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.

Texas woman facing charges after stabbing in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A 24-year-old Texas woman was arrested after police say she stabbed someone she knew in Courthouse.

The incident happened Monday evening near county government headquarters, on the 2100 block of Clarendon Blvd, and followed a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical struggle.

The suspect has also been charged with robbery after allegedly taking the male victim’s phone and wallet.

From an Arlington County police crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-08290201, 2100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on August 29, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with weapon. The investigation determined that the known parties became involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect allegedly stole the male victim’s phone and wallet. A struggle ensued and the suspect stabbed the victim. The suspect fled the scene on foot and was later stopped in her vehicle by police. The suspect was taken into custody without incident. The suspect and victim were transported to area hospitals for injuries considered non-life threatening. [The suspect], 24, of Austin, TX was arrested and charged Malicious Wounding and Robbery. She was held without bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The cloudline is illuminated by the setting sun as storm clouds move over Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

More DCA Work Arriving Soon — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, fresh off the opening of a new concourse and security checkpoint screening area, is preparing to launch a multiyear effort to rehabilitate two of National’s three runways and their associated taxiways… Scheduled to last as long as 850 days and cost up to $110 million, the work will include new centerline and touchdown zone lighting systems, runway edge light fixtures and the installation of a temporary asphalt batch plant.” [Washington Business Journal]

Slight N. Va. Real Estate Price Dip — “The median sales price for homes that sold in Northern Virginia in July stood at $580,000, according to figures reported by the Virginia Realtors trade group. While higher by nearly 5 percent than the $553,000 recorded in July 2021, the $580,000 figure trails the median sales price of $583,000 for the first seven months of 2022.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Officially Pumpkin Spice Season — “Starbucks’ annual announcement that you can now, if you wish, buy this drink typically prompts a bunch of crankiness on the internet. Personally, I welcome the PSL’s arrival, as well as the appearance of pumpkin beer in shops for one reason… For me the PSL’s seasonal emergence means one important thing: the end of the godawful and relentless Washington, DC, summer is finally in sight.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:38 am and sunset at 7:42 pm. [Weather.gov]

NEW: Woman pushing stroller struck by driver along Military Road

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A woman pushing a child in a stroller was bloodied and brought to the hospital after being struck by a driver in North Arlington this morning.

The crash happened around 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Military Road and Lorcom Lane.

“At approximately 10:25 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined the pedestrian was pushing a stroller at the time of the crash. The pedestrian, an adult female, was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening. The child was not injured.”

The woman could be seen being helped to a waiting ambulance after the crash, her face covered in dried blood. The apparent driver and the striking sedan could be seen nearby. So far there’s no word as to what led to the crash nor whether any charges will be filed.

“The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene,” said Savage. “The investigation is ongoing.”

The intersection, which is controlled by a four-way traffic light, is surrounded by homes and a pair of churches, on the northern edge of the Cherrydale neighborhood.

Lease may be drying up for local watering hole Thirsty Bernie

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) Will Thirsty Bernie close or move next year and leave its regulars parched?

The sports bar at 2163 N. Glebe Road, in the Glebe Lee Shopping Center, has largely kept doing its thing after previous talk of format and management changes. But this time around the tea leaves point to an even bigger change for the North Arlington staple.

A leasing chart for the shopping center says the restaurant space currently occupied by Thirsty Bernie Sports Bar & Grill will be “available June 1, 2023.” That follows a tip received by ARLnow in July that Thirsty Bernie was trying to find someone to take over the space.

ARLnow reached out to the business then and now and received a brief, non-specific denial both times.

“Thirsty Bernie has no plan to close in near future,” the bar said via email.

Should the current location — which remains open — close next year, it is not immediately clear whether Thirsty Bernie would move elsewhere, a la Whitlow’s, or simply close up shop entirely.

A long-term plan for the Langston Blvd corridor, including this shopping center, is currently making its way through a public process prior to an eventual County Board vote. The plan may see aging strip malls like this one replaced over the next couple of decades with taller, mixed-use developments.

Hat tip to Mike W.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Workers high up an under-construction building in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Career Center Parking Questions — “Residents living in neighborhoods adjacent to the Arlington Career Center parcel may find themselves sharing on-street parking with students and teachers once the massive rebuild of the parcel is complete. The county school system has proposed a 360-space parking garage as part of the $175 million project, but planners do not believe that will be enough space to accommodate the need.” [Sun Gazette]

More on the Return to School — “Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán says there are new start and end times which has helped make the bus system more efficient since there are fewer bus routes. The change also makes sure more students can spend more time in the classroom. When it comes to staffing, Durán says APS is 99% staffed this year. The district is actually in a better place than before after increasing teacher compensation by 6.8% on average. Student enrollment is also up.” [WJLA, Twitter]

Dems’ Annual Chili Cookoff Nears — “As Arlington Democrats prepare for the final two-month road trip toward Election Day, the party is preparing to get gassed up. The Arlington County Democratic Committee will hold its annual Labor Day Chili Cookoff on Monday, Sept. 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Lyon Park Community Center. The annual event sees teams representing elected officials, candidates and others vying for a host of culinary awards.” [Sun Gazette]

High School Football Returns — “The Wakefield Warriors at home and the Yorktown Patriots on the road lost their opening games of the high-school football season the night of Aug. 26.” [Sun Gazette]

New W-L Hoops Coach — “Prior to working at W-L, [new head coach Liz] Altmaier coached as a girls assistant at Marshall and McLean high schools in Fairfax County… In college, she played Division I varsity basketball at Harvard University. During her time there, Harvard won two Ivy League championships. In high school, Altmaier was a three-year starter at Pinewood School in Los Altos, Calif. Her teams won two state and many other championships. She was chosen to all-state, all-section and all-league teams.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Tuesday — Sun and heat gives way to likely rain and storms in the late afternoon and evening. High of 89 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:37 am and sunset at 7:44 pm. [Weather.gov]

Boy stabbed, seriously injured on the Custis Trail near Ballston

By ARLnow.com
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

A boy who was running on the Custis Trail near Ballston was stabbed and seriously injured by an unknown assailant Saturday night.

The stabbing happened around 8:45 p.m., on the trail near the 4700 block of Washington Blvd.

“At approximately 8:49 p.m. on August 27, police were dispatched to the report of a stabbing that had just occurred,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “Upon arrival, officers located the juvenile male victim and administered medical care until the arrival of medics. The victim was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered serious but non-life threatening.”

“After further investigation, it was determined the victim was running along the Custis Trail prior to Washington Boulevard when an unknown male suspect allegedly approached, stabbed him and fled the scene on foot,” ACPD said.

Officers closed a portion of Washington Blvd west of N. Glebe Road and called in a helicopter to help search for the suspect. Ultimately, the suspect — described only as “an Asian or Hispanic male wearing a striped shirt and shorts” — was not found and remains at large.

“A lookout for the suspect was broadcast and a search of the area was conducted, with the assistance of a police helicopter, which yielded negative results,” said the crime report. “The investigation is ongoing.”

NEW: Car stolen from Rosslyn with child inside found in D.C.

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A Falls Church man is facing charges after his car was stolen with a child inside.

The theft happened around dinnertime Sunday near the busy intersection of N. Lynn Street and Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. The car and the child were quickly located in Southeast D.C.

“At approximately 6:01 p.m. on August 28, officers were flagged down by a vehicle owner who reported his parked, idling vehicle had been stolen with his child inside,” Arlington County police said in a crime report this afternoon.

“A lookout was broadcast for the vehicle and child, including to surrounding jurisdictions,” ACPD said. “At approximately 6:20 p.m. the Metropolitan Police Department reported locating the stolen vehicle with the child inside in the 2200 block of Fairlawn Avenue SE Washington D.C. The child was unharmed.”

Police are still looking for the suspect, who fled from the vehicle before police found it. The owner of the car, a 38-year-old Falls Church resident “was charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and released on a summons.”

“The investigation is ongoing,” said ACPD.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Delays on NB I-395 after vehicle overturns

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Delays on northbound I-395 extend to Duke Street after a vehicle overturned near Shirlington Circle.

Traffic camera images show several people helping to clean up items that spilled from the vehicle in the left two lanes of the highway, as traffic slowly gets by. The overturned vehicle — possibly a pickup truck — is in the leftmost lane.

Firefighters just arrived on the scene and are reportedly evaluating two people for possible injuries. Three lanes are currently blocked.

The crash happened around 8 a.m. It’s not immediately clear whether it involved more than one vehicle.

Update at 9:10 a.m. — The crash scene has been cleared but residual delays remain.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Kids and parents watching the Fairfax County police helicopter take off during the 2022 Arlington Public Safety Block Party (staff photo)

Metro Trespasser and Theft Suspect Nabbed — “Blue and Silver Line service was suspended Saturday between McPherson Square & Arlington Cemetery and Clarendon due to an unauthorized person on the tracks outside Rosslyn Saturday evening, WMATA officials said… New Metro GM Randy Clarke said he experienced this incident first hand, tweeting that the ‘trespasser committed a theft in Rosslyn then ran into the tunnel.’ Clarke added that the person was arrested.” [WJLA]

Lopez Targets Trespass Towers — From Rep. Alfonso Lopez: “Few things unite Northern Virginians across the political spectrum more than predatory towing. People are sick & tired of these companies getting away with unfair & aggressive tactics! Thanks to @NorthernVAMag for writing about my fight to rein them in.” [Twitter, Northern Virginia Magazine]

Arlington Man Sentenced for PAC Scheme — “An Arlington man was sentenced Friday to 14 months in prison for scheming to lie to the Federal Election Commission about the true identifies of donors to a super PAC for which he served as president and treasurer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Joseph Fuentes-Fernandez, 62, served as president and treasurer of the super PAC Salvemos a Puerto Rico.” [Patch]

County Taking ‘Neighborhood College’ Apps — “Learn how to become a neighborhood advocate and create positive change in your community through Arlington County’s free Neighborhood College program. The application period for the Fall 2022 Session is now open. The program is geared toward Arlingtonians who want to become more involved in neighborhood and County-wide issues.” [Arlington County]

Public Safety Block Party Held — “First responders from Arlington County police, fire and more held a public safety block party Saturday, inviting the public for some fun and games, along with some education. The event was held at Kenmore Middle School on S. Carlin Springs Road from noon until 5 p.m.” [WJLA]

Va. to Only Sell Electric Cars Next Decade? — “California’s decision to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars beginning in 2035 will also halt the sale of such vehicles in Virginia due to a 2021 law linking the commonwealth to the western state’s vehicle emissions standards, state attorneys have concluded.” [Virginia Mercury, NBC 4]

Back to School — Updated at 9 a.m. — Today is the first day of school for Arlington Public Schools students. Please be careful on the roads out there. [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]

It’s Monday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 88 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:36 am and sunset at 7:45 pm. [Weather.gov]

Most-read Arlington stories of the week: August 22-26

By ARLnow.com
Construction continues at Amazon’s HQ2 site in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

We’re calling it a week a touch early today, while most of you have already started your weekend, so we can better prep for next week.

While this month has been pretty slow overall, the week that will usher in the start of September promises to be a bit busier, with the start of school, some local business-related scoops, and other stories that are already in planning.

Not that this week was a snoozefest. Quite the opposite, in fact, considering that all of our top 10 most-read stories had more than 2,500 views.

Here are the top stories of the past week:

  1. New concept plan for Langston Blvd shows sweeping vision of greener corridor with taller buildings
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Scott Parker, Cowboy Cafe owners and manager partnering on Forest Inn replacement
  3. Police: Nude man attacked officer, ran into Ballston apartment
  4. NEW: Arlington ranks No. 3 on “top family-friendly cities” list
  5. Another commercial vehicle tow leads to another questionable call to police
  6. Man arrested after attack in front of library
  7. Arlington’s planetarium is looking to finally reopen this fall with a new director and modern projector
  8. NEW: “Old School” Italian restaurant and wine bar coming to Ballston area
  9. Metro says “plan now” for the eight-month-long Yellow Line shutdown that starts next month
  10. Starting as a Rosslyn food cart, District Taco is taking over the world “one taco at a time”

Feel free to discuss these stories or anything else of local interest in the comments. Have a great last weekend of August, Arlington!

ACPD: Alexandria man arrested after off-duty officer witnesses vehicle tampering

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A 54-year-old Alexandria man is in jail after police say he broke into and stole items from two cars and tampered with five others.

The arrest happened last night around midnight, in a pair of neighborhoods along Columbia Pike.

The man was caught, police say, after an alert off-duty officer spotted him trying to break in to several parked cars, then detained him until on-duty units arrived.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

VEHICLE TAMPERING (Series), 2022-08250293/08260015, 2500 block of 9th Road S./1100 block of S. Walter Reed Drive. At approximately 11:56 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tampering. The investigation determined that an off-duty police officer observed the suspect attempting to enter into parked vehicles in the area before making contact with him and detaining him until the arrival of additional units. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect allegedly entered into and tampered with seven victim vehicles and stole personal items from two of the vehicles. During a search of his person incident to arrest, drug paraphernalia was recovered. [The suspect], 54, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Vehicle Tampering (x4), Petit Larceny from a Vehicle (x2), Grand Larceny from a Vehicle, Credit Card Theft, and Possession of Controlled Paraphernalia. He was held without bail.

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