Author: ARLnow.com

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.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Utility lines and pole in an Arlington neighborhood (Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk)

No Plowing for Less Than Two Inches — “Arlington County officials are reminding the public that there won’t be a response for piddling snow totals. ‘Trucks only plow Arlington streets when there’s an accumulation of 2 inches or more,’ county officials said in a recent public-relations push giving the public a heads-up on plans. ‘Plowing anything less would damage road surfaces and equipment,’ county officials said.” [Gazette Leader]

Robbery Victim Hospitalized — “4900 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 10:34 p.m. on December 13, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force… the victim exited a business when he was approached by the male suspect who asked him for money. When the victim declined, the suspect assaulted him and stole his cellphone before fleeing the scene on foot. Medics responded and transported the victim to an area hospital.” [ACPD]

Pockets of High Homebuyer Interest  — “Some Arlington communities remain abuzz with activity… The most recent report was issued Dec. 11 by Bright MLS, and gave three Arlington ZIP codes – 22206, 22201 and 22202 – high marks for overall buyer activity.” [Gazette Leader]

Meteor Shower Underway — “The year’s best meteor shower, the Geminids, peaks this week. Skygazers may see as many as one or even two a minute streaking across dark skies. The meteors will reach their frenzy Thursday.” [Associated Press]

Storm Expected Sunday P.M. — “A significant storm is expected to charge up the Eastern Seaboard this weekend and Monday, generating strong winds, heavy rain and the potential for flooding. The track could take the system directly up Interstate 95, bringing the storm over most of the East Coast’s major cities and spelling widespread travel delays — especially Sunday into Monday.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 55 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. Friday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures reaching a low of about 34 degrees. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Dec 14, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 14, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

  • No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Expect sunny skies and a high around 56 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. As the night falls on Friday, the sky will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to approximately 34 degrees and the west wind continuing at around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Learning never exhausts the mind.”
– Leonardo da Vinci

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Most and least expensive condos sold in Arlington (November 2023)

By ARLnow.com

Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive condos sold last month (November 2023).

Most expensive condos sold

  1. 1881 N Nash St Unit 2308 — Rosslyn — $4,000,000 (4 beds | 4 baths | 4,463 sq. ft.)
  2. 2001 15th St N Unit 1507 — Clarendon/Courthouse — $2,000,000 (3 beds | 3.5 baths | 3,180 sq. ft.)
  3. 1530 Key Blvd Unit 722 — Rosslyn — $875,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 1,299 sq. ft.)
  4. 1610 N Queen St Unit 214 — Rosslyn — $830,000 (1 beds | 2 baths | 1,158 sq. ft.)
  5. 3830 9th St N Unit PH3W — Ballston — $806,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,348 sq. ft.)

Least expensive condos sold*

  1. 1830 Columbia Pike Unit 211 — Arlington Village — $200,000 (– beds | 1 baths | 530 sq. ft.)
  2. 4501 Arlington Blvd Unit 312 — Buckingham — $205,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 533 sq. ft.)
  3. 5101 10th St S Unit A — Columbia Forest — $209,900 (1 beds | 1 baths | 690 sq. ft.)

*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.

Thank you to ARLnow’s 2023 advertisers

By ARLnow.com

As another year comes to a close, ARLnow’s advertisers — along with members of the ARLnow Press Club — have helped us continue to report on your community.

To the long-term and new advertisers alike, we say: thank you for supporting local news in Arlington.

Interested in reaching hundreds of thousands of readers while supporting local reporting in your community? Check out our new 2024 media kit.

ARLnow’s 2023 advertisers include:

Note that the list above does not include those that have advertised through our self-serve Content Hub.

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Winnie

By ARLnow.com

Say hello to Winnie, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week!

Winnie is a white rabbit currently in foster through the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Winnie’s favorite things are: Eating food, getting pets and exploring!

Her special talents are: Learning new tricks, climbing stairs and her ability to FLOP anywhere!

Her perfect day would be: Getting a nice breakfast in the morning followed by a quick nap. After that, she would like to spend the rest of the day alternating eating hay and sleeping. Once you get home, she loves to run around the house for a bit then enjoy some fresh veggies for dinner.

Important facts about Winnie: Winnie loves kids! She is fully litter box trained and is very tidy. Winnie also tolerates being pick up (most rabbits don’t love it!)

Is Winnie the rabbit a perfect match for you? Has she finally found her forever home?

Don’t forget to read her entire profile to learn more!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Construction equipment near the Pentagon and U.S. Air Force Memorial along S. Joyce St. (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Fundraiser for Fmr. Restaurant Owner — “The Kawasakis legally immigrated to the United States 35+ years ago, and it wasn’t long until they opened their own restaurant in Washington, D.C., Sushi Kappo Kawasaki… Following 9/11, drastic changes in international travel and business practices to and in Washington eventually led to the downfall and closure of their restaurant. Over time, they have been unable to financially survive.” [GoFundMe]

Stabbing Near Columbia Pike — “At approximately 7:18 a.m. on December 12, police were dispatched to the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim and female suspect, who are known to each other, had a verbal dispute inside the victim’s residence during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a kitchen tool, resulting in injury. Medics treated the victim on scene for non-life threatening injuries.” [ACPD]

ACPD’s Police Academy Grads — “The Arlington County Police Department proudly welcomes our newest officers as Session 149 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy on December 11, 2023. Family, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate their achievements and watch as the new officers took their solemn oath to serve and protect the Arlington community and safeguard the Constitutional rights of all.” [ACPD]

Home Supply Remains Tight — “Real estate experts are forecasting even tighter housing inventories in Northern Virginia in 2024, although home sales prices are not expected to rise at the same rate as they have in recent years.” [Patch]

Dental Office Opening in Williamsburg — “Today, Kalis Development Corporation’s Nicholas Kalis announced Mayer Smile Be Bright – leasing 1,781 square feet in its Williamsburg Shopping Center – will open January 2024.” [Press Release]

County Prepped for Winter Weather — “Arlington County is prepared for snow no matter what the forecast predicts. Staff from the Department of Environmental Services’ (DES) Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau have conducted driver trainings since early fall to ensure our fleet of almost 50 trucks can clear roads, allowing vehicles to travel safely and maintaining essential County operations.” [Arlington County]

It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching a high of around 45, accompanied by a gentle northwest wind blowing at 3 to 5 mph. As night approaches, the sky will remain clear and the temperature will drop to a low of about 29, with a southwest wind circulating at roughly 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Dec 13, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Dec 13, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 44 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at around 5 mph which will eventually become light and variable. As for Thursday night, the skies will be clear with a low temperature around 29 degrees, and a west wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
– Socrates

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

NOW: Pro-Palestinian protest underway in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
Pro-Palestinian protest in Rosslyn

(Updated at 4:40 p.m.) A group of about 15 protesters are waving Palestinian flags and holding signs in Rosslyn.

The late afternoon protest is taking place at the busy intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Lynn Street, in front of the Raytheon headquarters at 1100 Wilson Blvd.

A similar protest was held in the same location last month, by demonstrators who also protested in front of the Lockheed Martin building in Crystal City.

This past weekend, a larger pro-Palestinian protest was held in Pentagon City, moving from the area around the Pentagon City mall to the Boeing headquarters several blocks away.

A police dispatch suggests that the protesters in Rosslyn today might have briefly blocked the street, but otherwise traffic camera images show them standing on the sidewalk and crossing when the walk signal comes on.

As of 4:30 p.m. a sizable police presence is on scene monitoring the protest.

Fighting in Gaza is continuing amid the intensifying Israel-Hamas war.

Fundraiser underway for family of man who died in Chain Bridge Forest fire

By ARLnow.com
1/6

An online fundraiser is underway for the family of a man who lost his life in a house fire in the Chain Bridge Forest neighborhood.

The fire broke out Monday morning at a home on the 4000 block of Ridgeview Circle in McLean, near the Arlington border. While battling the blaze, firefighters found a man deceased in a second floor bedroom.

The victim has since been identified as Dan Easley, a father of three who was in his 40s.

A GoFundMe campaign for his family was launched Tuesday and has already raised more than $10,000. More, below, from the campaign’s description.

On Monday, December 11th, a fire destroyed a family’s home in our McLean community and a devoted young father to three elementary and middle school aged children lost his life.

As we mourn the tragic loss of Dan Easley, we want to stand together as a neighborhood & regional community to support Dan’s three amazing children – Owen, Harper and Nathan.

Please consider making a donation to support their Mom Emily as she navigates this new chapter for them and so they don’t have to worry about the near-term and beyond. Let’s stand together as a community and offer the Easley’s our support and comfort as the children mourn the loss of their Dad and his house with most of their childhood belongings. Your thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity mean so much.

The cause of the fire, which is being investigated by Fairfax County’s police and fire departments, has yet to be revealed.

Two Arlington spots made the Post’s new top 10 casual restaurants list

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Last year Charga Grill topped the Washington Post’s annual list of top casual restaurants in the region.

That sent a flood of new customers to the eatery at 5151 Langston Blvd. Now two other Arlington restaurants, including another along Langston Blvd, are bound to see a big influx of diners thanks to the latest WaPo rankings.

Food critic Tim Carman’s list of the 10 best D.C.-area casual restaurants of 2023 ranks King of Koshary in Bluemont at #6 and Bostan Uyghur Cuisine in Cherrydale at #10.

King of Koshary, at 5515 Wilson Blvd, was previously praised by Carman for its “Egyptian food fit for royalty.”

“The King’s koshary is actually a joint effort from Ayob Metry and Nadia Gomaa, a pair of Egyptian natives who used to challenge each other to make the best version of this carb-heavy dish when they worked in the prepared foods department at Whole Foods in Ashburn,” Carman wrote in his latest list, published Tuesday.

Bostan Uyghur Cuisine, at 3911 Langston Blvd, was also noted for its compelling origin story — in addition to the food.

“Faced with the threat of a Chinese ‘reeducation’ camp if he returned to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to renew his passport, Mirzat Salam opted to flee to the United States with his wife, Zulhayat Omer,” Carman wrote. “Trained as a doctor in Xinjiang, Mirzat slipped quietly into the hospitality industry, the same profession that his father, a chef named Abdusalam, had warned him about as a boy.”

Topping this year’s list, in the former Charga spot, is Woodbridge food truck Lechonera DMV.

Arlington doctor convicted of illicit distribution of more than 1 million opioid pills

By ARLnow.com
Gavel (Flickr photo by Joe Gratz)

An Arlington doctor indicted earlier this year on charges of illicit distribution of opioid pills was found guilty by a federal jury Tuesday.

Dr. Kirsten Ball, 69, was convicted on 20 federal counts that each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Ball’s office manager and co-conspirator was sentenced to seven years in prison last year.

“For over a decade, Dr. Ball was at the epicenter of a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone via a network of individuals posing as patients who were prescribed over a million pills,” Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement. “She blatantly abused legitimate healthcare procedures, despite clear knowledge of the law and warnings from regulatory agencies of the danger her actions posed to patients.”

Arlington has been hard hit by the national opioid crisis. There were more than 70 fatal opioid overdoses here between 2015 and 2020, according to Arlington County Police Department statistics. The crisis has also infiltrated local schools, with the fatal in-school overdose of a Wakefield High School student this year helping to spur action by Arlington County and Arlington Public Schools.

More below, from a U.S. Dept. of Justice press release.

A federal jury today convicted an Arlington woman of illegally prescribing and distributing oxycodone pills, a controlled substance.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kirsten Van Steenberg Ball, 69, issued prescriptions for over one million oxycodone pills. Ball was a primary care physician who operated a medical practice out of her home in Arlington. She conspired with her office manager, Candy Marie Calix, 41, of Front Royal, to shield from law enforcement and regulatory authorities the fact that she was dispensing vast quantities of oxycodone to her patients—contrary to ordinary standards of medical care.

“Dr. Kirsten Ball’s actions, as detailed by the evidence presented at trial and accepted by the jury, are a perversion of the role of medical practitioners in prescribing opioids,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Medication meant to be carefully provided to people in severe pain was instead prescribed excessively – with no regard for patients’ safety or where the pills would end up. For over a decade, Dr. Ball was at the epicenter of a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone via a network of individuals posing as patients who were prescribed over a million pills. She blatantly abused legitimate healthcare procedures, despite clear knowledge of the law and warnings from regulatory agencies of the danger her actions posed to patients. I am very grateful to the EDVA trial team and the FBI for their work to hold Dr. Ball accountable.”

“Today’s verdict demonstrates the seriousness of illegal opioid distribution and the commitment of law enforcement to bring to justice those who chose to endanger the lives of others,” said David Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. “Kirsten Ball knew her actions were illegal yet, for years, she abused her position of trust by providing individuals in chronic pain with excessive amounts of oxycodone. Ball’s conviction affirms that a medical professional’s disregard for their patient’s well-being and the law will not be tolerated. I’m grateful for those who worked tirelessly to hold her accountable.”

The Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP) investigated Ball in 2014 and 2015, then again in 2021 for excessive and improper prescribing of oxycodone. Evidence and testimony presented at trial showed that Ball falsified records that she submitted to DHP to cover up the fact that she was prescribing oxycodone to patients for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice.

(more…)

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