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.
Arlington County police are investigating a bold, broad-daylight armed robbery near Ballston.
The robbery happened two days before Thanksgiving — around 3 p.m. Tuesday — on the 4600 block of Washington Blvd. Businesses on that block include the Sunoco gas station and market.
Police say a man went inside the business, brandished a gun, stole cash and then ran off. Responding officers were unable to locate him nearby.
More, below, from an ACPD crime report.
ROBBERY, 2023-11210134, 4600 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 3:11 p.m. on November 21, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, went behind the counter while brandishing a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers established a perimeter, broadcast a lookout and searched the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a tall, thin-build male with a medium complexion, wearing a black jacket, hoodie, jeans and a black mask. The investigation is ongoing.
Leaf collection in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
New Pike Partnership Leader — “With its current head moving into elected office in January, the Columbia Pike Partnership has tapped a new executive director. Andrew Schneider, who previously led Arlington Thrive, on Nov. 21 was announced as the successor to Kim Klingler, who has headed the Columbia Pike organization since 2019.” [Gazette Leader]
Financial Issues for Rosslyn Building — “A mezzanine lender is moving to foreclose on 1812 N. Moore St., according to an offering and a legal notice, making the Nestle USA headquarters building in Arlington the most prominent example of the commercial real estate debt crisis in the region.” [Washington Business Journal]
Jobs Growth in Arlington — “The growth of jobs within Arlington on a year-over-year basis is outpacing the national rate, according to new national figures. With 180,300 people counted as part of the workforce within the county (no matter where they live) in June, the annualized growth rate of 3.3 percent was above the national rate of 2.4 percent for the same period, according to figures reported Nov. 21 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” [Gazette Leader]
‘Knights’ Feed Thousands for Thanksgiving — “Arlington Knights are once again busy in the kitchen this Thanksgiving for a feast that has grown through the years. For 37 years, the Arlington Council of the Knights of Columbus has been known for its huge community Thanksgiving dinners that provide meals to thousands of guests.” [WJLA]
Local ‘Kindness Activist’ Profiled — “Susan Thompson-Gaines didn’t set out to be a kindness activist. It all started shortly after she and her husband, David, moved into a yellow house on a busy Arlington street corner in January of 2000. The home with the big wraparound porch is at a stoplight near Thomas Jefferson Middle School… They began putting little projects outside their house, inviting community members to participate: a camera to take pictures that would later be displayed; a Thanksgiving board with sticky notes where people could share what they were thankful for.” [Arlington Magazine]
It’s Friday — Partly sunny today, with a high near 52. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Tonight it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. [Weather.gov]
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
🌦️ Thursday’s forecast
Expect cloudy skies with occasional showers in the morning, followed by partial clearing in the afternoon. High temperatures will be around 76°F, with lows in the mid-50s overnight, and winds at 10 to 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with rainfall amounts near a quarter of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Recycling collection in Arlington (photo courtesy Arlington County)
Thanksgiving is one of the few times of the year when Arlington’s hardworking waste collection crews take a weekday off.
Trash, recycling and organics bins will not be emptied as usual on Thursday. Instead, collection will be delayed a day and extended into Saturday.
Likewise, parking meters will not be enforced on Thanksgiving Day and on Black Friday, a county spokesman confirmed to ARLnow.
Arlington County schools, offices, libraries and community centers will also be closed Thursday and Friday, though the Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center will be open Friday from 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
More on planned Thanksgiving closures, from a press release, below. Additional holiday closures can be found here.
Recycling/Trash/Organics Curbside Routes – No collection Thursday. Thursday routes run on Friday, Nov. 24; Friday routes run on Saturday, Nov. 25.
Leaf Collection – No first passes will be done on Thursday, Nov. 23. Vacuum trucks will resume leaf collection on Friday, Nov. 24.
Special Collections (Brush, Metal, E-waste) – No collection Thursday. Thursday routes run on Friday, Nov. 24; Friday routes run on Saturday, Nov. 25.
No Household Hazardous Material (HHM) facility drop-off appointments on Thursday.
HHM Facility is closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Saturday, Nov. 25.
Rosslyn surrounded by fall foliage, as seen from Waterfront Park in Georgetown (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Site Sold for Rosslyn Redevelopment — “Penzance has acquired Rosslyn Gateway, an aging two-tower office complex north of the Rosslyn Metro station, with an eye toward reviving a long-stalled redevelopment there. The D.C. real estate firm paid $52 million for the 1960s-era, 12-story buildings at 1901 and 1911 Fort Myer Drive, which together total about 255,000 square feet. The deal, which closed Nov. 14, works out to about $208 a square foot.” [Washington Business Journal]
Store Robbed, Employee Struck — “2700 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 5:40 p.m. on November 17, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown male suspect entered the business, collected alcohol and left the store without payment. A store employee then confronted the suspect during which a brief struggle over the merchandise ensued. The suspect then entered his vehicle and reversed, hitting the employee and another parked vehicle before he fled the scene. No injuries were reported.” [ACPD]
Elementary Students on APS Committees? — “As part of a rewrite of school-system policies and their implementation procedures, Superintendent Francisco Durán and his staff are asking the School Board to allow students, in schools that potentially will be renamed, to serve on the public committees that debate the matter and recommend potential changes. Not just for high schools – which long has been the case – but apparently all the way down to the elementary-school level.” [Gazette Leader]
Motorcyclist Crashes into Car — From Dave Statter: “A car stopped in the right lane of N. Barton Street in Arlington County (VA) last night. The motorcyclist behind them did not. This was just before 7 p.m. near 10th Street. @ArlingtonVaFD and @ArlingtonVaPD handled.” [Twitter]
Church Hosts Thanksgiving Giveaway — “Thanksgiving came early for families in need benefiting from Mount Olive Baptist Church’s holiday food giveaway, a Nov. 18 event that brought hundreds, on foot and in vehicles, to the Arlington View community. Frozen turkeys and fresh-from-the-farm sweet potatoes and collard greens were part of the distribution, augmented by other fruits, vegetables and non-perishable items.” [Gazette Leader]
Local Baseball Team Victorious — “The Arlington Travel Baseball 14-under Arsenal team recently won two tournaments, finishing 8-0 across the competitions and allowing just four runs with five shutouts. The team’s first triumph was in the Coach Fox Fall Classic in Arlington… The following weekend, the Arsenal bested 10 other teams to win the Sykesville Maryland Wood Bat Classic without allowing a run.” [Gazette Leader]
No Publishing Tomorrow — Due to the Thanksgiving holiday ARLnow will not be publishing tomorrow. On Black Friday, depending on the news of the day we may publish on a limited schedule in the morning.
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 20% chance of rain before 10am, followed by partly sunny skies and a high near 61, with northwest winds at 7-14 mph and gusts up to 21 mph. Expect a mostly cloudy Wednesday night with a low of 41 and winds at 11-16 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Thanksgiving Day will be sunny and 55 degrees, accompanied by northwest winds at 8-13 mph and gusts as high as 22 mph. [Weather.gov]
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast
There’s a slight chance of rain before 10am, with partly sunny conditions and a high of 61°F. Expect northwest winds of 7-12 mph, increasing to 13-18 mph in the afternoon and gusting up to 28 mph. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low of 41°F, and winds will blow at 11-16 mph with gusts up to 23 mph. Thanksgiving Day will be sunny with a high of 55°F; winds will be 8-13 mph and will gust up to 22 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Inside the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall around the holidays (file photo)
Thanksgiving around the corner means that the most famous shopping period of them all is also almost here.
Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday will bring big deals and throngs of customers to malls, shops and websites in Arlington and across the U.S.
In anticipation of the post-Thanksgiving shopping binge, we’re wondering how many ARLnow readers are actually planning to partake.
Are you planning to shop at some point Friday through Monday? Are you holding off until later? Or are you one of those organized people who have already completed your gift shopping?
Rain and wet leaves on the street in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Could County Governance Change? — “Democratic control of both houses of the General Assembly in 2024 may make it more likely that proposed changes to Arlington’s century-old governance process could find success in Richmond… The package of proposed changes adopted by the Civic Federation includes expanding County Board and School Board seats from the current five each to at least seven; changing the existing election cycle that includes at least one seat on each body being up for grabs each year; using ranked-choice elections to choose local officials.” [Gazette Leader]
Another Gun Confiscated at DCA — “Security officials prevented a Virginia man from bringing a loaded handgun onto a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Sunday, according to the Transportation Security Administration.” [Patch]
Large Water Main Break — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services yesterday: “Emergency Water Main Repairs: Crew working on 8-inch main break at Army Navy Drive and S Nash St. Some 50 customers could be affected in nearby high-rise. Estimated time for completion: 9:30pm. Traffic detoured around work site.” [Twitter]
Reunion at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery — “Once a Tomb Sentinel, always a Tomb Sentinel Former #OldGuard Tomb Sentinels and their families from the Society of the Honor Guard returned to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice with a wreath and a rose ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” [Twitter]
Weather Woes May Repeat — “The storm could slow air and ground transportation on Tuesday and Wednesday, two of the busiest travel days of the year… A third storm system may also attempt to develop over the South on Friday, and it could bring another wave of rain and snow to the East Coast into Saturday.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Tuesday — Expect rain to begin after 10am with a high of 53°F and east winds at 8-18 mph, gusting up to 29 mph. A 100% chance of precipitation with accumulation between half and three-quarters of an inch. Tuesday night, rain continues mainly before 1am with lows around 47°F. Southeast winds at 13-18 mph, with gusts up to 28 mph. Precipitation remains at a 100% chance, with an additional 1 to 2 inches possible. [Weather.gov]
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
(Updated at 11:45 a.m.) A man was shot Monday night while riding in a car, according to Arlington County police.
Police were dispatched shortly before 7:45 p.m. to the intersection of Langston Blvd and N. Kirkwood Road for an apparent shooting. Initial reports suggest the man was riding in the passenger seat of a car when he was shot in the face, near the eye, and started bleeding.
He was not sure when and where the shooting happened, according to scanner traffic.
The victim was rushed to a local hospital in what was initially described as critical condition, but ACPD said just before 10 p.m. that he was in stable condition.
UPDATE: The victim is in stable condition. Police continue to investigate the circumstances that preceded the shooting. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact ACPD's tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected].
In a press release late Tuesday morning, ACPD said the man was shot along Route 110 near Memorial Bridge, in was is suggested to be a road rage incident.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a shooting which occurred on the evening of November 20, 2023.
At approximately 7:42 p.m., police were dispatched to the 3100 block of Langston Boulevard for the report of an assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, officers located the adult male victim in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began rendering aid before the victim was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. He is in stable condition.
The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and a witness were driving on Richmond Highway when the suspect vehicle, which had two occupants, pulled alongside them and a verbal dispute over driving ensued. In the area of Richmond Highway and Memorial Avenue, an occupant of the suspect vehicle brandished a firearm and discharged rounds, striking the victim. Following the shooting, the driver of the victim vehicle traveled to the 3100 block of Langston Boulevard and sought help.
The suspect vehicle is described as a black sedan. The driver is described as a Black female with shoulder length hair. The passenger is described as a Black male wearing a face mask.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
🌧️ Tuesday’s forecast
Expect rain to begin after 9 am, with a high near 53 and breezy east winds at 9-14 mph, increasing to 15-20 mph in the afternoon with gusts up to 32 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%, and we may see between a half and three-quarters of an inch of rainfall. Tuesday night, the rain will mainly occur before 1 am and could be heavy at times, with a low around 47. Southeast winds at 15-20 mph will shift to the west at 7-12 mph after midnight, with potential gusts up to 31 mph. The chance of precipitation remains 100%, and we may see an additional 1-2 inches of rain. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Yes, Neville is a pigeon. No, Neville is not a wild pigeon. Yes, Neville would make a great pet and companion!
Domestic pigeons can make wonderful pets — they are smart, social, and become very close with their people.
They tend to be very calm and easy-going, and can be comfortable around other pets (as long as they are kept safe and supervised).
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.
