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Honor Flight seeks alternate plan to fly veterans to Washington, D.C. after Spirit Airlines shuts down – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

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Honor Flight seeks alternate plan to fly veterans to Washington, D.C. after Spirit Airlines shuts down – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale


FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) – A South Florida organization has to come up with an alternative plan to fly several U.S. veterans to the nation’s capital after Spirit Airlines went out of business.

Honor Flight South Florida is a volunteer organization that helps veterans across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe Counties take a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit monuments and memorials built in their honor.

The next flight for veterans was scheduled to leave from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport through Spirit Airlines on May 30. Due to the airline’s shutdown, Honor Flight is now forced to adjust its plans.

Over the years, Honor Flight, along with Spirit Airlines, has helped send more than 2,000 veterans, including some who served during World War II and in Korea and Vietnam, to Washington, D.C.

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“My dad has actually avoided going to Washington, D.C. since he served in the military, and it’s kind of been more of a dark part of his life,” said Blair Wallace, the daughter of a veteran.

Wallace’s father, Dan Gordon, served in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1969.

“I just thought it was time to honor the veterans of Vietnam and give them the, you know, the honor and the grace that they deserve,” said Wallace.

Gordon and his brother-in-law, John Fisk, a fellow Vietnam veteran and Navy veteran, planned to take the Honor Flight on May 30. After learning that Spirit Airlines had ceased all operations, those plans are now in limbo, and the family was stunned.

“We were in shock,” said Wallace.

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Ryan Paton, the co-founder of Honor Flight, said the airline had always been a strong supporter of their mission.

“Spirit’s been with us for about 12 years now I believe, and we did so much good in our community together that we were just always held out hope for them,” said Paton.

Volunteers for the organization had to break the news to veterans that their planned May 30 flight wasn’t happening.

“It’s like, they waited so long for this gift, and now we got to say, ‘You got to wait a little bit longer,’ so it’s – that’s the tough part of it, but we’re gonna make it up to them,” said Paton.

The unexpected setback stung many veterans who had been looking forward to the trip.

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“My uncle John was really, really disheartened, you know, we’ve been waiting. We have submitted our information to Honor Flight over a year ago,” said Wallace. “They were emotionally ready to take that journey back in time to heal.”

As part of the trip, veterans would be treated to a police escort to the monuments and front-row seating during the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National Cemetery.

Honor Flight hopes to have all those measures in place to bring the trip veterans deserve over the next few months.

When they do eventually make the trip, their emotional return to South Florida will now be carried out without Spirit Airlines, a former constant on the journey.

“They lost their jobs, and that’s the big picture of this, and we’re gonna be OK,” said Paton.

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Honor Flight told 7News they’ve spoken with other airlines and are confident they can reschedule this trip for sometime over the next few months.

Honor Flight makes these trips happen at no cost to veterans, with assistance from public donations.

For those interested in making a donation to Honor Flight, you can visit their website here.

Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Benjamin Netanyahu to fly to DC for Graham Lindsay’s funeral, meeting with Donald Trump | The Jerusalem Post

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Benjamin Netanyahu to fly to DC for Graham Lindsay’s funeral, meeting with Donald Trump | The Jerusalem Post


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to fly to Washington, DC, on Saturday night, Israeli sources told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

Netanyahu’s visit would mark the first official trip to Washington since the war with Iran, with his last visit in February.

During a recent phone call made by Netanyahu to congratulate Trump on the  250th anniversary of US independence, the two leaders agreed to “meet soon.”

Netanyahu’s main commitment during this upcoming trip will be attending Graham’s funeral, who passed away on Sunday after “a brief and sudden illness.”

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Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, mourned Graham in a statement on Sunday.

“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” Netanyahu said in his statement.

“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”

“Our hearts are with Lindsey’s family and with the American people at this difficult time. May his values and initiatives continue to guide us toward victory and peace, and may his memory forever be a blessing.”

Miriam Sela-Eitam contributed to this article.

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DC residents who’ve owned their home for 70 years now told they can’t park there

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DC residents who’ve owned their home for 70 years now told they can’t park there


Some D.C. residents told 7News they are fed up with the no-parking signs that have been added in front of their homes.

For the first time in 70 years, the view outside Anita Marsh’s home has changed.

“It’s very emotional,” said Marsh. “To be in a place where there’s no access to my door, no one can legally park for me to enter and exit my home. It’s frustrating, but more importantly, it’s upsetting. It’s very upsetting. I find it heartless.”

ALSO READ | DC considers tighter rat control restrictions after poison, tracking and trash concerns

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Video from Marsh showed what she woke up to on Monday morning. She said the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) installed no parking signs in front of her home.

“How do I walk? How do I get into my house? I’m not very ambulatory,” said Marsh. “I have mobility challenges. So what happens?”

Neighbors about a mile away, over on Kimi Gray Court, reached out with the same frustrations. That’s where 7News met Aaron Harris.

“DDOT put these signs up, these signs, and they are ticketing people who are trying to park in front of their home because they have multiple cars,” said Harris.

Both neighborhoods feel that access to their home will now cost them.

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“I’m very nervous because also financial impact is on a retiree,” said Marsh.

7News also got a call from businesses on MLK Jr. Avenue in Anacostia who said DDOT hit them with changes, too. 7News met Ronald Moton in front of his Gogo museum.

“They bring a bus lane without talking to us and take away 29 parking spaces,” said Moton.

Moton said business owners and customers have been hit with $200 tickets.

“This is a community trying to build itself up and survive,” said Moton. “You cannot come and dump stuff like this on us without talking to us.”

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“We can’t afford to pay $90 a week or $180 or $270 per week because we’re in violation in front of a property that wasn’t zoned this way,” said Harris. “At least we didn’t know it was owned that way until the signs went up and they started getting ticketed.”

“I’m very scared. I’m very scared. And very upset,” said Marsh. “I’m not going to be able to stay in my house. Then I’m going to be forced to go elsewhere. Because I’m not going to be able to enter and exit my house.”

7News reached out to DDOT and Councilman Charles Allen, who chairs D.C.’s Transportation and Environment Committee, and asked about the no-parking signs community members feel came out of nowhere. 7News has not heard back from either yet.



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ARCO Design/Build Deepens Its Presence in Washington, D.C. Market

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ARCO Design/Build Deepens Its Presence in Washington, D.C. Market


New office in Tysons, Virginia, brings the firm’s design-build expertise and national resources closer to clients across the capital region

TYSONS, Va., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ARCO Design/Build, one of the nation’s leading design-build construction firms, today announced the opening of a new office in Tysons, Virginia, placing the firm in the heart of the Washington, D.C. market and directly on the Capital Beltway. The office expands on the presence ARCO has built in the region over many years and brings the firm’s people, design-build expertise, and national resources closer to existing and prospective clients across the District and Northern Virginia.

A significant share of ARCO’s work in the region has originated in the D.C. area. The Tysons office is the natural next step in the firm’s growth, and a commitment built on established relationships with a track record of completed work. With many of those clients headquartered in the capital region and building across multiple geographies, the Tysons office allows ARCO to be closer to decision-makers, active pursuits, and the opportunities shaping the market today.

The office is further strengthened by local leadership, including Drew Enstice, Vice President, whose experience in the region supports ARCO’s continued growth across the Washington market.

“The Washington region has been central to our growth, and the Tysons office lets us meet it with our full strength,” said Aaron Weir, President, ARCO Design/Build. “We’re building on the relationships and successful work we’ve already established here, while bringing the resources of a national builder to a market with growing opportunity across advanced manufacturing, food and beverage, life sciences, aerospace, defense, and other complex sectors that demand precision.”

ARCO’s integrated design-build approach brings design, engineering, procurement, and construction together under a single accountable team from the outset. The firm delivers cost certainty, compressed schedules, and a single point of responsibility that matter most on complex, regulated, and mission-driven facilities.

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About ARCO Design/Build

ARCO Design/Build is a national design-build construction firm delivering the strength, resources, and expertise of an award-winning national builder combined with the responsive, personalized service of a local partner. With more than 50 offices and over 1,800 associates across the country, ARCO provides comprehensive design, engineering, and construction services across various industries such as industrial, e-commerce, logistics, data centers, commercial, life sciences, defense and aerospace manufacturing, healthcare, food and beverage, retail, and light manufacturing facilities. ARCO is a 100% employee-owned company through its ESOP. To learn more, visit arcodb.com.

SOURCE ARCO Design/Build



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