A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prevented an Alexandria, Va., resident from bringing his loaded handgun onto his flight this morning, July 25. It was the 16th gun detected by TSA officers at the airport so far this year.
The 9mm gun was loaded with nine bullets plus one in the chamber and was detected via the X-ray machine as the man was entering the security checkpoint with his carry-on items. A TSA officer spotted the gun in the man’s laptop bag. TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police who confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charge.
Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $5,958,173 in federal funding for two Virginia airports. The funding was awarded through the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Airport Improvement Program.
“We are continuing to see investments in the Commonwealth’s airports that will make travel through Virginia safer, more convenient, and more accessible,” the senators said. “This funding will allow both facilities to start important maintenance projects on runways that will help meet their communities’ needs for years to come.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed its support for legislation that would rename a memorial currently dedicated to Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Arlington, Va.
CAIR also expressed its support for a request by a Cherokee tribe to rename a North Carolina mountain currently named for a Confederate general.
U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) on Friday held a press conference with Jeffery Smith, Vice President of Operations for the Eastern Region Helicopter Council (ERHC), and John Shea of the Helicopter Association International (HAI) to announce a pilot program for a new helicopter noise complaint system for the National Capital Region. They were joined by Arlington County Board Members Libby Garvey and Takis Karantonis.
A 2021 report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) originally requested by Beyer and his colleagues recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “develop a mechanism to exchange helicopter noise information with operators in the D.C. area.” The just-announced pilot program was developed with this recommendation in mind, and will be evaluated by FAA for potential permanent adoption after a 60-day trial run.
The Arlington Soccer Association is teaming up with the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) to provide free soccer programming.
The eight-week pilot program recently kicked off and brings soccer programming to families who live in APAH’s more than 2,000 affordable apartments throughout Arlington County. The programming is offered once a week at local parks and elementary schools for children as young as 3 years old.
ARLINGTON, VA — Today, the National Park Service and Netherlands Embassy celebrated the 77th anniversary of Liberation Day and the end of a four-year restoration of the Netherlands Carillon. This celebration included remarks from Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands André Haspels and National Park Service Director Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III. The remarks were followed by a Carillon “Freedom” Concert performed by Dutch and American carillonneurs, accompanied by the Washington Symphonic Brass.
“As stewards of many of the stories of our nation’s history, the National Park Service strives to connect us as a people and a nation to our past for a better future,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “The Netherlands Carillon, like the Statue of Liberty, is a gift and a tangible representation of an intangible ideal: freedom; the principle that binds the people of the United States and the Netherlands past, present and future.”
The Arlington County Board will vote April 23 on Phase Two of Amazon’s new HQ2. While Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future (ASF) welcomes a new Amazon presence at PenPlace, we urge county leaders to strike a fair deal in this site plan review. As structured now, Arlington would trade world record bonus density — more buildable space — for unequal community benefits from Amazon. That bonus density is the size of 1.5 Chrysler Buildings (1.7 million ft2), yet we are being offered only a high school (26,500 ft2), child care center, a park, sustainability gains, and $30 million for affordable housing. The offer falls short $380 million to $1.1 billion of the value of that density. We trust the Board will fix that.
Since February 2022, ASF has been asking county commissions to join us in seeking benefits to balance the deal. We are currently suggesting $413.1 million in amenities to include a new school/community center in Pentagon City, affordable housing and education grants, park improvements/tree fund, and transit projects to ease congestion near HQ2. ASF stands ready to support the Board to ensure that the PenPlace site plan:
In mid-May, approximately 1,080 students will receive their degrees over the course of three days during Marymount University’s 71st annual commencement ceremonies. The newest graduates of the mission-based university will hear from three distinguished speakers – the first female Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S., Princess Reema; physicist and former NASA research center director Dr. Julian M. Earls; and global financier and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein.
All three speakers will receive honorary degrees during the following ceremonies, which are organized by College with each including undergraduate and graduate students:
For the first time since 2019, Arlington Little League will host its Opening Day on Sun, April 3 from 1-5:30 p.m. at Barcroft Park.
“Our children and our families have been through a lot over the past few years. Baseball has been the constant. It has been an honor for Arlington Little League to continue playing this incredible game with some incredible kids. Holding an Opening Ceremony in Spring 2022 is another sign that we are inching back — ever so slightly and ever so carefully — towards easier times. We have never stopped loving these kids, and we have never stopped loving this game.,” said League president Adam Balutis.
Arlington Community Federal Credit Union (ACFCU) announced a $10,000 grant to local nonprofit, Rebuilding Together- Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church (AFF).
The grant was part of a national give back program award from national credit union credit card vendor PSCU to be given to a local nonprofit of Arlington Community FCU’s choice. Rebuilding Together- AFF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves low-income homeowners and nonprofits.
Chickasaw Nation Industries, Inc. (CNI) extends federal services division office lease in Arlington, VA. Represented by Edward Saa and Timothy Jacobs, CNI Federal experienced explosive growth in the 2020-2021 government fiscal year in awarded contracts necessitating a 10,000-SF office presence to service customers.
Eduardo Marques, Federal Services Chief Operating Officer relayed to Saa and Jacobs “after vetting alternative submarkets from Reston to Tysons, we realized there wasn’t another location that could duplicate what we have in our Clarendon/Courthouse location. Having direct access to the Metro and an abundance of walkable amenities that our employees can enjoy is a significant part of our company’s culture and we don’t want to give that up.”
