Author: ARLnow.com

Retired Arlington K9 Dies — “ACPD and the K9 Unit are deeply saddened to announce the passing of retired K9 Hugo. K9 Hugo retired along with his handler, MPO Tom Binckley, in February, after 11 years of dedicated service to the Arlington community as a dual-purpose patrol and explosive detection canine. Over his career, K9 Hugo helped ensure the safety of our community through patrol work and numerous explosive detection sweeps at large events, such as the Marine Corps Marathon and July 4th celebrations. K9 Hugo passed away peacefully on March 9th with his handler by his side.” [Twitter]

FAA Investigating DCA Incident — “The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that it is investigating after a regional jet made a wrong turn last week and crossed a runway at Reagan National Airport as a United Airlines flight was preparing to take off. The incident took place about 8:30 a.m. March 7. It’s the latest of several incidents at U.S. airports in recent weeks to catch the attention of regulators, lawmakers and the airline industry.” [Washington Post]

Local March Madness Viewing Options — “The cherry blossoms are blooming, the birds are chirping and the NCAA basketball tournament is about to begin. March Madness runs March 14-April 3, so get those brackets ready and start scoping out prime spots to watch the games. Visit these establishments to score great deals on drinks and bar food while catching the action on giant flat-screen TVs and projector walls.” [Arlington Magazine]

Women of Vision Honorees Announced — “Three recipients have been announced for the 2023 ‘Women of Vision’ awards, presented annually by the county government’s Commission on the Status of Women. Honorees include Krysta Jones, who will be saluted in the non-profit category for her work across the community as ‘a leader, mentor and connector, raising and amplifying women’s voices.'” [Gazette Leader]

Cardiac Arrest on Highway — An elderly woman reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest while aboard a small bus on southbound I-395 yesterday afternoon. CPR was performed and she was rushed to a local hospital, per scanner traffic. [Twitter]

No Fungal Zombies, Health Dept. Says — From the Virginia Dept. of Health: “DYK? Cordyceps, the fungus seen in #TheLastOfUs, does NOT make people sick. It evolved over millions of years to ONLY infect ants. Even though cordyceps doesn’t make people sick, humans — especially those with weakened immune systems — can be infected by other fungi.” [Twitter]

It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day but still breezy. High of 47 and low of 30. Sunrise at 7:21 am and sunset at 7:16 pm. [Weather.gov]

Pentagon City Project May Be Back On — “Brookfield Properties’ plans to redevelop the old Transportation Security Administration headquarters in Pentagon City, which that developer paused in 2020, look like they’re underway again. Affiliates of Toronto-based Brookfield own the two parcels at 601 and 701 S. 12th St. — dubbed 12th Street Landing, nearly five acres in all.” [Washington Business Journal]

Security Boost for Shirlington Bus Station — “Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz has proposed spending an additional $115,000 in the coming fiscal year to address safety issues at the Shirlington bus-transfer station. ‘We’ve had some issues with break-ins after hours and safety concerns raised from our bus drivers,’ said Greg Emanuel, who heads the county government’s Department of Environmental Services, at a recent budget work session with the Arlington County Board.” [Gazette Leader]

Updated Peak Bloom Projection — “Because the buds are so far along so soon, we need to bump our peak bloom forecast forward by several days. We now predict peak bloom will occur between March 19 and 23, instead of between March 25 and 29. Our initial forecast was based on computer model projections for more intense and enduring cold weather than we’re actually experiencing.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Arlington GOP Chair Stepping Down — “Lori Urban, who has led the Arlington County Republican Committee since December 2021, announced on March 13 she would be stepping down at the end of the month… In her note, Urban said she would support party communications chair Matthew Hurtt, should he opt to run for the spot.” [Gazette Leader]

New Grants for Arlington Orgs — Several Arlington nonprofits are getting six-figure state grants, part of a statewide round of funding to address homelessness. From a press release: “Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced more than $12 million in Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grants for 68 projects across the Commonwealth. The funding will advance targeted efforts to reduce homelessness for 2,669 individuals and families through 25 permanent supportive housing, 34 rapid rehousing and nine underserved populations innovation projects.” [Virginia DHCD]

Arlington Has Priciest Local Homes — “It was neck and neck, but Arlington edged out neighboring Alexandria when it came to the highest average single-family-home price in February. The typical Arlington detached property sold for $1,354,642, according to figures reported March 10… That was just a hair above the city of Alexandria, where the average sales price stood at $1,353,600.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Pi Day — Partly cloudy in the morning, then becoming breezy. High of 43 and low of 33. Sunrise at 7:23 am and sunset at 7:15 pm. [Weather.gov]

Silicon Valley Bank Failure Hits Home — “Banking regulators shut down Silicon Valley Bank Friday morning in a stunningly swift collapse of a financial institution entwined in the D.C. region’s startup ecosystem… Based in Santa Clara, California, Silicon Valley Bank operated an office in Rosslyn… Arlington restaurant software platform company MarginEdge, like many tech startups, maintained a deposit account at Silicon Valley Bank but moved the ‘lion’s share’ of its funds to a different financial institution on Thursday, co-founder and CEO Bo Davis told the Washington Business Journal in an email.” [Washington Business Journal]

Substance Abuse Discussion Tonight — “Arlington H.S.-wide substance abuse crisis panel March 13 at TJ [Middle School] — this event is hosted in part by W-L, Wakefield and Yorktown high schools. Speakers from DEA, DHS, Arlington PD/Fire.” [Twitter]

New Opening Estimate for Four Courts — “As we’re inching closer to St. Patrick’s Day, folks in the Arlington, Va. community are probably wondering when the popular Irish pub Ireland’s Four Courts will reopen. 7News learned that construction is underway and the managing partner of the pub said they’re hoping to reopen by early August.” [WJLA]

Another Gun Caught at DCA — “An Alexandria man was stopped from bringing a loaded handgun onto his flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Thursday morning, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The 9mm caliber gun, loaded with 15 bullets, was found in the man’s carry-on bag as he went through a security checkpoint at the airport.” [Patch]

ART Ridership Remains Lower — “An ongoing dearth of riders on the Arlington Transit (ART) bus service is one reason why taxpayers are likely to have to cover the vast majority of the cost for every trip taken on the bus system in the coming year, according to new data. As part of developing the government’s fiscal 2024 budget, officials are projecting cost recovery of 12 percent for the fiscal year that begins in July. That’s up from pandemic years, when ridership fell off a cliff, but is well below pre-pandemic levels.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Monday — Light rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 47 and low of 39. Sunrise at 7:24 am and sunset at 7:14 pm. [Weather.gov]