Author: ARLnow.com

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]

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]

It’s Thanksgiving week, one of the busiest and most dangerous times to drive.

As people head out of town for family gatherings — and gather locally for libations with friends — police in Arlington and throughout Virginia will be on the lookout for traffic and safety violations.

Through next Thursday, Nov. 30, Arlington County police are participating in the annual Click It or Ticket seatbelt campaign.

More from an ACPD press release:

This Thanksgiving holiday, the Arlington County Police Department is again partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the high-visibility Click It or Ticket seat belt awareness campaign. From November 19 to November 30, the law enforcement community will be working together to reduce the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle passengers fail to buckle up. Everyone wants you to reach your destination safely, so it is critical to practice safe driving habits, like buckling your seat belt, on each and every ride.

According to NHTSA, there were 361 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2021 (6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24, to 5:59 a.m. on Monday, November 29). Half (50%) were unrestrained. Not wearing a seat belt proved to be deadly at any time of the day during the holiday weekend: 52% of those killed in nighttime crashes were unbuckled, and 46% of those killed in daytime crashes also were unbuckled. Wearing a seat belt is one of the most effective things anyone can do to prevent injury or death in a vehicle collision. The Click It or Ticket campaign combines powerful messages about seat belt safety with increased enforcement for unbuckled motorists.

Virginia law requires those under the age of 18 to be properly secured in a safety belt or child safety seat, no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle, and the driver is responsible for making sure this happens. In addition, Virginia law requires those in the front seat of vehicles to be properly restrained, regardless of age, and those 18 and older can be ticketed.

To learn more about the NHTSA Click It or Ticket campaign, visit their website.

Virginia State Police, meanwhile, will be conducting extra enforcement during peak holiday travel times.

Expect more state troopers out on Virginia highways between Wednesday and Sunday, enforcing speed limits and looking for drunk drivers.

There were 19 traffic fatalities across the Commonwealth during the five-day Thanksgiving travel period last year, up from five in 2021, according to state police.

More, below, from a VSP press release.

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Reported Hit-and-Run Injures Biker — From Alan Henney: “MOTORCYCLIST STRUCK BY HIT-N-RUN DRIVER— on Washington Blvd just past the exit for w/b Arlington Blvd in Arlington. The victim was taken to hospital with a shattered hip and cuts to his face. Unknown on the description of the suspect vehicle.” [Twitter]

Arlington’s Rising Office Vacancy — “Arlington County, Virginia, has been the single most affected jurisdiction throughout the greater Washington, D.C., region when it comes to office vacancy increases over the past four years.” [CoStar]

Amazon Highlights Art at Met Park — ” We’ve compiled the 18 intriguing installations from more than 25 artists. The commissioned art pieces span a range of genres, styles, and cultural influence. From mathematics-inspired spatial depictions of the Dupont Circle chess scene and abstract depictions of the Potomac River fauna to celebrating the beloved national cherry blossoms, these meaningful works of art further intertwine Amazon and the community.” [Amazon]

Big Storm to Bring Rain This Week — “Periods of moderate to heavy rain — in and around major cities including Atlanta, Boston, Little Rock, Nashville, New York and Washington — could slow down a significant portion of the estimated 49 million Americans expected to travel by car next week.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Monday — Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high temperature near 50 with a gentle north wind around 7 mph. Moving into Monday night, expect a mostly cloudy sky and a low temperature around 37. [Weather.gov]