limits, shortening permitting timelines, and letting a variety of housing types emerge where demand exists.” [Letter to the Editor]
Letter: No to Killing Deer — “Arlington parks are beautiful sanctuaries, natural spaces of peace, relaxation, and learning. Arlington residents cherish the presence of deer in our parks and neighborhoods. Deer bring joy to our lives and enhance the quality of our entire community. Killing deer with guns and teaching our children that violence is an acceptable approach to resolving environmental challenges does not reflect the values of Arlington County residents.” [Letter to the Editor]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 32 degrees with a west wind at 17 mph, gusting up to 30 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 22 degrees, a west wind of 9 to 14 mph, and gusts up to 26 mph. [NWS]
