We are continuing our countdown to 2024 with this year’s top stories.
Breaking news once more claimed the attention of readers, from a juvenile overdose to some of our follow-up coverage of the Bluemont house explosion that made national headlines.
Lightening up this roster of heavy hitters is a story about the arrival of a lounging Lady Liberty in Arlington and an update on production of the local ‘Real Housewives’ TV series.
The countdown continues tomorrow.
15. BREAKING: Police presence at Wakefield High School after possible overdose (Jan. 31 | 35,277 views)
At the start of the year, medics responded to reports of a possible overdose at Wakefield High School. The ultimately fatal overdose of 14-year-old Sergio Flores prompted a parent march and community conversations and lead Arlington Public Schools and the and county government to ramp up its focus on student mental health and substance use.
14. A lounging Lady Liberty to lie down in Arlington for the next year (July 10 | 37,835 views)
A 25-foot “Reclining Liberty” sculpture relocated from the New York area to the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington. Inspired by the reclining Buddha, the fresh take on the iconic monument to democracy contrasted with Arlington’s backdrop of monuments to major American wars.
13. NEW: Massive police presence at former Key Bridge Marriott as county condemns building (March 24 | 41,854 views)
Law enforcement and county personnel swarmed the former Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn to clear the building of squatters and condemn the property. The hotel was slated for redevelopment but those plans stalled amid financial woes for the developer, and the site instead became a makeshift shelter for unhoused individuals.
12. ‘Real Housewives’ appears to be filming again in Arlington (April 18 | 41,953 views)
Production for Season 8 of “Real Housewives of Potomac” kicked off this spring, featuring cast member Ashley Darby in her new home, apparently purchased by an LLC connected with Monument Realty, the real estate firm founded by her estranged husband, Michael. The home is not far from Clarendon restaurant Oz that the couple, now separated, had run until it closed in 2019.
11. BREAKING: Suspect killed in house explosion, police believe (Dec. 5 | 43,059 views)
A police standoff in the Bluemont neighborhood ended when the house of 56-year-old James Yoo exploded, ultimately killing him and injuring police officers. Earlier that afternoon, Yoo had barricaded himself in his house and begun firing flares, prompting police to evacuate the family who lived in the adjoining duplex. The story drew national attention and a fundraiser for the evacuated family, who lost their possessions but were unharmed, quickly surpassed its goal.