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
Clouds, Nestle and Nixon at an observation deck in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Bank Booting Xmas Tree Sale from Lot — “Optimist members tell 7News On Your Side that [Wells Fargo] bank officials told them in late 2021 that their parking lot would not be available to the Optimists for liability reasons. This concern was bewildering to club members as they say over the years they’ve never had any serious accidents or issues. The Optimists are now scrambling to find another space.” [WJLA]

Real Estate Agents Making Less — “Northern Virginia Realtors shared roughly $30 million less in compensation during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2021 despite rising home prices, according to a new Sun Gazette analysis. Year-over-year sales for the first half of 2022 were down 12.2 percent, according to figures reported by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.” [Sun Gazette]

Expanded Bikeshare Station in Ballston — From Capital Bikeshare: “Our teams have expanded and replaced the station at Glebe Rd & 11th St N in Arlington. Happy riding!” [Twitter]

Firefighters Rescue Stuck Bird — “The Arlington Fire and Rescue Department helped save a blue jay stuck in a tree on Monday — and the video is heartwarming. The bird appeared to have a piece of plastic material wrapped around its leg.” [WJLA, Twitter]

Arlington Seeks Feedback on Bay Plan — “The County is updating its Chesapeake Bay Preservation Plan, which speaks to effective land use management practices as required by the state. Read on, chime in.” [Twitter, Arlington County]

Local Company Making New Acquisition — “Evolent Health Inc. is taking steps to expand its arsenal of services for health care providers, starting with an acquisition that will move it into the lucrative area of musculoskeletal care. The Arlington company, which helps health systems and insurance companies manage their costs and improve care, charges into the second half of 2022 on the cusp of closing its purchase of Alpharetta, Georgia’s IPG.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Burger Restaurant at DCA — “Elevation Burger has opened a new restaurant in Terminal E at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington. Founded in 2002, Elevation Burger uses USDA-certified organic, 100-percent grass-fed beef and fresh-cut fries cooked in heart-healthy olive oil.” [Patch]

It’s Thursday — Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 88 and low of 75. Sunrise at 6:07 am and sunset at 8:25 pm. [Weather.gov]

Police, prosecutor trade accusations after suspect in botched case is accused of murder

By ARLnow.com
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at Arlington Democrats election watch party in November 2019, when she was elected to office (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) The Arlington police union is pushing back on accusations that officers mishandled the search of a suspect who is now linked to a double murder.

In a rare public rebuke of Arlington’s top prosecutor, the Arlington Coalition of Police this afternoon sent out a press release accusing Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti of “ineptitude” and “deflection of blame.”

The barbs stem from a 2020 case against Francis Rose, who is currently in jail in Alexandria after a series of break-ins at an apartment complex there reportedly led to two construction workers, a stepfather and stepson described as “innocent bystanders,” each being fatally shot in the head.

As ARLnow exclusively reported last week, Rose was released from Arlington County jail this past February after the 2020 case against him fell apart when a judge ruled that evidence was obtained during an unconstitutional search of his bag. With the gun and the drugs allegedly found in Rose’s bag disallowed as evidence, prosecutors dropped the charges against him, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Rose spent nearly two years in jail awaiting trial before being freed when charges were dropped.

“As court records show, our office attempted to proceed on those charges, but during a suppression hearing, a judge ruled that the police had performed an unconstitutional search and, as the law required, suppressed the evidence in the case,” Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow last week. “Obviously, we could not prove a case without the evidence, and therefore dismissed it.”

“My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of the people killed this weekend,” she added.

Dehghani-Tafti subsequently said on Twitter, in response to criticism from the Virginia Republican party, that she’s “not casting blame on anyone” for the case falling apart.

https://twitter.com/parisa4justice/status/1549782520983654400

The Arlington Coalition of Police, however, suggests that Dehghani-Tafti should be taking more of the blame, accusing her of “attempting to throw police officers under the bus for a lost [evidence] suppression hearing.”

The full statement from the union is below.

Commonwealth Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti’s recent statements regarding the suppression hearing for Francis Rose, intentionally worded to cast fault on the officers involved, were based on self-preservation and deflection of blame.  Unlike the Commonwealth Attorney, the Arlington Coalition of Police ordered the transcript of the hearing to have a full understanding of what happened before making public comment.

Prior to the hearing, the Assistant Commonwealth Attorney handling the case believed there would be “no problem” regarding the suppression and believed the officer’s actions were lawful.  At the time of the suppression hearing, Mr. Rose had spent approximately two years in jail awaiting trial. The Commonwealth Attorney opposed giving him bond on multiple occasions.  If the Commonwealth Attorney believed the actions of the officers were unlawful, opposing bond and holding Mr. Rose for two years would be unethical.

(more…)

Morning Poll: Would you stay in Arlington if you win the $1 billion Mega Millions?

By ARLnow.com
Hundred dollar bills (Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash)

The Mega Millions jackpot has crossed the $1 billion mark after no big winner was selected during last night’s lottery drawing.

The estimated $1.02 billion prize is the third largest in the game’s two-decade history, according to CNN. The next drawing is set for Friday night.

This morning we’re wondering: if you won a billion-dollar jackpot, would you stay in Arlington? Or would you move elsewhere?

Assume that living “mostly” in Arlington does not preclude second, third or even fourth homes elsewhere, provided Arlington remains your primary residence.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Commodes over Courthouse (courtesy Curt Cultice)

Another Arlington Resident on Jeopardy! — Local attorney Luigi de Guzman will be a contestant on Jeopardy! on Friday, with host Ken Jennings. He’s the latest in a line of Arlington residents who have appeared on the long-running TV quiz show. [Instagram]

County May Be Sued By Contractor — “It looks like a raging dispute over payment for a now-completed major upgrade to Arlington’s Benjamin Banneker Park will be headed to court. Arlington County Board members on July 19 rejected a claim from McDonnell Landscape Inc., seeking reimbursement for costs totaling just under $995,000 for work it says was done as part of its contract to upgrade the park but it has not received. County Manager Mark Schwartz earlier had offered to settle the matter for $272,000, an attorney for the firm said, but that was turned down.” [Sun Gazette]

Baseball Tourney Now Underway — “Led by host team Arlington Post 139, the eight-team American Legion Virginia state baseball tournament is scheduled to begin this afternoon, July 26 in Arlington, with games at Barcroft Park’s Tucker field and Wakefield High School… Those eight teams all are scheduled to play again on July 27 at the two fields. The tournament continues through Friday, July 29, with the championship game scheduled for 4 p.m.” [Sun Gazette]

Local Man Charged in Alexandria Abduction — “A 29-year-old Arlington man faces a jury trial next month for allegedly robbing and assaulting his disabled ex-girlfriend in her West End apartment. The suspect has been held without bond in the Alexandria jail since his arrest on February 8. On February 1, a week before his arrest, the suspect allegedly forced his way into the woman’s apartment and removed her from her wheelchair, according to a search warrant affidavit.” [ALXnow]

It’s Wednesday — Rain early in the morning then cloudy throughout the day. High of 85 and low of 72. Sunrise at 6:07 am and sunset at 8:26 pm. [Weather.gov]

Photo courtesy Curt Cultice

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rain showers and thunderstorms at the Marine Corps War Memorial (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Cruel Summer in the Pool — “Arlington’s four summer swimming teams in the Northern Virginia Swimming League had a combined losing record of 9-11 this season. It was the first summer since the 2012 campaign that the four had a cumulative losing mark… This summer Overlee also was the only one of the four with a winning mark, at 3-2.” [Sun Gazette]

Arlington = Jersey City? — A TikTok creator, talking about her viral map comparing parts of the D.C. area with New York City area locales: “I completely understand that people are going to disagree with this, but it was Arlington and Jersey City — you know, being literally across the river from a big economic center that people commute into. I think the way people in DC talk about Arlington — it just sounded very familiar to some of the things that I’ve heard people in Manhattan saying about people who live just across the water in New Jersey.” [Washingtonian]

Another Gun Caught at DCA Checkpoint — “A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prevented an Alexandria, Va., resident from bringing his loaded handgun onto his flight this morning, July 25. It was the 16th gun detected by TSA officers at the airport so far this year.” [Press Release]

Brittany O’Grady’s Latest Project — From actress and Arlington native Brittany O’Grady: “I’m filming an Amazon show called The Consultant, with Nat Wolff and Christoph Waltz. It’s about a man who takes over a company, and my character and others are challenged on their morality. I’m also excited to finally play women [rather than teenagers]. The storylines get deeper.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

A Spring and Arlington’s Oldest Home — “This land was originally patented by Thomas Owsley in 1696 with the caveat that he had to build a house on the land within a year or forfeit rights to the land. It’s believed that Owsley built the stone house that sits at Dawson Terrace Recreation Center, one street west of the Spring Site. If true, it is the oldest house in Arlington County…  The spring is located inside a spring house at the bottom of a stone stairway at the end of North Scott Street.” [Atlas Obscura]

It’s Tuesday — Cloudy, then rain starting in the afternoon. High of 80 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:06 am and sunset at 8:27 pm. [Weather.gov]

ACPD: Robbery suspects drove down sidewalk toward security guard

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A theft at a Pentagon City shopping center led to the suspects driving down a sidewalk, police say.

The alleged robbery happened Saturday evening on the block of S. Hayes Street that’s home to both the Pentagon Centre shopping center and the Pentagon City mall.

According to Arlington County police, a suspect seen removing security tags from merchandise left the store and started running when confronted by a security guard. He hopped in a car, with the assistance of a second suspect, and drove down the sidewalk, narrowly missing the security guard, before fleeing the area, police say.

More from today’s ACPD crime report, below.

ROBBERY, 2022-07230176, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 5:19 p.m. on July 23, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined a loss prevention officer observed Suspect One allegedly remove security tags from merchandise before exiting the business with the stolen items. When the loss prevention officer confronted Suspect One, the suspect pushed him and ran outside to a parked vehicle. Suspect Two followed and provided the vehicle’s keys to Suspect One. Suspect One then fled in the vehicle, driving on the sidewalk and nearly striking the loss prevention officer in the process. Suspect Two fled the area on foot. A lookout for the suspects was broadcast and officers canvassed the area yielding negative results.

NEW: Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Boundaries of Severe Thunderstorm Watch on 7/25/22 (via National Weather Service)

Update at 3:50 p.m. — A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for the far northern tip of Arlington.

Earlier: Arlington, D.C. and most of the region is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

The watch, which was issued around 1:45 p.m., is in effect until 10 p.m.

Forecasters say storms packing damaging winds and heavy downpours are possible this afternoon and evening. More from NWS:

Thunderstorms will further develop and intensify initially near/just of the mountains, and subsequently spread eastward toward the I-95 corridor through late afternoon and early evening. Damaging winds are the primary hazard.

Local authorities, meanwhile, are encouraging residents to prepare for the possibility of severe weather.

Some of the tips include charging essential devices and securing loose items from lawns and balconies.

UPDATED: Gun store coming to former cafe space in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 3:50 p.m.) You might soon be able to buy a Beretta where you could previously sip a bumble.

Gun store Nova Armory appears poised to open in the former This Is Fine Coffee and Kino Coffee space at 2607 Wilson Blvd. Boxes outside the storefront are addressed to Nova Armory and its parent company, while the store has the address listed on a “contact us” page on its website.

Nova Armory has an existing location on N. Pershing Drive in Lyon Park that opened amid considerable local controversy in 2016. A representative of the store told ARLnow via email Monday afternoon that the Pershing Drive location will close.

“We [will] only have one location at Wilson Blvd,” the store rep said. “The old location is being shut down.”

Already, early word of the potential opening is causing its own controversy. One of several tips sent to ARLnow called it an “unacceptable, reckless addition to the neighborhood.”

Despite drawing the ire of some neighbors and experiencing several burglaries, the local gun store is seemingly popular with customers given its online reviews while reporting growing business a couple of years after opening. Like many gun stores, Nova Armory also experienced a boom in business at the outset of the pandemic.

Kino Coffee, which was noted for serving a unique (at least for the United States) orange juice-espresso blend called bumble coffee, closed late last year, citing Covid-related business challenges.

Morning Poll: If Mother Nature could grant you one wish about the local climate…?

By ARLnow.com
Haze and heat over the National Mall, seen from the Netherlands Carillon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s a bit of a conspicuous time to ask, given that we’re at the end of a sweltering heat wave, but do you ever wish Arlington’s climate was a bit cooler?

Or warmer, for that matter?

Many of us live in this area due to the work we do, family considerations, or other good reasons to stay put. So it’s not as simple as saying someone should just move to Miami or Buffalo if they find the local climate too cold or hot for their tastes, even with the more recent remote work trends.

Today’s poll question, however, imagines an opportunity to ask Mother Nature one temperature-related wish for the D.C. area, which would allow you to get the climate of a given eastern U.S. city where you currently live.

(No choosing the more consistently mild and/or dry West Coast climates, that’s cheating, and the do-gooders out there should assume that wishing for a cooler climate locally would not solve climate change globally. Also, to acknowledge the fairly obvious, the “warmer” cities on the list are relatively much warmer than the “cooler” cities are cooler.)

So for those who regularly grumble about the temperature in this area, what are you wishing for? Or, maybe you consider the regional climate a goldilocks scenario and want it to stay as is. Either way, here’s a chance to make your wish.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Clarendon Metro station (photo courtesy George Brazier)

Billionaire Contributes to Board Candidate — “Who is Arthur Rock and why did he contribute $15,000 – a large amount by local standards – to the re-election campaign of Democratic County Board candidate Matt de Ferranti? The first question is perhaps the easier of the two to answer. Rock is a 95-year-old (to be 96 in August) billionaire who made his money over the decades in the venture-capital field and related endeavors.” [Sun Gazette]

RIP Sidney Dewberry — “Sidney Oliver ‘Sid’ Dewberry passed away peacefully in Arlington, Virginia, on July 16, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. He had a unique and purposeful life — filled with service to his community, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation, while being wholly dedicated to his family.” [Legacy, Dewberry, Sun Gazette]

One Arrested After Robbery — “The juvenile male victim and the three juvenile male suspects met for a prearranged sale during which the suspects assaulted the victim and stole his backpack containing a laptop. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located Suspect One, who was carrying stolen property, and attempted to stop him. Suspect One fled on foot and following a foot pursuit, was taken into custody.” [Arlington County]

Spa Day for Rescued Beagles — “A group of rescued beagles got a special ‘spa day’ treatment after they arrived at a shelter in Arlington, Virginia. Virginia-based Homeward Trails, an organization facilitating rehabilitation and adoption for dogs and cats, is one of several groups working with the Humane Society of the United States to move about 4,000 beagles out of the Envigo facility in Cumberland County. When they arrived at Homeward Trails, the staff and volunteers there made sure the rescued pups got the full spa treatment.” [WTOP]

Yet Another I-395 Crash — From Dave Statter: “#caughtoncamera: Another 8C crash. Cars & barrels all over the place but no injuries & relatively minor damage. Plus, the driver crossing over eventually got to the exit ramp, thanks to police.” [Twitter]

ADA Celebration This Morning — “The public and media are invited to join Arlington County officials and key stakeholders… as we celebrate 32 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act [at 10 a.m. Monday] at Quincy Park (1021 N. Quincy St.). The Arlington County Board will also issue a proclamation to mark this important civil rights law.” [Arlington County]

It’s Monday — Rain and potentially strong storms in the afternoon and evening. High of 88 and low of 77. Sunrise at 6:05 am and sunset at 8:27 pm. [Weather.gov]

Photo courtesy George Brazier

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Benedict and Bertram

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Meet Benedict and Bertram, the latest Adoptable Pet of the Week duo! These two friends are a bonded pair looking for a forever home together.

Their friends at Animal Welfare League of Arlington, had this to say:

Meet Benedict and Bertram!

Admittedly, it is difficult to tell these two apart; same size, same age, same coloring! But when it comes to personality, you’ll quickly see Benny is the more curious of the pair, especially when it comes to questioning why you have stopped petting him. He’s the first to sniff out any changes to his space, including any new humans. His favorite thing is to snuggle up next to Bernie (Bertram) and spend the afternoon dozing off.

Bernie likes to sit back and let Benny do all the hard work of exploring anything new in the environment. If something/someone is deemed to be interesting enough, he quickly joins to see what all the fuss is about. Much of the time Bertram can be found content in a loaf, just happy he gets to hang with his bestie all day, everyday.

AWLA expanded their “Empty the Shelters” event through this weekend (July 22-24) as its kennel capacity has reached a “critical” level. Small animal adoption fees are free during the event.

Have Benedict and Bertram finally found their forever home? Check out their profiles to learn more.

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 galleries!

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