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.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 23, 2024

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 — Jan 23, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Wednesday’s forecast

Sprinkles may occur before 3pm, followed by a slight chance of rain and patchy fog after 3pm and 9am respectively. Expect a cloudy day with a high near 47°F and a southeast wind of 3-5 mph; there’s a 20% chance of precipitation. For Wednesday night, rain is likely after 1am, with patchy fog and a cloudy sky. The temperature will rise to around 52°F by 3am, accompanied by a south wind of 6-9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with possible new precipitation amounts under a tenth of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.”
– Margaret Atwood

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

BREAKING: Former swim club board president pleads guilty to sexually exploiting children

By ARLnow.com
Mark Black (courtesy Alexandria Sheriff’s Office)

A former board president of the Arlington Aquatic Club pled guilty today to conspiring to sexually exploit several children.

Mark Black, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement one month before he was set to go to trial in federal court on Feb. 27, according to a press release from the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

He is set to be sentenced on April 30 and faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

From January 2018 to October 2021, Black was part of two groups that found prepubescent girls online and convinced them to livestream themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct, the release says. Black and his co-conspirators would secretly record so they could share the videos with each other.

Last November, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Black with six counts of creating, advertising, distributing and receiving child pornography between 2018 and 2023.

Black was one board president of AAC, an elite swimming program notable for producing a Tokyo Olympian two summers ago, and also worked as a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) attorney.

More, below, from the Justice Department press release.

A Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) attorney pleaded guilty today to conspiring to sexually exploit numerous children.

According to court documents, between January 2018 and October 2021, Mark Black, 50, of Arlington, was a member of two online groups dedicated to exploiting children. The goal of the two groups was to locate prepubescent girls online and convince them to livestream themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Black and his co-conspirators would covertly record this conduct and share the videos with each other.

In July 2019, Black induced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct on a live-streaming application while screen-recording that activity. That same month, Black and a co-conspirator also groomed another prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit acts on a photo and video-sharing application. The co-conspirator surreptitiously hacked into this girl’s live-video feed and recorded the sexual acts before sending them to Black.

Black was formerly the Arlington Aquatic Club (AAC) board president.

Black pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30 and faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Nicole M. Argentieri, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael D. Nordwall, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Shimon Richmond, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of the FDIC Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and Trial Attorneys McKenzie Hightower, Kaylynn Foulon, and James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. […]

Any individuals who believe they or someone they know may have been victimized by Black are encouraged to contact the FBI at 202-278-2000 and ask to speak to the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Morning Poll: Which presidential primary are you planning to vote in?

By ARLnow.com
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The New Hampshire primary is today, and Virginia’s presidential primary is six weeks away.

After former president Donald Trump’s record-setting win at the Iowa caucuses, all eyes are on New Hampshire to see if his remaining major opponent, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, can make it a competitive race.

While Trump consolidates support within the party, the Never-Trump faction of the GOP is rallying around Haley. And they might also be secretly hoping to get some help from across the aisle.

Virginia is among a number of states that hold an open primary, meaning that Democrats can vote in the Republican party and vice-versa.

“Virginia is an open primary state meaning that voters do not register by political party,” notes the Arlington County elections website. “Any registered voter is eligible to vote in any primary election. If both the Democratic and Republican parties hold primaries on the same day, voters must choose which party ballot they wish to vote, per Virginia Code § 24.2-530.”

The Democratic race, meanwhile, remains moribund, with challengers to President Biden mostly polling in the single-digits. A non-competitive Democratic race may — in theory, at least — drive a few more voters over to the more dynamic GOP primary, particularly Dems dead set against another Trump presidency.

So whether you vote on Super Tuesday, March 5, or vote early — in-person early voting started Jan. 19 in Arlington and ballot drop boxes opened yesterday — this morning we’re wondering which primary are you planning on voting in?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Sledding in Bluemont Park last Friday (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Water Main Break Near HQ2 — From Dave Statter yesterday: “Here’s the moment — 4:18 a.m. — when things suddenly bubbled up from underground after the water main break at S. 15th & S. Eads in Crystal City.” [Twitter, DC News Now, Twitter]

‘Limit’ to Arlington’s Arena Role — “Arlington’s new-for-2024 County Board chairman seemed to douse flames of expectation that the county government would gain a major seat at the table when it comes to the prospect of a sports arena proposed in nearby Alexandria. ‘There is a limit’ to what role the county government can play, Libby Garvey said at the Jan. 20 County Board meeting, when the matter was brought up by civic activist and perennial political candidate Audrey Clement.” [Gazette Leader]

Robbery On Metro Train — “Multiple juveniles were arrested after they were accused of robbing and assaulting two passengers on a Pentagon City Metro train. On Saturday around 4 p.m., the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) responded to a station where they learned two passengers had allegedly been robbed and assaulted by a group of nine juveniles.” [WJLA]

New Name for Career Center — “It’s gone a half-century without any highfalutin’ name, but a new committee may recommend applying one to the new Arlington Career Center building. Arlington School Board members on Jan. 25 are expected to appoint a naming committee that will look at potential monikers for the new Career Center, being built on the same South Arlington parcel where the current school has reigned since the 1960s.” [Gazette Leader]

Leasing ‘Flurry’ in Rosslyn — “The Arlington-based firm announced Jan. 18 that the National Association of Corporate Directors, a membership organization currently with offices near the Courthouse Metro station, will locate its headquarters to some 40,000 square feet in Monday’s The Towers at 1100 Wilson Blvd. The deal, which was inked in late November and whose term will begin in this coming fall, was part of what a spokesperson called ‘a flurry’ of Monday’s leasing activity in 2023, totaling some 300,000 square feet altogether in Rosslyn.” [Washington Business Journal]

Awaiting More Dem Candidates — “The Feb. 7 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting effectively could be the now-or-never moment for final candidate announcements headed into the spring campaign season… On the School Board side, those holding the two seats on the 2024 ballot – Cristina Diaz-Torres and David Priddy – have opted not to seek second terms. The lone formally announced candidate is Chen Ling.” [Gazette Leader]

Arlington GOP Straw Poll — “The Arlington GOP met tonight and held an unofficial, totally non-scientific straw poll for the Republican Presidential Primary. Here are the results: @realDonaldTrump – 60.5% @NikkiHaley – 23.7% @RonDeSantis – 10.5% @RyanBinkley – 5.3%.” [Twitter]

ART Anniversary Event — “Join Arlington County on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., to continue celebrating 25 years of Arlington Transit (ART) bus service to the community.” [Arlington County]

Another I-395 Crash on Camera — From Dave Statter: “The antics at I-395S Exit 8C still occur throughout the day, just somewhat less frequently thanks to the closure of one of the Boundary Channel ramps. This is from Friday afternoon with someone wanting to get to Crystal City in the worst way.” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — It will be mostly cloudy with a high temperature near 41 degrees and calm wind. Tuesday night, there’s a 30% chance of rain primarily after 1am, accompanied by mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature around 34 degrees with a light east wind. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 22, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Monday 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 — Jan 22, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌥️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect a mostly cloudy day with a high temperature close to 41 degrees and gentle, variable winds. Tuesday night brings a 30% chance of rain, mostly after 2 am, under continued mostly cloudy skies and a low temperature around 32 degrees. A light east wind will persist through the night. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
– Oscar Wilde

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Liquor store robbery leads to chase and arrests on I-395

By ARLnow.com
End of police chase in I-395 linked to Virginia ABC store robbery (photo courtesy Alan Henney)

A pair of women from D.C. are facing charges after an alleged liquor store robbery and car chase.

The robbery was reported around 2 p.m. on N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon. The chase ended around 2:30 p.m. on northbound I-395, temporarily blocking the highway.

The suspects may also be linked to other robberies of Virginia ABC stores in Northern Virginia, according to public safety watchers on social media.

More on the incident, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

ROBBERY, 2024-01200094, 1000 block of N. Fillmore Street. At approximately 2:00 p.m. on January 20, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined two female suspects entered the business and collected merchandise. Suspect One allegedly made threatening statements towards an employee and exited the store followed by Suspect Two. The suspects fled the scene in a black sedan and a lookout was broadcast. At approximately 2:25 p.m., officers observed the suspect vehicle travelling in the 2900 block of S. Glebe Road and attempted a traffic stop during which the driver failed to stop and fled the scene. Officers initiated a vehicle pursuit and took the suspects into custody after their vehicle experienced a flat tire and came to a stop on northbound I-395 in the area of Washington Boulevard. One suspect was evaluated on scene for minor injuries and did not require transport. One hit and run by the suspect vehicle was reported resulting in minor property damage and no injuries. Two police cruisers sustained minor damage and no officers reported injuries. The stolen merchandise was recovered from the suspect vehicle. [The suspect], 23, of Washington, DC, was arrested and charged with Robbery and Eluding. [The suspect], 22, of Washington, DC, was arrested and charged with Petit Larceny. The investigation is ongoing.

Also in today’s crime report, police are investigating an armed robbery Saturday morning in the Courthouse area.

ROBBERY, 2024-01200075, 2300 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:31 a.m. on January 20, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect was inside a business when he approached the counter and brandished a firearm. He then went behind the counter and stole merchandise before demanding cash from the register. He subsequently exited the store with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene on foot. No injuries were reported. Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 35-50 years old, 5’7”-5’11”, wearing a blue sweatshirt, black jacket, dark blue pants, blue hat, black shoes and a white mask. The investigation is ongoing.

Separately, police are also investigating another report of gunshots fired in the Green Valley neighborhood. The latest incident happened late Friday night.

SHOTS FIRED (late), 2024-01190177, 3600 block of 25th Street S. At approximately 11:57 p.m. on January 19, police were dispatched to the late report of shots heard. Officers spoke with the reporting party by phone who stated approximately 25 minutes prior, she heard what appeared to be multiple shots fired in the area. Officers recovered evidence confirming several shots had been fired and witnesses described observing a vehicle leave the area at a high rate of speed. No victims or property damage were reported. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

Listing of the Day: 1007 N. Kensington Street

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Address: 1007 N. Kensington Street
Neighborhood: Westover Towns
Type: 4 BR, 4 (+1 half) BA townhouse — 2,000 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,073,000

Noteworthy: All brick 4 level townhouse in Cardinal, Swanson, Yorktown pyramid

Located about a block from the bike and walking trails, this light filled townhouse offers four finished levels of flexible space and a two car attached garage.

Enter into the main level of the home featuring wood floors, high ceilings, and tall windows. The living room flows into the dining room, kitchen and family area. A powder room completes this level. Upstairs, the primary bedroom has a walk in closet and private bath with oversized shower and double sink vanity. The second bedroom has a double door closet and an en suite bathroom. Conveniently located on the upstairs level, is the laundry room as well as a linen closet in the hall.

On the top floor, there is a private third bedroom and bathroom with charming dormered ceilings. Entry to the roof terrace is on this level with space for dining, grilling, and gatherings. The lower level has the fourth bedroom and bathroom which is ideal for an office, au pair, or private space for a teen. A large coat closet with shoe storage is on this level along with an under-the-stairs storage area.

The two car garage houses the utility room and has space for bikes and outdoor equipment. The areaway behind the home is a popular play spot for children living in the community. Near Westover Village’s shops, library, restaurants, service, and Sunday Farmer’s Market. Easy access to Washington, Rosslyn-Ballston business corridor, military, government, and business center, and National Airport. Good reverse commute to Tysons and Dulles tech corridor and airport.

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

Video: Driver slams into building on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
1/2

The driver of an SUV slammed into a building along Columbia Pike early Saturday morning.

It happened around 1:40 a.m. on the western end of the Pike in Arlington, near the massive “Pike” sculpture.

Video of the incident, posted by local public safety watcher Dave Statter, shows the SUV driving at a high speed down S. Jefferson Street before crashing into a commercial building at 5555 Columbia Pike.

No serious injuries were reported. So far, there’s no word on any charges against the driver.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Sledding late Sunday afternoon at Nottingham Elementary (staff photo)

Police Announce Stabbing Arrest — “The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing an arrest in the stabbing that occurred on December 15, 2023, in the 5100 block of Columbia Pike. Kamron Tartt, 18, of Arlington, VA was taken into custody on January 18 and charged with Malicious Wounding by Mob, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (x2). He is being held without bond.” [ACPD]

Photos from Wreaths Out — “Volunteers participate in the Wreaths Across America annual removal of wreaths, commonly known as Wreaths Out, in Section 33 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Jan. 20, 2024. This year, nearly 3,000 volunteers removed approximately 260,000 wreaths originally placed at ANC on Dec. 16, 2023.” [Flickr]

Winning Performances at Track Meet — “Members of Wakefield and Washington-Liberty high-school track and field teams had strong finishes at a recent meet at Christopher Newport University. Winning the girls 3,200-meter race was Washington-Liberty’s Alba Edsall in 11:50.2, with her teammate Mina Dowler seventh in 12:51 and Wakefield’s Kenedy Shields won the high jump at 5-feet.” [Gazette Leader]

Volunteers Clear Trail — From the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail: “17 volunteers showed up to clear snow from the Mount Vernon Trail today!” [Twitter]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high around 37 degrees as a calm wind shifts to the south at 5 to 8 mph during the morning. For Monday night, conditions become partly cloudy with a low of around 25 degrees and a southwest wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

Today’s Morning Notes post is brought to you by coworking provider Industrious. ARLnow has been based in an Industrious office for several years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing the coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked with paper. Industrious has a number of Arlington locations from which to choose.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 19, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Friday 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 — Jan 19, 2024.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Heads up: Arlington is about to get some snow (27711 views)
  2. UPDATED: Suspect arrested after dog fatally stabbed in Falls Church (10086 views)
  3. Pie meets pinball at new membership-based arcade inside ACME Pie on Columbia Pike (8801 views)
  4. ACPD investigating robbery at local high school (7169 views)
  5. Two dozen Arlington eateries join D.C. area’s winter Restaurant Week (7146 views)
  6. NEW: Winter Weather Advisory issued for Arlington (6563 views)
  7. JUST IN: Winter Storm Warning issued for Arlington (6258 views)
  8. New ice cream shop could move into Lyon Village Shopping Center this spring (6096 views)
  9. NEW: Tuesday is a snow day for Arlington Public Schools (6043 views)
  10. JUST iN: School cancelled Friday due to snow, APS announces (5494 views)
  11. Arlington businesses for sale: bubble tea spot, high-grossing bar, and a school (4867 views)
  12. Arlington County loses pretrial appeal in Missing Middle suit (4606 views)

📅 Upcoming events

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

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 24 degrees and northwest winds ranging from 11 to 18 mph, gusting up to 32 mph. The night will be mostly clear with a low around 17 degrees, and northwest winds persisting at 14 to 16 mph, gusting up to 26 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming”
– David Bowie

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Bratwurst

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Searching for a small animal companion? Do you love guinea pigs?

Meet Bratwurst, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week!

This brown, white and orange guinea pig is adorable and would make the best companion. She is currently in foster with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Her foster had a few words to say:

Bratwurst is a very sweet female piggy.

She may be shy at first but she’ll warm up to you quickly if you hand feed her veggies!

Soon enough you’ll notice what a sweet and gentle piggy she is.

Bratwurst’s favorite thing is: Vegetables
But she’s not so into: Being picked up
Her special talents are: Being cute and eating
Her perfect day would be: A day full of veggies and relaxation
If Bratwurst was an ice cream flavor, she would be: Strawberry

Important facts about Bratwurst: She may be shy at first but after some love and hand feeding you’ll see her come out of her shell!

Has Bratwurst captured your heart? Learn more about Bratwurst by reading her entire profile!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.

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