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.

JUST IN: Overnight ice threat looms as sidewalk shoveling deadline nears

By ARLnow.com
A crew shovels snow in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

If you have a sidewalk on your property, you now have less than 12 hours to clear away the snow and ice from it.

Arlington’s snow removal ordinance, approved in 2010, gives owners 36 hours to shovel public sidewalks adjacent to their property after a storm with more than six inches of snow accumulation.

According to the county website, that means the deadline is 2 a.m. tonight.

“A recent weather event has concluded and deposited snow/ice accumulations of more than 6 inches,” the county says. “Arlington’s sidewalk snow removal ordinance requires residents and businesses to clear adjacent public sidewalks of snow and ice by 2:00 A.M. on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.”

Those cleared sidewalks — and roads — could be icy by tomorrow morning, however. A period of light freezing rain is possible overnight, forecasters say.

From the National Weather Service:

244 PM EST Tue Jan 4 2022

…POTENTIAL WINTER COMMUTING HAZARD FOR THE BALTIMORE / WASHINGTON METRO AREAS WEDNESDAY MORNING…

There is a potential for hazardous commuting conditions for the Wednesday morning commute. A period of light freezing rain is POSSIBLE (a 30 to 50 percent chance) Wednesday morning across the Baltimore / Washington metro areas with a light glaze of ice possible on area roads.

If this threat does materialize during the Wednesday morning rush-hour, many roads could quickly turn icy. This could lead to dangerous traveling conditions, multiple accidents, and extensive delays.

If commuting Wednesday morning, be aware of the POSSIBILITY of significant travel disruptions. Plan ahead by allowing for extra travel time, and consider using public transportation and telework options.

Stay tuned for updates on this potential winter weather episode.

The freezing rain threat is greatest east of I-95, however, and Arlington was not included in a just-issued Winter Weather Advisory.

One in four people getting tested in Arlington are positive for Covid

By ARLnow.com
Covid positivity rate in Arlington as of 1/4/22 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Exactly one month ago, the average Covid test positivity rate in Arlington was 3.5%. Today that rate is 26.1%.

The positivity rate has been soaring amid a Covid wave fueled by the highly-contagious Omicron variant. The wave has produced sky-high case totals, but has yet to correspond to a surge in serious illness.

Yesterday Arlington reported its highest seven-day moving average of new cases, 491 cases per day, before dropping today as the New Year’s holiday and the winter storm tamp down on testing. On Friday, before the holiday, Arlington set a fresh single-day case record, with 784 new Covid cases reported.

Covid cases in Arlington as of 1/4/22 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

The average daily rate of hospitalizations for Covid among Arlington’s highly-vaccinated population has risen slightly, to just over one per day, but that’s a far cry from the levels of serious illness earlier in the pandemic.

No new deaths have been reported over the past week, per Virginia Dept. of Health data.

Covid hospitalizations in Arlington as of 1/4/22 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

While the hospitalization numbers in Arlington are relatively low, that’s not necessarily the case statewide. Hospitals across the Commonwealth “are becoming overwhelmed” amid rising illness, the Virginia Dept. of Health said last week.

“The VDH urges everyone to reserve hospitals for emergencies,” the state health department said. “If you have mild coronavirus symptoms or a non-serious illness, avoid unnecessary hospital trips.”

Virginia Hospital Center ER chief Mike Silverman wrote in his weekly update this past Friday that the hospital is also seeing an increase in cases.

Although Omicron appears less dangerous than Delta, last week our hospital inpatient COVID volume was 40% of our prior peak number. This week, it’s over 70%. Although the overall morbidity and mortality rates may be lower with Omicron across the population, the actual numbers of patients getting sick with COVID may exceed any hospital’s capacity to care for those requiring it. In the ER, we’ve set records when it comes to the numbers of patients we’ve diagnosed with COVID. COVID isolation orders have doubled in the past week and represents about half of our daily volume. Fortunately, the admission rate on these patients is about 15%. In previous surges, this number was 40%.

Consistent with all the other places you’ve seen case counts, we’ve had a 10-fold increase in the number of positive covid tests in our ER compared to 2 weeks ago. About 41% of our patients are testing positive -this is about a 60% positivity rate when looking at symptomatic patients (was 13% one month ago) and 25% positivity when screening patients (admissions, transfers, non-covid symptoms). This number was <1% a month ago. The number of tests we perform weekly has doubled from a month ago while the positive numbers have increased 30-fold (this was tricky math for me, but I think it’s right).

Despite the continued rise in cases, the high positivity rate and challenges with testing suggest that there are potentially a lot more people getting infected than are getting tested and submitted to the VDH database as positive cases.

After closures over the weekend for the New Year’s holiday, for instance, county Covid testing booths — which have seen huge lines for the past couple of weeks — are closed again today due to the winter storm.

At-home tests, meanwhile, remain hard to come by. At a CVS on Columbia Pike today, a sign says that due to the winter storm the store will not receive more test kits tomorrow, as originally expected.

(more…)

Serial hit and run suspect tased after Columbia Pike crash

By ARLnow.com
Police response to a hit and run suspect on Columbia Pike on Dec. 29, 2021 (via Arlington County)

(Updated at 2 p.m.) An Alexandria man suspected in five separate hit-and-run crashes was tased by police in an incident that shut down Columbia Pike last week.

On the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 29, police were dispatched to the intersection of the Pike and S. Greenbrier Street for a report of a crash. They encountered a man in a damaged vehicle who refused to come out.

Even as more officers arrived, the man just sat in the vehicle, at some point reaching for something under the seat, according to scanner traffic at the time. Police, fearing that the man might have a weapon, requested bulletproof shields, while additional units rushed to the scene.

Eventually, officers used a Taser to subdue the man and take him into custody. Columbia Pike was blocked during the evening rush hour incident.

A subsequent investigation determined that the 34-year-old man had struck four vehicles in Arlington and one in Fairfax County before finally coming to a stop at the Pike and Greenbrier, according to police. He’s now facing multiple hit and run charges, as well as a charge of driving under the influence.

None of the hit-and-run victims were injured, police said.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below.

HIT AND RUN (significant), 2021-12290153, Columbia Pike at S. Greenbrier Street. At approximately 4:39 p.m. on December 29, police were dispatched to the report of a hit and run just occurred. Based upon information from witnesses in the area, arriving officers located the suspect vehicle, which had sustained significant damage, and attempted to make contact with the suspect. The suspect ignored multiple lawful commands from officers to exit the vehicle. Officers then removed the vehicle’s driver side window and attempted to remove the suspect, however the suspect continued to ignore their commands and resist arrest. Officers deployed a TASER and the suspect was subsequently taken into custody without further incident. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that prior to officers arrival, the suspect allegedly struck four vehicles in Arlington County and was involved in an additional hit and run in Fairfax County. No injuries were reported by the victims and the suspect was treated on scene by medics before being transported to an area hospital to be medically evaluated. [The suspect], 34, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Felony Hit and Run (x2), Attempted Felony Hit and Run, Driving Under the Influence, and Obstruction of Justice. He was also served with outstanding warrants out of Fairfax County. He was held without bond.

Man arrested after second food delivery robbery in Westover

By ARLnow.com

For the second time in three days, a food delivery driver was robbed last week by a knife-wielding man in Westover. This time, however, an arrest was made.

The first incident, as previously reported, happened last Tuesday around noon, on the 5800 block of Washington Blvd in Westover.

“The victim was delivering food items to the suspect’s residence when the suspect opened the door and allegedly produced a knife and demanded that the victim leave the items,” an Arlington County Police Department crime report said. “The victim placed the items on the ground and left the scene before contacting dispatch. Warrants were obtained for the suspect. The investigation is ongoing.”

The second incident happened Thursday around dinner time, in much the same manner. From ACPD:

ROBBERY, 2021-12300151, 5800 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 6:40 p.m. on December 30, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was delivering food items to the suspect’s residence when the suspect opened the door and allegedly produced a box cutter and demanded that the victim leave the items. The victim placed the items down, exited the building and contacted police. Officers obtained warrants for Robbery and Defrauding a Restaurant for [The suspect], 36, of Arlington, VA.

It was not until Sunday, however, that officers went to arrest the man. A barricade situation and attempt to flee from police ensued.

“When officers attempted to serve the warrants at the suspect’s residence on January 2, he barricaded himself inside the apartment before attempting to flee out of a second story window,” said the crime report. “He was taken into custody and transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Ballston in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

More Snow Looks Likely This Week — “Believe it or not, we have a chance of more accumulating snow Thursday night. This is unlikely to rival today’s storm, but could produce a few inches in parts of the region depending on how it evolves.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Local Legislative Event Now Virtual — Today at 7 p.m., the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City will host a public forum for locals to speak with their representatives to the state Senate and the House of Delegates. The event has moved to Zoom due to rising Covid concerns. A Zoom link will be provided to those who register online. [Eventbrite]

Video: Motorcycle Ride in the Snow — “Last time I rode a scooter in the snow was in Seoul Korea. Wanted to see how it is in Northern Virginia. Took it from Clarendon to Courthouse for lunch. The snow is packed and icy, so not possible to drive fast except on the main roads in some parts. I had a couple close calls where the tire slipped sideways.” [YouTube]

Bill Would Nix Arlington SRO Decision — “The Arlington School Board would be required to reinstate school-resource officers at local schools under legislation to be considered in the upcoming General Assembly session. Among those putting in bills on the topic is Del.-elect Timothy Anderson (R-Virginia Beach), whose measure – HB37, filed Dec. 30 – would require every school system to sign agreements with law-enforcement agencies to provide at least one resource officer for every high school and middle school, and at least one officer for every five elementary schools.” [Sun Gazette]

Reminder: Bag Tax Now in Effect — “Arlington County will begin imposing a 5-cent plastic bag tax… Effective Jan. 1, 2022, [Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County] will tax plastic bags from grocery stores, convenience shops and drugstores.” [ARLnow]

It’s Tuesday — Today will be sunny, with a high near 37 and a low of 27. Sunrise at 7:27 a.m. and sunset at 4:59 p.m. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 44, a low of 32 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph. [Weather.gov]

More closures Tuesday amid refreeze concern, plow crew shortages

By ARLnow.com
Looking down Lynn Street in Rosslyn toward Georgetown, in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 10 a.m.) A frigid night is on tap and the refreezing of melting snow could make roads and sidewalks extra slippery.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued a Special Weather Statement about the ice concerns overnight:

…Icy Patches Likely Overnight Into Tuesday Morning… Falling temperatures and water from melted snow will result in patchy ice on area roads overnight into early Tuesday. This will be especially problematic on untreated roadways. Motorists should exercise extra caution overnight into early Tuesday, and assume that any surfaces which look wet or slushy may in fact be icy.

Adding to the driving danger in Arlington: many neighborhood roads have yet to be touched by a snow plow. As of Monday night, the county remained in “Phase 2” of its snow removal plan, during which crews focus on primary and secondary roads only.

Arlington snow plow map as of 10:15 p.m. The roads in red have not yet been plowed. (via Arlington County)

Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says that crews will “work throughout the night to clear roadways,” but the county said Monday night what some had suspected: that Covid has reduced snow plow staffing.

“The County’s snow removal is currently impacted by COVID-19 related staffing shortages,” the county said. “Roads are being cleared as quickly and safely as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

Monday’s winter storm was one for the record books.

The 6.9 inches of accumulation recorded at Reagan National Airport is a new official D.C. record for Jan. 3 and the first major snowfall event in about three years. In Arlington, storm spotters reported between 6.5 and 9.2 inches of snow, with higher amounts generally to the south.

The storm’s impact will be felt Tuesday and perhaps beyond.

As previously reported, Arlington Public Schools will be closed while trash collection has been cancelled for both Monday and Tuesday. Additionally, Arlington County government offices, recreation centers, vaccination clinics, and — as of Tuesday morning — Covid testing booths will be closed on Tuesday.

The federal government will be opening on a three hour delay on Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management said tonight.

While unnecessary travel is being discouraged, particularly overnight, limited bus service is now available.

After being suspended for most of the day, some Metrobus service started a gradual return as of 6 p.m. ART bus service in Arlington is currently expected to be restored at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

It’s going to be a cold night, meanwhile, for more than a thousand households around Arlington.

As of 10:30 p.m., 1,240 homes and businesses were without power in Arlington, according to Dominion. It could be days before the outages, scattered across the county, are fully resolved.

“Please prepare for the possibility of being without power for multiple days,” power company spokeswoman Peggy Fox said tonight. “This is a multi-day restoration effort.”

Dominion reported more than 90,000 customers without power across Northern Virginia — and even more statewide — Monday night.

JUST IN: Man rescued after car careens off GW Parkway, down embankment

By ARLnow.com
Fire department rescue unit (file photo, courtesy Arlington County Fire Department)

A man is being brought to safety by fireboat after his car careened a couple of hundred feet off the GW Parkway in Arlington.

The crash happened just before 6 p.m., on the Parkway near Donaldson Run, amid treacherous driving conditions from today’s winter storm. The driver — the only occupant of the vehicle — was trapped inside the car and suspended upside down, with a broken arm and leg, according to initial reports.

First responders were able to reach the vehicle despite “complex access issues,” using ropes to lower themselves down the embankment while fire boats assisted near the shoreline.

After being extricated from the vehicle, the man is now being brought to a waiting ambulance at Columbia Island Marina via D.C. fire boat.

More via Twitter:

Snow cancels two days of trash, recycling and Christmas tree collection this week

By ARLnow.com
Snow on trash and recycling cans in North Arlington (staff photo)

If you live in a home that gets Arlington County’s trash collection service, with a Monday or Tuesday collection day, prepare to hang on to your refuse for another week.

Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Service said in an email this afternoon that Monday and Tuesday trash, recycling and organics collection has been cancelled due to “safety issues related to today’s storm.” Christmas tree collection has also been cancelled for those two days.

For those who now have to hold on to their trash for an extra week, “excess trash can be stored and placed curbside in plastic bags and personal containers with lids,” DES advised.

Collection service is expected to resume Wednesday on a normal schedule.

More from DES:

Greetings:

Because of safety issues related to today’s storm, Monday and Tuesday curbside recycling/trash/organics collection will not take place for those routes this week.

Weather-permitting, curbside service will resume Jan. 5 with regular Wednesday morning routes, continue on Jan. 6 with regular Thursday routes and conclude for the week on Jan. 7 with regular Friday routes. There will be no shifting of routes and days as previously publicized.

Excess trash can be stored and placed curbside in plastic bags and personal containers with lids.

The County offers two major recycling drop-off locations.

Special Christmas tree collection will resume Wednesday, weather-permitting, and continue through next week.

On behalf of the County’s contractor and its crews, thank you for your patience and understanding.

For the latest County office delays/cancellations, please visit [this page].

Sincerely,

Arlington County Department of Environmental Services

BREAKING: Arlington schools will be closed Tuesday, too

By ARLnow.com
Snow in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Students at Arlington public schools will have another snow day on Tuesday.

School was also cancelled today, which would have been the first day back from the winter break, due to the winter storm. Unlike students in Alexandria, Arlington students are so far not being required to attend virtual classes.

More from Arlington Public Schools:

All APS schools and offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. Both in-person and Virtual Learning Program classes are canceled. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time, and all custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

An expected refreeze overnight could make for hazardous driving conditions. Plow crews in Arlington continue to work to clear snow from local roads, focusing for now on primary and secondary roads while neighborhood streets remain snow-covered.

APS joins Fairfax County, Prince William County and a number of other major D.C. public school systems in announcing Tuesday closures this afternoon. In Alexandria, schools will be closed but the district will again be providing virtual classes.

NEW: As snow ends in Arlington, a big cleanup continues

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) The snowflakes are tapering off across Arlington, but police, firefighters and plow crews are still hard at work.

The heavy, wet snow has made vehicle travel treacherous and nearly impossible in certain hilly parts of the county. Even frequently-plowed highways and main routes like I-395, Route 50 and Columbia Pike were impassable at points during the storm.

Power outages have continued to increase, exceeding 4,500 in Arlington as of 2 p.m. amid numerous reports of falling trees and branches.

Transit issues extend beyond Arlington Transit and Metrobus service being suspended. Blue Line service as suspended between the Pentagon and Rosslyn shortly before 1 p.m. due to a fallen tree on the tracks.

As of 12:30 p.m., Reagan National Airport was under a ground stop, with arrivals and departures mostly paused and numerous flights cancelled.

In addition to schools and Arlington County government offices and facilities, many businesses around Arlington have closed for the day. Among the restaurants not serving tonight are Pupatella Pizza’s two Arlington locations.

The winter storm has exceeded accumulation predictions across the region and the state — and caused gridlock and dozens of crashes on the roads.

“Since 12:01 a.m. Monday (Jan. 3), Virginia State Police emergency communications centers across the state have fielded over 2,000 total calls for service,” VSP said this afternoon. “Of those 2,000 calls, 72 are ongoing traffic crashes and 69 disabled vehicles that VSP troopers are still on scene with or responding to as of 3:30 p.m.

VSP’s Fairfax Division, which serves the inner Northern Virginia suburbs, reported 143 disabled vehicles and 68 crashes as of 3:30 p.m.

“State police is still asking people to avoid driving, unless absolutely unnecessary,” the agency said. “The drive is not worth the risk of a crash, getting stuck, injury to your/passenger, or the cost of a repair.”

With the snow tapering off, reports suggest 6-9 inches of accumulation in parts of Arlington.

As of noon, Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says it is in “Phase 2” of its snow response, treating primary and secondary roads while neighborhood streets remain mostly snow-covered.

VDOT, meanwhile, says it is preparing for a possible refreeze overnight, which could lead to extremely hazardous driving conditions Tuesday morning.

“VDOT Northern Virginia crews will remain on duty this afternoon and overnight to push accumulation, as well as to treat roads overnight for the refreeze of any melted precipitation to the pavement,” the state transportation department said in a mid-afternoon update. “Overnight tonight and tomorrow morning, limit nonessential trips if possible, and remain keenly alert to icy spots if traveling.”

This afternoon, Arlington Public Schools joined Fairfax County and other major D.C. area school systems in announcing that there would be no school on Tuesday.

UPDATED: Power outages building as snow accumulates and branches snap

By ARLnow.com
Power outages in Arlington just before 12:15 p.m., amid heavy snow (via Dominion)

(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Roads around Arlington are impassible, schools and the federal government are closed, and to make matters worse thousands of homes and businesses are without power throughout Arlington.

Amid the heavy, wet snow — some 6+ inches have fallen so far, with a couple of hours of additional snowfall expected — there have been numerous reports of branches snapping, trees falling and power lines down around the county. In some areas, power lines are sparking or on fire, with snow-laden branches leaning against them.

Among other reports, first responders are on scene of a significant power line fire on Robert Walker Place, near Taylor Elementary, according to scanner traffic. They have asked Dominion crews to expedite their response to the scene.

The fire department has also been dispatched to a report of a tree that fell into a house.  Most of the reports of tree damage are in North Arlington neighborhoods.

As of 2:45 p.m., Dominion reported 4,767 outages in Arlington — a number that has been steadily increasing. Of those, about 2,200 are part of a large outage centered around Marymount University’s main campus. Other small outages are spread across the county.

That’s still well below the more than 48,000 homes and businesses that are in the dark in neighboring Fairfax County as of 2:45 p.m., however. In all, Dominion is reporting more than 145,000 outages across Northern Virginia.

Some trees are also reported down across roads, including on N. Glebe Road near Chain Bridge and S. Arlington Ridge Road near Gunston Middle School. Additionally, the Bluemont Junction Trail is blocked by a fallen tree.

Local authorities, including Arlington police, continue to urge people to stay home and off the roads as the flakes keep falling.

As of noon, Arlington snow crews were in “Phase 2” of their response, focused on primary and secondary routes instead of neighborhood streets.

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