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.

Portion of GW Parkway to Close This Weekend for Removal of Crashed Cars

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) A portion of the northbound GW Parkway will be closed for most of the day Saturday, as crews remove two vehicles that ran down embankments and crashed near the river.

From a National Park Service press release:

On Saturday, March 20, 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) will close both northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway to remove two abandoned vehicles that are below the road near the Potomac River. The NPS expects to close the lanes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Spout Run Parkway to Chain Bridge Road, VA 123.  The southbound lanes will remain open.  The NPS will also temporarily close parts of the Potomac Heritage Trail near the vehicles for up to half an hour at a time while the work is happening.

The first crash happened on June 7, 2020, when a sedan ended up near the banks of the Potomac after running down an embankment north of Windy Run. The driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries; he was able to get out of the smashed car and was transported to an ambulance via D.C. fire boat.

The sedan has remained where it came to rest, along the Potomac Heritage Trail, since then while officials mulled how to remove it.

The second crash, according to NPS, happened on January 25 near the first scenic overlook in Arlington. The driver of that car was also not seriously injured.

“Both accidents were unusual,” the Park Service said, though there have been other recent incidents involving vehicles that ran far off the Parkway.

On Jan. 12 two people were rescued after a crash in which two vehicles careened off the Parkway near I-395 and ended up in the Potomac. Three days later, another car ran off the road and over an embankment near the second scenic overlook in Arlington. Inside, first responders found the body of D.C. police officer Jeffrey Smith, who was hurt while clashing with rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6; he was driving to work on Jan. 15 when he took his own life.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Police Searching for Missing Girl — “ACPD is seeking the public’s assistance locating 15 year old Javon… Described as a B/F, 5’7″, 195 lbs with long black and dark blue braids. She was wearing a tie-dye sweatshirt with ‘Myrtle Beach’ on the front, black joggers, crocs, and a white mask.” [Twitter]

MU Returning to ‘Fully In-Person’ in Fall — “Following multiple semesters of modified instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marymount University is pleased to announce its plans to reinstate a fully in-person academic delivery model starting in August for the upcoming fall semester, along with a return to a more ‘normal’ college experience for students in regards to resident life, athletics, campus activities and more.” [Press Release]

New Pike Restaurant Features Colorful Murals — “In late October, he did just that with the debut of Supreme Hot Pot in Arlington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood. He enlisted a group of friends to decorate the walls with murals of soup, dragons, fish and a zaftig lucky cat. Even from the street, the art attracts diners with its red and gold tones.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Middle School Sports Could Be Cut — “First, high-school sports in Arlington were shut down for months because of the pandemic, and now there is a chance middle-school athletics in the county could be eliminated because of budget cuts. A proposal included in Superintendent Francisco Durán’s 2021-22 school budget calls for the elimination of teacher stipends for extracurricular activities and athletics at the middle-school level.” [Sun Gazette]

Project Takes Local Couple Across U.S. — “Two Arlington County residents set out on a year long journey to see all 50 states and document it through art, photography via the 50 states project. That was before the pandemic temporarily stopped their plans in March 2020… what began as a project to see all 50 states turned into a study of before and after the impacts of 2020.” [WJLA]

Another Local Endorsement for McAuliffe — “Arlington County Board Chairman Matt de Ferranti has become one of the latest county elected officials endorsing Terry McAuliffe’s bid for governor. McAuliffe ‘has laid out clear plans to create a better future for all Virginians,’ de Ferranti said in a statement.” [Sun Gazette]

Responses to Violence in Atlanta — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam released a statement yesterday, saying: “We are grieving with the Asian American community and all of the victims of the horrific shootings in Atlanta last night that took eight lives, six of whom were women of Asian descent. This is the latest in a series of heinous attacks against Asian Americans across this nation, but sadly these are not isolated events.” Arlington police, meanwhile, said there are “no known threats” in the county associated with the shooting. [Commonwealth of Virginia, Twitter]

As Va. Transitions to Next Vaccination Phase, Arlington Still Working Through Current Group

By ARLnow.com

Virginia health districts have the option of transitioning to the next vaccination phase this week, but Arlington will not be among those doing so.

The county is still working to vaccinate those in the Phase 1b group, a spokeswoman said, and it’s unclear when it will be able to join other health districts in Phase 1c.

Arlington — where demand for the vaccine is proportionally higher than in more rural parts of the state and, in fact, higher than almost anywhere else in the country — is not alone in being unable to move to Phase 1c quite yet. DCist reports that other Northern Virginia localities will also not be making the transition this week.

“Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William counties, and the city of Alexandria, are among the D.C.-area localities still moving through Phase 1B, and not moving into Phase 1C this week,” the site reported.

The Virginia Dept. of Health announced Tuesday that Phase 1c will be starting in some parts of the state within days. From the announcement:

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced today that some health districts will begin the transition to Phase 1c vaccinations this week, and that all communities across Virginia should be able to open to this group of essential workers within weeks.

The decision to move from one phase to the next is made in coordination with local and state health officials and is dependent upon a variety of factors. Before moving to 1c, local health departments must have made strong efforts to reach all those eligible in 1a and 1b populations, particularly communities that have been disproportionately impacted, such as communities of color. Local health departments also must consider whether demand for vaccine has decreased among 1a and 1b populations.

“Finally, the light at the end of this long journey seems to be coming into view,” said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A. “Vaccine is our best hope of ending the pandemic. My heartfelt thanks to the many Virginians who are signing up and getting vaccinated and for the health care workers and volunteers who are administering vaccines.”

Cara O’Donnell, acting spokeswoman for Arlington’s health department, said the county does not have statistics for how many people are currently in line to be vaccinated under Phase 1b, nor is there an estimate for when Phase 1c would start.

“We’re still working our way through 1b priority groups – both resident eligibility and essential employees,” O’Donnell told ARLnow Tuesday afternoon. “We’ll move into 1c after those eligible in 1b are notified to schedule – I can’t really speculate on a timeline.”

Arlington’s smaller neighbor to the south, the City of Alexandria, said last night in a press release that it had 20,000 people still on its 1b waitlist.

Alexandria continues to make strides in vaccinating residents and essential workers, but AHD has nearly 20,000 pre-registrants in Phase 1b on the waitlist, who have not yet been contacted or vaccinated. Vaccine supply has been slowly increasing, from less than 2,000 total doses per week to the current approximately 5,000 doses, which are a mix of first and second doses. VDH and AHD anticipate these numbers to increase considerably in the coming weeks. AHD anticipates moving into Phase 1c in the next 3-4 weeks depending on an adequate supply of vaccine.

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NEW: Baltimore Ravens Player Arrested in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) A Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman was arrested in Arlington over the weekend.

Broderick Washington, a second-year player on the Ravens, allegedly damaged five vehicles with a metal object at the Dolley Madison Towers apartment complex (2300 24th Road S.) early Sunday morning. He’s also accused of damaging an apartment door and window.

“At approximately 4:20 a.m. on March 14, police were dispatched to multiple reports of a male suspect breaking into vehicles with a metal object,” Arlington County police said in a crime report Monday. “Upon arrival, officers located a suspect matching the description provided by the reporting parties and took him into custody without incident.”

“The investigation determined the suspect allegedly damaged five vehicles and destroyed the entry door and window to a residential building,” the crime report continues. “Broderick Washington, 24, of Baltimore, MD, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor Destruction of Property (x5), felony Destruction of Property, and Tampering with a Vehicle.”

An ACPD spokeswoman declined to provide more information on the incident.

“To ensure the integrity of the prosecution, there are no additional details to release at this time beyond what is included in the daily crime report,” ACPD’s Ashley Savage told ARLnow.

Washington was released on bail and is set for a court hearing on Wednesday, March 31, according to court records.

The 24-year-old defensive tackle was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft, after a standout college career at Texas Tech. Washington was not a major presence on Ravens’ defensive line last year, but is being mentioned as a breakout candidate for the 2021 season.

The team issued a brief statement about the arrest around noon today: “We are aware of the matter involving Broderick Washington. We have spoken with Broderick about this matter and will continue to monitor the situation.”

Photo courtesy ACPD

SoberRide to Offer Free Lyft Rides Today for St. Patrick’s Day

By ARLnow.com

Going to a bar or a party to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day during a pandemic might not be the best idea, but drinking and driving is an even worse idea.

To help prevent the latter, the D.C. area SoberRide program will be offering free Lyft rides from 4 p.m. today to 2 a.m. tomorrow.

The free rides will be available on the Lyft app via a promo code that will be revealed on the SoberRide website at 3 p.m.

If you have already been vaccinated and want to head out for a pint or two today, there are a number of options for celebrating at Arlington’s Irish pubs. Due to capacity restrictions, however, there may be long waits or reservations required at some venues.

More from a SoberRide press release, below.

While stating unequivocally that “we’re all safer at home” this St. Patrick’s Day during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, a local nonprofit organization today announced that – as a “necessary safety net” to this week’s high-risk, high-alcohol consumption period — free safe rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area on St. Patrick’s Day.

Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2021 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® program will be in operation beginning at 4:00 pm this Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (St. Patrick’s Day) and operate until 2:00 am on Thursday, March 18, 2021 as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday.

“While we’re all safer at home, we are also a public safety organization which regularly looks to mitigate risk,” said Kurt Erickson, WRAP’s President. “We therefore urge all Greater Washington area residents to respect public health restrictions this St. Patrick’s Day. However, if persons do venture out and alcohol is involved, we are all benefited from the safety net role which the region’s SoberRide program plays to remove drunk drivers from area roadways.”

During SoberRide’s hours of operation this St. Patrick’s Day, area residents age 21 and older celebrating with alcohol may download the Lyft app to their phones, then enter a SoberRide® code in the app’s “Promo” section to receive their no cost (up to $15) safe transportation home. The St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® promo code will be posted at 3:00 pm on March 17th on www.SoberRide.com.

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Arlington Drops to No. 2 on ‘Best Cities to Live’ List

By ARLnow.com

After five years at the top of an annual “Best Cities to Live in America” list, Arlington is now No. 2.

The list, compiled by Niche.com, bases its rankings “on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities,” from various data sources like the U.S. Census and the FBI.

Arlington, as before, got high marks for public schools, nightlife, diversity, outdoor activities, health and fitness, and family amenities. But housing and the cost of living in Arlington received C+ and C grades, respectively, dragging down the county’s average.

Ranking No. 1 on the 2021 list is The Woodlands, Texas, a master-planned community near Houston. Though it ranks below Arlington in some categories, including commute, The Woodlands’ housing grade — based on “home values, property taxes, housing costs” and other factors — is an A- compared to our C+.

The Woodlands “offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes,” Niche writes. “In The Woodlands there are a lot of restaurants and parks. Many families live in The Woodlands and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in The Woodlands are highly rated.”

The median home value in the Texas community is $374,200, compared to $705,400 in Arlington. Median monthly rent is $1,566 in The Woodlands, compared to $1,970 in Arlington, according to Niche.

After The Woodlands and Arlington, the top five on the Niche “Best Cities to Live” list is rounded out by Naperville, Illinois; Overland Park, Kansas; and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The next-highest city in our region is Columbia, Maryland, at No. 8.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Grants for National Landing Restaurants — “The National Landing Business Improvement District and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington have a new round of grant aid for restaurants and small businesses… Grant applications will be accepted online until March 28. They will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, and will amount to at least $1,000 for each approved business.” [WTOP]

New Clarendon Salon Opening Next Week — The new Smitten on Washington salon is set to open on Tuesday, March 23, at 3000 Washington Blvd in Clarendon. The salon replaces Hendricks Gentlemen’s Barbershop, a men’s venture from the Smitten owners that closed in December after four years in business. [Facebook]

Silver Line Ext. Not Opening Until 2022 — “Metro officials say that the Silver Line extension to Dulles International Airport will open for use in early 2022, most likely in February. ‘What we’re looking at is early 2022, first quarter in calendar 2022, as the likely start of operations,’ Laura Mason, Metro’s executive vice president for capital delivery, said at a board meeting Thursday.” [DCist]

Local Leaders Want Metro Changes — “Representing the cities and counties that fund Metro in Virginia, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission outlined its priorities for Metro’s proposed FY 2022 budget… While the Commission recognizes the major funding relief made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act, the Commission presses Metro to: Maintain a dependable and sufficient level of rail and bus service throughout FY 2022, Open Silver Line Phase 2 as soon as possible, Rebuild ridership, [and] Minimize shifting operating expenses to the capital program.” [Press Release]

Single-Family Homes Are Red Hot — “Typically, markets tend to favor sellers when the supply of homes drops below six months. For much of the last decade, the local supply has hovered at around two months, but has been trending ever lower in recent years. For single-family homes, the D.C. region’s supply dropped to a mere 0.6 months in February, according to the data, and those homes are selling within seven days on the open market.” [Washington Business Journal]

The Arlies, Arlington’s Community Awards, Are Back for Spring

By ARLnow.com

Spring is right around the corner, and so is the next edition of The Arlies!

In January, ARLnow readers took part in the winter 2021 Arlies by letting us know some of your favorite local places, people and organizations. Soon we’ll be highlighting even more categories.

What’s the best brunch spot in Arlington? Where’s your favorite place for date night?

Those are a couple of the questions that ARLnow readers will help to answer.

At a time when many residents and businesses are struggling, the Arlies provides a way to highlight some of the good things happening in our backyard, while bringing recognition to those whose dedication to service has earned the community’s trust.

Voting for the spring 2021 Arlies will kick off at the end of March. We’ll tally the votes and announce the winners soon after.

This is a strictly reader-driven award, with readers and not editors choosing their favorites in each category.

We’ll be announcing the categories next week alongside our sponsor, George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. Stay tuned!

Motorcycle Stolen While Rider Suffers Medical Emergency

By ARLnow.com

A thief stole a man’s motorcycle while the rider was suffering a medical emergency, according to Arlington County police.

The incident happened just after noon this past Friday, on the 200 block of N. Glebe Road in Buckingham. Police say a man rode his motorcycle to a pharmacy, then suffered “a minor medical emergency” while inside.

Medics arrived and started to treat the rider on scene.

“After being checked by medics, he realized his motorcycle was missing and reported the theft,” according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

A witness also “reported observing the suspect allegedly approach the motorcycle and begin to tamper with it,” police said. The suspect’s description was broadcast on police radio, and the stolen motorcycle — which had a distinctive color pattern — was soon spotted.

“A Virginia State Trooper located the suspect in the area of I-66 at exit 73 pushing the motorcycle,” per ACPD. A 21-year-old man from Falls Church “was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny: Motor Vehicle. He was held on a secured bond.”

Separately, two other auto crimes of note were included in the most recent ACPD crime report.

First, nine Hondas were broken into and stripped of airbags overnight Friday into Saturday, near the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Glebe Road.

LARCENY FROM AUTO (Series), 2021-03130069, 4700 block of 20th Road N. At approximately 7:14 a.m. on March 13, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined an unknown suspect(s) forced entry into nine Honda vehicles and stole the airbags. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

Second, a suspect broke into five vehicles “with a metal object” at an apartment complex near the I-395 and S. Glebe Road interchange. The suspect, a 24-year-old Baltimore man, was arrested on scene.

DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (Significant), 2021-03140038, 2300 block of S. 24th Road. At approximately 4:20 a.m. on March 14, police were dispatched to multiple reports of a male suspect breaking into vehicles with a metal object. Upon arrival, officers located a suspect matching the description provided by the reporting parties and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined the suspect allegedly damaged five vehicles and destroyed the entry door and window to a residential building. [The suspect] was arrested and charged with misdemeanor Destruction of Property (x5), felony Destruction of Property, and Tampering with a Vehicle.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Tornado Drill Today — “Virginia’s annual Statewide Tornado Drill will occur on Tues., March 16 at 9:45 a.m. If widespread severe weather threatens the Commonwealth on that date, the drill will be rescheduled for Wed., March 17, at 9:45 a.m. The Statewide Tornado Drill is an opportunity to prepare Virginians for tornado threats and to test public warning systems.” [Va. Dept. of Emergency Management]

Pentagon Row Harris Teeter’s Future in Flux — “Despite concerns from nearby residents, Arlington County Board members on March 20 could give the owner of Pentagon Row the ability to, potentially, significantly downsize grocery-store operations… Located on a 15-acre parcel in Pentagon City, the site has long included a Harris-Teeter supermarket. But that initial lease term is expiring, and there is no guarantee the supermarket chain will want to stay in the existing space.” [Sun Gazette]

Coronavirus Tests Available at DCA — “Coronavirus testing launched Monday at Reagan National and Washington Dulles International airports, which became the latest airports across the country to offer the tests. The centers are outside the security checkpoints at both airports and are operated by XpresCheck, which runs centers at a number of U.S. airports.” [Washington Post]

New Building to Have Temporary Hotel Rooms — “Arlington County Board members next month are expected to allow another developer to temporarily convert apartment space to hotel use. The developer of the 809-unit property at 1555 Wilson Blvd. is asking permission to use 100 of the residential units as hotel space starting in late summer. Eventually, the units would revert to their originally intended purpose.” [Sun Gazette]

Cherry Blossom Sculptures Arrive in Arlington — From the National Landing BID: “Two official @CherryBlossFest sculptures have landed! One at the Esplanade at Long Bridge Park and one at the Crystal City Water Park. They will be up through May 31.” [Twitter]

Bill Would Allow 15 MPH Speed Limits in Va. — “Currently, any city or county looking to slow traffic in a busy shopping district or on a quiet residential street can go no lower than 25 mph. A bill passed during this year’s General Assembly session, however, would change that, permitting posted speed limits to drop as low as 15 mph. A ten miles per hour difference may not seem huge, but for pedestrian safety advocates and the families of victims of traffic collisions, the change could mean the difference between life and death.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Firefighters Battle Multiple Brush Fires Along GW Parkway

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters battled three separate brush fires along the GW Parkway during Monday evening’s commute.

The fires were first reported just before 6 p.m., and ultimately prompted a response of at least a half dozen units from the Arlington County, Montgomery County, and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall fire departments.

“At approximately 5:50 p.m. the Arlington County Emergency Communications Center began receiving multiple calls for brush fires near the First Scenic Overlook extending north on GW Parkway,” said Taylor Blunt, Public Information Officer for the Arlington County Fire Department. “Our first unit arrived within four minutes and confirmed other fires to the north and requested additional units to the scene.”

Two of the brush fires were extinguished relatively quickly. The third was reported out around 6:45 p.m.

“At this stage, we do not know the cause of the fires,” Blunt said. “This incident serves as a reminder of the increased fire danger due to the recent dry and windy weather conditions. We again ask that everyone properly discard smoking materials and not have any open burns.”

A Red Flag Warning was in effect in Arlington and the region over the weekend, amid high winds and a lack of recent rainfall. Brush fires were reported in Loudoun County and Montgomery County on Sunday.

More on the GW Parkway fires, below, via social media.

Screenshot via @bramblerambles/Twitter

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