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.

Another eyeglass store robbed, this time in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
LensCrafters at Ballston Quarter

Another Arlington optometrist location has been robbed of eyeglass frames.

Police say a store on the 4200 block of Wilson Blvd was robbed of eyeglasses by three suspects shortly before it opened Sunday morning. One of the suspects allegedly “made threatening statements” to an employee before fleeing.

Police were called about a half hour later.

Arlington County police do not typically identify businesses that have been victims of crime, but the information provided in an ACPD crime report, below, corresponds to the location and hours of a LensCrafters location and affiliated optometry practice in an open air portion of Ballston Quarter mall.

This is at least the third such eyeglasses robbery in Arlington this year and the latest in a spate of such robberies across the D.C. area. Previous robberies in Arlington have taken place in Clarendon and along Columbia Pike.

The full ACPD crime report entry is below.

ROBBERY, 2022-06050114, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:30 a.m. on June 5, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 10:50 a.m., the male suspect entered the closed business and an employee advised him to come back during their business hours. A short time later, the male suspect returned, followed by two additional male suspects. Suspects One and Two began to grab eyeglass frames from the shelves, while Suspect Three acted as a lookout. The employee confronted Suspect One, who made threatening statements towards her before the three suspects fled the scene on foot with the stolen merchandise. Suspect One is described as a Black male with a medium build, approximately 25-30 years old, 6’1″-6’3″, wearing a peach shirt, tan pants and small black cross body bag. Suspect Two is described as a Black male with a thin build, approximately 25-30 years old, 6’0″, wearing a gray hoodie, black pants, gator-style mask and black sneakers. Suspect Three is described as a Black male with a thin build, approximately 25-30 years old, 6’0″, wearing a gray hoodie, black ripped jeans, face mask and black shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Rex

By ARLnow.com
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Meet Rex, a German Shepherd and the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week! Rex loves treats and is looking for a chill family to spend forever with.

Rex is in shelter at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, which is currently at or near capacity for its dog kennels.

His friends had this to say about him:

Meet Rex! Rex’s foster family noted that Rex is sweet and a good boy on the leash.

While Rex has some vision issues, his other senses make up for the vision and he is extremely smart. He knows some cues and is very, very treat motivated and wants to learn more. He loves being outside and going for walks and long sniffs.

His perfect day would be treats (and more treats!), time outside, followed by a nap wherever he can be closest to his human. Rex is fully house-trained and has good manners on the leash.

Rex is very much a go with the flow kind of dog who just likes being with people.

Are you a go with the flow kind of person? Are you looking for a furry companion? Check out Rex’s complete profile to set up a time to meet!

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!

Covid cases down but positivity rate up in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Arlington’s Covid case rate on 6/6/22 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Arlington has seen a dip in its average daily Covid case counts, but the county’s test positivity rate has continued to rise.

As of this morning the seven-day moving average reached 154 daily cases, down from 200 cases per day in late May. But the test positivity rate ticked up to 16.2%, the highest point since January, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

The dichotomy is not unique to Arlington — Virginia as a whole is also seeing falling daily case counts but rising test positivity rates, per VDH data.

Arlington’s Covid test positivity rate on 6/6/22 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Hospitalization rates, meanwhile, appear to be falling. The current Covid hospitalization rate in Arlington is 6 weekly admissions per 100,000 residents, according to Centers for Disease Control data. That’s down from 7.7 weekly admissions per 100,000 last week.

Mike Silverman, emergency department chair at Virginia Hospital Center — now known as VHC Health — said in his weekly public Facebook post that patient volumes at the ER are up, but not necessarily due to Covid. He noted that the hospital is also seeing high Covid test positivity rates.

An excerpt from Silverman’s post is below.

Our May numbers finished 24% above our volume last May… Typically, we’ll have a month of super high volumes in the winter, whereas summer volumes tend to be a touch below average. It’s unclear to many of us why volumes are so high. While COVID account for some of the bump, it’s actually only a fraction of the overall volume increase. In theory, there’s not bent up demand for emergency care like there might be for colonoscopies and mammograms, yet across the country, ER volumes are soaring. May was actually our busiest month ever.

Our percent positivity and COVID numbers continue to increase in the ER. We’re at 6 week highs for percent positivity and case numbers for our symptomatic, asymptomatic, and total cases. These are not winter-like Omicron level surge numbers but there’s plenty of COVID around. In fact, the community testing rates are higher than the hospital testing rates.

Whereas last summer felt like a return to normal, it seems like most people are just living their normal lives now. However, Hopkins data shows that the country’s seven-day average of COVID cases is six times higher than it was last year.

Online fundraiser underway for woman pushed out of SUV near Ballston

By ARLnow.com
The woman who was injured after being pushed out of an SUV (via GoFundMe)

(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) The woman who was pushed out of a moving vehicle along Wilson Blvd near Ballston has a long road to recovery from her injuries, according to an online fundraiser.

The victim, 25, suffered a traumatic brain injury that required extensive surgery and left her in critical condition, her sister wrote on a GoFundMe page. Two weeks after the incident she was in stable condition but expected to require 6-12 months of recovery.

“The hospital bills and the rehab center will be very expensive, so we appreciate all the help we could get,” says the fundraising page, which has raised more than $40,000 towards its $50,000 goal.

The page notes that the victim is from Ukraine and her father is currently fighting in the war there.

“We are from Ukraine, so our dad is defending our homeland while our mom had to flee the war to Germany,” it says.

A GoFundMe spokesperson tells ARLnow that the fundraiser has been verified by the company’s Trust and Safety team.

The fundraiser sheds little light on the circumstances leading to the woman being pushed out of the vehicle.

“She was going home from a night out, but at 3am she was pushed out of a speeding car onto the [road] by an UNKNOWN DRIVER, and her phone was stolen,” it says. The Arlington County police crime report from last month said that a witness saw the woman pushed out of the passenger door of a black SUV, but no further description of the vehicle or the driver was given.

An ACPD spokeswoman said this morning that police are still investigating and seeking tips.

“The investigation into the incident is ongoing and detectives continue to follow up on investigative leads in the case,” said Ashley Savage. “No arrests have been made at this time.”

“Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected],” Savage added. “Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).”

The full fundraising message from the GoFundMe page is below.

Hi, my name is Polina – I’m Maryna’s sister.

On our dad’s 50-year anniversary, Maryna, 25 y.o., has been a victim of a SEVERE crime. She was going home from a night out, but at 3am she was pushed out of a speeding car onto the highway by an UNKNOWN DRIVER, and her phone was stolen. When the paramedics arrived, her skull bone was out in the open, she had bruises, scratches, and road rash all over her body… Doctors have performed two different surgeries on the brain right away – one lasted 5 hours, the other one lasted another 2,5 hours; and still she was in a critical condition.

Police called me and woke me up at 4am with these terrible news. My husband and I drove up to DC from NC right away. I am the only family Maryna has in the USA . We are from Ukraine, so our dad is defending our homeland while our mom had to flee the war to Germany. When I came to the hospital and saw Maryna, I didn’t recognize her. Her long beautiful hair was shaved, she had two huge ridges on both side of the head, plenty of tubes in her to keep her alive, she was pale and motionless…

The first few days were critical – people die from these injuries, and you don’t even need to be a doctor to understand that. The fact that she’s young made a big difference in this case, otherwise she wouldn’t have survived. She’s super smart and kind, and always helps people – she volunteered to help with the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine, while working for an NGO. She has 2 masters degrees and speaks 4 languages fluently. It’s terrifying to think what would have happened if the ambulance didn’t arrive on time. This kind of crime is for horror movies, not for real life. Nobody deserves this.

Now it’s been about two weeks since the incident, and she is stable. Maryna would need about 6 months to a year to recover. The hospital bills and the rehab center will be very expensive, so we appreciate all the help we could get.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
“Bike route sign at the intersection of 15th Street N. & Taylor Street directing bikes onto Taylor Street, which is a dead end” (Flickr pool photo by Cyrus W.)

‘Conservation’ Nixed in New Name — “The Neighborhood Conservation Program has a new name: Arlington Neighborhoods Program. [Three county departments] announced the new name for the interdepartmental program after almost a yearlong renaming process… The Neighborhood Conservation Program Review (NCPR) Final Report recommended changing the program name because the word ‘conservation’ often evokes a negative connotation and suggests exclusivity.” [Arlington County]

Big Scholarship Match for WHS Grads — “A newly announced dollar-for-dollar match could net the Wakefield High School Educational Foundation’s scholarship fund as much as $2 million over the coming year. It was announced June 2 that Henry ‘Ric’ Duques, a 1961 graduate of the high school, and his wife Dawn had made an up-to-$1 million pledge to the foundation, which will match funds raised by the organization for the year ending June 30, 2023.” [Sun Gazette]

Remembering Local Desegregation Efforts — “Our racial history commemorators have thoroughly marked the 1959 integration of Stratford Junior High School, a first for long-segregated Virginia. But those four African American student pioneers stood on the shoulders of a select group of older peers, whose legal efforts have gone relatively unsung.” [Falls Church News-Press]

New Monument at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery — “A monument now stands in memory of the first astronauts to die in their spacecraft, 55 years after a fire on the launchpad claimed their lives. Family members of the fallen Apollo 1 crew came together with NASA officials, space industry leaders and members of the space community to dedicate the new monument during a ceremony(opens in new tab) held Thursday (June 2) at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The memorial is located… in Section 3 of the cemetery.” [Space.com]

ARLnow Cartoonist’s Work Highlighted — “But the father of two has long been a fan of the art form and in the past year, he has become a community cartoonist. [Mike Mount] creates weekly cartoons for an online news outlet in his Northern Virginia county, capturing within those scribbled squares the weird, comical and relatable parts of living in one of Washington’s suburbs.” [Washington Post]

Nature Center Advocate Keeps Advocating — “Look up ‘indefatigable’ in an online dictionary, and a photo of Duke Banks might pop up. Recently given the brushoff – politely but for the second time – by the County Board, Banks is not stopping in his efforts to restore hours that were cut at Arlington’s two local nature centers during the pandemic. Banks pressed his case at the May 24 meeting of the Arlington Park and Recreation Commission.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 80 and low of 61. Sunrise at 5:45 am and sunset at 8:32 pm. [Weather.gov]

Sewage release into Four Mile Run prompts warning

By ARLnow.com
Four Mile Run in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Stay out of Four Mile Run from the Bon Air rose garden to the Potomac River for at least the next day or two.

That’s the message from Arlington County following the release of sewage into the local stream.

“People and pets should avoid entering Four Mile Run from the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden near Wilson Boulevard downstream to the Potomac for at least 48 hours due to a sewage release,” the county said late Sunday afternoon.

Later that evening, the county said the sewage came from a clogged sewer line, which had since been fixed.

“A clog has been cleared from the sanitary sewer line and the stream is being flushed,” the county said. “Continue to avoid contact with Four Mile Run downstream over roughly the next 48 hours.”

Even after the sewage gets flushed out of the stream, the county recommends against pets playing in Four Mile Run.

Firefighters battle apartment blaze in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters battled a fire inside an apartment in the Buckingham neighborhood Saturday night.

The fire broke out around 8 p.m. in a garden apartment building along the 4300 block of N. Pershing Drive. As of 9 p.m. the fire was out, but firefighters were still working to ventilate smoke from the building.

Pershing Drive was blocked in both directions as a result of the large emergency response.

So far there have been no reports of injuries.

 

BTS and H.E.R. visited Crystal City this week

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated on 6/4/22) Korean boy band BTS, one of the most famous musical acts in the world, apparently visited Crystal City this week along with R&B singer H.E.R.

The artists could be seen playing arcade games and posing next to a giant beer tower in videos posted to Instagram, Billboard reported, as cited by Washingtonian. The videos were reportedly shot inside the Bowlero at 320 23rd Street S. in Crystal City.

BTS was in town to visit the White House and talk with President Biden about Asian inclusion and representation. While here they also toured some D.C. monuments, went to Topgolf in Ashburn and dined at some local restaurants, according to Washingtonian.

ARLnow hears that BTS and members of their entourage stayed at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Pentagon City.

PR reps for Bowlero did not respond to an emailed request for comment by publication. The bowling alley and arcade has previously made headlines for neighbor complaints about noise and rowdy behavior following its 2020 opening.

JUST IN: Middle school dance cancelled due to threat of violence

By ARLnow.com
Gunston Middle School (file photo)

Gunston Middle School’s eighth grade dance, planned for tonight, has been cancelled due to threats.

In a message to families sent around 12:30 p.m. today, Gunston Principal Dr. Lori Wiggins said that the decision was made as a result of “possible messages circulating in the community referencing individuals interrupting and potentially causing violence” at the dance.

That comes after a two-week stretch that has seen a spate of mass shootings nationwide, including the shooting at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 students and 2 teachers.

The email to families is below.

Greetings Gunston Eighth-Grade Families:

The Arlington County Police Department received information regarding possible messages circulating in the community referencing individuals interrupting and potentially causing violence at tonight’s eighth-grade dance. Based on the information available to us at this time, the decision was made to cancel tonight’s dance out of an abundance of caution. I write this with a heavy heart, as I know that our students were looking forward to this event. While this is a difficult decision, the safety of our students and staff is my top priority.

At this time, the threat is isolated to the dance. APS continues to work with the ACPD to address the information pertaining to this threat and will put additional resources in place as needed. We will share more specifics with students on Monday about refunds for tickets purchased to the dance. I created a video message for students about the decision to cancel that was shared during TA. I know that students will be upset with this decision, but again, it was made out of an abundance of caution. I am upset with the situation. But your child’s safety is the priority.

I want to thank the individuals that shared this information. Please remind and stress the importance to your children that if they hear or see something to talk to a trusted adult.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wiggins

JUST IN: Northbound I-395 blocked after high speed chase ends

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Northbound I-395 traffic is partially blocked at King Street, near Arlington border, after a reported high speed chase involving Virginia State Police.

After the chase ended with a crash, an apparent arrest could be seen being made in the middle of the highway, with a man kneeling down with his hands in the air.

Numerous Arlington police units were dispatched to the area, near Fairlington, to look for a suspect who may still be on the loose. Initial reports suggest that person may now be in custody.

Arlington medics are also en route due to at least one reported injury from the crash. The chase reached speeds of up to 120 mph as it traveled through Alexandria, Arlington officers were told by state police.

The highway was completely blocked immediately after the crash, but some traffic is now squeezing by the scene. Delays have been building and are now approaching the Landmark Mall.

ACPD: Pair beat man who tried to intervene in Crystal City dispute

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Police are looking for two men who seriously injured a would-be Good Samaritan who tried to intervene in a dispute in Crystal City.

The early morning incident happened around 2 a.m. Thursday, on the block of 23rd Street S. near the 7-Eleven and the Exxon station. It reportedly involved the victim, the suspects, and a woman with whom the pair were engaged in an argument.

Despite being serious injured, the victim declined medical treatment, according to police.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

… the male victim stated that at approximately 1:40 a.m., he observed a dispute between a female subject and the two male suspects. The victim intervened, during which Suspect One struck and kicked the victim. A witness assisted the victim who was able to enter his parked vehicle. Suspect One then struck and damaged the window to the vehicle before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and declined the treatment of medics.

The suspects remain at large and “the investigation is ongoing,” ACPD said.

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