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.

NEW: Two arrested after incorrect order leads to violence at local McDonald’s

By ARLnow.com

An employee at a local McDonald’s was beat up over an incorrect order last night.

The alleged incident happened around 11 p.m. Monday on the 5000 block of Wilson Blvd, in Arlington’s Bluemont neighborhood, west of Ballston.

Police say they were dispatched to “the report of a dispute at a business” when they spotted a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle involved in the dispute. They were trying to pull the car over, at the busy intersection of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd in Ballston, when “the driver accelerated and proceeded through two red lights before coming to a stop.”

“The passenger, Suspect Two, then attempted to flee on foot but was located by officers and taken into custody,” said the Arlington County Police Department, in a crime report this afternoon “The driver, Suspect One, remained in the vehicle and was taken into custody.”

According to ACPD, the incident stemmed from an incorrect order the suspects received at a restaurant drive-thru.

“The investigation determined that the two suspects had become involved in a verbal dispute with an employee after receiving an incorrect order through the drive-thru,” said the police department. “Suspect One allegedly threw a water bottle through the window, before parking the vehicle and entering the business. Suspect One continued the dispute with the employee before the two suspects began physically assaulting and striking the employee.”

The employee was taken to a local hospital with what are described by police as non-life threatening injuries. Though ACPD generally does not name businesses that are victims of crimes, the only late-night drive-thru on that block of Wilson Blvd is the McDonald’s.

The suspects who were arrested, a man and a woman, are both in their mid-20s.

The woman, a D.C. resident whose first name is Justice, is charged with Malicious Wounding and Eluding Police. She was previously convicted of petty larceny in Arlington in 2018 and had her entire sentence suspended, but never paid the fine, according to court records.

The man, a resident of Capitol Heights, Maryland, is charged with Assault and Battery and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. His previous felony conviction was not in Arlington.

Both suspects are set to be in court for a bail hearing tomorrow.

Covid cases still falling in Arlington, down 60% from peak

By ARLnow.com
Covid cases in Arlington as of Jan. 25, 2022 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

The average rate of new daily Covid cases in Arlington has dropped about 60% between the Jan. 12 peak and today.

The latest Virginia Dept. of Health data shows a seven-day moving average of 259 cases per day in Arlington, down from 646 less than two weeks ago. Daily cases have been below 250 in each of the past four days.

Test positivity rates also continue to drop, reaching a seven-day moving average of 18.2% today, down from a peak of 29.3% on Jan. 2. About 1,800 tests from Arlington are being reported to VDH each day, on average, down from a peak of over 2,600 on Dec. 24.

The data point to the current Omicron-variant-fueled Covid wave continuing to wane locally, following regional and national trends. That will help ease Covid-related disruptions to everything from schools to childcare to medical staffing.

In his weekly public Facebook post, Virginia Hospital Center ER chief Mike Silverman wrote Friday that while cases are declining, the raw numbers remain high.

“Although Omicron is still surging throughout much of the US, it does appear that around NoVa, we’re declining from our peak. In the ER, new case numbers have fallen 65% from our peak 4 weeks ago,” Silverman wrote.

“The numbers are still 3-5 fold higher than in the fall,” he continued. “We’re still seeing plenty of COVID and people are still dying with COVID, but as an emergency department, we’re able to take a breath and we appreciate the surge is coming to an end. Our inpatient census is also down 30% percent from the peak.”

Silverman noted that “in the grand scheme of things, the Omicron variant is milder than Delta” — something that is reflected in the VDH stats. Hospitalizations among Arlington’s highly-vaccinated populace remain elevated, but at a lower level than might otherwise be expected given the record number of cases over the past month.

An average of two Covid-related hospitalizations have been reported each day in Arlington over the past week. Two Covid deaths have also been reported over the past week, including one today, according to VDH.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Wreaths being removed from Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday (Photo by Staff Sgt. Priscilla Desormeaux/U.S. Army National Guard)

Beyer Running for Reelection — “U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D) made it official on Monday. He will be running again to represent the Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, according to a statement released Monday. Victoria Virasingh, who launched her campaign back in August, will face Beyer in the Democratic Party Primary on June 21. So far, two GOP candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for the 8th Congressional District seat, Monica Carpio and Heerak Christian Kim.” [Patch]

Fate of Police Auditor Bill Uncertain — “Legislators working on behalf of a request from the Arlington County government are shepherding measures through the General Assembly providing for creation of an independent police auditor for the county… an enabling measure by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington-Fairfax-Loudoun) cleared the Committee on Local Government 10-5, but passed the state Senate on a slim party-line 21-19 vote. That could spell trouble in the House of Delegates, where Republicans now hold the majority.” [Sun Gazette]

Tires and Rims Stolen in Crystal City — “2100 block of Richmond Highway. At approximately 1:34 p.m. on January 23, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 2:00 p.m. on January 22 and 1:23 p.m. on January 23, the unknown suspect(s) stole tires and rims from four vehicles. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.” [ACPD]

Rainy Snow Day Was Forecast Failure — “It wasn’t quite a mea culpa, and there was a lot of shade cast in other directions, but Superintendent Francisco Durán kinda, sorta intimated that school officials blew the call in closing schools on Jan. 20 for what turned out to be… rain. ‘This one was very difficult,’ Dúran told School Board members at their meeting later that night. ‘The forecast we had… did not pan out as expected from what we received from our local weather and national weather sources.'” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Tuesday — Today will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 44 and wind gusts as high as 22 mph. Sunrise at 7:19 a.m. and sunset at 5:22 p.m. Tomorrow will be sunny, with a high near 30 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph. [Weather.gov]

Photo by Staff Sgt. Priscilla Desormeaux/U.S. Army National Guard

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Demolition almost complete on Central Methodist Central Church in Ballston (photo courtesy Dale Reisfield)

Water Main Break Repaired in Courthouse — A significant water main break on N. Courthouse Road, near Arlington police headquarters, was repaired in less than 24 hours by county crews over the weekend, after shutting down the road for an extended period of time. [Twitter, Twitter]

Pentagon City Apartment Building Sold — “The Millennium at Metropolitan Park — an apartment building located directly across from where Amazon.com Inc.’s first HQ2 buildings are under construction in Pentagon City — is under new ownership. Affiliates of D.C.’s The UIP Cos. Inc. and Hawthorne, New Jersey’s Churchill Living have purchased the 19-story, 300-unit building located at 1330 S. Fair St. from New York-based Clarion Partners LLC in a deal that closed Thursday.” [Washington Business Journal]

Driver Eludes ACPD on Four Flats — From Dave Statter: “Caught on video: An unusual @ArlingtonVaPD pursuit of a stolen car. While it was through heavy I-395 traffic it was low speed. The car had 4 flats thanks to police spikes.” [Twitter]

It’s Monday — Today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Sunrise at 7:20 a.m. and sunset at 5:21 p.m. Tomorrow there is a slight chance of rain showers after 1 p.m., mixing with snow after 4 p.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy with a high near 43. [Weather.gov]

Open houses in Arlington this weekend

By ARLnow.com
825 S. Irving Street

A cold, but clear weekend is in the forecast this weekend and it’s a great time to visit a few open houses across Arlington.

According to Homesnap, there were 103 new listings in the past 4 weeks. The median list price is $600,000 and the median sales price is $642,500, with 66 price changes. Currently, there are 398 homes for sale.

Below are a few listings with open houses this weekend:

  • 2334 N. Vermont Street
    6 BD/6.5 BA single-family home
    Noteworthy: Four levels, elevator, private patio
    Listed: $2,250,000
    Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
  • 4106 Round Hill Road
    4 BD/3.5 BA single-family home
    Noteworthy: Two wood burning fireplaces, renovated full bathroom
    Listed: $1,295,000
    Open: Saturday, 1-4 p.m.
  • 1881 N. Nash Street #1205
    1 BD/1.5 BA condo
    Noteworthy: Floor-to-ceiling windows, balcony, porcelain tile floors
    Listed: $899,900
    Open: Saturday, 2-4 p.m.
  • 3409 Wilson Boulevard #601
    2 BD/2 BA condo
    Noteworthy: Corner unit, balcony, two parking spaces
    Listed: $780,000
    Open: Saturday, 12-2 p.m.
  • 825 S. Irving Street
    2 BD/2 BA single-family home
    Noteworthy: Flat backyard, private parking, wood floors
    Listed: $615,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
  • 907 S. Rolfe Street #1
    2 BD/2.5 BA townhome
    Noteworthy: Private patio, brick privacy wall, bamboo floors
    Listed: $495,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

Image via Google Maps

NEW: Covid cases falling in Arlington, following regional trends

By ARLnow.com
Covid cases in Arlington as of Jan. 20, 2022 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

The average rate of new Covid cases in Arlington has fallen nearly 40% since peaking eight days ago.

That’s according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data, which is in line with regional trends that show cases falling in D.C., Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Montgomery County (Md.), among other Washington area localities.

VDH is reporting a seven-day moving average of 396 cases per day in Arlington, down from 646 per day at the Jan. 12 peak. Today 363 cases were reported — prior to the current Omicron-variant-fueled surge in cases, that would have been nearly twice the previous single-day case record from January 2021.

Arlington’s test positivity rate is also steadily falling, reaching 22.1% today, down from the Jan. 2 peak of 29.3%.

Covid test positivity rate in Arlington as of Jan. 20, 2022 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Hospitalizations remain elevated, with a seven-day moving average of four Covid-related hospitalizations per day as of today. That’s down from five per day on Sunday.

So far in January, there have been 62 Covid-related hospitalizations and a net of three reported deaths in Arlington, according to VDH.

Currently, 95.1% of Arlington’s adult population has received at least one vaccination dose.

Covid hospitalizations in Arlington as of Jan. 20, 2022 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Appaloosa

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Don’t let her face fool you, Appaloosa is a sweet and playful girl and the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week.

Her friends at Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation have a few things to say about her:

A gorgeous black and orange tortie, this one and a half year old may be full-grown but she is still a kitten at heart.

Energetic and playful, she needs a home with lots of toys and playmates that are willing to play with her. She is a sweet girl who follows her foster mom from room to room and likes to cuddle with her in bed.

She would do best in a home with another playful young cat or as a solo cat.

Check out Appaloosa’s complete profile to learn more and watch her playful side shine!

Feds release new details about Jan. 6 weapons cache at Arlington hotel

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Members of the Oath Keepers militia group used the Comfort Inn in Ballston as a weapons cache during the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to new details released by federal prosecutors.

Militia members brought “firearms, ammunition, and related items” to the hotel in advance of Jan. 6, federal prosecutors say. Some details of the hotel’s unwitting role in the insurrection were previously reported. Surveillance photos from the hotel show large gun cases being wheeled in on luggage carts.

Indictments against militia members for “seditious conspiracy,” unsealed last week, outline how some militia members stayed outside of D.C. that day, awaiting orders to transport weapons to the city. They used encrypted chat apps and ham radios to communicate, federal prosecutors said.

“While certain Oath Keepers members and affiliates breached the Capitol grounds and building, others remained stationed just outside of the city in quick reaction force (QRF) teams,” said a Justice Department press release. “According to the indictment, the QRF teams were prepared to rapidly transport firearms and other weapons into Washington, D.C., in support of operations aimed at using force to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power.”

In one indictment, the Comfort Inn, located along N. Glebe Road near the entrance to I-66, is referred to by militia members as the “QRF hotel.” It was apparently not the only one. The indictment also shows militia members discussing “several well equipped QRFs outside DC.”

Oath Keeper member and Phoenix resident Edward Vallejo, who is among those charged with seditious conspiracy, was one of the people who stayed behind in Ballston while violence at the Capitol raged, prosecutors say. From the indictment:

Vallejo and others were on standby at the Comfort Inn Ballston, monitoring communications from the co-conspirators on the ground inside Washington, D.C., and awaiting a call to bring the weapons to the co-conspirators.

[…]

At 2:38 p.m., Vallejo messaged the Leadership Signal Chat, “QRF standing by at hotel. Just say the word…”

That night, as Congress resumed its counting of the electoral votes, Vallejo and other militia members “met at a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia to celebrate their attack on the Capitol and discuss next steps,” according to federal prosecutors. There’s no indication that the weapons ever left the hotel that day.

There is also no word in Justice Department filings about potential militia activities elsewhere in Arlington. ARLnow previously reported on a group of 8 to 10 men who gathered at the Iwo Jima memorial with communication equipment while the Capitol was attacked, but there is no indication that any of them has been accused of a crime.

Vallejo is being held in custody pending a detention hearing this week, the Washington Post reported.

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Poll: Should APS continue to require masks in schools?

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools is not alone in defying Virginia’s new governor.

One of the first acts in office for Gov. Glenn Younkin (R) was an executive order intended to let parents decided whether their children wear masks to school. But APS — along with Alexandria and Fairfax County, among other public school systems — says that masks are still required, despite the order.

APS argues that state and federal law still requires masks in schools and on buses, and thus the governor’s order is, essentially, invalid. Youngkin hinted that a legal clash may follow.

“The fact that that tweet came out from Arlington County within minutes of my executive order, what that tells me is that they have not listened to parents yet,” Youngkin said, when asked about it by a WTOP reporter. “We will use every resource within the governor’s authority to explore what we can do and will do in order to make sure parents’ rights are protected.”

On Twitter and in interviews, Arlington’s Democratic state lawmakers backed the local school system.

Also issuing a statement of support for APS was a notable Arlington resident: White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

“Hi there. Arlington county parent here (don’t believe you are @GlennYoungkin but correct me if I am wrong),” President Biden’s primary spokesperson said on Twitter. “Thank you to @APSVirginia for standing up for our kids, teachers and administrators and their safety in the midst of a transmissible variant.”

Legality aside, Youngkin’s executive order suggested that, in practicality, requiring masks in schools is ineffective and fails to substantially reduce virus transmission.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends use of masks, and has published studies showing more Covid cases among schools without universal masking policies. But some have questioned the science behind the CDC’s guidance.

At last check, there were nearly 1,000 confirmed Covid cases among students and staff in the seven days following their return to school from winter break and a week of snow days.

What do you think: should APS stand firm on its masking policies, or do you support Youngkin’s call to make masks optional at schools?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Snow being plowed (Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann)

Weekend Snowfall Total — From the Capital Weather Gang: “Observer at Reagan National Airport reports 2.6 inches, pushing Jan. total to 12.2″ – most since 2016 and more than double the norm. Most of the immediate area saw 1.5 to 3 inches.” [Twitter]

Long-time Hospital CEO Retiring — “Virginia Hospital Center ‘was quite a different place’ when Jim Cole arrived in 1985, he recalls… Now 37 years later, Cole is getting ready to retire from one of the area’s only independently owned hospitals — for real, this time after delaying his planned departure in 2020 to remain at the helm through the Covid-19 pandemic.” [Washington Business Journal]

‘Smart Restart APS’ Donates Masks — “Over the winter break, a bunch of other Arlington parents joined Headrick’s effort. They collected money and drove to Home Depots and hardware stores in three states to buy all the available masks they could.
This week, the group donated about 6,000 masks to APS. They will be distributed to all full-time and part-time school employees.” [Patch]

Fire Dept. Recruits Graduate — “After 30 weeks of hard work, ACFD Recruit Class 80 graduates today with 25 new Probationary FF/EMT’s.” [Twitter]

New Va. Gov. Inaugurated — “Virginia began a new chapter Saturday with the inauguration of Glenn Youngkin, the first Republican governor to take the oath of office in 12 years. In his inauguration speech, Youngkin promised a change in direction in the state, with shifts on COVID-19 policies, education, criminal justice and taxes. Youngkin was sworn in as the commonwealth’s 74th governor on the steps of the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond.” [NBC 4]

Fmr. Gov. Says Farewell — From Ralph and Pam Northam: “It has been the honor of our lifetimes to serve as your 73rd Governor and First Lady. From the bottom of our hearts–thank you, Virginia.” [Twitter]

Another Storm Possible This Week — “The European modeling system Monday morning showed a number of projections that would offer some snow but also had some that showed dry weather. On Sunday, one of the model runs from the American modeling system showed a snowstorm, then the next took it away. Monday morning’s run of the model has the storm just missing us to the southeast, but it’s close.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Tuesday — A couple of brisk days are on tap. Today will be sunny, with a high near 39. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Sunrise at 7:23 a.m. and sunset at 5:14 p.m. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high near 48. Southwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. [Weather.gov]

Photo courtesy Wolfkann/Flickr

Wind Advisory in effect today

By ARLnow.com

A brief bout of flurries earlier this morning was the last precipitation to fall as a result of our latest winter storm. Now comes the wind.

A Wind Advisory is now in effect, until 10 p.m. tonight. Gusty winds up to 55 mph could bring down waterlogged trees and branches, knocking out power.

As of publication there are no outages of note in Arlington, though the wind should be its gustiest in the afternoon and evening hours.

More from the National Weather Service:

932 AM EST Mon Jan 17 2022

…WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING…

* WHAT…West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.

* WHERE…The District of Columbia, portions of central, north central, northeast, northern and southern Maryland, northern, northwest and western Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

* WHEN…Until 10 PM EST this evening.

* IMPACTS…Damaging winds will likely blow down scattered trees and power lines. Scattered power outages are possible. Loose outdoor objects may be blown away or damaged.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high
profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

View More Stories