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: ‘B Live’ coming to former Whitlow’s space in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
People walk past Whitlow’s on Wilson in the afternoon light in 2020 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

It looks like the former Whitlow’s space in Clarendon will not be vacant for much longer.

The long-time local watering hole at 2854 Wilson Blvd closed in June. In July, we reported that the locally-founded burger chain Five Guys was planning to take part of the space. Now, it appears that another venue is also in the works.

A restaurant called “B Live” has applied for permits at the space, according to public records. It will serve beer, wine and cocktails and seat more than 150, according to permit applications. A building permit, applied for in November, calls for interior renovations to the basement and first floor of the space.

The applications suggest that the business is associated with local nightlife entrepreneur Michael Bramson, who’s behind The Lot beer garden and the Clarendon Pop-Up Bar — a temporary venue with rotating themes in the former Clarendon Ballroom space — nearby, among other local bars and restaurants. So far, Bramson has not responded to a request for comment.

Little is known about B Live except for the name, which suggests that there might be a live entertainment component. That could fill a void created by the closure of Clarendon concert venue Iota Club in 2017, though that void has been at least partially filled by The Renegade, which opened a few blocks away in late 2019.

No injuries after Arlington dump truck rolls into large hole in the road

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Some overnight water valve work in the Buckingham neighborhood near Ballston went seriously wrong, but luckily no one was hurt.

The photos above tell the story: a county dump truck somehow rolled into a large hole that was cut in the road to allow the water infrastructure work, near the intersection of N. Pershing Drive and 2nd Street N.

“We can confirm that no one was injured when a Water, Sewer, Streets vehicle accidentally ended up in one of the road surface openings created this week for overnight water valve replacements in the neighborhood,” Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesman Peter Golkin told ARLnow this morning. “A thorough review of safety and operational protocols is already under way.”

Officials are hopeful the truck, which has since been removed from its precarious position, will only need minor repairs.

“Initial inspection appears to indicate no major damage to the truck but we’ll know more once it’s towed to the County’s Equipment Shop,” Golkin said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Along Columbia Pike at sunset (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington Real Estate Still Hot — “Even as much of the rest of Northern Virginia is showing signs of cooling interest from prospective real-estate purchasers, many parts of Arlington remain hot-hot-hot even as the temperature gets cold-cold-cold. A number of those Arlington locales are among the strongest in the region.” [Sun Gazette]

Police: Don’t Leave Your Car Running — “The Arlington County Police Department is warning against leaving vehicles running unattended and is sharing crime prevention tips to help combat auto thefts. During the month of December, the police department has investigated five reports of idling vehicles being stolen. In all reported cases, the victims were running short errands – such as picking up food or making a purchase at a convenience store.” [ACPD]

APS Winter Break Starts Monday — From Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Francisco Durán: “I wibagsh you a great Winter Break, December 20-31! Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve Arlington students, and thank you for your partnership and support for Arlington Public Schools. In the spirit of the holiday season, I want to share this video message about kindness from students and staff.” [YouTube]

Reminder: Bag Tax Beginning — “Beginning Jan. 1, a disposable plastic shopping bag will get a 5-cent tax across much of Northern Virginia including Arlington County.” [Twitter]

It’s Thursday — Today will be mostly sunny and a bit breezy, with a high near 64. Sunrise at 7:20 a.m. and sunset at 4:47 p.m. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high near 62, with rain likely at night. [Weather.gov]

Police nab four after spotting stolen car near Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

One 18-year-old and three people under the age of 18 were taken into police custody after officers spotted a stolen car between Rosslyn and Courthouse.

The incident happened shortly after noon on Tuesday, in the area of Wilson Blvd and N. Rhodes Street, after the car was reported stolen from elsewhere in northern Arlington the day before.

“An officer on patrol in the area of Wilson Boulevard and N. Rhodes Street observed the vehicle parked and occupied by four suspects,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report today. “As the officer approached the vehicle, which had extensive cosmetic damage, the suspects attempted to flee on foot.”

“A brief foot pursuit ensued and one suspect was detained without incident,” the crime report continues. “Additional officers arriving in the area located the other three suspects on foot in the area of Langston Boulevard and N. Quinn Street and detained them without incident.”

An 18-year-old from Arlington was arrested is now facing charges for grand larceny auto and driving without a license.

“The three other juvenile subjects were released to their guardians,” the crime report says. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Sadie

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Say hello to the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week, Sadie! This energetic, 3-year-old lady will be your running partner and forever friend. Her friends at Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation says she’s “always fully charged” and is looking for her forever home.

Here’s more of what her friends had to say about her:

If you are looking for an active partner to burn those quarantine pounds and get into beach shape, then Sadie is the girl for you. How to describe this beautiful and friendly girl — joyous, energetic, enthusiastic, playful, lively! This ball of energy lives life to the fullest and will always greet you with excited jumps and full-body wiggles. She eagerly joins any activity and experience you have to offer.

Sadie loves her walks (although she prefers runs), but if you don’t take the lead, she’ll gladly walk you. She is curious about so many things along the way (those hopping birds are just so tempting). She is a rough and rowdy player with other energetic dog buddies, running and wrestling with no off button. Sadie loves any and all toys and happily entertains herself with them (if they squeak even better).

This girl, with her zest for life, is wishing for her person or family without small children, who will include her in their active lifestyle and have time for continued training so that she can show off her brains as well as her beauty!

Is Sadie your forever friend? Check out Sadie’s full profile to learn more!

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Christmas tree in a plaza in Rosslyn, decorated for the holidays (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Extra DUI Enforcement Starts Today — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign… From December 15, 2021 – January 1, 2022, motorists nationwide can expect to see increased messaging about the dangers of driving under the influence, coupled with increased saturation patrols to identify and apprehend impaired drivers.” [ACPD, WJLA]

Historic Board Takes Up New Restaurant — “A proposal to turn the former Green Valley Pharmacy into an eatery will breathe new life into a structure that has been vacant for several years… Members of the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) this week will consider a proposal to permit several exterior adjustments to the former Green Valley Pharmacy, which was operated by Leonard “Doc” Muse from 1952 until his death in 2017.” [Sun Gazette]

Metro Slowly Returning to Normal Service — “Metro today announced that it has reached another step in the process to restore the 7000-series railcars to service. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) has informed Metro that it has no technical objections to the final plan submitted to gradually return nearly half of the 7000-series railcars to passenger service with the metered release of no more than 336 railcars.” [WMATA]

It’s Wednesday — Today will be partly sunny, with a high near 56. Sunrise at 7:20 a.m. and sunset at 4:47 p.m. Tomorrow will be partly sunny and a bit breezy, with a high near 62 and a low near 44. [Darksky]

Arlington’s post-Thanksgiving rise in Covid cases plateaus, for now

By ARLnow.com
Covid cases in Arlington as of 12/14/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

A post-Thanksgiving rise in Covid cases in Arlington appears to have plateaued over the past few days — at least for now.

The seven-day moving average of new daily cases in the county currently stands at 67, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. That’s up from an average of 23 cases per day Thanksgiving weekend.

The last time the Covid caseload was this high locally was mid-February. However, with 91.4% of the adult population in Arlington now at least partially vaccinated, reports of serious illness and death are down significantly since then.

No new Covid-related deaths have been reported in Arlington since Dec. 3, according to VDH.

Despite the current plateau in cases, Arlington’s test positivity rate continues to point upward. After dipping below 2% around Halloween, the test positivity rate over the past week stands at 4.4%.

Nationally, there’s both good news and bad news about the pandemic today.

The bad news is that the Biden administration reportedly expects a “large wave” of cases this winter due to the emerging Omicron variant.

“New data from South Africa and Europe hint that Omicron cases are poised to explode in the U.S., where the vast majority of the population isn’t well protected against infection,” Axios reported today. “A new analysis by South Africa’s largest private insurer paints a picture of Omicron’s clinical risk: Two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine appear to be significantly less effective against severe disease with Omicron than previous variants.”

The good news is that the effective end date of the pandemic might be in sight. Drugmaker Pfizer announced today that a new therapeutic drug that combats serious illness from Covid appears to be highly effective.

“Pfizer’s updated results for its experimental treatment for Covid-19 showed it cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% if given to high-risk adults within a few days of their first symptoms, the company announced in a news release Tuesday,” CNN reported this morning. “Pfizer hopes it can eventually offer the pills, under the name Paxlovid, for people to take at home before they get sick enough to go to the hospital. Paxlovid combines a new antiviral drug named nirmatrelvir and an older one called ritonavir.”

Such a drug, if it receives FDA approval, could herald the arrival of Covid’s endemic stage, where the virus continues to circulate but poses a lower risk of hospitalization and death thanks to vaccines, prior infection and antiviral treatments — much like the flu.

Until then, the focus of local health authorities remains mitigation measures to prevent rapid spread of the virus and continuing to promote vaccinations and vaccine booster shots. Arlington County is currently offering boosters for 16-17 year-olds, in addition to adults.

D.C. taqueria El Rey to open new Ballston location next week

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Ballston is about to get a 6,300-square-foot taqueria and “margarita garden.”

U Street NW taco spot El Rey is branching out from D.C. and opening on the ground floor of the Ballston Exchange building at 4201 Wilson Blvd. After nearly two-and-a-half years of anticipation, following pandemic-related delays, the eatery is finally set to open its doors.

The official opening date is Monday, Dec. 20, the group behind El Rey announced Monday evening — though restaurants often have unofficial “soft openings” in the days prior, to try to work out some service kinks.

“On December 20th, D.C.’s favorite taqueria and margarita garden will bring its signature margaritas, savory tacos, and joyous fiesta vibes to the heart of Arlington,” said a press release. “Alongside the crowd favorite margaritas and tacos, El Rey Ballston will feature some exclusive menu items like mouthwatering tortas, savory overstuffed burritos, and papas birria nachos 0- think Mexican cheese fries with all the extras.”

“The 6,290-square-foot taqueria also boasts a 50-foot-bar that extends along the entire main dining area with multiple margarita stations and 12 taps featuring both import and local beers from our craft brewery friends right here in the area,” the press release continued. “A separate takeout area, dubbed ‘Lucha Libre’ is available for guests in a hurry to order ‘grab-and-go’ items on the fly.”

El Rey will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-midnight, plus Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

Brothers Ian and Eric Hilton are behind El Rey, along with Cafe Colline along Langston Blvd; D.C. spots American Ice Company, Chez Billy Sud, The Brixton, The Brighton, and Players Club; Parc de Ville in the Mosaic District; Solace Outpost in Falls Church; and delivery-only burger purveyor Gee Burger.

Ian Hilton, a resident of Arlington’s Donaldson Run neighborhood, previously told ARLnow that he was looking forward to opening restaurants closer to home. El Rey nearly closed in D.C. last year, due to pandemic challenges, but was kept open by popular demand.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The Grinch, illustrated in Post-It Notes by Brigid Donaghy on the front of the H-B Woodlawn school building in Rosslyn (photo courtesy Dan Donaghy)

Redevelopment of Parking Garage Proposed — “The owner of a pair of Crystal City hotels along Richmond Highway is moving to redevelop a parking garage on the property into residential, the latest bit of change for the neighborhood as part of an Amazon.com Inc.-inspired development boom. Miami’s Sound Hospitality is on the hunt for a development partner to manage the transformation of a garage that currently serves Crystal City’s Hampton Inn and Suites and Hilton Garden Inn.” [Washington Business Journal]

Parent Group Wants More Class Time — “An advocacy group is pressing the Arlington School Board to add more instructional time to the school system’s proposed 2022-23 calendar. The comments came at the Dec. 2 School Board meeting, in which board members were presented with a staff proposal that meets the letter of state law in providing at least 990 hours of instructional time. But the school system should be going further – holding classes the full 180 days that had been the pre-COVID standard – said Camille Galdes, who spoke on behalf of Arlington Parents for Education.” [Sun Gazette]

Firefighter Unions Call Out Alexandria — “Understaffing within the Alexandria Fire Department put people and buildings at risk during a fire at Crystal City’s restaurant row on 23rd Street earlier this month, according to two unions representing more than 500 Alexandria and Arlington firefighters, medics and fire marshals.” [ALXnow]

Middle School Student Disciplined for Weapon — “On Thursday afternoon, the Swanson Administrative team received a report that a student was in possession of a weapon on their walk home from school. As a result of our investigation and consultation with the Arlington [County] Police Department on Friday, the student was disciplined in accordance with the Arlington Public Schools code of conduct.” [Twitter]

New ACPD Officers Sworn In — “December 10, 2021 marked a significant milestone for the Arlington County Police Department’s 18 newest officers as Session 145 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. During the graduation, the officers took their oath to serve and protect the Arlington community and safeguard the Constitutional rights of all.” [ACPD]

Abduction Arrest in Clarendon — “At approximately 3:22 a.m. on December 10, police were dispatched to the report of a check on the welfare. The reporting party advised the female victim was inside a vehicle with a known suspect who would not allow her to exit… [The suspect], 26, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Abduction and held without bond.” [ACPD]

W&OD Trail Bridge Gets Decked — “Enjoy a smooth ride on the newly-redecked bridge east of Little Falls St in Arlington.” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — Today will be sunny with a high of 54 and a low of 38. Sunrise at 7:19 a.m. and sunset at 4:47 p.m. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a high of 55 and a low of 39. [Darksky]

JUST IN: Large gas leak shuts down Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
1/3

All lanes of Columbia Pike are blocked due to a large gas leak.

The leak is along the Pike near S. Scott Street and a number of large apartment buildings. Police, firefighters and Washington Gas crews are on scene, repairing the leak and checking nearby buildings for elevated levels of natural gas.

The road closure is affecting several bus lines, including Metro and ART buses.

“Due to emergency utility repairs, Columbia Pike is closed between Quinn St. and S. Walter Reed Dr,” said Arlington Transit. “ART Routes 42, 45 & 74 will be on detour until further notice.”

As of 1:30 p.m. the road was expected to remain closed for at least another 30-60 minutes.

EXCLUSIVE: Investigation underway after State Dept. contractor died at Arlington facility

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Unanswered questions remain after a security contractor was killed at the U.S. State Department’s National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington.

The incident happened the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 16, at the 65-acre campus near the intersection of Arlington Blvd (Route 50) and N. George Mason Drive.

Arlington’s 911 dispatch center received multiple calls shortly after 6 p.m. for a pedestrian struck on the P2 lot of the campus. Callers were asked to start CPR on the victim, who was then rushed via ambulance to Virginia Hospital Center in cardiac arrest, according to fire department radio traffic.

The exact circumstances around who struck the victim and with what type of vehicle remain unclear. The dispatches reference a large amount of blood on the scene.

Arlington County police and fire department spokespeople deferred comment to federal authorities.

The State Department confirmed that the victim, a security contractor, died.

“We can confirm the death of a uniformed protection officer (UPO) with the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) on November 16, 2021,” a spokesperson said in a statement, in response to an inquiry from ARLnow. “The officer was assigned to the National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia. The officer was a contractor whose job duties included domestic facilities protection. The Department of State extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.”

The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service arm, which is based in Rosslyn, is leading the investigation.

“We do not comment on ongoing investigations due to privacy and law enforcement sensitivity considerations,” the State Department spokesperson said. “There is no further information we can provide at this time.”

The spokesman did not respond to a question seeking more clarity on what exactly happened.

ARLnow is told that the contractor who was killed was a 22-year-old former high school football player from Waldorf, Maryland. His funeral was held earlier this month.

The National Foreign Affairs Training Center is one of several locations of the Foreign Service Institute, which trains U.S. foreign affairs personnel.

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