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.

UPDATED: Rainy Week on Tap for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Update at noon — The Flash Flood Watch has been cancelled.

Earlier: Arlington County is under a Flash Flood Watch through Monday evening.

The watch, which went into effect at 8 a.m., warns of the possibility of heavy downpours that could cause sudden flooding.

From the National Weather Service:

…FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT MONDAY THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON…

The Flash Flood Watch continues for

* A portion of northern Virginia, including the following areas: Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria, Fairfax, Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park and Southern Fauquier.

* From 8 AM EDT Monday through Monday afternoon.

* Showers and scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop just after daybreak Monday morning and persist through the first half of the afternoon. The stronger thunderstorms may be capable of producing 2 to 4 inches of rain per hour.

* This much rain in a short amount of time would result in rapid rises on streams and creeks and in urbanized and poor drainage areas.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.

Today’s flooding potential follows flash flooding in parts of Arlington early Sunday morning. Mobile phones buzzed with a Flash Flood Warning after midnight, as storms dumped torrential rainfall at a rate of upwards of 6 inches per hour.

Parts of I-395 in Arlington became inundated with high standing water. ARLnow has also heard reports of flooded areas along Columbia Pike.

Alexandria was particularly hard-hit by the flash flooding, with extensive flood damage reported in parts of the Del Ray neighborhood.

Today’s rain is just the start of what’s expected to be a busy week. More downpours, plus the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, will bring additional flood threats through Thursday, forecasters say.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Order in Briscoe Case Likely Unconstitutional — “A judge dismissed the protective order Wednesday, and two legal experts said such blanket bans on speech violate the U.S. Constitution. Yet [local TikTok personality Coco] Briscoe, who has filed her own police report, could still be guilty of a misdemeanor, in a case that shows how social media disputes can run out of control and into the First Amendment.” [Washington Post]

County Recruiting for New Mental Health Group — “Arlington County is seeking community members to join a stakeholder group that will help Arlington County Government implement the requirements of Virginia’s new Marcus-David Peters Act. The Act, which was signed into law in late 2020 by Governor Ralph Northam, will create a statewide mental health alert system, also known as Marcus Alert, to ensure behavioral health experts are involved in responding to people in crisis.” [Arlington County]

Amazon Touts Va. Investments — “Out of Amazon’s total dollars dedicated to infrastructure and compensation in Virginia, Northern Virginia has collected the vast majority — almost 84% — a tally of $28.5 billion from 2010 to 2020, company spokeswoman Emily Hawkins said… Amazon’s most recent tally of hiring for its Arlington second headquarters is 1,600 corporate employees, Hawkins said — an early step toward the company’s plans to hire at least 25,000 total by 2030.” [Washington Business Journal]

Recognition for County Code Enforcers — “The Arlington County Code Enforcement Section of the Inspection Services Division (ISD) is the first property maintenance enforcement agency in Virginia to obtain accreditation from the International Accreditation Services (IAS).” [Arlington County]

Arlington Is Under Another Severe Thunderstorm Watch

By ARLnow.com

Another day, another storm watch

Arlington and the entire D.C. area is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. under 8 p.m. Forecasters say storms packing frequent lightning, hail, and damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible later today.

More from the National Weather Service, via Twitter:

Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber

Most-Read Arlington Stories of the Week: August 13, 2021

By ARLnow.com
A meal at Guerra Steakhouse (courtesy of Guerra Steakhouse)

Some relief from the heat is on tap this weekend, though it will come at the cost of enduring a bit of rain.

It was quite a week on the site, despite some of our staff members being out of town. Here are the most-read articles of the past week on ARLnow:

  1. Local TikTok Star Arrested Amid Spat with Restaurants
  2. More Than 5,000 Without Power in Arlington
  3. Morning Poll: Have You Been Bitten By the Notorious Itch Mite?
  4. Residents Abuzz Over Mysterious Bug Bites Possibly Tied to Cicadas (July 28)
  5. Local Couple Killed in California Plane Crash (July 19)
  6. Local TikTok Personality to Face Trial, But Notches Partial Court Victory
  7. Guerra Steakhouse in Rosslyn Opens With Slow But Steady Start
  8. Get Ready for a Nine-Day Closure of Glebe Road
  9. Police Investigating Possible Abduction Attempt in Cherrydale
  10. Arlington Resident to Compete on Jeopardy Tonight
  11. Man Shot in Crystal City Hotel
  12. New Aquatics Center Expected to Open This Month

Feel free to discuss those stories or anything else of local interest in the comments. Whether you’re on vacation or hanging out in Arlington, we hope you have a nice weekend!

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com
4408 33rd Road N.

Even the hot temps aren’t keeping people away from house hunting.

Across Arlington, you’ll find more than 100 open houses scheduled for this weekend, according to Homesnap. That includes everything from over-the-top $2M+ single-family homes to conveniently located 1 BD/1 BA condos.

Below, take a look at a few open houses in Arlington this weekend:

  • 4408 33rd Road N.
    6 BD/5.5+ BA single-family home
    Noteworthy: Four fireplaces, four balconies, elevator, fenced-in yard
    Listed: $2,795,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
  • 2823 11th Street N.
    3 BD/4.5 BA townhouse
    Noteworthy: Central location, “lives like a detached home,” two-car garage with electric car charger
    Listed: $1,699,000
    Open: Saturday and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
  • 2921 N. Sycamore Street
    4 BD/3 BA single-family home
    Noteworthy: Completely renovated, 14 foot vaulted beam-lined ceilings, basement living arrangement with separate entrance
    Listed: $1,295,000
    Open: Saturday and Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
  • 1245 N. Pierce Street #9
    3 BD/2 BA condo
    Noteworthy: Expansive porch with views, two custom marble bathrooms, lots of natural light
    Listed: $919,000
    Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
  • 11 S. Fenwick Street
    3 BD/3 BA single-family home
    Noteworthy: Gas fireplace, newly finished basement, newly fenced-in yard
    Listed: $875,000
    Open: Saturday, 1-3 p.m.
  • 627 N. Piedmont Street
    1 BD/1.5 BA townhouse
    Noteworthy: Centrally located, $40/month HOA fee, “spa-worthy” master bath, bamboo flooring
    Listed: $724,900
    Open: Saturday and Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

Image via Google Maps

Morning Poll: Are You Superstitious About Friday the 13th?

By ARLnow.com

Today is Friday, August 13 — a day that some would consider unlucky.

Friday the 13th lore is at least a century old, and relates to various things, from Jesus’ last supper to the Knights Templar to Norse mythology.

While some may consider superstition about Friday the 13th irrational or silly, others have an actual fear of the day.

“According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day, making it the most feared day and date in history,” notes a Wikipedia entry.

Today we’re wondering: how many people in Arlington — a rather rational place — actually worry when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Vax Mandade for County, APS Employees — “Arlington County Government and Arlington Public Schools (APS) will implement a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees. This joint action, effective August 30, is a necessary step to help keep the community safe and is consistent with COVID-19 public health guidance. This policy will also apply to interns, volunteers, substitutes, and contractors… All unvaccinated employees will be required to be tested at least weekly for COVID-19 to limit the potential spread in the workforce and in the community. Testing will be provided at no cost to the employee.” [Arlington County]

Mask Mandate for Va. Schools — “Virginia will require all students, teachers and staff in K-12 schools to wear masks indoors this fall, even if they are vaccinated, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced Thursday. The mandate, set forth in a public health emergency order, is sure to stir controversy and anger amid an already fractious debate over education in the state.” [Washington Post, Gov. Ralph Northam]

Escalator Replacement at Pentagon City Metro — “On Monday, August 16, Metro will begin work to replace the four entrance escalators at Pentagon City station with brand new, more durable escalators.  Construction is expected to take approximately nine months to complete both entrances and will require each entrance to be closed during construction, starting with the east side of South Hayes Street and followed by the two escalators on the west side.” [WMATA]

Arlington Real Estate Remains Hot — “A combination of challenging affordability and low inventory may be conspiring to dampen home-buyer enthusiasm across much of the Washington region, but you wouldn’t know it in Arlington, where some regions remain red-hot locales… While the region as a whole is down, Arlington has an overall rating of 205 – well into the “High” category and leading all other regional jurisdictions.” [Sun Gazette]

Summer Friday for ARLnow — We’re taking part of the day off, so expect a lighter publishing schedule today.

Local TikTok Personality to Face Trial, But Notches Partial Court Victory

By ARLnow.com
Local TikTok personality Coco Briscoe, in a video she posted which shows her being served with a protective order (via TikTok)

Update on 9/30/21: Charges against Briscoe were dropped earlier this week.

Earlier: Coco Briscoe, the local TikTok personality arrested for violating a protective order amid a spat with local restaurants, has had that protective order lifted.

Briscoe was in Arlington General District Court Wednesday afternoon for her arraignment. A judge also heard arguments about whether the 72-hour Emergency Protective Order issued early Monday morning by an Arlington magistrate should be extended.

During the hearing, the woman who asked for the protective order — Charlotte, an employee of  Celtic House Irish Pub on Columbia Pike — testified that she was “terrified” of Briscoe and her army of devoted social media followers.

Charlotte said Briscoe was a regular customer at Celtic House but things between her and the bartenders deteriorated over time. At one point, Charlotte testified, she and Briscoe encountered each other in Georgetown and Briscoe followed her, yelling “crazy bitch.”

In another incident, Charlotte testified that Briscoe had been drinking for ten hours straight when she took a brief video of her riding her bike near the bar and sent it in a group chat to other Columbia Pike restaurant employees — including employees of Rebellion on the Pike, another target of Briscoe’s ire — to warn them, given what she described as Briscoe’s erratic behavior.

Briscoe somehow obtained the message sent by Charlotte and has since been posting TikTok videos about it and her spat with the restaurant employees. The videos accuse Charlotte of “stalking” Briscoe and of revealing her location in the group chat, as well as using Briscoe’s credit card and ID in order to obtain her name and date of birth for the protective order.

In addition to allegations against Charlotte, Briscoe accuses a larger group of Celtic House and Rebellion employees of creating social media accounts and fake online dating profiles to “bully, stalk and harass” her. In her videos, she expresses concern about her safety and that of other women who patronize the bars.

The videos also infer that police are protecting the bars and Charlotte, who is reportedly dating an Arlington officer, given that a police report filed by Briscoe did not result in action against any of them.

The videos have prompted many of Briscoe’s nearly 25,000 TikTok followers to come to her defense in social media comments, in negative online reviews of the restaurants, and via emails and phone calls.

“Unfortunately this bar is unsafe for single women,” a woman named Elizabeth from South Carolina posted on Rebellion’s Yelp page, echoing Briscoe’s accusations. “Several bartenders… have stalked, harassed and created an unsafe environment.”

“Be careful here, the bartenders like to share your location with a group of stalkers, get personal information off your credit card and share it with them. This happened to my friend,” wrote a woman named Nora from Utah. “When confronted the manager/owners did not investigate or fire the employee who was doing this.”

“Absolutely disgusting @ArlingtonVaPD for not protecting Coco after she filed a report with you,” an Arlington woman named Julie posted on Twitter. “And abusing your power to rush ridiculous restraining orders against her. Scary to thing as a woman in Arlington you are sh-t out of luck if your stalker has a friend that’s a cop.”

Charlotte testified that Celtic House has been getting “hundreds” of phone calls from angry followers of Briscoe, accusing Charlotte of things and calling her names.

A single mom, Charlotte said she has had to take unpaid leave from work, move away from her apartment, and bring her son to live with his father for fear of his safety.

“I’m afraid to be in my house. I’m afraid to be in this courtroom with her,” she testified. “I just want to be left alone and don’t want attention.”

An attorney for Briscoe briefly questioned Charlotte, who said she could have been more “tactful” with her message to the group.

(more…)

Morning Poll: Are You Taking a Vacation This Month?

By ARLnow.com
Traffic on I-66 near Washington-Liberty HS (photo courtesy Eric)

August is the month of vacations.

Congress goes on recess, schools are still on summer break, and legions of D.C. area residents head out of town, to the beach or elsewhere. That leads to less local traffic and more out-of-office email replies.

Obviously not everybody leaves town in August. We’re wondering what percentage of ARLnow readers sticks around and takes their vacations during other months of the year.

Just Sold (List Price vs. Final Price): Aug. 12, 2021

By ARLnow.com
4527 N. Henderson Road

This past week, 59 properties were sold in Arlington, according to Homesnap.

As of Aug. 8, the median list price for homes on the market was $595,000, and the median sales price was $635,000. Additionally, homes are spending an average of 68 days on the market.

To get a closer look at these numbers, here are a few properties that were sold this past week, including their original list price, final sales price and days spent on market.

  • 2507 11th Street N. — 6 BD/4 BA single-family home
    List price: $1,995,000
    Final price: $2,025,000 (+$30,000)
    Under contract 6 days after hitting market
  • 3000 N. Tuckahoe Street — 5 BD/4 BA single-family home
    List price: $1,499,000
    Sales price: $1,625,000 (+$126,000)
    Under contract 5 days after hitting market
  • 1807 N. Lincoln Street — 5 BD/3.5 BA single-family home
    List price: $1,198,000
    Final price: $1,190,000 (-$8,000)
    Under contract 8 days after hitting market
  • 2710 S. Joyce Street — 3 BD/2 BA single-family home
    List price: $939,000
    Final price: $929,000 (-$10,000)
    Under contract 31 days after hitting market
  • 4527 N. Henderson Road — 3 BD/1.5 BA single-family home
    List price: $789,900
    Final price: $831,663 (+$41,763)
    Under contract 5 days after hitting market

In the market? See properties that have been Just Listed and Just Reduced.

Image via Google Maps

JUST IN: Arlington Under Severe Thunderstorm Watch Today

By ARLnow.com

After last night’s strong storms that knocked out power to more than 5,000 homes and businesses, more stormy weather might be on the way.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Arlington and much of the region.

Damaging winds, frequent lightning and hail are possible from storms later today. The was is in effect until 9 p.m.

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