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.

No New Coronavirus Cases Reported Today in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at noon) For the second time since March 2020, no new coronavirus cases were reported in Arlington County over the past 24 hours.

The county’s cumulative case count remained at 15,272 this morning, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. The last time there were zero new cases in a given day was in July 2020, during last summer’s lull.

The seven-day trailing total of new cases in Arlington dropped to 33 today, another new low point since the outset of the pandemic.

Arlington’s neighbor to the south, the City of Alexandria, also had no new reported cases today, according to VDH.

In another positive sign, the test positivity rate in Arlington has been falling rapidly. The seven-day moving average reached 1.5% today, down from nearly 5% on April 1.

Across the river yesterday, D.C. joined Virginia and Maryland in following Centers for Disease Control guidance and dropping its mask mandate for those who are fully vaccinated.

The updated mask rules in Virginia, per a summary from Arlington County, are as follows.

On Friday, May 14, Governor Northam announced the following, based on the recent CDC recommendation; increasing vaccination rates among Virginians; and dramatically declining COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and positive tests:

  • Masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals in most indoor settings (see Executive Order 72 for exceptions).
  • Anyone who is not yet vaccinated is strongly encouraged to wear masks in all settings.
  • Employees who work in certain business sectors–including restaurants, retail, fitness, personal care, and entertainment–must continue to wear masks unless fully vaccinated, consistent with CDC guidelines.
  • Masks continue to be required in K-12 settings, given low rates of vaccination among children.
  • Businesses retain the ability to require masks in their establishments if they choose to.
  • Other exceptions include public transit, health care facilities, and congregate settings.

Those 12+ years of age who are not yet vaccinated can find a county-run clinic here.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Book: Bezos Helped Steer HQ2 to Arlington — “According to “Amazon Unbound,” a new book by Brad Stone that looks at the last decade of growth at the company, employees overseeing the HQ2 search winnowed the choices to a top three list that included Chicago, Philadelphia and Raleigh, North Carolina. When it came time to make a final choice, Bezos dismissed months of research by going with his gut and selecting Arlington and Long Island City in Queens.” [Washington Business Journal]

Democratic School Board Caucus Underway — “Voting in the Arlington County Democratic Committee School Board Endorsement Caucus opened at midnight today through a nationally recognized electronic voting platform that will allow Arlingtonians to conveniently, anonymously and securely cast their ballots from mobile devices or computers 24/7 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday (March 23)… Arlington Democrats will also offer 32 hours of in-person voting on May 18, 19 and 22, at four locations across the county.” [Arlington Democrats]

CivFed Studying Arlington’s Form of Gov’t — “The Arlington County Civic Federation’s study of the community’s form of governance will include nearly three months of online meetings to look at issues ranging from how to conduct elections to whether County Board and School Board members should be elected in districts… The effort, agreed to by Civic Federation delegates late last year, is dubbed ‘TiGER’ (Task Force in Governance and Election Reform). It has been assigned to study and possibly proffer changes to the county’s 90-year-old governance structure.” [Sun Gazette]

Layoffs Hit Rosslyn-Based Rosetta Stone — “None of the employees interviewed knew exactly how many people were laid off at the Harrisonburg office. IXL also laid off workers at Rosetta Stone’s Arlington and Seattle offices, as well. Employees told The Citizen that while a few were spared, ‘almost everyone’ in Harrisonburg was let go… Eric Bates, an IXL spokesperson, issued a statement to The Citizen saying, ‘while Rosetta Stone is moving in a new direction, the changes we are making at the company will ultimately help it grow.'” [The Citizen, Geekwire]

Two Hurt in North Arlington Crash — “Police and firefighters on scene of a T-bone type crash at the intersection of Lorcom Lane and Old Dominion Drive, near the Lee Heights Shops. Initial reports suggest two people suffered minor injuries, including a pregnant passenger.” [Twitter]

Secret Service Flying Drones Around Area — “The U.S. Secret Service will be conducting drone flights ‘in the greater Washington, D.C. area’ over the next two weeks, the agency announced Monday. The Secret Service said it will conduct the drone flights in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration. The drone flights will take place from Monday, May 17 through Monday, May 31.” [Patch]

YouTube Star Responds to DCA Petition — “JoJo Siwa says she’s a big fan of the movement to remove Ronald Reagan’s name from an airport in favor of her … telling us it would be the SICKEST THING EVER!!! We got the YouTube star at Craig’s in WeHo Wednesday night and asked about the petition to change Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to the JoJo Siwa Washington National Airport. JoJo says she’s on board with the change, telling us it’s the best idea she’s ever heard in her life. The petition’s already got 33,000 signatures and counting.” [TMZ]

JUST IN: Coronavirus Cases Hit Lowest Point Since Start of Pandemic

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) The rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington has hit another low — the lowest point, in fact, since around the start of the pandemic.

As of Sunday, the trailing seven-day rate of new cases was 38, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. The last time the one-week total of COVID-19 cases in Arlington was that low was March 26, 2020, when tests were hard to come by and cases were almost certainly being undercounted.

Six additional cases were reported Monday morning, bringing the seven-day rate up slightly to 41. It was the eighth straight day of single-digit case counts, a streak also not seen since the outset of the pandemic.

The most recent Covid-related death in the county was reported last Wednesday. Despite the collapsing case counts, hospitalizations remain at a rate above last summer’s lull: nine hospitalizations over the past week.

Following updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, Virginia on Saturday dropped its mask mandate for those who are fully vaccinated.

CVS, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Costco and Target are among the national chains to make masks optional for vaccinated customers.

Some local businesses are also updating their mask policy. Bearded Goat Barber, for instance, this morning announced that masks are optional for vaccinated customers and employees, though customers can ask for their barbers to wear masks. The Ballston barber shop also announced that it will be resuming beard trims.

While the new mask guidance has received pushback from some healthcare professionals, who say it was issued too early and will endanger lives, others say it reflects the reality of falling case rates and the science behind vaccines preventing transmission of the disease.

Arlington’s rate of administering vaccine doses, meanwhile, has been falling. As of this morning a total of nearly 205,000 Covid vaccine doses have been administered, bringing the seven-day trailing average to around 1,600 doses per day, less than half the peak rate from April. A total of around 124,000 Arlingtonians have received at least one vaccine shot and 93,000 have been fully vaccinated, according to VDH data, which excludes those who were vaccinated by the Dept. of Defense and other federal agencies.

Those 12 years old and up are eligible to receive free vaccine shots at county-run clinics, which are accepting both walk-in patients and appointments.

Baby, Stolen Gun Found in Car that Eluded Police

By ARLnow.com

A teen driver allegedly eluded police before being apprehended near the Arlington Mill Community Center with a baby that wasn’t properly secured and a gun that was stolen.

The incident started Thursday evening around 7:40 p.m., when an Arlington County police officer conducting speed enforcement on S. George Mason Drive between Route 7 and Four Mile Run Drive spotted a speeding car.

“An officer conducting speed enforcement in the 1800 block of S. George Mason Drive observed a driver traveling at a high rate of speed while trailing another vehicle,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “As the officer attempted to stop the driver, he sped up, went around the other vehicle and fled through a red light.”

The officer searched the area and found the car parked on the 900 block of S. Columbus Street, just across Columbia Pike from the Arlington Mill center. The driver and a passenger were detained.

“The officer located a baby in an unsecured carrier in the vehicle. During the course of the investigation, officers recovered a stolen firearm and determined that the driver did not have a license,” said the crime report. “The driver, a juvenile, was arrested and petitions were obtained for Receiving a Stolen Firearm, Possession of a Handgun by a Juvenile, Eluding Police, No Driver’s License and Cruelty to Children.”

“Child Protective Services was notified regarding the baby,” the crime report adds.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Proposed HQ2 ‘Helix’ Tower Is Too Tall — “Amazon.com Inc. may need to lop off the tip of its proposed drill-bit-like structure, the Helix, at its PenPlace development to ensure the safety of flights coming into and out of Reagan National Airport. Engineers working for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority determined the 15-story building is roughly 13 feet taller than the maximum allowable height for structures that close to the airport.” [Washington Business Journal, WJLA]

Homeless Population Down This Year — “The number of individuals counted as homeless across Arlington [this year] was down 14 percent from 2020 and declined by 26 percent since 2017, according to new figures from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). A total of 171 individuals were counted as homeless – either in shelters or living on the street – in the annual ‘Point in Time’ survey.” [Sun Gazette]

Update on Arlington Policing Practices — “Our Police Department has created an internal workgroup to review current policies and ensure they are aligned with best practices. Although excessive use of force has never been tolerated and our officers have been providing emergency medical treatment for years, additional language was added to our Use of Force policy to formalize current practices.” [Arlington County]

Arlington Man Has Big TikTok Following — “Tri Phan of Arlington, Virginia, has amassed 1.5 million followers since he began posting workout and healthy cooking videos in November. The 23-year-old, who is working on his master’s degree in data and business analytics at American University, often does two versions of his content, one in English and one in Vietnamese; about 60 percent of his followers are Vietnamese, he says.” [Associated Press]

Vets to Hike to Arlington from Connecticut — “On Tuesday, June 1, Will Reese will set out on “Ruck to Remember (R2R) – a 380-mile trek from Avon, CT, to Arlington, VA, to raise awareness and funds for APK Charities. Reese, who launched R2R in 2019, this time will be joined by hundreds of active and retired Military from all around the world who will all don “ruck-sacks” – military backpacks – for the 7-day march, which will culminate on Tuesday, June 8.” [We-ha.com]

Soon: No Tour Bus Parking at AF Memorial — “The removal of motorcoach parking at the entrance to the Air Force Memorial will present mobility issues, she said. “‘It will ultimately limit the number of people visiting the memorial,’ added [Guild of Professional Tour Guides] colleague Maribeth Oakes. Walking from the main cemetery entrance to the Air Force Memorial is a round trip of three miles and the trams, which cost $15 for adults, can fill up before the group of 58 could board. The guild would like a southern expansion with short-term parking for motorcoaches.” [Falls Church News-Press]

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

As predicted, the slow news cycle of the last couple weeks reversed this week, with more to cover than time to cover it.

With a County Board meeting this weekend and on Tuesday, and lots going on, next week’s coverage plan is already filled up through Thursday.

But first thing’s first: let’s take a look at the most-read ARLnow articles of the past week.

  1. Police Arrest Suspect in Restaurant Employee Assault, Possible Hate Crime
  2. A 22-Year-Old Cat Is in Need of a New Home
  3. Amazon Reveals New HQ2 Renderings as Hiring Picks Up
  4. Lines Seen at Numerous Arlington Gas Stations As Governor Declares Emergency
  5. Wakefield HS Secured After Student Allegedly Made Threats
  6. Arlington Dad Tells Congress Virtual Instruction Nearly Cost Him His Son
  7. Ready or Not, the Cicadas Are Here
  8. Credit Card Theft Victim Arrested After Armed Confrontation
  9. Potentially Rabid Fox on the Loose Near Lacey Woods Park
  10. Boston’s Northeastern University Plans Southern Expansion into Rosslyn

Feel free to discuss those stories or anything else of local interest in the comments. Have a nice weekend!

Flickr pool photo by Jenn Vogel

Marymount Announces Speakers for Commencement

By ARLnow.com

Marymount University’s commencement weekend is underway and is back to being an in-person event.

The university held last year’s ceremony virtually due to the pandemic. This year’s commencement will feature a trio of notable speakers: former Virginia Department of Education Secretary James Dyke Jr. on Friday, Black Entertainment Television co-founder Sheila Johnson on Saturday, and former Washington Post publisher Don Graham on Sunday.

Undergraduate and graduate students will be grouped by their college at the university for the first time as part of the proceedings, which are taking place on the athletic field at the university’s main campus near Washington Golf and Country Club.

The schedule will run as follows.

  • 10 a.m. Friday: Commencement for the College of Health and Education
  • 10 a.m. Saturday: Commencement for the College of Sciences and Humanities
  • 4:30 p.m. Saturday: A celebration for 2019-2020 graduates will take place in the Lee Center
  • 10 a.m. Sunday: Commencement for the College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology

“Marymount’s face covering policy and social distancing protocols will be followed in each event,” the university said in a May 7 news release prior to the new CDC guidance. “Only graduating students, faculty and speakers will be permitted on the Converse Family Field during the commencement ceremonies, but two guests for each graduating student will be accommodated on campus to view the ceremony via a livestream broadcast.”

The ceremonies will also be livestreamed on Marymount’s Facebook page.

Meanwhile, the university plans to return fully to on-campus activities this fall while requiring students to be vaccinated.

President Irma Becerra said in a news release that officials concluded the requirement would “best ensure that the University is able to offer a safe, face-to-face” environment.

“For both the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, Marymount has operated through a hybrid model that has allowed students to learn and live on campus, with remote course delivery options also utilized to achieve a safe and optimal learning environment,” the university noted.

During the fall semester last year, the university responded to a cluster of infections on campus but has repeatedly reported progress since then.

“No positive COVID-19 cases at Marymount have been traced back to classroom settings, and there have been no disruptions to University operations from any COVID-related impacts,” the university added. “Recently, student athletes resumed competition with other colleges and universities as well.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Sentenced for Drunken Gunfire — “The Weedsport [New York] man arrested for publicly firing a gun in the Washington area days before the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was sentenced April 28 in Arlington County Circuit Court. Moses Geri, 39, was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year and eight months suspended… His sentence was issued days after the court rejected a previous plea agreement that would have made all 12 months of Geri’s probation unsupervised.” [The Citizen]

VHC Now a Level II Trauma Center — “Virginia Hospital Center (VHC), a community-based hospital providing medical services to the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 75 years, is proud to announce that it has received a Level II Trauma Center designation from the Commonwealth of Virginia, filling a critical community need.” [Press Release]

County Hosting Virtual ‘Healing’ Conference — “The Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) announces Building Healing Communities: Conversations on Mental Health, Resilience, and Equity… The free, four-day virtual community conference — offered with simultaneous Spanish translation throughout — kicks off on Thursday, May 20 at 6 p.m.” [Arlington County]

New Apartment Tower Now Leasing — “Leasing has begun at Aubrey, the first of three high-rise residential buildings at the Highlands, a mixed-use development in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in Arlington, Va. Under development by Penzance, the 23-story-tall Aubrey building at 1788 N. Pierce St. includes 331 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Evo, the second apartment tower, is anticipated to begin leasing this summer. The third tower is the Pierce condominium, which is selling now.” [Washington Post]

Big Motorcycle Rally Back On — “Things are coming together for a major Memorial Day weekend motorcycle rally. It now has an official starting area and it looks like more bikers could be coming. ‘At the very last minute, the mayor came through for us,’ said Joe Chenelly, executive director of AMVETS. The veterans service organization is arranging the ‘Rolling to Remember’ event, which is the successor to ‘Rolling Thunder.'” [WTOP]

JUST IN: Local Coronavirus Cases Reach Lowest Point Since July As CDC Reveals New Mask Guidance

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4 p.m.) A total of 75 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Arlington over the past week, after four straight days of single-digit case counts.

That’s the lowest trailing seven-day case total since July 26, 2020, and the first four-day streak of single-digit cases since late June 2020. It comes as new COVID-19 cases are declining in 37 states, including Virginia, while no states are seeing rising cases.

“America’s battle against the coronavirus is going great,” Axios reported today. “The U.S. is finally winning its battle against COVID-19 thanks almost exclusively to one weapon: the vaccines.”

In Arlington, nearly 200,000 vaccine doses have been administered and 86,534 people are now fully vaccinated, according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data.

About 52% of the overall county population has received at least one dose. Just over 2,000 doses are being administered each day, on average, though that figure has fallen from a peak of more than 3,500 daily doses in late April.

Starting Saturday, the county will offer free vaccinations to children ages 12-15, who are newly eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

“This is a critical milestone in our pandemic response. We encourage all parents to get their children vaccinated when they become eligible,” Arlington Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese said in a press release Wednesday. “The vaccine is the best form of protection against COVID-19. The more people protected, the better it is for ourselves and for our community.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, announced new mask recommendations this afternoon, advising that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks or physically distance indoors or outdoors, in most circumstances.

“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

A spokeswoman said Arlington County is waiting for additional guidance from the state before making any changes in response to the CDC.

“We are reviewing the newly-released CDC recommendations while also awaiting guidance from the Virginia Department of Health,” county spokeswoman Jessica Baxter told ARLnow.

Despite the good news, incidents of serious illness from Covid infections have not let up. Seven Covid-related hospitalizations have been reported in Arlington over the past week, including two new hospitalizations today.

Police: Man Facing Gun Charges After Wakefield HS Incident

By ARLnow.com

A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection to an incident in which a Wakefield High School student allegedly made threats of violence.

As first reported by ARLnow, Wakefield was placed in “secure the school mode” late Tuesday morning after a student — who was reportedly wearing a bulletproof vest — made threats during an altercation that happened off school property, according to Arlington County police. Officers swarmed the area around the school, located the student and detained him.

This morning ACPD announced charges against a man they say was driving the car the student was riding in just before he was detained. Michael Davis, 40, is facing weapons charges after a gun was found in the car, police say.

Davis, an Arlington resident, previously pleaded guilty to drug and other charges nearly two decades ago. He is also facing trial this summer on drug and weapons charges after being arrested last year, according to court records. He’s due in court on the new charges on July 1.

More from an ACPD press release, below.

An Arlington man is facing charges of weapons violations following an investigation into reported threats near Wakefield High School. Michael Davis, 40, is charged with Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility without bond.

Just prior to 11:45 a.m. on May 11, the School Resource Officer (SRO) Supervisor received a call from a staff member at Wakefield High School regarding a student who had been involved in a physical altercation off school property with several other individuals. The student was allegedly wearing what was described as a bulletproof vest and, upon leaving the scene, made a statement to bystanders implying threats of violence.

The student [returned] to the area and was reportedly observed traveling in a vehicle near the school. The SRO Supervisor coordinated a police response and officers located the student outside of the parked vehicle in the area of S. Frederick Street and S. George Mason Drive. The student and the two occupants of the vehicle were detained without incident. In plain view inside the vehicle, officers observed a ballistic vest carrier. During a search of the vehicle, a firearm was recovered from under the driver’s seat. The driver was arrested and charged.

For the safety of students and staff, Wakefield High School was placed on “secure the building status” while police investigated the circumstances of this incident.

This remains an active investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Lt. E. Pilco of the School Resource Officers Unit at [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Lines Persist at Local Gas Stations, While Pipeline Restart Raises Hopes

By ARLnow.com
1/12

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) Arlington residents woke up this morning to another day of gasoline shortages and lines at gas stations.

While the Colonial Pipeline has been restarted after last week’s cyberattack, it could take days for gasoline supplies along the East Coast and in the Southeast to return to normal, the pipeline company says. In the meantime, trying to fill up in Arlington requires patience.

Last night most if not all Arlington gas stations were out of gas, according to GasBuddy. Even the military gas station at Fort Myer was running low or out. At one BP station that still had gas yesterday evening, Arlington County deployed mobile signboard crews to close a lane of traffic along Lee Highway due to the long line.

Across Virginia this morning, GasBuddy reported that 55% of stations were without gas. The Commonwealth is still in a state of emergency as a result of the pipeline disruption.

In a quick survey of some parts of Arlington this morning, ARLnow saw some stations that were out of gas, while others were back in operation — with lines of drivers hoping to fill their tank.

Among the stations still awaiting a refill this morning was the Shell station near the corner of N. Glebe Road and Lee Highway. While the Exxon station across the street had gas — and a long line — the Shell station had handwritten “out of gas” signs on the pumps. One thing it did have: a CNN crew broadcasting reports for TV stations across the country.

As if the shortages weren’t bad enough, a car caught fire at one local gas station this morning. Initial reports suggest that a Volvo caught fire at the Liberty gas station at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. George Mason Drive shortly before 10:30 a.m. Damage to the building was reported, but there were no reports of injuries. Police helped to direct traffic while Arlington County firefighters extinguished the flames.

Colonial Pipeline, meanwhile, says it should be back supplying fuels across its system by midday today, raising hopes of a relatively swift return to normal at the pumps.

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