ARLnow.com | ARLnow.com

Arlington Pet of the Week: Kaia

Published August 18, 2021 at 2:00PM

Pet of the Week Kaia (courtesy of Rinad)

Introducing our latest Pet of the Week… Kaia! Find this 5-month-old mini Siberian husky exploring the streets of Rosslyn. If you see her, say hi — she loves attention.

Here’s what else you need to know about this blue-eyed beauty:

Meet Kaia, a 5-month-old mini Siberian husky who is growing up too quickly! She is currently 9 pounds and should grow to 22 pounds. She is beautiful and knows it! She has the sparkling husky-blue eyes and bats them at us as she chews on all of our furniture.

Kaia loves to explore her Rosslyn neighborhood in Arlington while on walks with her mom and dad. She also is very excited to meet any other dogs in the area that she encounters while outside. She is very friendly and demands belly rubs from anyone she comes across — both in the house and out on the street. She loves giving kisses and her favorite toy is ‘lamby.’

Feel free to say hello to Kaia and her paw-rents if you see them out and about on walks — she loves the attention!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos — they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

We are also looking for local pets who look like their owners or like celebrities. Email us photos of your pet and their doppelgänger, explaining the resemblance and whether it has been noticed in your neighborhood.

#Pet of the Week

JUST IN: Arlington Under Tornado Watch Today

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2021 at 11:45AM | Updated August 18, 2021 at 12:08PM

Tornado Watch area (via National Weather Service)

(Updated at noon) The remnants of Tropical Storm Fred may cause more than just heavy rain today.

Arlington and most of the D.C. area is now under a Tornado Watch. The watch is in effect until 8 p.m.

The area is also under a Flash Flood Watch through 10 p.m. tonight.

Forecasters say conditions are favorable for the formation of tornadoes, though any such storms should be isolated. Severe thunderstorms are also possible.

A Tornado Watch has been issued for our whole area. Rotating supercells from remnants of Fred may lead to Tornadoes this afternoon. Tornadoes will be brief, but may cause some damage. Stay Safe Out There! pic.twitter.com/iKZzzP6yZ7

— Washingtonian Weather Geeks (@WashingtonianWx) August 18, 2021

Arlington is no stranger to tornados, though twisters are a relatively uncommon occurrence.

Last month an EF-1 tornado caused damage across several neighborhoods near Lee Highway. In April 2017, an EF-0 tornado chopped trees in half at Army Navy Country Club and caused some damage at the Macy’s in Pentagon City. Before that, a long-lived EF-1 twister struck Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County and D.C. in 2001.

Arlington County Now Offering Vaccine Booster Shots to Eligible Individuals

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2021 at 9:10AM | Updated August 18, 2021 at 10:39AM

(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) A day after declaring that vaccine booster shots were “not currently available,” Arlington started offering them.

“On Tuesday, August 17, Arlington County Public Health will begin offering an additional, or third, dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) to certain immunocompromised people,” Arlington County announced yesterday in a press release. “This follows FDA’s amended Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and the CDC’s adoption of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation.”

The vaccine booster shots are only available to those who attest that they qualify for them due to being moderately or severely immunocompromised. Those receiving the shots must also have already received two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, with the last dose administered at least four weeks ago.

While currently restricted to only certain vulnerable individuals, booster shots are set to become widely available — and encouraged — this fall.

From NBC News:

Top U.S. health officials announced Wednesday that the country has developed a plan to start offering Covid-19 booster shots to all Americans beginning the third week of September, citing evidence that protection is waning not only against hospitalization and death, but also mild and moderate infections, as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread.

Arlington County, meanwhile, has been upgraded to an area of “high” community spread of COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The local transmission rate was deemed “substantial” by the CDC a couple of weeks ago.

As of Tuesday, neighboring Fairfax County and Alexandria were still seeing only “substantial” community transmission, a lower classification than “high,” according to the CDC website.

Arlington is recording about 33 new cases per day, or 14 daily cases per 100,000 residents, according to a 7-day moving average published this morning by Virginia Dept. of Health.

More on the booster shots, below, from the Arlington County press release.

People who are immunocompromised should speak to their healthcare provider to help decide if they would benefit from an additional dose. Moderately to severely immunocompromised people include those who have:

Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood

Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system

Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system

Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)

Advanced or untreated HIV infection

Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Individuals will be asked to self-attest (confirm) as having a qualifying condition at the time of vaccination.

Bring your vaccination card with you so your provider can fill in the information about your additional dose. Keep your vaccination card in case you need it for future use and consider taking a picture of your vaccination card as a backup copy.

At this time, an additional dose of vaccine is not approved for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or people who are fully vaccinated and not immunocompromised. The FDA and CDC continue to review evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of an additional dose for these individuals.

Arlington County encourages everyone 12 and older to get a COVID-19 vaccine, especially those who are immunocompromised or have close contact with immunocompromised persons. Arlington County Public Health Division (ACPHD) will only be offering additional doses for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals at the Arlington Mill Community Center and Walter Reed Community Center clinics; they will not be available at field missions or “pop-up” events at this time.

Free walk-in and scheduled appointments are available at ACPHD’s clinics. Additional opportunities can be found at vaccines.gov; confirm with individual providers the availability of additional, or third, doses.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2021 at 7:30AM | Updated August 18, 2021 at 8:33AM

Arlington’s Biggest House Numbers? — “In the early days of the pandemic, I went on a quixotic quest to walk every one of the 1,114 blocks in my Arlington, Virginia, ZIP code, cataloging the styles of the address numbers on every house along the way… I have kept an eye on the house numbers in Arlington ever since, and imagine my joy this spring when suddenly, on a street I biked down every week, a new set of enormous house numbers appeared.” [Slate, Twitter]

Stepped Up DUI Patrols Begin Today — “This Labor Day, the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign, which runs from August 18th through September 6th, 2021. This campaign aims to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways through a two-pronged approach of education and enforcement.” [ACPD]

Fallen Pentagon Police Officer Laid to Rest — “A Brooklyn-born Pentagon cop who was stabbed to death while on duty in DC was hailed as a “warrior” and a hero at his funeral Monday… ‘He fought ’til the end,’ his NYPD sibling, Rodney Rubert, said during funeral services at St. Barbara Roman Catholic Church in Bushwick.” [New York Post]

Beyer Proposes Healthcare Provider Vax Mandate — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today announced the introduction of the Protecting Vulnerable Patients Act, which would require healthcare providers who see Medicare or Medicaid patients to be vaccinated following final FDA approval of a COVID vaccine.” [Press Release]

Arlington Hotels Still Hurting — “Hotel-occupancy rates improved in June but, overall, the first half of the year remained a bust for the Arlington hospitality industry. The occupancy rate of 44.7 percent in June was better than the cumulative 34.4-percent rate recorded over the first six months of the year, according to new data from Smith Travel research and Arlington Economic Development. But that 34.4-percent rate was anemic even compared to the weak first six months of 2020, when it stood at 37.3 percent.” [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Office Vacancy Rate Rising — “The Arlington office-vacancy rate continues to go in the wrong direction, according to new second-quarter data. The overall office-vacancy rate countywide was 19.4 percent for the quarter, according to figures reported by CoStar and Arlington Economic Development. That’s up from 18.5 percent in the first quarter and 16.6 percent a year ago.” [Sun Gazette]

Local Nonprofit Eyes Tysons Development — “The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing is adding another project to its new Fairfax County pipeline, pitching a development in Tysons that could become the neighborhood’s first apartment building made up entirely of committed affordable units. The nonprofit hopes to build up to 175 new apartments on about 2 acres on Spring Hill Road near the Silver Line station of the same name, converting car dealership parking lots that are part of the massive Dominion Square development site.” [Washington Business Journal]

Fred Prompts Flash Flood Watch in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2021 at 6:45PM

The remnants of Tropical Storm Fred are making their way north, bringing the possibility of flash floods in the D.C. area.

Now a tropical depression after landfall in the Florida Panhandle, the bulk of the storm is expected to stay west of the metro area, tracking over West Virginia. But Arlington and surrounding areas are still expected to get soaked by heavy rains caused by Fred.

The National Weather Service this evening issued a Flash Flood Watch for the area, starting at 8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) and extending to 10 p.m. Wednesday.

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect this evening through Wed evening. The remnants of Fred will move north along the Appalachians. Frequent showers and embedded thunderstorms will result in rain rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Rain totals of 3 inches possible. pic.twitter.com/YyA3j9aZKr

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 17, 2021

The Arlies: Vote for Your Favorite Lawn Care Service

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2021 at 1:00PM

A new week, a new category to vote on in the summer Arlies but first, the results from last week’s voting.

Your favorite sports bar is Crystal City Sports Pub, followed by First Down Sports Bar & Grill and Ireland’s Four Courts.

Now, let’s vote on this week’s category. Do you have a favorite lawn care service that keeps your yard weed free and pristine? A mower maestro that also keeps your grass green? Let us know below or by clicking this link.

Voting is open until next Tuesday, when we announce the winners and vote on a new category.

Photo by Daniel Watson on Unsplash

#Arlies

Airbags Stolen from Numerous Cars in Several Neighborhoods

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2021 at 11:00AM

Airbags were stolen from a number of vehicles in several Arlington neighborhoods overnight Friday.

The thefts were reported in the Buckingham, Bluemont and Westover neighborhoods. In all, seven vehicles were “forcibly entered into and had their air bags stolen,” according to the Arlington County Police Department.

Airbags are a lucrative target for thieves, who can reportedly sell them on the black market for a couple hundred dollars. Arlington has been no stranger to even larger airbag theft sprees over the years.

More on last week’s series of thefts, from and ACPD crime report:

LARCENY FROM AUTO (series), 2021-08130066/08130067/08130078/08130083, 4400 block of N. Pershing Drive/5700 block of 11th Street N./700 block of N. Kensington Street/5600 block of 5th Street N. At approximately 6:54 a.m. on August 13, police were dispatched to the late report of a larceny from auto. The investigation revealed that in total, seven victim vehicles were found to have been forcibly entered into and had their air bags stolen. Additionally, tools were stolen from one of the vehicles. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2021 at 5:00AM

Opening Date Set for Aquatics Center — The new Long Bridge Park Aquatics and Fitness Center will open on Monday, Aug. 23, the Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation announced yesterday. [Twitter]

Local Org Resettling Afghan Refugees — “Besides Lutheran Social Services, the [Arlington-based] Ethiopian Community Development Council, the International Rescue Committee, and Catholic Charities do a lot of work to resettle Afghan [Special Immigrant Visa] holders in this area. Christy McCaw of African Community Center DC Metro, the ECDC’s resettlement branch, says her organization needs leads on apartments that will rent to newcomers without proof of income.” [Washingtonian]

Broken Water Main Causes Pressure Problems — From the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services yesterday: “A crew is stabilizing a broken water main that has caused pressure issues in the vicinity of Campbell Elementary School along S. Carlin Springs Road. Pressure should be returning to normal within the hour. Traffic diverted around work site. The break is on a 20-inch main. Greatest impact of pressure loss along Carlin Springs Rd from Rt 50 south to Columbia Pike and near the intersection of Wilson Blvd and George Mason.” [Twitter]

New W-L History Marker Under Consideration — “Four years after the installation of a marker celebrating the history of Washington-Lee High School was scotched by leaders of the county school system, a proposed revised marker – honoring the school now known as Washington-Liberty – is wending its way through the development process.” [Sun Gazette]

Next Community Convo with Police Chief — “Join Chief Penn and members of ACPD at the next Community Conversations with the Chief to share your thoughts on the future of policing in Arlington! Our next conversation will take place on Friday from 10 AM to 12 PM at Metro 29 Diner located at 4711 Lee Highway.” [Twitter]

Huske Signs Sponsorship Deal — “2020 U.S. Olympic medalist [and Arlington resident] Torri Huske announced that she’s signed a swimwear deal with TYR on Friday, making her the third high-profile swimmer set to begin their freshman year of college to do so. Huske, 18, will join Stanford University in the upcoming collegiate season. Terms of the deal have not been made public.” [SwimSwam]

Youth Baseball Team’s Championship Run — “Overcoming four tournament losses, the 9-under Arlington Storm Black managed to finish second in the Babe Ruth World Series. The Storm lost in the ultimate title game of the baseball tournament in Jensen Beach, Fla., by a 7-3 score, to Florence, Ala. The meeting was the fourth between the teams in the competition. About 90 minutes earlier that same day, Arlington had previously routed Florence, 11-1, to force a playback game between the two teams in the championship round.” [Sun Gazette]

Reminder: N. Glebe Road Closure — “All lanes of N. Glebe Road between Military Road and Chain Bridge Road, in the northern tip of Arlington, [are now] closed for construction… The nine-day closure is the culmination of the $10 million rehabilitation project for the nearly 50-year-old bridge over Pimmit Run, just before Chain Bridge. Between Friday, Aug. 13 and Monday, Aug. 23, crews will work to replace the entire bridge deck and its underlying beams.” [ARLnow]

UPDATED: Flash Flood Warning Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published August 16, 2021 at 5:40PM | Updated August 17, 2021 at 12:35AM

Update at 12:30 a.m. — Parts of north Arlington are under another Flash Flood Warning after a heavy downpour soaked the area late Monday night. Another round of heavy rain is approaching the area.

Flash Flood Warning including Arlington VA, Silver Spring MD, Bethesda MD until 2:30 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/woKHUQEpjc

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 17, 2021

We get a brief break, but more heavy rain should arrive around or shortly after 1 a.m.; another half inch to an inch is possible throughout D.C. and surrounding counties.

Atmosphere is still unstable and is moisture-loaded to the max. More urban ponding possible.@capitalweather pic.twitter.com/bBsEHlpw1m

— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) August 17, 2021

Earlier: Arlington and surrounding areas are under a new Flash Flood Warning Monday evening.

An area of very heavy heavy rain is moving north into Alexandria and Arlington. The rain is likely to cause flash flooding, forecasters say.

Man Stabbed at Clarendon Bar in Seemingly Random Attack

By ARLnow.com

Published August 16, 2021 at 2:45PM | Updated August 16, 2021 at 3:06PM

A man sitting at a bar in Clarendon was repeatedly stabbed in a seemingly random attack on Saturday.

The stabbing happened at 7:30 p.m. at Spider Kelly’s (3181 Wilson Blvd).

“Upon arrival, officers located the male victim suffering from a laceration and the suspect being held down by witnesses,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “The investigation revealed that while the victim was sitting at the bar, the suspect allegedly approached him from behind and began repeatedly striking the victim with a sharp object.”

“The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries,” ACPD said. “Patrick Casey, 34, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding. He was held on no bond.”

Spider Kelly’s co-owner Nick Freshman said the attack looks “like a completely random act” by someone “who came in off the street.” The suspect walked in and started attacking a customer near the front of the restaurant without provocation, Freshman said, adding that his security staff jumped in and tackled the suspect, holding him until police arrived.

“I’m incredibly grateful to our staff and our security team… [they were] able to quickly detain the perpetrator and secure the weapon,” he said. “We’re praying for [the victim].”

“It was really pretty terrifying,” Freshman added. “It’s left our whole team pretty shook. I’m so sorry something like this happened.”

Asked about the suspect’s motive and about the weapon used, a police spokeswoman declined to provide additional details.

“There’s no additional details to provide at this time,” said ACPD’s Ashley Savage. “This remains an active criminal investigation and detectives continue to review evidence and conduct interviews to determine the events that preceded the incident. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected].”

Arlington’s Rise in Covid Cases May Be Slowing

By ARLnow.com

Published August 16, 2021 at 10:10AM | Updated August 16, 2021 at 11:38AM

After a month of rising Covid cases, there are some signs that the growth in new cases appears to be slowing.

The seven-day moving average of new daily cases increased by only one over the past week — from 31 to 32 cases per day — the slowest weekly growth since the county’s coronavirus case count started rising one month ago, amid the nationwide surge of the virus’ delta variant.

It’s unclear whether the leveling off is a temporary blip or the start of a sustained trend, however. The United Kingdom, which saw its Covid cases start to rise in late May amid the delta wave, reached a peak in cases roughly two months later, though the rate of new cases remains elevated compared to that country’s spring lull.

Arlington County’s test positivity rate, meanwhile, has risen from 0.4% on July 1 to 3.7% on Thursday, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. Over the previous five days, however, the rate only rose by 0.1%.

Over the past week, six Covid-related hospitalizations and one death have been reported. It’s the first reported Covid-related death in Arlington since the end of June, according to VDH data.

On Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug administration approved Covid vaccine boosters for some immunocompromised individuals. Arlington County said Sunday that it was not yet prepared to administer booster shots and recommended that those eligible for them go to a pharmacy instead.

Participating pharmacies can be found at https://t.co/EhxuGcFIRA or by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1).

— Arlington County (@ArlingtonVA) August 15, 2021

There are reports that the Biden administration is working on a plan to allow the general population to receive booster shots in the fall, amid questions about the efficacy of the vaccines over time, particularly against the more contagious delta variant.