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.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Leaves from a vine bask in the light from the setting sun along Patrick Henry Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Williamsburg Middle in Va. Top 10 — “Several elementary and middle schools around Virginia are included among the best in the country, according to new rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report. The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education.” [Patch]

ART Celebrates 25th Anniversary — “Arlington’s transit agency – ART – is rolling into a milestone 25th year of serving the community and providing reliable and sustainable bus service across the County. The bus service, which first launched in 1998 with one route in Crystal City, was established to connect Arlington neighborhoods along with the growing regional transit network anchored by Metrorail and Metrobus.” [Arlington County]

Natty Landing Dog Event — “Join the National Landing BID and PuppyLuv for an unforgettable day of canine delight. This family-friendly event promises a wagging good time with a variety of activities and attractions designed to bring joy to dogs and their owners.” [National Landing BID]

YHS Runners Fifth in State — “The 6D North Region girls champion Yorktown Patriots cross country team finished fifth at the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state meet Nov. 11 on the 5,000-meter Oatlands Plantation course in Leesburg.” [Gazette Leader]

‘Girls on the Run’ Closures — “The 2023 Girls on the Run 5k Race will take place in Pentagon City on Sunday, November 19, and will begin at 8:30 a.m. The following roadways will be closed from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to accommodate the event.” [ACPD]

Music at Clarendon BBQ Joint — “Smokecraft Modern BBQ in Arlington is kicking off Acoustic Late Nights on Friday, a weekly event that will bring in some of the best local acoustic artists each weekend.” [Patch]

Free Cups Today at Starbucks — “Starbucks is giving away free reusable cups Thursday for its sixth Red Cup Day. The coffee giant’s highly anticipated day is considered the start of the holiday season by many and comes two weeks after holiday drinks returned.” [Axios]

It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature near 66 degrees and a light wind. Thursday night will be mostly clear as the temperature drops to around 45 degrees. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 15, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 15, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect sunshine and a high around 68, with light variable winds becoming southerly at 6 mph during the morning. Thursday night will be mostly clear, featuring a low of about 46 and a steady south wind at 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Listing of the Day: 915 18th Street S

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Address: 915 18th Street S
Neighborhood: Addison Heights
Type: 4 BR, 4 (+1 half) BA single-family detached — 4,265 sq. ft.
Listed: $2,179,000

Noteworthy: Open concept 4-level home with outdoor entertainment spaces!

Welcome home to Addison Heights! This 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath Classic Cottages design features an open concept floor plan and plenty of outdoor entertaining spaces, including a screened porch, covered porch and roof top deck.

The ground level of the home includes a tandem two car garage, mudroom, entry level bedroom and full bath with private entrance, exercise room and rec room. The main level includes a generous sized office, dining room and butler’s pantry, great room, kitchen featuring JennAir appliances. Bedroom level features laundry and two secondary bedrooms and baths. The Primary bedroom has a large walk-in closet and spa bathroom.

Go up one more level to the roof top deck — a great space to enjoy the outdoors. All this within a 13 minute walk to Metropolitan Park!

Listed by:
Michelle Lynch — Urban Living Real Estate, LLC
[email protected]
(571) 366-3324

NWS: Elevated fire danger in Northern Virginia today

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Arlington is not known as a hotspot for forest fires, but there’s an elevated danger of wildfires throughout Northern Virginia today.

Other parts of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia are also being warned of the fire hazard, owing to an ongoing drought, low humidity and breezy conditions.

Brush fires are not common in Arlington but they do happen, notably in 2021 when multiple brush fires broke out along the GW Parkway.

A special statement on today’s fire danger, below, from the National Weather Service.

…ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THROUGH EARLY EVENING FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA, WESTERN MARYLAND, AND EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA…

Elevated fire weather conditions are expected through early evening across northern and central Virginia, western Maryland, and eastern West Virginia. Relative humidity values are expected to drop back to around 20-35 percent this afternoon (lowest in far western MD and the WV mountains, highest across the VA Piedmont and eastern portions of the WV Panhandle). Winds will be out of the south at around 5-10 mph with gusts to around 15 mph in most locations, but locally higher along the Allegheny Front (10-15 mph, with gusts to 25 mph at times). 10-hour fuel moisture will be as low as 10 or 11 percent.

Residents and visitors are urged to exercise caution if handling open flames or equipment that creates sparks. Also, dispose of
cigarette butts, matches, and other flammable items in appropriate containers. Keep vehicles off of dry grass and obey local burn bans. Most dry grasses, dead leaves, and other tree litter could easily ignite and spread fire quickly.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A couple walks across I-395 on a pedestrian bridge in Shirlington (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Historic Resources Plan Approved — “On Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, the Arlington County Board approved an update to the Historic and Cultural Resources Plan (HCRP), concluding a multiyear process to develop a more modern approach to how the County advances the preservation and appreciation of its built and cultural environments.” [Arlington County]

Burglary at Clarendon Smoke Shop — From Dave Statter: “Burglars hit a smoke & vape shop in Arlington County (VA). Video shows two people looking at the business at 2907 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon just after 1:00 a.m. yesterday. A few minutes later, according to @ArlingtonVaPD, the pair broke through the glass of the front door. One of the burglars tripped on the way out less than a minute later.” [Twitter]

I-395 Crash on Camera — Also from Dave Statter: “While there are close calls daily (really hourly) on I-395S at Exit 8C to Crystal City, this is the first crash I’ve spotted in a while. As usual, it involves jockeying for position trying to get either to the left exit or 8B’s right-side exit at the last second.” [Twitter]

Arlington Real Estate is Lukewarm — “The Arlington residential real-estate market was essentially the only one across the Washington region with any wind beneath its wings in as autumn took hold. The county proved the only locality to sustain a three-digit rating in the monthly T3 Home-Demand Index, which looks at buyer interest all the way down to the ZIP code level.” [Gazette Leader]

’40 Under 40′ Nominations — “The Leadership Center for Excellence and Leadership Fairfax again in 2024 will collaborate on a ’40 Under 40′ initiative, honoring young leaders throughout the region… Nominations are due by Jan. 19.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 57 degrees. Winds will be light and variable before shifting to the south at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low of 38 degrees. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Nov 14, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 14, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect partly sunny skies with a high around 57 degrees and calm winds shifting to the south at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low of approximately 38 degrees, accompanied by south winds at 5 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The more that you read, the more things you will know, the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Listing of the Day: 4305 4th Court N.

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Address: 4305 4th Court N.
Neighborhood: Ballston
Type: 3 BR, 3 (+1 half) BA townhouse — 1,600 sq. ft.
Listed: $999,000

Noteworthy: Walk to everything, terrace with views, 2 car tandem garage

Located in a lushly landscaped courtyard near the heart of Ballston, this pristine three bedroom, three and a half bath home awaits the buyer who values space and location.

Desirable details include top floor terrace with skyline views; tandem two car garage and additional guest parking; large living area with a sunny spot for a desk; kitchen island, ample cabinets, stainless appliances; each bedroom has a private bathroom and generous closet space; fresh paint, wood floors on main level and halls; and flexible space.

Walk to Ballston for Metro, restaurants, gyms, groceries, parks, tennis courts, library, graduate programs at multiple universities, and nightlife. Blocks to Lubber Run Rec Center with extensive facilities, programs, and Saturday farmer’s market. Easy commute to Washington, military, business, government centers, and airports.

Don’t miss this opportunity to live near everything in a tucked away spot.

Listed by:
Betsy Twigg
[email protected]
(703) 967-4391

JUST IN: Gunston Middle School locked down due to threat

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) Gunston Middle School was placed in lockdown this afternoon due to a threat found in the school.

Initial reports suggest that a threat of violence at a specific time was found in a bathroom. Police responded to the scene and the school’s classrooms were locked down.

“Do not come to the school,” Arlington Public Schools initially said on social media.

No actual incidents of violence have been reported.

As of 2:45 p.m. the lockdown had been lifted in favor of a “secure the school” status and students were being escorted to buses as part of a controlled dismissal.

This is the latest in a series of threats against Arlington middle schools.

In March, Gunston was put in lockdown after “a message written inside a restroom stall referencing gun violence” was discovered. Last week another threat found in a Gunston girls’ bathroom prompted a police investigation. Swanson was locked down yesterday due to a phoned-in bomb threat.

In May, a Kenmore student was charged after an implied shooting threat was posted on social media.

Separately today, Wakefield High School families were informed of an alleged shooting threat. Principal Peter Balas sent the following message to families.

Dear Wakefield Families and Staff,

Late yesterday, Wakefield Administration was informed of a threat of violence overheard by several students. The specific threat reported involved “shooting up the class.”

The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) and the APS Safety, Security and Emergency Management office were made aware of the threat, and they investigated the situation. Any students who have knowledge of this are asked to contact the school administration.

The preliminary investigation has not revealed an ongoing threat to the safety of the school community. Students are reminded that making threats, regardless of credibility, is unacceptable and in violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action by the school as well as a referral to law enforcement.

We appreciate the students who brought this to our attention and ask all members of our community to report any threats they may see or hear, whether they believe they are credible or not.

We always take threats of violence of any kind very seriously. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority and I want to thank the Wakefield community for your support and responsiveness, and if you hear or see something that concerns you, please let me or a member of our staff know immediately.

Arlington Public Schools has partnered with the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia’s Youth Violence Project to provide free threat assessment training for students and parents. This training program is designed for all students ages 12 and up and parents of all students in Arlington Public Schools. Additional information is available on the APS website.

James Jarvis and Jo DeVoe contributed to this report

Crime report: Officers assaulted, robbery victims knocked to the ground

By ARLnow.com
File photo

It was an active weekend for Arlington County police.

A number of notable incidents were detailed in the latest ACPD crime report. Among them were a pair of assaults on police early Saturday morning.

In the first incident, an intoxicated suspect allegedly kicked an officer after ACPD was called for “vehicle stopped in the middle lane of traffic” on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-11110021, 500 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 1:46 a.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, witnesses directed officers to a vehicle stopped in the middle lane of traffic. As officers approached to investigate, they came into contact with the male and female suspects. The female suspect disregarded officers commands and attempted to go back towards the vehicle. When officers attempted to detain her, she allegedly became combative and resisted before being taken into custody. As officers were detaining the female suspect, the male suspect became aggressive and attempted to interfere. Additional arriving officers detained the male suspect during which he resisted officers. During a search of the female suspect, she kicked a police officer. [Suspect 1], 29, of Washington, DC. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Obstruction of Justice and Public Intoxication. [Suspect 2], 25, of Greensboro, NC, was arrested and charged with Obstruction of Justice and Public Intoxication.

Another assault on police was reported later that morning along S. Four Mile Run Drive, after a victim was allegedly assaulted by a woman she knows.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-11110041, 4200 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 4:25 a.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect and female victim, who are known to each other, had a verbal dispute inside of a parked vehicle during which the suspect exited the vehicle and assaulted the victim through an open car window. Responding officers located the suspect on scene and while officers attempting to detain her, she allegedly struck a police officer. Medics responded and treated the victim of the initial assault on scene for non-life threatening injuries. [The suspect], 33, of Jacksonville, FL was arrested and charged with Assault on Police.

Later Saturday evening, police responded to the assault of two teen girls in Rosslyn by a teen boy armed with a taser, who remains at large.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING BY A CAUSTIC AGENT, 2023-11110171, 1500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 5:53 p.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of an incident involving a juvenile. Upon arrival, it was determined the two juvenile female victims were walking in the area when they were approached by an unknown group of juveniles. The juvenile male suspect then knocked Victim One to the ground, produced a taser and attempted to steal her personal belongings before the victims fled into a nearby business. The suspect then followed the victims into the business and tased Victim Two. The victims exited the business and ran from the area during which the suspect caught up with them, pepper sprayed Victim Two and followed them into a residential building where he poured a drink on Victim Two before fleeing the scene on foot. Medics responded and evaluated the victims on scene.

Finally, on Sunday night, a man walking in the Barcroft neighborhood was knocked to the ground by someone who ran up on them from behind. The victim suffered serious injuries, according to ACPD.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-11120208, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 10:23 p.m. on November 12, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking in the area when the unknown male suspect approached from behind, knocked the victim to the ground, physically assaulted him and produced a possible taser or stun gun. The suspect then stole the victim’s wallet before running from the scene. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Officers established a perimeter and searched the area with negative results. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

FDIC scrutinized for ‘toxic culture’ and ‘boozy hotel’ in Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com
FDIC “hotel” in Virginia Square (via Google Maps)

Would you be surprised to know that the FDIC maintains an 11-story hotel in Virginia Square?

Would you be more surprised that the fledgling bank regulators there for training were apparently partying so hard it prompted a Wall Street Journal article?

The Journal published an investigation yesterday headlined: “Strip Clubs, Lewd Photos and a Boozy Hotel: The Toxic Atmosphere at Bank Regulator FDIC.” It details an alleged toxic culture of sexual harassment, misogyny and heavy drinking within the federal agency, as well as a lack of accountability for bad behavior.

“Female examiners left the FDIC because of what they say was a sexualized, boys’ club environment and the belief they were consistently given fewer opportunities than their male counterparts, according to interviews with more than 100 current and former employees, including more than 20 women who quit,” the Journal reported of the seemingly staid insurer of deposits and monitor of bank solvency.

“The FDIC’s 11-story hotel outside Washington, where out-of-town employees stay when attending training, was a party hub, where people have vomited in the elevator and urinated off the roof after nights of heavy drinking,” the article continues. “The carousing spawned an Instagram account that posted in 2021: ‘If you haven’t puked off the roof, were you ever really a FIS?’—referring to a bank examiner-in-training.”

The article goes on to suggest that uninhibited FDIC trainees have been terrorizing Arlington bars for years.

A center of the FDIC’s party culture was the agency’s hotel. The FDIC spent more than $100 million in the 1980s to build a training complex in Arlington, Va., that included a hotel for agency staff with more than 350 rooms, an outdoor pool and a rooftop patio. The FDIC said the hotel and training complex save the agency money.

Employees, from new hires to supervisors, often gathered on the roof for drinks, buying alcohol at the nearby liquor store. Some employees joked that the hotel is like an embassy: If they can get back to the hotel after creating chaos at nearby bars, they’ll be fine.

Trips to the complex eased during the pandemic but have rebounded since then, with employees as recently as this summer drinking on the roof and hitting nearby bars before arriving hungover at training the next day, a current employee said.

The Journal cites two specific cases that led to arrests in Arlington. A man “found passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle outside the FDIC hotel” in 2016 pleaded guilty to DUI, and a man who in 2014 “became so inebriated that other employees felt they were being held hostage” was arrested in an FDIC hotel room and charged with public intoxication, per the WSJ.

“Neither man was fired,” the paper noted.

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The new Crush Pizza at the Water Park in Crystal City (Flickr pool photo by Emma K. Alexandra)

APS Snow Plan — “Should a particularly rough winter cost the Arlington school system two weeks or more of instructional time, the school system will revert to online learning rather than extend the school year or cut into spring break.” [Gazette Leader]

Rollover Crash in Rosslyn — From Alan Henney: “2-VEHICLE CRASH WITH HIGHLANDER ON ITS SIDE— North Rhodes St and Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn (Arlington). No injuries. (7:50 p.m.)” [Twitter]

Local Real Estate Slowdown — “Typical seasonal market cooling coupled with a modest year-over-year decline in inventory held back total sales across Arlington in October, while prices generally were flat compared to a year before. A total of 149 properties went to closing countywide for the month… That was down about 18 percent from a year before.” [Gazette Leader]

Union: Too Much ACFD Overtime — “Unfortunately our members are experiencing the same situation. Unprecedented attrition levels and forced overtime is having a tremendous impact on our members and their families.” [Twitter]

W-L Makes Early Playoff Exit — “What was a championship regular season ended early in the playoffs with a first-round home loss for the Washington-Liberty Generals in the 6D North Region football tournament. Liberty District and Arlington County champion and No. 3 seed Washington-Liberty (9-2) was defeated by the sixth-seed Westfield Bulldogs, 30-7, the night of Nov. 10.” [Gazette Leader]

Restaurants Open for Thanksgiving — “For people who don’t want to spend hours or even days cooking and cleaning up from a big turkey dinner, several restaurants in Arlington are open Thanksgiving Day.” [Patch]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny conditions with highs around 58 degrees and northwest winds at 10-13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Tuesday night, skies will be mostly clear with lows near 35 degrees and north winds around 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Emma K. Alexandra

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