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.
Ireland’s Four Courts on fire and an injured person being helped after a vehicle reportedly crashed into it (photo courtesy Craig Smith)
Ireland’s Four Courts on fire after a vehicle reportedly crashed into it (photo courtesy Sean Quinn/Twitter)
Damage inside Ireland’s Four Courts as of 9/15/22 (staff photo)
The car that crashed into Ireland’s Four Courts is taken away on a flatbed tow truck (photo courtesy Dave Cahill)
Ireland’s Four Courts boarded up on 9/15/22 (staff photo)
(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) The rideshare driver who plowed into Ireland’s Four Courts in August, seriously injuring several people, will not face charges.
Arlington County police reiterated this morning that the driver most likely suffered a medical emergency while driving up N. Courthouse Road and speeding into the front of the pub during a Friday happy hour.
“The comprehensive investigation, which included an extensive review of evidence, supported the conclusion the driver experienced a medical emergency prior to the crash,” ACPD said today in a brief update. “Following consultation with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, criminal charges will not be sought against the driver.”
All three pub-goers who were hospitalized with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries were out of the hospital as of one month ago. One patient was still in critical condition and two others were in stable condition within a week of the crash.
Four Courts’ managing partner told ARLnow today that the cleanup will start soon, now that police and private investigations have wrapped up, though no reopening date has been set. The pub suffered extensive fire damage after the car burst into flames.
“Uber investigators finished their investigation yesterday and we can now finally start the demolition process,” said Dave Cahill. “Once this is done we will know the extent of the damage. We are very grateful for the all the support from all community and from Arlington County as we start this process. We hoping to start the rebuild in a couple of months.”
FBI activity on Columbia Pike on April 27, 2022, related to the James Gordon Meek case (courtesy John Antonelli)
FBI activity on Columbia Pike on April 27, 2022, related to the James Gordon Meek case (courtesy John Antonelli)
FBI activity on Columbia Pike on April 27, 2022, related to the James Gordon Meek case (courtesy John Antonelli)
A national media outlet has shed some light on a mysterious FBI raid in Arlington earlier this year.
Rolling Stone reports that the raid on a Columbia Pike apartment building, which ARLnow first reported in April, targeted a well-known ABC News producer, James Gordon Meek.
Meek, an Emmy award winner who often broke investigative stories on the topic of national security for the TV network, has reportedly not been seen or heard from publically since the raid. His formerly active Twitter feed’s last tweet was 5 a.m. the morning of the raid, which targeted his apartment on the top floor of the Siena Park apartments at 2301 Columbia Pike, according to Rolling Stone.
From our reporting on April 27:
Photos show several unmarked federal law enforcement vehicles, including a Lenco BearCat armored SWAT vehicle, in front of the Siena Park Apartments on the 2300 block of the Pike.
An agent in camouflage and tactical gear could be seen holding a shield inside the open doors of the moving BearCat.
Arlington County police deferred comment, noting that “the police activity is part of an active FBI investigation.” The FBI, in turn, confirmed the activity but said little else.
“The FBI is present at the 2300 block of Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” Washington Field Office spokesperson Samantha Shero tells ARLnow. “The FBI cannot comment further due to an ongoing investigation.”
More details about the investigation are unlikely to be released today or tomorrow, Shero noted.
The raid was initially brought to ARLnow’s attention by local resident John Antonelli, who is quoted in the magazine’s article.
… self-described police-vehicle historian Antonelli was about to grab a coffee at a Starbucks before embarking on his daily three-mile walk. He inched closer to get a better vantage, when he saw an olive-green Lenco BearCat G2, an armored tactical vehicle often employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among other law-enforcement agencies. A few Arlington County cruisers surrounded the jaw-dropping scene, but all of the other vehicles were unmarked, including the BearCat. […]
“They didn’t stick around. They took off pretty quickly and headed west on Columbia Pike towards Fairfax County,” Antonelli recalls.
So far, according to Rolling Stone, Meek has not been charged, documents related to the case remain sealed, and it’s unclear why exactly he’s under investion.
It is unusual for federal law enforcement to target a journalist, the magazine noted.
Meek has been charged with no crime. But independent observers believe the raid is among the first — and quite possibly, the first — to be carried out on a journalist by the Biden administration. A federal magistrate judge in the Virginia Eastern District Court signed off on the search warrant the day before the raid. If the raid was for Meek’s records, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco would have had to give her blessing; a new policy enacted last year prohibits federal prosecutors from seizing journalists’ documents. Any exception requires the deputy AG’s approval. (Gabe Rottman at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says, “To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a case [since January 2021].”)
Meek’s attorney released a statement to Rolling Stone responding to one particular detail of the story.
“Mr. Meek is unaware of what allegations anonymous sources are making about his possession of classified documents,” the attorney wrote.
Pentagon Row ice skating rink under construction earlier this week (staff photo)
Pentagon Row ice skating rink under construction earlier this week (staff photo)
Pentagon Row ice skating rink under construction earlier this week (staff photo)
Pentagon Row ice skating rink in a prior year (courtesy photo)
It’s that time of year again.
An opening date has been set for the Pentagon Row ice skating rink in Pentagon City, and it’s less than two weeks away. The seasonal rink, currently under construction, will open on Tuesday, Nov. 1, a spokesperson for the Westpost shopping center tells ARLnow.
The nearly-7,000 square foot rink located in the plaza at 1201 S. Joyce Street is said to be the “largest outdoor ice skating rink in Northern Virginia” and the second-largest in the state.
It also opened around the beginning of November last year, which was a week earlier than the prior year. It remained open until March. The rink maintains special hours on holidays and other public school off-days.
Reservation are required to skate but the online reservation system did not appear to be working this morning. Last year admission was $10-11 and skate rentals were $5.
An unusual sign on the CVS in Shirlington (staff photo)
Chase Ends on 14th Street Bridge — From Dave Statter: “New: All lanes shut on I-395N and forced onto Exit 10A-B due to a @FairfaxCountyPD chase on Route 1N that ended on the 14th Street Bridge… This is the third police chase on I-395N in Arlington in about 19 hours. Here’s one that got away at midnight. Also being chased by @FairfaxCountyPD after a police cruiser was struck in Lincolnia.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Optimist Club Moves Xmas Tree Sale — “It spent three-quarters of a century at a single location, but for 2022 the Arlington Optimist Club Christmas-tree lot is making a move. The club since 1946 has sold perhaps as many as 200,000 trees from a parking lot at the corner of North Glebe Road and Langston Boulevard… the sale is moving for the upcoming holiday season to the Knights of Columbus at 5115 Little Falls Road.” [Sun Gazette]
County Park Doing It for the ‘Gram — “Get Instagram-spooky this Halloween season! Starting Oct. 7, check out (if you dare), the Monstergrams mural at Lubber Run Park featuring your favorite spine-chilling monsters made especially for you and your social media friends by the Parks and Recreation’s Community Arts team.” [Arlington County, Arlington County]
It’s Wednesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 36. Sunrise at 7:23 am and sunset at 6:26 pm. [Weather.gov]
…FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY…
* WHAT…Temperatures as low as 34 will result in frost formation.
* WHERE…In District of Columbia, District of Columbia. In Maryland, Southern Baltimore, Prince Georges, Anne Arundel, St. Marys and Calvert Counties. In Virginia, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria.
* WHEN…From 1 AM to 9 AM EDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS…Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
The Village at Shirlington (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly walking down a busy street in Shirlington while exposing himself.
Police were called to the 4000 block of Campbell Avenue around 7:20 a.m. Sunday.
“Upon arrival, officers made contact with the suspect and took him into custody without incident,” Arlington County police said in a crime report. “The investigation determined the suspect was allegedly in the roadway exposing himself. The suspect was transported to an area hospital for medical evaluation.”
Arlington County crews will make two passes through neighborhoods, hoovering up leaves left curbside. Some neighborhoods won’t get their first pass until early December, according to the 2022 collection schedule. Second passes are scheduled to take place from Dec. 2-21.
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) October 17, 2022
With some leaves starting to fall and the local foliage starting to peak, we’re wondering whether locals believe this timing is right or whether the collection should start sooner.
One one hand, the schedule will leave some leaves behind after the second pass. On the other hand, the curbside leaf piles are likely to get pretty large and soggy by the time many receive their first collection.
The tower at Reagan National Airport on a sunny day (staff photo)
Disproportionate APS Suspensions — “Gradis White, director of school climate and culture, told the school board last week that the county had disproportionality in suspension rates based on race/ethnicity, students with disabilities and English language learners during the 2021-22 school year. The trends are consistent across grade levels, he said.” [WTOP]
Teen Petitions for Safer Crossings — ” There have been four crashes at the intersection of Langston Boulevard and John Marshall Drive in Arlington, Virginia so far this year, according to Arlington County Police. Chase Rosen, 16, says he witnessed one of those crashes… now, Rosen said he wants to make a difference. He has started a petition, which has more than 500 signatures already, to try and get Arlington County to add flashing pedestrian lights.” [WJLA]
Fmr. Official Defends F.C. Home — “A D.C. deputy mayor — who resigned this week after a personal trainer accused him of assault and a resulting police statement triggered questions about whether he was living in D.C. — defended his living arrangement, saying in an interview that he was staying part time with a friend to meet the requirement that high-level officials live within city limits.Chris Geldart, who stepped down Wednesday as D.C. deputy mayor for public safety and justice, said he was ‘geo bacheloring.'” [Washington Post]
NAACP Award Nominations Open — “The NAACP Arlington Branch is inviting the public to nominate a person or organization for its 2022 awards. The awards will be announced at the NAACP Arlington Branch’s Freedom Fund Virtual Banquet on Dec. 14. The deadline for submitting a nomination for the awards is Thursday, Dec. 1.” [Patch]
Int’l Event at Pentagon City Mall — “On October 22, Fashion Centre at Pentagon City will host its annual Mosaic International Showcase highlighting live entertainment from more than eight cultures featuring traditional music and dance from Bavaria, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Ireland the Philippines and more! The event will be held on Metro Level, Dining Pavilion from 12-5PM.” [Simon]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 41. Sunrise at 7:22 am and sunset at 6:27 pm. [Weather.gov]
