6-25-2026 by Falls Church News-Press

Del. Simon: New Laws in Effect July 1

JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2026

Northern Virginia’s Newspaper

‘Democracy

Thrives In Sunshine’

Affordable Housing Advances Big Time

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church

This time it took almost six hours, but at the end of the day (or the beginning of a new one), in the wee hours of Tuesday, the Falls Church City Council achieved a surprising and resounding 6-1 vote for a first reading, preliminary approval of a complex plan to bring redevelopment and new affordable housing to the 4.5 acres in the center of the Little City known as the Virginia Village.

The existing project is a collection of 20 four-plex apartment buildings that house 80 in outdated, 1941-constructed homes. As Mayor Letty Hardi pointed out in her summarizing remarks early Tuesday

Continued on Page 4

Table Of Contents

Editoral Page 6

Our Man In Arlington Page 6

Business News Page 9

Best Of FC Pages 10- 11

Simon: New V.a. Laws Page 12

Classads Page 16

Calender Page 17

Critter Corner Page 18

Sports Page 19

‘IF

I WERE MAYOR’

Events Here Next Friday, July 3

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church will mark the country’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a new community celebration, Civic Jam, on Friday, July 3, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park.

The rain-or-shine event will celebrate the City’s diverse community and civic engagement with local food and drink, live music throughout the evening, and interactive activities hosted by local nonprofits and community groups.The event will not include fireworks,

sparklers or other flammable items, which are banned in the City.

Civic Jam will also include community booths, a beer garden, all-ages inflatable games and interactives (including a mechanical bull, axe throwing and a bounce house), a photo

booth, free cotton candy, and yard games.

A central part of the event will be the Civic Cup Competition, an all-ages team challenge with relays, races and booth activities. Teams of

THE WINNER OF THE ANNUAL Virginia Municipal League’s “If I Were Mayor” essay was honored at the Falls Church City Council meeting this week. She is Willa Thom (second from right), being greeted with friends prior to the meeting by Deputy City Manager Cindy Mester (right). (Photo: News-Press)

News-Press

Falls Church News Briefs

F.C. Founded CECA Group Wins Transparency Award

The Falls Church founded Ceca Foundation non-profit has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, reflecting its commitment to measurable impact and accountability, it was announced this week.

“Thanks to our founders, Falls Church residents Matthew and Rosemary Lawlor, and generous supporters, we are incredibly proud to have recognized over 60,000 exceptional acts of care and awarded over $625,000 dollars to nearly 14,000 caregivers,” Nate Hamme, Ceca CEO, reported this week. “In the past year alone,” he added, “we’ve awarded over $50,000 to exceptional care workers, including National Ceca Awards to six recipients whose stories have inspired communities nationwide. Their amazing stories can be read on our website and see what excellent care looks like at long-term care communities across the country. “

“Because the need is growing,” he wrote, “because caregivers continue to carry immense emotional and physical burdens, and because recognition—real, tangible recognition—changes lives, it boosts morale, strengthens retention, and reminds caregivers that their compassion matters, to reach this goal, we’re asking our supporters to help ‘Double the Impact’ through donations.”

Falls Church, Fairfax Leaders Endorse Beyer Re-Election

In the past two days, a long list of elected officials from Fairfax County and the City of Falls Church have publicly endorsed U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. for re-election to a sixth term as a Democrat in the U.S. Congress.

Fairfax Supervisor Chair Jeff McKay leads a list that includes Donna Palchick, Don Storke, Barbara Sizemore, Andres Jimenez, Jimmy Birerman, and Rodney Lusk.

From the City of Falls Church, five members of the Falls Church City Council are on record endorsing Beyer, including Mayor Letty Hardi, Vice Mayor Laura Downs, Erin Flynn, David Snyder and Marybeth Connelly.

Beyer has announced that he will be at a canvas launch on Sunday, July 12, in Falls Church at 1 p.m. at the Savage family home.

Gov. Spanberger: Major Public Safety Reforms

On Tuesday, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced major reforms made by her administration to increase the safety of corrections officers, staff, and incarcerated individuals, and increase transparency and accountability at Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) facilities — and illustrated the significant results achieved by these reforms.

Additionally, the Governor announced the new Governor’s Community Partnership Council on Corrections. “Since the start of my administration, we have focused on reform that makes our facilities safer, strengthens trust with the community, and reinforces our commitment to accountability, professionalism, and transparency,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “When I came into office, I got an early window into the many things that were wrong inside Virginia’s correctional system. Not wrong because of the dedicated VADOC employees who work tirelessly day in and day out — but systemically wrong.”

Governor Spanberger continued, “Today, we are here to mark the progress we’ve made. Serious inmate-on-staff assaults have decreased by 56 percent and confirmed overdoses have decreased by 47 percent. To every VADOC employee — those in the room and those listening to these words after the fact — your work is improving lives, strengthening public safety, and earning the trust of communities across Virginia. These reforms happened because of you.”

Alongside corrections officers, public safety leaders, and advocates at VADOC headquarters in Richmond, Governor Spanberger announced the creation of the Governor’s Community Partnership Council on Corrections, a new advisory council dedicated to advancing additional safety reforms by hearing directly from VADOC staff, incarcerated individuals, and communities across Virginia. The Governor released a new public report outlining the council and her commitment to bringing together Virginians to address the challenges facing VADOC facilities.

Beyer Joins Colleagues to Back AI Flaw Reporting Bill

Virginia Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) joined Deborah Ross (NC-02), and Jeff Hurd (CO-3) this week to introduce the AI Flaw Reporting and Security Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the security of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The bill would create a voluntary federal reporting program through which AI developers can disclose vulnerabilities in their models, enabling coordinated efforts to identify, manage, and responsibly disclose flaws before they can be exploited.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) operates the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), an authoritative dataset that organizations across the world use to identify and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The AI Flaw Reporting and Security Enhancement Act would direct NIST to create similar processes for the reporting of AI flaws and vulnerabilities. It also directs NIST to engage with the private sector and assist with developing methods for detecting, monitoring, and remediating AI flaws.

The AI Flaw Reporting and Security Enhancement Act would also direct NIST to bring together stakeholders to study AI flaws and vulnerabilities across sectors and assess the reporting and response infrastructure developed by the bill. NIST would then be required to submit its findings to Congress within three years.

“As AI technologies continue to advance at an unprecedented pace, AI systems face growing threats that can expose sensitive data, create new cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and beyond,” said Rep. Beyer. “Congress cannot afford to fall behind in addressing these emerging risks and ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place. Our legislation would establish a centralized reporting mechanism for potential security and safety vulnerabilities in AI systems, allowing for timely and coordinated action to mitigate risks.”

F.C. Council Votes 6-1 to Advance Key Affordable Housing Project

(cited in the editorial, elsewhere in this issue), the current effort has already been five years in the making, and the goal of winning final approval by next March is still ambitious, but a lot closer to reality now than when Monday’s meeting began and a plethora of citizens showed up to urge delay and changes to the process.

That the final vote was 6-1 surprised everyone, but should not be taken as an indicator that the controversy surrounding the initiative will go away. But it may contribute to keeping the plan on schedule. The U.S. congressional vote this week to fund its largest commitment to affordable housing in a generation and the victories of pro-housing advocates in urban centers across the U.S. are signalling what Falls Church has found this week: the needs of affordable housing are real and honest politicians are reacting to that fact.

Councilman David Snyder wound up joining the majority on the Council in memory of his steadfast advocacy for affordable housing in 2011, the last time a serious plan was before the City Council in the form of the Wilden Senior Living project that despite the yeoman efforts of former Councilman Steve Rogers and Carol Jackson of the City’s Housing Corporation, failed by a single vote.

That project was named for the Rev. Robert Wilden, who was a strong affordable housing advocate in the City. When the final vote was indicated, not even taken officially, the Housing Corporation disbanded, Jackson resigned, and nothing happened on that front until this most recent effort developed under Hardi’s leadership.

Ex-Mayor Nader Baroukh, who led the effort to kill the 2011 project, was in the audience Monday when the 6-1 vote was taken, still calling for delay and the same approach that killed the Wilden Project.

At the end of the meeting this time, however, only Council member Erin Flynn voted against the first reading. Though participating remotely, Council members Justine Underhill and Marybeth Connelly joined the six vote majority voting yes, along with new Council member Arthur Agin.

Agin did initiate the vote to limit the heights in the new project to six stories. It passed 7-0. The vote was on the fifth iteration of the plan developed over five years.

The City now owns nine of the 20 fourplexes, and plans to issue a request for proposals and zoning changes aimed at defining what the City wants for the 11 buildings it does not own, in addition to the ones it does.

The second reading of the comprehensive ordinance is now set for July 27.

In a pivotal move to aggressively expand the city’s affordable housing inventory, the City of

Falls Church City Council voted 6-1 on June 22 to advance the Virginia Village redevelopment plan, approving a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit developers for the 4.5-acre site.

The monumental 6-1 decision officially greenlights the city’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) to issue the comprehensive RFP to prospective housing partners. The vote marks the culmination of months of intense deliberation, zoning reviews, and heated community visioning sessions regarding the aging, 1940s-era quadplexes that currently make up the Virginia Village neighborhood.

Located behind the former Bowl America Falls Church, the Virginia Village site is one of the most critical municipal housing initiatives in recent memory. Over the last decade, the city has strategically land-banked several of the properties—acquiring nine of the twenty quadplexes—to preserve existing affordable units and pre-

empt private, high-priced luxury redevelopment.

However, the eighty-year-old buildings are now facing cost-prohibitive maintenance issues. With an ambitious goal under the city’s updated Affordable Living Policy to increase the ratio of affordable housing stock from 3 percent to 6 percent by 2040, city leaders recognized the necessity of leveraging third-party developers.

The approved RFP invites prospective development teams to pitch creative solutions based on three distinct development scenarios, or hybrids of them:

Rehabilitation with Expansion: Modernizing the existing footprint of the city-owned properties, potentially adding an extra floor.

Low-Intensity Redevelopment: Demolishing the current structures and rebuilding up to four stories.

Larger Infill Redevelopment: A comprehensive teardown that replaces the current buildings with multi-story structures reaching up to six or seven stories.

Drs. Love and Miller provide a family practice with special emphasis on healthy and beautiful smiles for adults and children. Both doctors graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and have been practicing together in Falls Church for over 25 years.

Drs. Love and Miller, along with our amazing team, greatly appreciate the community’s trust and support.

SPECIALIZATION

Human Services

uman Serv r ices

Emergency financial assistance, such as rent, utilities, dental care, and hearing aids

Non-financial assistance such as advocacy, referral for food, vision care, eye glasses, and clothing

Northern Virginia Dental clinic referrals

Transportation program for seniors and persons with disabilities

Information and Referrals for Services

Cooling and heating program

Child Care

Domestic violence services

Employment, health care, mental health, and substance abuse services

Services for older adults, SNAP, and TANF benefits

Contact Human Services for more information. (703) 248-5005 (TTY 711), housing@fallschurchva .gov

he This made fo f rmat

The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act This document will be made available in an alternate format upon request Call 703-248-5005 (TTY 711)

Assisted Living for Seniors & Persons with Disabilities

Reduced rate for room and board for eligible City of Falls Church residents, aged 62+, with low to moderate incomes.

Persons with disabilities under 62 may be eligible. (703) 248-5005 (TTY 711) housing@fallschurchva.gov

For Rent Fo orr R Reenntt or Rent

Affordable Apartments

Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) Program: Below market rate, studio and 1- and 2bedroom rental units in the City of Falls Church for eligible households. Monthly rents as low as $983 (based on availability, income, and eligibility requirements).

Contact Housing and Human Services for more information on the ADU waitlist.

(703) 248-5005 (TTY 711) housing@fallschurchva.gov

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Vol. XXXVI, No. 20 JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2026

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E ditorial

Hardi: Don’t Let Fear Guide Us

In this space this week, we reprint some of what Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi had to say at the conclusion of the historic vote to push ahead with the Virginia Village affordable housing project earlier this week, focusing on her admonition to not be governed by fear in this process.

“In this moment, I want to encourage us to be careful without being fearful,” Mayor Hardi said. “Because that is mostly what I hear. Whenever communities talk about housing, it’s human nature to focus on what could go wrong. We spend so much time imagining worst-case scenarios that we lose sight of the very real challenges that already exist today.

“Today, families struggle to find housing they can afford. Seniors who want to downsize and stay in Falls Church often have few options. Teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, restaurant employees increasingly find themselves priced out of the community. Students and young professionals find it impossible to return to the hometown they grew up in, maybe to only return to their parents’ basements or hopefully backyards. Many of those people are not in this room tonight.

“Meanwhile, communities across Northern Virginia and the US are having these same debates. Years of meetings. Years of hearings. Years of worrying about every possible downside. Years before anything gets built. And then we wonder why housing costs keep rising.

“The status quo is not risk-free. It has consequences too.

“Similarly, I know some up here have concerns about by-right zoning because it feels like we’re giving up control. And hopefully we decide to only apply that process to the non-city owned quads so we really can invite maximum creativity and not scare people away with a discretionary, uncertain process on the other side.

“For those of us who have been around for multiple special exception (SE) approvals and for those who feel like public trust in Council over development is an issue - I’d like to remind us that SEs that City Councils cast votes on are not mistake and complaint free.

“I believe we can be careful without being fearful. Leadership is about keeping a keen focus on our policy objectives, our goals, and commitments we made to the community now and to future generations.

“Years from now, they are going to remember whether we had the courage to do something tonight - to match our actions with our values. Whether we created enough homes for families who otherwise couldn’t afford to live here. Whether we preserved the opportunity for future generations to call Falls Church home.

“This is a generational opportunity, much like the bold decision to invest in a new high school and reimagine the land around it that helped pay for it. We can approach it with caution and thoughtfulness as we did eight years ago. That was a much bigger leap. We should not let fear make the decision for us.”

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Our Man In Arlington

Bill

Fogarty

For my monthly “Wayback Machine” columns, for the remainder of the year I thought I would switch to writing about events solely from 1926, creating a “100 Years Ago This Month” theme, starting with June 1926. At that time, the biggest news items for Arlington included a new source of public water for the County, and a new bridge connecting Arlington to the District of Columbia: the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The June 25 edition of the Lyon Village Gazette noted that the upcoming construction of the bridge meant that “...the Potomac River no longer divides either physically or economically.” Regarding the water source, a news article stated that “...the fact that water for Arlington County is to be furnished within a year from the same reservoir as used by the District of Columbia shows that Federal officials consider Arlington to be part of Greater Washington.”

Water Issues: The need for public water in 1926 was the most pressing political matter in Arlington. The solution proposed in June was a novel one – to align with the District of Columbia, and “import” water from the Dalecarlia Reservoir (with pipes to cross the river at the Chain Bridge). The only way to pay for this was to borrow money, a concept that was disfavored in Virginia (Harry “Pay As You Go” Byrd was our governor at that time). But County leaders decided to put it to a vote by its citizens and scheduled a $750,000 bond referendum vote on June 15. As reported in the Washington Star, the citizens were tired of “near” water, and in a record voter turnout, the bond passed with more than 90% approval. Articles of the day uniformly praised this action, predicting a surge in housing developments.

The “Road to the Bridge”: Construction of the Arlington Memorial Bridge started in 1926. At the same time, a new transcontinental highway was planned to run through Arlington, to be named for Robert E. Lee. There was much disagreement in the County about the location of the new road. A new organization was created, called the “Straight-tothe-Bridge Association,” which

advocated for the road to connect directly to the new bridge. The association lost that battle, as the new road, called Lee Boulevard, was located right down the middle of the County, and was diverted to the other existing bridges (Key Bridge and the Long Bridge). You would know this road by its current name of Arlington Boulevard (Route 50). The name change occurred due to confusion with the name of Lee Highway (Route 29, which has since been renamed Langston Boulevard). As for the road itself, the construction of Lee Boulevard was yet another factor in the development of the County from a rural area to a suburban destination.

The Civil War Was Not Forgotten: One headline caught my attention: “20 Of Mosby’s Band Attend Encampment.” During the Civil War, Confederate Colonel Mosby made frequent raids in Northern Virginia (including Falls Church). His men, known as Mosby’s Rangers, had a reunion of twenty survivors in Arlington on June 5, 1926, hosted by the Clarendon Methodist Church, with many tributes and a speech given by Fletcher Kemp, the superintendent of schools. In national news, a Mississippi congressman requested removal of historic displays at Gettysburg and the Arlington National Cemetery. Extracts of a speech given by a Union veteran, Robert Ingersoll, in 1874, were on display, extolling the virtues of the Union army. The congressman somehow felt that the speech was “an insult to the memory of General Robert E. Lee.” This incident makes one think of today’s historic plaque removals.

“Gambling” Arrests: One of the most unusual newspaper articles covered the arrests of four people who organized the Lyon Village Carnival. What was their crime? The carnival included games that were deemed illegal under the new state gambling law: ten-pin, ring-the-pin, dart, and hit-thekeg games. The civic association then held an “indignation meeting” at the Ballston Fire Department, and plans were made to appeal the arrests at the circuit court level. You will have to wait for my July history column to find out what happened to the four people who were arrested.

Civic Jam Set to Honor America’s 250 Birthday July 3 Next Week

Continued from Page 1

up to four people, including at least one adult age 18 or older, may pick up a Civic Cup Scorecard beginning at 6 p.m. No pre-registration is required. The first Civic Cup game begins at 6:15 p.m. Teams will earn points by completing activities listed on the scorecard, visiting community booths and participating in games. Activities will carry varying point values, and bonus points will be awarded for team spirit, including festive or coordinated costumes, and for winning certain activities.

The Civic Cup schedule includes a Watermelon Roll from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m., a Water Balloon Toss from 6:55 to 7:25 p.m., a Sack Race from 7:35 to 8:05 p.m., and a ThreeLegged Race from 8:15 to 8:45 p.m.

Accessible adjustments and alternatives will be available through staff at the Civic Cup Competition area.

The Civic Cup trophy ceremony will take place from 8:45 to 9 p.m.

The team with the most points will receive the Civic Cup, Civic Jam

T-shirts for the whole team, and other commemorative items.

Live music at the event will include Villains and Saints, an all-veteran rock band from the City of Falls Church, from 6 to 7 p.m.; Historically Close Friends, a high-energy pop group from Washington, D.C., from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.; and Ocho De Bastos, a Latin pop-rock party band from Northern Virginia, from 9 to 10 p.m.

At 9 p.m., attendees can pick up a free light-up VA250 giveaway and glow sticks before the final musical performance of the evening. Beer garden last call is scheduled for 9:45 p.m., and festivities end at 10 p.m.

Participating community groups and activities include the Asian Community Service Center with lotus craft and meditation demonstrations; Creative Cauldron with a theater masks display; Falls Church Arts with spin art; Falls Church Climate Action Network with an all-electric dollhouse, cli-

mate trivia and an electric vehicle; Falls Church Indivisible with button, sign and rock painting; Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation with farmhouse artifact exploration and graces games; and the League of Women Voters of Falls Church with civic trivia at 7 p.m. in the beer garden.

Other participating organizations include Bike, Walk, and Roll Falls Church; Falls Church Community Television; Mary Riley Styles Public Library; Northern Virginia Transportation Authority; The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment; The Learning Quest; The Falls Church 250 Committee; The Shepherd’s Center of McLean-ArlingtonFalls Church; The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation; The Village Preservation and Improvement Society; Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9724; Victorian Society at Falls Church; and We the Neighbors Initiative.

Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead for parking. Portions of the

Falls Church Community Center parking lot will be closed beginning at noon on Friday, July 3, through 10 p.m. for the event.

The Kaiser Permanente Parking Garage at 201 N. Washington St. and the lower level of the George Mason Square Garage, accessed via South Maple at 103 W. Broad St., will be open all day to the public and are recommended for free public parking.

Free parking is also available on many side streets, though visitors

should check posted signs for time limits. Attendees are reminded not to park in private lots marked with “No Parking – Towing Enforced” signs, as those lots are reserved for business customers and may be enforced on weekends and holidays.

Accessible parking will be available next to the Falls Church Community Center at 223 Little Falls Street. Civic Jam participants are encouraged to walk, bike or use public transportation.

Trump: Product of America’s Worst Decade

Nicholas F.

Benton

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Folks had better be well prepared to grab away the football, and I don’t mean from Y.A. Tiddle or Charlie Brown’s Lucy. Nobody can be sure what is going on inside the president’s brain right now. It is a truly bizarre situation for us all. There are those who speculate that Trump’s erratic behavior is trending toward more and more violent and deadly consequences. They are ones who argue that as the process unfolds in the coming years, with his deteriorating mental state, he is more likely to view a crescendo of a nuclear first strike as something he will come to value more and move toward.

That would more likely be the case if he is frustrated in his efforts to fix the midterms or if a drumbeat to remove him grows too much louder.

Based on my observations, I do believe a form of dementia is setting in, but mostly his bizarre behavior results from many years of nihilistism and a profound disregard for human life. The man simply does not have a drop of empathy in his soul, and follows the lead of those like Elon Musk who claim that empathy is humanity’s greatest weakness.

Trump is a product of the worst decade in U.S. history, the 1970s, when the intelligence community’s counter to the human rights gains of the 1960s worldwide took the form of the open promotion of hedonistic excess and vile behaviors involving drugs and exploitation. I survived that decade, but only barely. Its worst consequence was the AIDS epidemic that took over 700,000 (it is generally estimated) lives in the U.S. alone, mostly of younger single gay males. I consider it a matter of sheer luck that I did not wind up the way hundreds of my friends and associates did. Many members of the original cast of the long-running play The Boys in the Band died from AIDS, a particularly cruel and painful disease whose worst feature was often the stigma associated with it. Even among the Village People, the epidemic left its mark: the group’s creator, Jacques

Morali, died of AIDS-related causes in 1991, while Glenn Hughes, the iconic “Leatherman” character, later died of lung cancer. The losses from that era were staggering and touched virtually every corner of the gay community.A particularly cruel and painful death whose worst feature was the stigma associated with it.

Parents rejected their children and friends abandoned each other when AIDS became an issue. It was horrid and cruel beyond belief. Trump is incredibly lucky that he, too, ducked that one, though he will, of course, never admit it.

Because he had money, he was able to avoid the worst by limiting his sexual activity to paying high priced hookers.

The infamous right wing gay thug and fixer Roy Cohn was his special personal pal in that decade, typical of the man who replaced him in that role, Jeffrey Epstein from the 1990s on.

Though he doesn’t appear in it, the best representation of Cohn was authored by the playwright Tony Kushner as he depicted him in his award-winning two-part play, Angels in America, in the early 1990s that became an equally-feted TV miniseries put on by HBO in 2003. Al Pacino’s portrayal of Cohn is among the best in existence. Anyone who hasn’t seen that six-part series that also included Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson, Mary Louise Parker and Patrick Wilson should dial it up. It remains incredibly powerful and germane to what is afflicting the nation right now.

It is even more poignant to those of us who walked the streets of Manhattan, Philly, San Francisco and elsewhere in that troubled era, and who brushed up against the contagion a lot more closely than any of us might want to admit.

Then, the entire subculture was saying, “Go for it.” The popular fascist counterculture figure Michel Foucault lectured at U.C. Berkeley in that decade, encouraging hundreds if not thousands of students to cross the Bay Bridge and go into the gay bathhouses and partake in the riskiest forms of sexual excess, as he did himself almost every night.

Sadly, many who died fought to keep the bathhouses open even when it became obvious the disease was being spread there.

A Penny for Your Thoughts

By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor

As president, Dwight Eisenhower refused to use his position as a world leader to disparage another person publicly. Ike wasn’t simply being midwestern nice; he knew that any comment from the President could damage another person’s reputation or livelihood, and that was a power he would not exercise. His steadfast position caused dismay for many advisors when he declined to condemn Senator Joseph McCarthy for his tactics during the “red scare” of the 1950s. As president, Eisenhower contended that “all you do is double the audience he (McCarthy) had the first time.”

Those were not gentler times, despite the yearning by the current administration to return to the good old days of the 1950s. The House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) was instituted in 1938 to investigate supposed disloyalty by individuals, groups, and public employees. After the end of World War II, HUAC was in a full-throated investigatory mode that destroyed relationships, careers, and trust. On the other side of Capitol Hill, the Senate eventually censured McCarthy without interference by the White House. It was an ugly time in the country, but the three branches of government

usually exercised their constitutional powers independently, respecting the other’s areas of authority and function.

The contrast between Eisenhower’s ethics and the Trump White House is stark. Mr. Trump’s rude and crude comments about his predecessors, other world leaders, political opponents and anyone who disagrees with him, women (especially female journalists), and persons with disabilities are endless, and hyped by 24/7 news coverage. Eisenhower’s comment about doubling the audience was on target but he never imagined the news cycle and influencers that predominate today. Comments by an American president can create headlines around the world and serve to legitimize the daily vulgarity he uses.

Following the removal of Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts facade, an acquaintance emailed an AI-generated photo of JFK and Trump, with JFK making an inappropriate finger gesture to Trump. Some saw hilarity in the photo, but if we want to change the tone of personal and political conversation today, a first step is to stop circulating demeaning commentary or observations in the guise

of humor. Unanticipated social and political material flows into email in-boxes daily, and most of it should end right there. Avoid the inclination to share. Delete, delete, delete. Sharing someone else’s rude or crude comments reflects on both the author and the sharer.

At the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago last week, former President Barack Obama noted that “people aren’t looking for perpetual anger and division. They are looking for fairness and common sense and mutual respect.” Trump wasn’t invited to the opening ceremonies, and his name was never mentioned in the speeches, but the distinction was clear. Anger is a vice; fairness and respect are virtues.

Three presidents, three-quarters of a century apart. Two presidents, of different political parties, who modeled civility and respect. Two presidents, of different political parties, who understood the enormous power of the office and the crucial need to exercise restraint. One president, elected as a Republican, who asserts that there are “no limits” to his presidential power and uses executive orders to override constitutional norms.

The mid-term elections are less than six months away, an opportunity to change the trajectory and move the national conversation to one of civility and common sense. There are limits to presidential power, and those limits are in the hands of the individual voter. When one asks “what can I do?”, the answer is easy – vote!

shirt, black and gray Nike leggings, and black Crocs.

Fraud – Identity Theft, Great Falls St, Jun 15, 9:52 a.m., victim reported an unknown suspect attempted to take out a loan using their personal information.

Shoplifting, Wilson Blvd, Jun 15, 6:57 p.m., two

unknown suspects stole merchandise. The first unknown suspect is described as a black male, approximately 20 to 25 years of age, approximately 5’3” – 5’5” in height, wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers. The second unknown suspect is described as a black female, approximately 20 to 25 years of age, approximately 5’2” – 5’5” in height, wearing a black long-sleeve V-neck

Larceny/Destruction of Property, S Cherry St, Jun 15, between 10:00 a.m. and 8:06 p.m., an unknown suspect gained entry to the victim’s for-sale house and stole lighting fixtures and shower curtains and caused damage.

Larceny from Vehicle/Credit Card Theft/Fraud – Credit Card, Wilson Blvd, Jun 21, between 12:25 p.m. and 1:55 p.m., an unknown suspect stole a purse from the victim’s vehicle and made multiple unauthorized transactions with their credit cards.

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Chamber Businesses Named Top Workplaces

New Editions Consulting, Inc. has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2026 honor by WTOP News with the ranking of #2 out of 117 small businesses who received the honor. This is the 12th year that New Editions has made the Top Workplaces list. Other chamber members returning to the list are Tax Analysts, this year in the #23 spot in the mid-size category, and Raising Cane’s in the largest category at #39. This list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. Congratulations to the chamber members recognized in this award.

Patient First Celebrates 45 Years

Patient First is celebrating 45 years of service, marking a milestone that reflects decades of providing accessible and cost-effective urgent care to patients across the Mid-Atlantic without an appointment, 365 days a year. Patient First has grown from the outskirts of Richmond to 79 medical centers across Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, serving more than 50 million patient visits over that period. Patient First’s focus on patient care and long-term relationships has also been recognized across the region, earning 38 “Best Urgent Care,” “Top Doctors,” and “Top Workplace” awards in 2025.

Bakeshop Expansion

Bakeshop expanded into Vienna last weekend. This is Bakeshop’s third location in Northern Virginia. The bakery has been named best bakery in various locations multiple times over the years and its chocolate chip cookies were named best in the state of Virginia by Yelp in 2022. Bakeshop first opened in Arlington in 2010 and expanded to Falls Church in 2019. https://patch. com/virginia/vienna/bakery-best-chocolate-chip-cookies-va-coming-vienna

Best Beer Gardens

Arlington Magazine gave high marks to Solace Outpost in its coverage of Best Beer Gardens in and Around Arlington. The magazine noted the uniqueness of the beer list – it has two dropdown menus (searchable by both style and ABV) with the Solace Partly IPA and Sun-Kissed Dry-Hopped Summer Ale as two favorites. It also highlighted two favorite foods, namely the Crispy Chicken Thighs and the Bootlegger Burger slathered in moonshine barbecue sauce with bacon and onion rings. Settle Down Easy Brewing and Stratford Garden were also mentioned.

Convert Clicks Into Customers

The SBDC is hosting a webinar, “Creating the Buyer Journey That Converts Clicks Into Customers,” on Wednesday, July 1, 10 a.m. to noon. For those running a small business, balancing many priorities and marketing can often feel overwhelming. The buyer journey will help small business owners better understand how to connect with customers at every stage of the buying process, from awareness to action, and long-term retention. Participants will explore practical marketing strategies that help clarify messaging, strengthen value propositions, and turn customer interest into meaningful business growth. Use the link to register for this free webinar. https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=110460041

America250 App for Celebrations

America250 is inviting communities across the country to come together in celebration, and is offering a new way to be part of it – the America’s Block Party app. The app helps Americans find community events, volunteer opportunities, parades, fireworks, concerts, and neighborhood celebrations happening nationwide. It also makes it easy to host your own block party and bring neighbors, friends, and families together for this historic milestone. For more information: america250.org/americas-block-party/mobile-app/

Correction:

Please note that the report on potential layoffs in the June 11-17 issue was incorrectly identified with Northrop Grumman contracts. These contracts are with General Dynamics Information Technology (G DIT). It should have read: In defense contracting news, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) announced potential local layoffs as federal contracts wind down. GDIT reported that the F-35 Joint Program Office contract ends on July 31 and may result in the termination of 103 employees from Arlington if not extended. Another notice cited a contract ending on July 28 that may eliminate 133 employees in Fairview Park if not renewed. Federal contracting has been more volatile given the Administration’s review of nonessential contracts.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.

WHO’S THE BEST?

The News-Press BEST OF FALLS CHURCH reader vote is back and it’s time to cast your ballot for your Falls Church-area favorites! Our 17th annual contest features a host of categories — now 45 in all — for readers to vote on the best eating, drinking, shopping and more in and around the Little City. Winners will be featured in a special BEST OF FALLS CHURCH edition of the News-Press on August 20!

RETAIL & SERVICES

• Favorite Little City Experience• Mortgage/Bank • Professional Services • Real Estate Agent

• Real Estate Group • Property Management • Doctor • Dentist • Orthodontist • Therapist

• Physical Therapist/Chiropractor • Dry Cleaners • Retirement Community

• Hair Salon • Barbershop • Gym/Fitness • Yoga • Nail/Day/Skin Spa

• Live Entertainment • Pet Services • Specialty Store • Private School • Camp

• Home Improvement • Landscapers/Garden services

• Architect • Builder/Remodeler • New Business •

• Accountant • Place to Buy Local Art

Delegate Marcus Simon Talks New Virginia Laws As of July 1

BY DEL. MARCUS SIMON

When Virginians handed Democrats a commanding 64-36 majority in the House of Delegates and returned the Governor’s Mansion to Democratic control last November, they did so in large part because of concerns about affordability. Voters were frustrated by the rising cost of housing, healthcare, groceries, and other necessities, and they wanted action.

Beginning July 1, many of the laws passed during the General Assembly’s 2026 session will take effect, bringing with them a series of changes aimed at making some of life’s essentials more affordable for Virginia families. From lowering out-of-pocket healthcare costs and increasing pay transparency for job seekers to expanding opportunities for people seeking housing and employment, lawmakers in Richmond spent much of this year’s session focused on the kitchen-table issues that affect household budgets here in Falls Church and across the Commonwealth.

Healthcare

Beginning July 1st of this year, all Virginians will have an explicit right to access contraceptive care, set out in the Code of Virginia.

Additionally, anyone who threatens, intimidates, or physically obstructs someone from entering a reproductive healthcare clinic will face a Class 1 misdemeanor. This will make it easier for patients seeking abortion care and other health services at facilities that provide

abortions to access their appointments.

Healthcare costs remain one of the biggest financial challenges facing many Virginia families, particularly those managing chronic conditions. Beginning July 1, Virginia is lowering the monthly cap on insulin cost-sharing from $50 to $35 and extending that same $35 cap to many diabetes supplies and equipment, including items like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pump supplies. Lawmakers also approved reforms aimed at reducing insurance company red tape that can delay medically necessary treatment and increase costs for patients.

Housing

Housing costs continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing families throughout Northern Virginia, and several new laws are designed to provide greater stability for renters while establishing clearer rules for landlords. Among the most significant changes, tenants who fall behind on rent will now receive 14 days’ notice before a landlord may terminate the lease for nonpayment, replacing Virginia’s previous 5-day notice period.

The General Assembly also adopted new rules governing rent payments, requiring landlords to accept checks and money orders and to continue offering at least one payment option that does not impose additional fees on the tenant. These changes will help families avoid eviction over short-term financial setbacks and prevent unnecessary fees from adding to already high

housing costs.

Falls Church and the surrounding region continue to grapple with some of the highest housing costs in the Commonwealth. For many residents, a missed paycheck, an unexpected medical bill, or a temporary job loss can quickly create housing insecurity. Giving tenants additional time and more affordable payment options can help prevent a short-term financial challenge from becoming a housing crisis.

Labor & Employment

Workers will also see several significant changes in Virginia employment law beginning July 1. Most notably, the Commonwealth will resume its previously approved path toward a $15 minimum wage, with the statewide minimum wage increasing from $12.41 to $13.50 per hour. For a full-time worker, that translates to more than $2,200 in additional annual earnings before taxes.

Virginia is also implementing new pay transparency requirements that will require employers to disclose salary ranges for open positions, giving job seekers more information and greater leverage during the hiring process. This reflects a broader effort to ensure that hard work provides a pathway to economic security.

While the Commonwealth’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave program officially becomes law on July 1, the benefits themselves will be phased in over the next several years. Once fully implemented, the program will allow eligible workers to

take paid time off to welcome a new child, care for a seriously ill family member, recover from their own serious medical condition, address certain military family needs, or seek assistance related to domestic violence. This program will make Virginia the first state in the South to guarantee paid family and medical leave.

Consumer Protections

For those that wear cosmetics, the products you purchase will become a little safer. This new law will prohibit the use of certain ingredients in the manufacturing of new cosmetic products after July 1st.

A few years ago, we passed a law to make it easier to unsubscribe from automatic renewal or continuous service offers. Well, now it will be even easier as we’ve better defined “clear and conspicuous” when it comes to cancelling these sometimes pesky subscriptions.

Education

Virginia’s public colleges and universities will be required to estab-

lish reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs and practices regarding admissions, class attendance, and exam schedules.

Our public schools will be able to start as early as 14 days before September 1st and no later than 14 days after. Before, the date was set based on Labor Day.

If you live near a school zone, be aware that local governments can now increase school crossing zone times from 30 minutes to up to 60 minutes before and after regular school hours.

Transportation

If you’ve ever wondered why it can be so difficult to address vehicles with excessively loud exhaust systems, a new law gives local governments another enforcement option. Northern Virginia localities will be able to install automated noise-monitoring systems that can identify and ticket vehicles that violate existing exhaust noise limits.

For a full accounting of bills that will become law, visit lis.virginia.gov

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF THE PETITION OF VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA FOR A FINANCING ORDER AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF DEFERRED

FUEL COST BONDS PURSUANT

TO § 56-249.6:2 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2026-00078

On May 29, 2026, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed a petition (“Petition”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”), pursuant to §56-249.6:2 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), for a financing order to finance certain deferred fuel cost balances (“Deferred Fuel Costs”) through deferred fuel cost bonds (“Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds”). Specifically, the Company petitions:

i. To finance the Deferred Fuel Costs and associated up-front financing costs (“Up-Front Financing Costs”) through a securitization;

ii. For preliminary approval of the proposed securitization financing structure to be updated as part of the issuance advice letter process to reflect bondholder preference, rating agency comments and then-current market conditions at the time the Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds are priced;

iii.For approval to sponsor the issuance of Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds secured by the pledge of deferred fuel cost property (“Deferred Fuel Cost Property”), in one or more series comprising one or more tranches in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed the securitizable balance (“Securitizable Balance”) (as of the date the first series Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds are issued);

iv.For approval of the financing costs, including Up-Front Financing Costs, incurred in connection with the issuance of Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds and on-going financing costs (“On-going Financing Costs”);

v. For approval to create Deferred Fuel Cost Property, including the right to: (i)impose, bill, charge, collect and receive non-bypassable deferred fuel cost charges (“Deferred Fuel Cost Charges”) sufficient to recover the principal of, and interest on, the Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds plus On-going Financing Costs, and (ii)obtain periodic formulaic adjustments to the Deferred Fuel Cost Charges as provided in the Proposed Financing Order attached as Exhibit B to its Petition;

vi. For approval of a tariff to implement the Deferred Fuel Cost Charges; and

vii. For an exemption from the filing and prior approval requirements of Code § 56-77 A, to the extent required, for the securitization activities described in the Company’s Petition pursuant to Code § 56-77 B.

During its 2023 Session, the Virginia General Assembly enacted Chapters 775 (HB 1770) and 757 (SB 1265) of the 2023 Virginia Acts of Assembly, which created a new financing vehicle, utility cost recovery charge securitization, that may be used by an electric utility to recover certain deferred fuel costs (“Securitization Statute”). Under the Securitization Statute, an electric utility may seek authorization to issue deferred fuel cost bonds with lower financing costs that are secured by deferred fuel cost property and include a dedicated fuel cost charge that is separate and distinct from the utility’s base rates or fuel factor on customer bills. Subsequently, the Virginia General Assembly enacted Chapters 1123 (HB 1393) and 1124 (SB 253)of the 2026 Virginia Acts of Assembly, which authorize a Phase II electric utility to file a petition for a financing order regarding deferred fuel costs, pursuant to Code § 56-249.6:2, on or before July 15, 2026.

Historically, Dominion has recovered its prudently incurred fuel expenses on a dollar-fordollar basis from its customers through an annual fuel factor adjustment process prescribed by law (“fuel factor”). Dominion’s total fuel factor consists of a current period factor (“Current Period Factor”) and a prior period factor (“Prior Period Factor”). Generally, the Prior Period Factor includes any fuel deferral balance, which reflects the under-recovery or over-recovery of actual fuel expenses after applying revenues collected through the fuel factor. The Company asserts that the fuel deferral balance continues to be substantial, due in part to significant marketplace commodity price increases during the prior fuel period. Specifically, Dominion’s projected June 30, 2026, fuel deferral balance is approximately $1.078 billion. This balance represents the sum of: (1) the projected June 30, 2026, under-recovery balance of approximately $1.012 billion associated with the recovery of the July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026 current period expense (“2025/2026 Deferral”), and (2) the projected June 30, 2026, under-recovery balance of approximately $65.8 million associated with the recovery of the remaining June 30, 2025, prior period expense (“2024/2025 Deferral”).

As discussed further in the May 29, 2026 Order Establishing 2026-2027 Fuel Factor Proceeding in Case No. PUR-2026-00058, were the Company to seek recovery of both the Current Period Factor and the Prior Period Factor through the fuel factor, a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (“kWh”) per month would see a net increase of $21.79 per month for the period of July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. Instead, in Case No. PUR-2026-00058, Dominion supports implementation of the Current Period Factor rate and only the 2024/2025 Deferral portion of the Prior Period Factor through the fuel factor on an interim basis, which represents an increase of $7.97 per month beginning July 1, 2026, for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month.

Rather than seeking to implement the 2025/2026 Deferral portion of the Prior Period Factor

through the fuel factor, Dominion requests authorization in the present proceeding, pursuant to the Securitization Statute, to issue Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds for the Securitizable Balance. The Securitizable Balance equals approximately $1.024 billion and consists of approximately $1.012 billion of Deferred Fuel Costs, plus Up-Front Financing Costs of issuing the Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds of approximately $11.39 million. The Company notes that if the Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds were issued in more than one series, additional Up-Front Financing Costs would be incurred and included in the Securitizable Balance.

Dominion states that the Securitizable Balance is based in part upon an estimate of the 2025/2026 Deferral balance, reduced by the share attributable to the customers who are able to, and elected to, or are wholly or partially exempt from, the fuel securitization bond financing. The Company further states that in early August, it will make a supplemental filing in this docket to update the final 2025/2026 Deferral balance, and that once the final balance is known, Dominion will be able to calculate the final amount of Deferred Fuel Costs that would be subject to securitization under its proposal.

Dominion seeks to utilize a special purpose entity to issue Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds to finance the Deferred Fuel Costs described above. The Company asserts that the proceeds from these bonds would be used to satisfy the unrecovered fuel balance and reduce the nearterm impact to customers.

According to Dominion, the amortization of these bonds would be structured to provide an annual revenue requirement (including payments of interest, principal, and ongoing financing costs) over the term of the securitization period. Customers subject to the fuel securitization would be billed a Deferred Fuel Cost Charge, which is a separate non-bypassable fuel securitization charge. This charge would be billed on a per kWh basis and would begin soon after the issuance of the bonds, which, if approved by the Commission, the Company expects to occur in early 2027. The Deferred Fuel Cost Charge would be subject to periodic true-ups to ensure that the revenue requirements associated with the bonds are received on a timely basis.

Dominion states that it analyzed three transaction structures for the bonds – one with a scheduled final maturity date of approximately seven years, one with a scheduled final maturity date of approximately ten years, and one with a scheduled final maturity date of approximately 15 years. For each alternative, the Company proposes to issue the Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds in two or more tranches. According to the Company, an approximately sevenyear amortization of the Deferred Fuel Cost Bonds would result in an estimated initial monthly charge to a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month of $3.05; an approximately ten-year amortization bond structure would result in an estimated initial monthly charge of $2.36 to a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month; and an approximately 15year amortization bond structure would result in an estimated initial monthly charge of $1.81 to a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month. As the Company notes, these bill impacts are estimates, as the actual interest rates, terms, tranches, and other characteristics of the bonds would be determined at the time of pricing of the bonds and would depend on prevailing market conditions.

Dominion seeks approval of an estimated final payment date of no longer than approximately ten years. The Company asserts that this proposal would: (i) provide customers with significant initial and on-going rate savings, as compared to the standard recovery method; (ii) provide greater benefits to customers on a net present value basis than the sevenyear amortization option; and (iii) avoid certain potential intergenerational equity concerns of spreading these fuel costs over too long of a period that the 15-year amortization option could create.

Interested persons are encouraged to review the Petition and supporting documents in full for additional details.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on Dominion’s Petition. The Commission determined that, to the extent practicable, for all purposes including discovery, prefiling testimony, and hearing dates, the procedural schedules in this docket (Case No. PUR-2026-00078) and Case No. PUR-2026-00058 (Dominion’s fuel factor proceeding) shall be combined, without the cases or case numbers being consolidated.

A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Company’s Petition shall be convened telephonically at 10 a.m. on August 11, 2026. On or before

August 5, 2026, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide required contact information to the Commission. This information may be provided to the Commission: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation/webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting

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LEGAL NOTICE

continued from previous page

The evidentiary portion of the hearing on the Petition shall be convened at 10 a.m. on August 11, 2026, or at the conclusion of the public witness portion of the hearing, whichever is later, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive the testimony and evidence of the Company, any respondents, and Commission Staff (“Staff”).

To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.

An electronic copy of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Elaine S. Ryan, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or eryan@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons may also download unofficial copies of the Petition and the public versions of other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation

On or before August 5, 2026, any interested person may submit comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/caseinformation/submit-public-comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case Nos. PUR-2026-00058 and PUR-2026-00078, unless the filer is participating in only one case.

On or before July 7, 2026, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding must do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such person or entity and their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Company, Staff, and all other respondents. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B,

Delegate Marcus Simon’s Richmond Report

Virginia, we finally have a Budget. With just days to spare before the Virginia State Government authority to spend money ran out, the House of Delegates and State Senate voted on a compromise budget Monday, June 22nd. The Governor now has seven days to offer amendments, which the General Assembly must act on before midnight June 30th. So, what took us so long?

Typically, select members of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee meet in a conference committee to hammer out the differences between the House and Senate budgets in March, with a final vote taken on or about the last day of our 60-day regular session. Virginia’s Constitution requires us to maintain a balanced budget. Unlike the federal government, we cannot simply borrow our way through difficult decisions. We must make choices about priorities, live within our means, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.

This year was particularly challenging because we have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars back-

Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any notice of participation filed by a person not represented by counsel shall also set forth why the filer’s positions in this matter are not adequately represented by another party to this proceeding and cannot be expressed through written or oral public comments as provided for in this proceeding. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case Nos. PUR-2026-00058 and PUR-2026-00078, unless the filer is participating in only one case.

On or before July 14, 2026, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case Nos. PUR-2026-00058 and PUR-2026-00078, unless the filer is participating in only one case.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Rules of Practice.

The Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and the public versions of other documents filed in the case may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/case-information

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

filling essential services that were eliminated in HR1 – the big ugly bill. Unfortunately, reaching agreement on a budget took longer than anyone would have liked.

The delay, as you may have read or heard about, was about whether we should continue a tax incentive program voted on with broad bi-partisan support years ago to attract data center development to the Commonwealth. The Senate proposed ending those incentives immediately, even though they were scheduled to last until 2035. The House was uncomfortable going back on our commitment and cancelling these incentives some eight years early, worried about the impact on our ability to win the trust of potential partners in future economic development deals.

I’ll admit, the Senate position has a great deal of appeal, policy-wise and politically. We’ve reached a critical mass here in Virginia where we are an extremely attractive place to build a data center, with or without the added sweetener of a sales tax exemption. And the exemption has grown tremendously, with an

estimated windfall of $2.8 billion annually available by simply cancelling it.

Politically, the simplicity of the Senate message – “No more tax breaks for billion-dollar businesses” is undeniable.

What we settled on, I think, is a better policy that takes a little bit longer to explain but better serves the people of the Commonwealth. This budget helps protect Virginia ratepayers, supports long-term energy affordability, and ensures data centers contribute their fair share while preserving Virginia’s position as the nation’s leading technology hub.

We protect ratepayers by establishing a new Data Center Energy Consumption Fee, ensuring that the industry’s growing energy demands do not fall on residential customers and small businesses. The fee is expected to generate up to $600 million annually – or $1.2 billion over the biennium – helping Virginia address the infrastructure and energy demands associated with rapid growth.

This approach aligns the data center operators’ incentives with our public policy priorities. Rather than simply ending the sales tax exemption, this approach gives data centers a big reason to find ways to make

their facilities as energy efficient as possible to reduce their tax liability.

The budget also directs state agencies to develop data center noise regulations, identify cooling water scarcity areas, and collect additional information on electric service agreements, water usage, and generator permitting so policymakers have the tools they need to make informed decisions as the industry continues to grow.

I also support legislation introduced by Delegate Rip Sullivan that would tie future eligibility for the sales tax exemption to environmental and performance standards. If Virginia is going to offer tax incentives, those incentives should advance public policy goals. Rewarding energy efficiency, sustainability, and responsible development is a smarter long-term approach than offering benefits without expectations.

The data center debate is far from over. The study included in this budget will help inform future decisions, and I expect the General Assembly will continue examining how best to balance economic development, energy policy, environmental concerns, and the interests of ratepayers. But this compromise represents a meaningful step forward.

While data centers received much of the attention during budget negotiations, the final agreement also includes significant investments in education, public employees, working families, and local communities.

The budget extends Virginia’s refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) at 20% through 2030, continuing an important tool that helps working families. Beginning in 2027, the standard deduction will increase to $9,200 for individuals and $18,400 for married couples filing jointly, providing tax relief to millions of Virginians.

The budget also gives local communities a new tool to address aging school facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and growing enrollment by allowing localities to seek voter approval for a local sales tax of up to 1% dedicated to school construction and modernization. Importantly, any such tax must first be approved by local voters.

This budget takes an important step toward ensuring that major energy users contribute appropriately to the costs they create. And it demonstrates that even when disagreements arise, we can still come together to find common ground and move Virginia forward.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING

A Planning Commission public hearing and possible recommendation to City Council is scheduled for July 1, 2026, at 7:30 pm, or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, on the following:

(TR26-18) Resolution to Amend Comprehensive Plan Chapter 5, “Environment for Everyone: Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, And Natural Resources Chapter of the City’s Comprehensive Plan” to Add Required Elements of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Program

(TO26-09) Ordinance to Amend the Code of The City of Falls Church, Virginia, Chapter 38, “Subdivisions,” Article II “Requirement for Plats,” Section 38-30 “Preliminary and Final Plats Required,” And Section 38-34, “General Regulations,” To Comply with The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA) And Correct City Code References

(TO26-10) Ordinance to Amend The Code Of The City Of Falls Church, Virginia, Chapter 48 “Zoning,” Article V “Supplementary Regulations,” Division 7 , “Site Plans,” Section 481134, “When Required,” to Comply With The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA); And Section 48-1135, “Preliminary Survey Documents,” Section 48-1137, “Required Information,” Section 48-1141, “Considerations;” And Division 8, “Landscaping,” Sections 48-1179 “Intent And Objectives,” And Section 48-1180, “Tree Canopy Coverage,” to Correct Typographical Or City Code Section Reference Error

For more information on the Chesapeake Bay Amendment to Chapter 5 of the Comprehensive Plan, “Environment for Everyone: Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, And Natural Resources Chapter of the City’s Comprehensive Plan”, visit the project webpage at: www.fallschurchva.gov/ChesapeakeBayAmendment.

The materials for the above item will be available on the city’s webpage prior to the public hearing: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/PC. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. For copies of materials and other information, contact Jack Trainor jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov.

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to jtrainor@fallschurchva. gov. Remote participation information at www. fallschurchva.gov/pc. For copies of legislation and other information, contact Jack Trainor jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 571-421-7943 or e-mail jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov.

CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION HEARING

GREENING OF LINCOLN – PHASE B LINCOLN AVENUE

ROADBED RECONSTRUCTION

The City of Falls Church, in coordination with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), will hold a Public Hearing regarding the Greening of Lincoln Avenue – Phase B project.

The project extends generally along Lincoln Avenue from North West Street to Greenwich Street within the City of Falls Church, Virginia.

The purpose of the project is to improve stormwater infrastructure, roadway conditions,

pedestrian safety, accessibility, and streetscape features along the corridor. Planned improvements include replacement and enlargement of storm drainage infrastructure, roadway reconstruction and resurfacing, pedestrian and American with Disability Act (ADA) improvements, traffic calming features, utility coordination, landscaping, and related corridor enhancements.

DATE: 07/30/2026

TIME: 7:00 PM

LOCATION: City Hall

The hearing will be conducted as part of the Falls Church Planning Commission Meeting. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear an update from City staff of current construction activities as well as a chance to review project information, speak directly with project staff, and learn about the planned improvements, anticipated construction activities, and project schedule.

Project materials, including design plans and supporting information, will be available for public review at the hearing and online prior to the hearing date at: https://www.fallschurchva.gov/2196/Greening-of-Lincoln-Avenue

The project is currently advancing through final design and implementation coordination.

The hearing is intended to provide project information and communicate upcoming activities associated with project delivery.

Written comments regarding the project may be submitted at the hearing or within ten (10) calendar days following the hearing to:

Tony Dudley City of Falls Church Department of Public Works

300 Park Avenue Falls Church 22046 adudley@fallschurchva.gov

Comments must be received by 07/25/2026.

The City of Falls Church and VDOT ensure nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Persons requiring special assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact Tony Dudley, 571-238-6370, adudley@fallschurchva.gov at least five days prior to the hearing.

State Project No. 6774-110-R17, P101, R201, C501 (UPC 121749)

ABC NOTICE

Kollabatula Group LLC, trading as Fairfax Tower Convenience Grocery store , 2251 Pimmit Dr Suite A Falls Church VA 22043, is applying to the Virginia Alcohol beverage control (ABC) Authority for a Convenience grocery store Beer and Wine off premises license to sell alcoholic beverages Shekar kollabatula , Parimala Kollabatula managing members. NOTE: objection to issuance of this license must be submitted no later then 30 days from the publishing’ date of the first of two required news paper legal notice, objections should be registered at www.abc. virginia.gov or by calling 1-800-552-3200

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

The following were given first reading at the June 8, 2026, City Council meeting. Public hearings, second readings, and possible City Council action is scheduled for Monday, July 13, 2026 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO26-08) Ordinance to Amend Chapter 35, “Stormwater,” Article I, “Stormwater Management,” Section 35-2, “Definitions,” Section 35-12, “Water Quality Impact Assessment,” And Section 35-24 “Fees” Of The Code Of The City Of Falls Church, Virginia to Comply with the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA)

(TO26-09) Ordinance to Amend the Code Of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, Chapter 38, “Subdivisions,” Article II “Requirement For Plats,” Section 38-30 “Preliminary and Final Plats Required,” and Section 38-34, “General Regulations,” to Comply with the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA) and Correct City Code References

(TO26-10) Ordinance to Amend the Code of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, Chapter 48 “Zoning,” Article V “Supplementary Regulations,” Division 7 , “Site Plans,” Section 481134, “When Required,” to Comply With The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CPBA); and Section 48-1135, “Preliminary Survey Documents,” Section 48-1137, “Required Information,” Section 48-1141, “Considerations;” and Division 8, “Landscaping,” Sections 48-1179 “Intent And Objectives,” And Section 48-1180, “Tree Canopy Coverage,” to Correct Typographical or City Code Section Reference Errors

The following was given first reading at the June 22, 2026, City Council meeting. Public hearing, second reading, and possible City Council action is scheduled for Monday, July 13, 2026 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO26-16) Ordinance Allocating Personal Property Tax Relief Funds For Tax Year 2026

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to cityclerk@fallschurchva. gov. Remote participation information at www. fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. For copies of legislation and other information, contact the City Clerk’s office at 703-248-5014 or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www. fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711) or e-mail cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, SOUTHERN DIVISION

PORTER CAPITAL CORPORATION, Plaintiff v. GENERATIONAL HEALTHCARE STAFFING, LLC; BRITANNY KEITH; JARED STEINER; & GOUCHEV LAW PLLC, Defendants.

CIVIL ACTION NO.: 2:23-CV-01227-MHH

NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

To: BRITANNY KEITH, whose whereabouts are unknown and whose last-known address is 2121 North Westmoreland Street, Apt. 347, Arlington, Virginia 22213.

Be advised that on May 7, 2026, the Honorable Madeline H. Haikala, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, entered an Order on Plaintiff’s Motion for Service by Publication on Defendant Britanny Keith (the “Order”) in the pending case styled Porter Capital Corporation, Plaintiff, v. Generational Healthcare Staffing, LLC; Britanny Keith; Jared Steiner; & Gouchev Law PLLC, pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division, Case No. 2:23CV-01227. The Order authorized Plaintiff Porter Capital Corporation to perfect service on Britanny Keith by publication pursuant to Ala. R. Civ. P. 4.3.

Pursuant to the Order, BRITANNY KEITH is hereby notified that on the 26th day of June 2025, an Amended Complaint was filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, against you in the above-styled action asserting claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, civil theft, trespass to property, and civil conspiracy, seeking monetary damages at least in the amount of $543,997.24, plus interest, fees, and costs, and an award of punitive damages.

You are required to answer the Complaint within thirty (30) days after the last publication of this notice, or no later than August 15, 2026, or thereafter a judgment by default may be entered against you. This notice is being published pursuant to Rule 4.3 of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure.

If you require a copy of the Amended Complaint and the exhibits thereto, please contact Plaintiff’s counsel, Danielle E. Douglas with the law firm of Adams & Reese, available by phone at 205-250-5000 and by email at danielle.douglas@arlaw.com.

This Notice shall run in the Falls Church News Press for four consecutive weeks on June 25, 2026; July 2, 2026; July 9, 2026; and July 16, 2026.

Submitted this 19th day of June, 2026, /s/ Danielle E. Douglas

Danielle E. Douglas ADAMS & REESE LLP 1901 Sixth Avenue North, Suite 1110 Birmingham, AL 35203-3367 (205) 250-5000 danielle.douglas@arlaw.com Counsel for Plaintiff

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This Week Around Falls Church

Thursday, June 25

Summer Storytime

10:30–11 a.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Songs, stories and rhymes for young children.

Playtime with Early Literacy Center

11 a.m.–noon

Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Free play after storytime.

Concerts in the Park:

Summer Concert Series

7 p.m.

Cherry Hill Park

Live local music, food vendors, BYOB beer and wine permitted for adults 21+.

Friday, June 26

Baby Play Time

10:30 a.m.–noon

Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Music, toys and social time for infants up to 24 months.

Passport Music Festival: Sean Heely

7:30 p.m.

Creative Cauldron Stage, Falls Church Irish fiddle virtuoso Sean Heely performs.

Celtic Underground Album Release Concert

8 p.m.

Jammin Java, Vienna Falls Church-based Irish folk band celebrates debut album release.

Saturday, June 27

Determined: The 400Year Struggle for Black Equality

10 a.m.–noon

Cherry Hill Farmhouse

Traveling exhibit from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

Bright Star Theater: Dino Academy

11–11:45 a.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Family-friendly dinosaur-themed performance.

Summer Tree

Identification for Beginners

2–3:30 p.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library Workshop for adults and teens.

Red, White & Boom Fireworks Festival

4–9:30 p.m.

Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton Northern Virginia’s largest fireworks celebration.

Passport Music Festival: The Big Lebowski Experience

7:30 p.m.

Creative Cauldron Stage, Falls Church

Live performance as part of Passport Music Festival.

Sunday, June 28

Stories from Our Federal Workers

2 – 3 p.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library FC250 program featuring federal workers.

Monday, June 29

Summer Storytime 10:30–11 a.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Songs, stories and rhymes for young children.

Playtime with Early Literacy Center

11 a.m.–noon

Mary Riley Styles Public Library Early literacy free play following storytime.

Tuesday, June 30

Gay Games Choral Festival Begins Multi-day Valencia, Spain

GMCW participates in the Gay Games Choral Festival.

Wednesday, July 1

Oddball Cinema’s

Busby Berkeley Film Series: Gold Diggers of 1935

5:30–7:30 p.m.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library

Film screening for adults; registration required.

Ongoing / Multi-Day

Falls Church Arts 2026

All Member Show (A–L Artists) Through July 12

Falls Church Arts Gallery and online

Annual exhibition featuring works in all media by Falls Church Arts member artists. This session showcases artists whose last names begin with A–L. The exhibit is on display at the Falls Church Arts Gallery and online.

Determined:The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality

Saturdays, 10 a.m.–noon, through July 4

Cherry Hill Farmhouse

Traveling exhibit from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture exploring four centuries of Black history in Virginia and the continuing struggle for equality. Presented by the Altria A Legacy Project of American Evolution and supported by Conrad and Peggy Hall and Mr. and Mrs. G. Gilmer Minor III.

Creative Cauldron

Passport Music Festival Through Sept. 13

Creative Cauldron Stage, Falls Church

The summer concert and cabaret series features jazz, folk, cabaret, rock and global music performances, with in-person table seating and livestream options available.

Gay Games 2026 / GMCW Participation June 27–July 4

Valencia, Spain

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington participates in the opening ceremony and choral festival connected to the Gay Games, which promote equality, diversity and personal achievement through sports and the arts.

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Grace Mary Loeffler O’Donoghue gently passed away on June 12 in her long-time home of Springfield, Virginia. She had just celebrated her 100th birthday with her cherished family, neighbors, and friends – her “village.”

Grace was born on May 15, 1926 in the District of Columbia to Thomas Wilfred Loeffler and Veronica Matilda Kiniry Loeffler. She went to Wilson Teachers College (now the University of the District of Columbia) where she met her husband, William Henry O’Donoghue, and graduated with a degree in Education. Teaching was her dream, passion, and gift since she was a little girl. Grace taught in the DC and Fairfax County school systems over several decades, including at Francis Scott Key Intermediate School, George C. Marshall High School, and Falls Church High School.

Grace’s interests included travel during her summer breaks from teaching, tending to her rowdy bird and squirrel visitors at home, providing the Fairfax County Library system with her self-taught expertise for book mending, and always keeping up with and sharing her family’s latest news. She loved Ocean City, Maryland where she would vacation with her kids for two weeks every summer and in her later years, visit with one or more of her family to explore the boardwalk and beaches, munch on Thrashers French fries, and allow the sound of surf and seagulls to lull her into a blissful

sleep. To her family and many others, Grace was a beautiful, devout, free-spirited soul who exemplified being of service. She loved the piano and would play it for the elderly in assisted living centers.

Grace is preceded in death by her brothers Carl Robert Loeffler and Tommy Loeffler, sister Catherine “Kit” Teresa Davis, niece Patricia Ellen Davis, and husband William Henry O’Donoghue. She is survived by her devoted children Denise Maureen Johnson, Rosalind Lee O’Donoghue, Timothy Kirk O’Donoghue, and Julianne Carole O’Donoghue-Lemke; grandchildren Sean O’Donoghue, Darby Johnson, Brian O’Donoghue, Kelleyanne Johnson, and Cameron O’Donoghue; and great-grandchildren Darren Johnson, Zoey Maratto, and Noelle Erwin.

Gravesite services will be held privately with family.

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Paul B. Ebert, a Falls Church native who went on to become the longest-serving Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia history and one of the most recognizable prosecutors in the Commonwealth, died June 23 at the age of 88.

While much of Virginia came to know Ebert through his lengthy legal career and a series of nationally publicized criminal prosecutions, his roots were firmly planted in Falls Church.

According to longtime Falls Church residents, Ebert grew up on Lincoln Avenue, the son of Dr. Ebert, a well-known Falls Church dentist whose practice served generations of local families. Many local athletes were also among his patients. The Ebert family was a familiar presence in the city during an era when Falls Church was still a small town where neighbors knew one another and children walked to school.

Ebert attended George Mason High School with fellow Falls Church residents John Reimers and Ted White, who later spent many years as copy editor of the Falls Church News-Press. They came of age in a community that would undergo tremendous change as Northern Virginia expanded in the decades following World War II.

Born Sept. 23, 1937, in Roanoke, Virginia, Ebert moved to Northern Virginia with his family as a young child. He earned a business degree from Virginia Tech and later received his law degree from George Washington University while attending classes at night and working during the day.

His legal career began in Falls Church, where he worked for a law firm that later expanded into Prince William County and became Ebert & Murphy. While in private practice, he also served part-time as an assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, gaining the courtroom experience that would shape the rest of his professional life.

In 1967, at age 30, Ebert was elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County.

What began as a promising start turned into one of the longest tenures in Virginia legal history. He would ultimately serve Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park for 52 years before retiring in 2019.

Over the next five decades, Ebert prosecuted thousands of criminal cases and became a central figure in some of Virginia’s most widely publicized trials. He gained national attention during the prosecutions arising from the Lorena Bobbitt case in the early 1990s and later led the prosecution of Beltway Sniper John Allen Muhammad following the 2002 attacks that terrorized the Washington region.

When he retired, Ebert had served longer than any Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia history. His career spanned a period of enormous growth and change in Northern Virginia, from a time when Prince William County remained largely rural to its emergence as one of the state’s largest jurisdictions.

From Falls Church to Manassas, Paul Ebert’s life traced the growth of Northern Virginia itself. His career left an indelible mark on Virginia’s legal system, while his story remained rooted in the small city where he spent his childhood and where the Ebert name became known to generations of local families.

Paul Ebert is remembered both for his historic career in public service and as a son of Falls Church whose life journey began in this close-knit community.

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on the first floor of our building

Vuckovic Sisters Help Propel Mustangs to State Final

by Coach Koo & Ivana Pelikan

After 13 years, the Mustang girls tennis team returned as State Championship finalists for the 2025–2026 season. Competing at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, under 95°F heat and high humidity, the team battled fearlessly against reigning champions Maggie Walker. This remarkable and near-perfect season will inspire the team as they prepare and look ahead to next year’s competition.

Ana Vuckovic, a senior, and her sister Mia Vuckovic, a freshman at Meridian High School, have been a constant presence on the tennis courts of Falls Church’s public parks since childhood, spending countless days honing their skills. Rain or shine, whether in 30- or 100-degree weather, light drizzle, or even snow, they could always be found playing.

“It has been a wonderful family bonding experience and a healthy way to spend quality time together. I wish more families would come

out and enjoy our great parks,” said their dad, Dragan, who is also their coach, and along with mom Ivana Pelikan, their biggest fan.

Last week, the sisters led the Mustang girls tennis team to the Virginia state championship final, where the team narrowly missed capturing the title. Hoping to replicate their earlier success against reigning champions Maggie Walker, the Mustangs fought hard. However, after a grueling first-set tiebreak, Mia was forced to forfeit her match due to a recurring injury, and the team’s last hope of securing the championship slipped away.

“It was an amazing season, the result of hard work, strong team spirit, and incredibly supportive coaches,” said Ana, who will graduate as this year’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) after another undefeated season. “I will truly miss my teammates, coaches, and all the fun we shared.” Ana finishes her high school career with an almost perfect four-year record. As one

Movie Review: Disclosure Day

by Lisa Sinrod

This science-fiction offering by Steven Spielberg, starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, has been highly anticipated. Supporting actors include the venerable Colin Firth, as well as a standout performance by Colman Domingo. Blunt’s performance earns an A-plus and is likely the best of her career. Spielberg, who is credited with starting the summer blockbuster tradition with the iconic “Jaws” in 1975, both directed this film and developed the original concept with a multi-page outline of the plot. As the highest-grossing film director of all time he is also credited with redefining science-fiction as a genre, directing films such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial.” This film represents Spielberg’s return to

of the youngest in her class, she will still be eligible to continue competing in USTA tournaments nationwide during her freshman year at college while training with George Mason University’s tennis programs. After excelling in both tennis and volleyball while playing for both high school teams, she plans to study kinesiology at George Mason University, aspiring to build a career in physical therapy and sports medicine.

With Ana graduating, team leadership now passes to Mia, who won the regional singles championship two weeks ago and represented Meridian at the Virginia State Finals last week. In the semifinal match, she faced Blythe Sturman, a highly ranked junior from Western Albemarle at Charlottesville, and one of the top players in the MidAtlantic region in the under-18 category. After building a decisive lead in the second set, Mia narrowly lost 6–3, 6–4, but showed resilience by finishing the match despite chal-

lenging heat, humidity, and injury. “It was disappointing because I was so close to winning at least a set, if not the match,” Mia said. “But

science-fiction after an eightyear hiatus.

This PG-13 rated film has delivered strong ticket sales since opening on June 12. Considering the caliber of the cast and Spielberg’s unparalleled résumé spanning five decades, I expected a better cinematic experience than the one the film ultimately delivers. This may be due to how densely packed the plot is, at times making it hard to follow and less resonant than Spielberg’s prior works in the genre.

Set in present day, O’Connor portrays Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert at Wardex, a secret organization that has spent years hiding the known existence of extraterrestrial beings from the public. Wardex believes that revealing the truth to the public would ignite widespread panic, destabilize governments, and plunge society

into chaos. Daniel serves as the catalyst for this story when he steals proof of alien life with the intention of revealing it to the public. Wardex kidnaps Daniel’s girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) in an attempt to retrieve the stolen documents but Daniel and Jane are able to escape.

Emily Blunt fully inhabits the role of Margaret Fairchild, a spritely TV meteorologist in Kansas City who begins exhibiting telepathic abilities and then channels an incomprehensible language on-air for no apparent reason. Colin Firth delivers a masterful performance as Noah Scanlon, a senior Wardex executive overseeing cybersecurity and intelligence operations who is determined to keep the truth about extraterrestrial life hidden at all costs. When Noah witnesses Margaret’s bizarre on-air behavior, he sends a team of agents to track her down but she’s able to evade them.

Another Wardex defector, Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo) serves as a contact point for Daniel and is able to reach Margaret and guide her toward Daniel. Margaret can telepathically sense when Daniel is in trouble, even though she isn’t quite sure how or why she knows him. Daniel, likewise, is the only person who can understand the incomprehensible language Margaret spoke on air. Their connection is eventually explained as they join forces and are pulled deeper into Wardex’s consequential deceptions.

I found myself wanting to know more about Wardex’s backstory, which is only vaguely explained as being a powerful private corporation with some ties to the government. While the film’s concept is intriguing and likely to appeal to science-fiction fans, its action sequences and unfolding scientific revelations are presented in a choppy, confusing manner. The details are not

I’m motivated and can’t wait for a rematch next year. We have a strong team, great spirit, and a real chance

filled in as to what specifically is feared if the discovery of extraterrestrial life is revealed and why the revelation is likely to wreak havoc. Very little is presented about the extraterrestrial beings themselves, who visually resemble a montage of aliens depicted for decades, with strangely shaped heads and large, pod-like eyes.

The film’s pacing falters under the weight of excessive detail while simultaneously failing to adequately explain some of the story’s most important elements. However, there is enough here to enjoy, particularly if you are a fan of Spielberg and of science-fiction. The terrific acting helps carry the film.

While “Disclosure Day” never reaches the awe and wonder of Spielberg’s classic movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, it nevertheless offers a fresh and thought-provoking take on our enduring fascination with extraterrestrial life.