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Morning Notes

Published January 2, 2018 at 9:00AM | Updated January 2, 2018 at 9:29AM

Frigid Weather Makes Firefighting More Difficult — The persistently cold weather may be responsible for a recent spike in structure fire calls. Meanwhile, the deep freeze is “taking [firefighters’] biggest weapon, water, and using it against them.” [WJLA]

Beyer Blasts Trump Tweet — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) tweeted the following this morning in response to a tweet from President Trump: “Trump opens 2018 with calls for prosecution of his political enemies… Every Member of Congress swore an oath to defend the Constitution. Protecting rule of law must not be partisan.” [Twitter]

News

County Has Already Collected More Than $1 Million in Prepaid 2018 Taxes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 22, 2017 at 11:10AM

Arlington County property tax form (file photo)

The bill, which was just signed into law by President Trump this morning, caps State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions at $10,000. For many Arlington taxpayers with pricey homes, this means they will lose part of their deduction next year and thus potentially pay higher federal taxes.

To counter that, some Arlingtonians are planning to take a higher deduction on their 2017 taxes by prepaying their property tax for future years.

News

Visitor Center Approved for Iwo Jima Memorial

By Chris Teale

Published December 13, 2017 at 10:00AM | Updated December 13, 2017 at 1:48PM

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) The Iwo Jima memorial is set to get a new visitor center as part of the National Defense Authorization Act that was just signed by President Trump.

The act of Congress, which sets military spending levels for FY 2018, includes language introduced by Rep. Don Beyer (D) to authorize building a new center.

News

Beyer Leads Letter Criticizing Inaction on Rising Health Premiums

By Chris Teale

Published November 2, 2017 at 1:45PM

In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, 46 Democrats said the lack of action to fund cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments is hurting small business owners and the self-employed.

President Donald Trump announced he would end the payments, which help subsidize health insurance premiums, last month.

News

Feds Seek Forfeiture of Clarendon Home in Manafort Case

By ARLnow.com

Published October 31, 2017 at 3:45PM | Updated October 31, 2017 at 5:01PM

Arlington home tied to Paul Manafort

(Updated at 5 p.m.) A nearly $1.8 million home in Clarendon may be subject for forfeiture to the federal government as a result of the case against former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort.

A 12-count indictment of Manafort, accusing him of laundering money and failing to register as a foreign lobbyist, details his alleged transfer of money from overseas shell companies to buy cars, luxury goods and expensive real estate.

News

Beyer Urges Further Action After Puerto Rico Aid Package Passes

By Chris Teale

Published October 13, 2017 at 10:45AM

Beyer issued a statement yesterday (Thursday) after the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, which provides increased funding to disaster recovery programs.

Beyer’s statement also came after President Donald Trump threatened to pull federal relief workers out of Puerto Rico as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 6, 2017 at 8:30AM

Fisette Has To-Do List for Final Months — Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette has a number of items left on his to-do list as he nears retirement from the Board at the end of the year. Among the items with some momentum is a plan to name the county government headquarters after long-serving Board member Ellen Bozman. [InsideNova, InsideNova]

Purple Ribbons on ACPD Cruisers — “During the month of October a purple ribbon, donated by [local nonprofit Doorways for Women and Families], will be displayed on many Arlington County Police Department vehicles in support of the efforts to reduce the incidence and severity of domestic violence in our community.” [Arlington County]

News

Kaine: ‘Deep Concern’ About Puerto Rico and the USVIs

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2017 at 11:15AM

Kaine joined 36 mostly Democratic senators in signing a letter to President Trump outlining steps to boost the U.S. government’s disaster relief efforts on the stricken Caribbean islands, which in many areas lack power, running water and mobile phone service.

More from a press release from Kaine’s office:

News

At Immigration Forum, A Call for Sheriff’s Office’s Relationship With ICE to be ‘Revisited’

By Chris Teale

Published September 14, 2017 at 10:00AM

Simon-Sandoval-Moshenberg of the Legal Aid Justice Center

The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office should rethink its relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a leader at a criminal justice nonprofit.

Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, legal director at the Falls Church-based Legal Aid Justice Center — which provides legal representation for low-income Virginians — said with President Donald Trump’s harder line on illegal immigration, Arlington and other jurisdictions should look again at how they work with ICE.

News

Protests Greet Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on GMU’s Arlington Campus

By Chris Teale

Published September 7, 2017 at 1:00PM | Updated September 7, 2017 at 2:03PM

More than 30 people protested Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ arrival on the Arlington campus of George Mason University on Thursday morning.

Protestors outside where she made her announcement accused her of “protecting rapists” and failing to protect the most vulnerable, and the survivors of sexual assault.

News

Arlington GOP Criticizes County Board’s Response to DACA Decision

By Chris Teale

Published September 6, 2017 at 12:00PM | Updated September 6, 2017 at 12:58PM

The County Board joined other local and statewide elected officials in condemning Trump’s decision.

Members called the decision an “act of cruelty” that will “will tear apart families, cause substantial economic damage to our nation and further divide Americans.”

News

County Board Releases Statement on DACA Decision

By ARLnow.com

Published September 5, 2017 at 5:45PM

The Arlington County Board has joined other local elected officials in criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for undocumented immigrants.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon (below), the County Board called the decision an “act of cruelty” that will “will tear apart families, cause substantial economic damage to our nation and further divide Americans.”