Our countdown to 2024 continues today with half of the top 10 most-read articles of 2023.
It was another banner year for breaking news — including a bank robbery, a high school lockdown and a fatal car crash — though thousands jumped on a story defining what salary is the cut-off for Arlington’s “middle class.”
Tomorrow is the last day of the countdown. Check back to see which headline-grabbing events defined 2023.
10. Here’s how much you need to make to be considered middle class in Arlington (April 13 | 43,897 views)
A national ranking found a household needs $84,000-$250,000 to be considered “middle class” in Arlington. The county’s middle income upper limit of $250,000 is behind only San Jose and Fremont, California, where a household could make six figures and still be considered lower middle-class.
9. Suspect in custody after bank robbery and standoff in Clarendon (April 11 | 44,631 views)
A North Carolina man allegedly initiated a tense standoff with police after attempting to rob a Wells Fargo bank in Clarendon. The suspect held five people, including a child, inside the bank, according to ACPD, but police, negotiators, but SWAT teams managed to arrest him and defuse the situation without any injuries.
8. Power being restored after 10,000 in dark around Pentagon City and Crystal City (Aug. 22 | 45,842 views)
Thousands of residents in Crystal City and Pentagon City lost power for several hours after an underground cable failed, resulting in an arc flash that injured a Dominion worker. The incident prompted numerous elevator rescues and the temporary closure of community facilities.
7. Wakefield High School placed in lockdown after report of armed trespasser (Feb. 2 | 47,300 views)
Wakefield High School was placed on lockdown due to reports of a potentially armed trespasser and a threat linked to a recent neighborhood shooting. Heavily armed police officers searched the school and the incident, on the heels of a fatal overdose on school grounds, led to early dismissal.
6. Two dead, one fighting for her life after early morning crash (July 4 | 48,026 views)
Early in the morning on the Fourth of July, a car struck a tree and caught fire, resulting in the deaths of a 23-year-old driver from Alexandria and a 21-year-old passenger visiting from Tunisia. A third person was critically injured and rushed to a local trauma center.