Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.
The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $305,000 while the most expensive was $4,250,000.
Over the past month, meanwhile, a total of 59 condos were sold. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive condos sold over the past month.
The top four most expensive condos sold over the past month are located at the Turnberry Tower in Rosslyn. There are currently 217 condos for sale, according to Homesnap.
Virginia State Police vehicle (photo by John Calhoun/JC Photography)
A police chase ended last night in Arlington with a state trooper injured and the alleged fleeing driver in custody.
The chase started on I-395, when a Virginia State Police trooper’s automated license plate reader flagged a Cadillac that was wanted by Fairfax County police. During the chase, a trooper’s vehicle was rammed and crashed along northbound I-395 in Arlington.
The suspect then abandoned the car on the GW Parkway at Route 50, near the Roosevelt Bridge, according to state police. He was subsequently taken into custody and identified as a 31-year-old D.C. man.
More from a VSP press release today, below.
At 8:55 p.m., a Virginia State Police trooper’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) alerted to a 2006 Cadillac sedan that Fairfax County Police was looking for. The trooper activated his emergency lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop, but the Cadillac refused to pull over and sped away northbound on I-395. A pursuit was initiated.
As state police attempted to contain the vehicle to bring it to a stop, the Cadillac rammed one of the trooper’s vehicles. The impact caused the trooper’s vehicle to run off the side of the interstate and strike the Jersey wall. The Cadillac, meanwhile, kept going.
The pursuit ended when the Cadillac stopped on the George Washington Parkway near Route 50. The driver fled on foot. The driver was apprehended a short time later and taken into custody. A passenger was also taken into custody and later released. A handgun was recovered from inside the Cadillac.
State police charged the driver of the Cadillac, Nelson Bowman, 31, of Washington, D.C., with one felony malicious wounding on law enforcement, one felony assault of a law enforcement officer, one felony count of eluding police, one felony count of illegal possession of a concealed firearm, one felony count of hit and run, one felony count of destruction of property and one misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice
The trooper who struck the Jersey wall was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor injuries.
The investigation remains ongoing.
The suspect is facing a half dozen felony charges, from eluding to assault on police to a gun charge.
He has previous criminal convictions, including an Arlington home break-in for which he received prison time and was currently on probation, according to court records cited by a Twitter user who tweets about public safety incidents.
Lebanese Taverna’s quick-service concept LebTav has closed in Ballston.
Workers could be seen clearing out the interior of the restaurant at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Quincy Street yesterday. It first opened in January 2020.
“I can confirm that we closed the Ballston location,” Lebanese Taverna co-owner Grace Abi-Najm Shea tells ARLnow. “It was rough opening right before Covid started and that location never gained the momentum we needed. With the workforce never returning fully to the office we were missing an essential segment of business and couldn’t make the numbers work.”
“The Shooshan Company has been great and worked with us since the beginning of the pandemic,” she added. “We are so grateful to them, and we can’t say that about many landlords.”
Other LebTav locations — including in Rockville, Annapolis, Silver Spring, and downtown D.C. — remain open, she said.
“All others aren’t going anywhere,” said Abi-Najm Shea.
The eateries offer a quick-service take on Lebanese Taverna favorites.
“LebTav offers the cozy comforts of Lebanese Taverna’s homestyle Middle Eastern cooking in a fast-casual environment. A pared down menu of falafel, shawarma, ouzi and salmon are offered as salads and bowls along with sides of hommus and other mezze favorites,” the company’s website says.
A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to assault after he threatened and stole the keys of a dump truck driver following a crash on the GW Parkway.
The road rage incident happened on Nov. 1 along the Arlington portion of the Parkway. It was prosecuted in federal court since it happened on National Park Service land.
The 58-year-old perpetrator also smashed the window of the dump truck with a baseball bat, federal prosecutors said, leading to the assault charge. He faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty, though actual sentences are usually lower.
More from a U.S. Justice Department press release, below.
A Frederick, Maryland, man pleaded guilty yesterday to assault with a deadly weapon.
According to court documents, Juan Marcus Smith, 58, was driving on the George Washington Memorial Parkway when a motor vehicle accident occurred between his vehicle and a dump truck driven by the victim. Smith pulled in front of the dump truck and brought his vehicle to a complete stop in the righthand lane of the Parkway. He walked over to the victim’s truck, opened the driver’s side door, and brandished a knife while attempting to retrieve the keys to the victim’s dump truck. Smith then returned to his vehicle, recovered a baseball bat, and went back to the victim’s dump truck and struck the driver’s side window, shattering the window while the victim sat inside.
When officers with the United States Park Police arrived at the scene, they found Smith standing outside his vehicle holding the key to the dump truck in the air. They also recovered a folding knife from Smith’s pant pocket and a baseball bat from the back seat of Smith’s vehicle.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Stock, Acting Chief of U.S. Park Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia T. Giles accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch are prosecuting the case.
The pedestrian bridge over Wilson Blvd in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Rosslyn Station Evacuation Last Night — From Dave Statter: “@ArlingtonVaFD arriving minutes ago at Rosslyn Metro confirming haze of smoke in the station & checking for source of the problem. Passengers reported hearing a loud pop or explosion under a train. Rail traffic shut down.” [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]
Late Night Pentagon Pile Driving Irks Some — From Dave Statter: “It appears after a couple nights of this neighbors complained to @ArlingtonVaPD. It made me chuckle, as I’m sure its does you, that anyone thinks local police have even the slightest chance of getting it stopped. No matter how many decibels, that noise complaint is DOA.” [Twitter]
ACFD Honors Retirees — “ACFD Retirees Chief Fire Marshal Bill Shelton (Middle/25yrs) Asst. FM Chris Cox (L/30yrs) and Deputy FM Mike Crider (R/22yrs) were presented their shadow boxes by Chief Fire Marshal Matthew Cobb yesterday. These 3 were instrumental in the Fire Prevention Office! Congratulations!” [Twitter]
Local Farmers Markets Unionize — “Today, workers at the Washington, DC-based nonprofit FRESHFARM voted to unionize with United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400… The unionized workforce covers approximately 25 employees responsible for staffing and operating 28 local farmers markets in DC, Maryland and Virginia.” [Press Release]
Groups Push Back on Discipline Bill — “Parents and teacher groups in Northern Virginia are opposing a state education bill they contend would disproportionately affect students with disabilities, students of color and those who are low-income. HB 1461 would require the Virginia Department of Education to establish a uniform system of discipline for ‘disruptive’ behavior, removing control from local school districts and school boards.” [Patch]
Nearby: VT Campus Construction Continues — “Stepping over rough gravel near the Potomac with a giant crane swinging overhead, Ken Smith, the chief operating officer of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, said, ‘You’re actually inside the building right now — we’re in the two-story atrium space.’ It took a little imagination, but then again, Smith was leading a construction tour at the symbolic midpoint of a project poised to transform technology education in the region.” [Washington Post]
Pappy Returns to ABC Stores — “Several products from the highly collectible Van Winkle line will be available for the opportunity to purchase through the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority’s (ABC) online lotteries in February and March. The whiskey, often dubbed the hardest to find spirit due to its low production, is offered by lottery to ensure equitable distribution.” [Press Release]
It’s Thursday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 66 and low of 45. Sunrise at 7:08 am and sunset at 5:40 pm. [Weather.gov]
Gaze into those bright blue eyes and try not to fall in love!
Not only is Koda super handsome, but he’s got the brains and personality to go with it.
He loves spending time outside sniffing around the yard and playing with squeaky toys to his heart’s content.
He’s a “glass half full” kind of dog who is full of curiosity and enthusiasm!
Koda is currently in foster waiting to find his forever home. Want to set up a meet and greet? Email his foster at [email protected] and be sure to check out his entire profile.
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos — they don’t fit in our photo gallery!
Arlington County police are warning about some common scams that residents have been reporting.
The scams involve calls to victims from people impersonating law enforcement personnel, attorneys or even a victim’s family member. The goal is to induce fear and collect a payment over the phone.
“Legitimate government agencies and businesses will also not call individuals and demand immediate payment in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency or digital cash transfers,” ACPD said in a press release Tuesday. “Any unsolicited contact that puts you in fear, requests you to act quickly or states there is an emergency requiring you to provide funds or personal identifiable information is likely a scam.”
Common scams include “The Jury Duty Scam,” the “Federal Agent Impersonation Scam” and “The Injured Family Member Scam.”
“Always be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, texts or emails,” the press release notes. “Even if the information displayed on the caller ID appears the same as a law enforcement or government agency, hang up and call the agency directly to verify the caller’s legitimacy.”
Construction activity continues at Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
National Win for Local Girls — “Congratulations to the 10U Virginia Hurricanes for winning the organization’s FIFTH NFL Flag Football National Championship this weekend at the NFL Pro Bowl in Las Vegas!! Hurricanes teams have won NFL Flag National Championship titles four years in a row.” [Twitter]
County Seeking New Poet Laureate — “Arlington County is seeking its official Poet Laureate for the 2023-2025 term. With the final application deadline of March 24, 2023 by 5:00pm, the selected poet laureate’s two-year term will begin July 1, 2023. The poet selected as Arlington’s poet laureate will serve as an advocate for poetry and the literary arts and will advance Arlingtonians’ consciousness and appreciation of poetry in its written and spoken forms.” [Arlington County]
Community Police Academy Applications — “The Arlington County Police Department is now accepting applications for the 27th Community Police Academy (CPA). The CPA is an educational program designed to strengthen communication and collaboration between police and the community they serve. The goal of the CPA is to increase participant’s knowledge and understanding of how the Arlington County Police Department operates and its role in the community.” [ACPD]
Man Stabbed, Unclear Where — “500 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 5:45 p.m. on February 7, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim sought medical assistance at the fire station for a stab wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries. Limited details were provided regarding the events that preceded the call for service and the location of the incident could not be determined.” [ACPD]
Boeing Planning Some Layoffs — “Boeing Co expects to cut about 2,000 white-collar jobs this year in finance and human resources through a combination of attrition and layoffs, the U.S. planemaker confirmed Monday. Last month, the Arlington, Virginia-based company announced it would hire 10,000 workers in 2023 after hiring 15,000 people in 2022, but said some support positions would be cut.” [Reuters]
Prosecutor Nominated for Judge — “The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney takes great pleasure in announcing that members of our local delegation to the General Assembly have nominated Cari Steele, our Chief Deputy, for a judgeship on the General District Court. I chose Cari as my Chief because of her talent, intelligence, kindness, and dedication. In the three years she has been part of our team, she brought an abiding passion to the cause of criminal justice reform and a deep sense of integrity to the cases she was entrusted to prosecute.” [Twitter]
Amazon Store Plans Hit Snag — “Amazon.com Inc. is pausing its aggressive grocery store growth to cut back on expenses, CEO Andy Jassy said Thursday after the company posted a historically rough quarter, studded with losses. That could explain why at least eight Amazon Fresh or Go grocery stores planned for Greater Washington have yet to open… [including in] Baileys Crossroads and Potomac Yard.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Wednesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 44. Sunrise at 7:09 am and sunset at 5:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
