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 — Oct 20, 2023.

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

  1. Tesla smashes into Columbia Pike playground (21502 views)
  2. Morning Poll: Best tacos in Arlington? (16727 views)
  3. Arlington seeks input on Wilson Blvd intersection changes (9997 views)
  4. Reston man faces charges in Arlington sex crimes investigation (6959 views)
  5. Japanese restaurant Ryu Izakaya opens on Columbia Pike (6953 views)
  6. County buys another home for flood mitigation as first purchase is teed up for demolition (6796 views)
  7. Two nabbed in foot chases after vehicle theft attempt from Amazon HQ2 garage (4900 views)
  8. APS middle and high schools to beef up security, attendance with e-hall pass system (4836 views)
  9. Peruvian Brothers opens new restaurant at Amazon HQ2 in Pentagon City (4679 views)
  10. VDOT to replace bridge over N. Glebe Road (4567 views)
  11. Police investigating hammer and knife attack in Lyon Village (4327 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 partly sunny skies with a high near 65 and breezy conditions as west winds reach 10-15 mph, increasing to 17-22 mph in the afternoon, with gusts up to 33 mph. On Saturday night, showers are likely after 5am, with a low around 49 and lighter west wind at 5-8 mph. Precipitation chances stand at 60%, with new amounts under a tenth of an inch possible. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
– John Wooden

🌅 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. 👋


A large fire department response is on scene at the Stratton House condominiums due to a reported carbon monoxide incident.

Initial reports suggest that carbon monoxide alarms in one of the complex’s two buildings started going off after the building’s heat was turned on for the first time today. Firefighters are investigating the source, with a focus on the boiler room.

The complex is located along 5th Street S. in the Alcova Heights neighborhood — near Fire Station No. 1 and across S. Glebe Road from Ruthie’s All-Day restaurant.

An Arlington County Fire Department spokesman told ARLnow this is “still an active incident right now.”

“Crews arrived and found elevated readings of CO and began to work to locate and isolate the source,” said Capt. Nathaniel Hiner. “Units are ventilating the structure now and are working with Washington Gas. No reports of anyone requiring medical attention.”

In addition to investigating and ventilating, firefighters have been going door-to-door checking on residents and encouraging them to leave the building.


Running at Long Bridge Park on a cloudy fall day (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington Visit for First Lady — First Lady Jill Biden is set to deliver remarks at the 2023 PFLAG National Convention at a hotel in Pentagon City this afternoon, according to guidance from the White House. The LGBTQ+ organization’s event is sold out.

AWLA Asks for Help — “Today we only have two open dog kennels. The rest are full. We are desperately in need of families to give our dogs a break from the kennel and make room for more dogs coming into our care.” [Twitter]

Restaurant Week Wrapping Up — Arlington Restaurant Week will continue through the weekend. Restaurant Week deals at nearly 50 local restaurants end on Monday, Oct. 23. [ARLnow]

Crystal City Curbs Questioned — “These sidewalk ‘improvements’ have only been at 12th and Eads for about a week, but I’ve seen so many folks trip or stumble over them. The random curb in the middle of the sidewalk is really something else.” [Twitter]

Election Official Departing — “Serving as the No. 2 staffer in the Arlington Office of Elections long has been a launch pad for those who occupied it. You can now add Tate Fall to the list. Fall, currently deputy director of elections for Arlington, has been appointed elections director of Cobb County, Ga. She will start in early December.” [Gazette Leader]

Nightly Pentagon Police Ritual — “Pentagon Police officers raise the U.S. Flag each morning outside the Pentagon in honor of our great Nation. The @POW/MIA flag is also raised and displayed directly below the U.S. Flag as a powerful symbol of our national commitment to those Americans who were Prisoners of War/Missing in Action.” [Twitter]

It’s Friday — Expect showers later in the afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 69. The south wind will be blowing at 8 to 11 mph, and may gust up to 18 mph. The chance of precipitation is 50%. For Friday night, there is a possibility of showers and thunderstorms, a mostly cloudy sky, and a low around 51. [Weather.gov]


Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel (via Google Maps)

A Muslim group’s planned banquet in Arlington has been cancelled after it says the hotel received “multiple terror threats.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was scheduled to hold its 29th annual banquet Saturday night at the Crystal Gateway Marriott at 1700 Richmond Highway.

“CAIR has hosted banquets there annually for over ten years,” the group said tonight (Thursday) in a press release. “In recent days, according to the Marriott, anonymous callers have threatened to plant bombs in the hotel’s parking garage, kill specific hotel staff in their homes, and storm the hotel in a repeat of the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol if the events moved forward.”

“Law enforcement authorities and the FBI have been notified of the terror threats. The FBI has confirmed to CAIR that it is investigating the reported threats,” the press release continued. “The terror threats came after CAIR updated its original banquet programming to focus on the work needed to support basic Palestinian human rights.”

CAIR says it “plans to proceed with [the] banquet at an alternate secure location with heightened security.” A separate banquet planned for Oct. 28 in Maryland “will also be cancelled as a precaution and merged into the Oct. 21st event.”

The banquets were billed as “a night of solidarity with Palestine,” amid the Israel-Hamas war.

“We strongly condemn the extreme and disgusting threats against our organization, the Marriott hotel and its staff,” CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement. “We will not allow the threats of anti-Palestinian racists and anti-Muslim bigots who seek to dehumanize the Palestinian people and silence American Muslims to stop us from pursuing justice for all.”

“We ask all those who value free speech, human rights and justice to support CAIR’s work today to show hateful extremists that they will not succeed in silencing us and will only make our voices stronger, God willing,” Awad added.

An Arlington-based conservative media outlet wrote Tuesday that the banquet was “generating concerns among pro-Israel advocates, who say the hotel chain has a responsibility to stop its venues from being used to foment anti-Israel fervor.”

The United States has seen heightened incidents of bigotry and violence against Muslims and Jews since the war’s outbreak, which started with a surprise Hamas attack that killed more than 1,000 in Israel. The Israeli airstrikes since then have killed several thousand in Gaza, Palestinian authorities say.

Among the incidents was the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois. He was buried Monday after, authorities say, he was stabbed to death by a landlord who was “obsessed with the war between Hamas and Israel.”

Photo via Google Maps


Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive townhouses sold last month (September 2023).

Most expensive townhouses sold

  1. 1311 14th St N — Rosslyn — $2,300,000 (3 beds | 5 baths | 3,740 sq. ft.)
  2. 1539 22nd St N — North Highland — $1,675,000 (3 beds | 4.5 baths | 2,962 sq. ft.)
  3. 1335 14th St N — Rosslyn — $1,450,000 (3 beds | 4.5 baths | 3,590 sq. ft.)

Least expensive townhouses sold*

  1. 2836 S Wakefield St Unit B — Fairlington — $395,000 (2 beds | 1 baths | 875 sq. ft.)
  2. 2826 A S Wakfield St Unit A — Fairlington — $395,000 (2 beds | 1 bath | 810 sq. ft.)
  3. 4931 7th Rd S Unit 4931 — Arlington Mill — $450,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 1,120 sq. ft.)

*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.


Meet Jill, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week!

Jill is a sweet black and white female cat up for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. She is currently in foster.

This is what her friends had to say about her:

This sweet girl should be named love bug, super snuggler, sweetie pie… she is such a love!

If you are ready to both give and receive a lot of love, this kitty is for you. She is on your lap, snuggling in your neck, licking your earlobe or nose or eyebrow, curled up next to you, and following you around.

Loves to be pet on her head, chin, chest and down her back. She even likes her cute little black pads to be rubbed. Only her belly is super sensitive.

Have you found a new companion in Jill? Read her entire profile to learn more and don’t forget to schedule a virtual meet & greet!

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.


Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

A 43-year-old Arlington man is in jail after an overnight barricade situation in the Buckingham neighborhood.

The incident started around 12:30 a.m. with what was reported as a woman’s ex-boyfriend kicking down her door and confronting her and her current boyfriend with a knife.

The suspect then returned to his home nearby, leading to a barricade situation that eventually ended peacefully after negotiations with police, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

More, below, from a press release.

The Arlington County Police Department is announcing the arrest of a suspect following an early morning barricade in the Buckingham neighborhood. Jermaine Chambers, 43, of Arlington, VA is charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Burglary with Intent to Commit Assault and Assault & Battery (x2). He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 12:23 a.m. on October 19, police were dispatched to the 4200 block of 2nd Road N. for the report of a possible assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, it was determined the known male suspect forced entry into the victim’s residence, brandished a knife, threatened and physically assaulted the female and male victims before fleeing the residence on foot. The male victim was treated on scene by medics for injuries considered non-life threatening. The female victim did not require medical treatment.

Officers searched the area for the suspect with the assistance of Fairfax County Police Department’s helicopter and determined he had returned to his residence in the 200 block of N. Thomas Street. Officers established a perimeter, made telephone contact and initiated negotiations with the suspect who refused to exit his residence and remained barricaded inside. Members of the Department’s Emergency Response Team responded to the scene, continued negotiations with the suspect and eventually took him into custody without incident.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).


Ballston as dark clouds move into the area (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Square Foot Cost Slips — “From Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average price per square foot for Arlington residential sales was $472. That’s down 1.9 percent from $481 during the same stretch in 2022. Throughout the metro area, Arlington was only surpassed in the ranking by the District of Columbia, whose average $527 cost per square foot was down 4.4 percent from a year before.” [Gazette Leader]

Cost of Local Homeownership — “The Q3 median cost of a single-family home was $739,900 in Arlington. To afford that, average wage earners would have to make at least $113,633 and be positioned to spend 46.2 percent of their annual pay on their mortgages. The report also shows a 7.8 percent year-over-year increase in median home sale prices in Arlington.” [Patch]

Plan’s Affordable Housing Questioned — “The draft plan Arlington County officials are reviewing includes recommendations for where, and how, to build affordable housing along Langston Boulevard, with a goal of making it happen by 2075. You read that right: 2075! Trekkies will note that the year 2075 is twelve years after Earth makes first contact with aliens from another world.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Halls Hill and Langston Blvd Plan — “Wilma Jones, President of the John M. Langston Citizens Association, sat down with Jo DeVoe to discuss Plan Langston Boulevard, community history, and historic preservation efforts in the Halls Hill neighborhood.” [Apple Podcasts]

Next Week: Drug Take-Back Day — “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) fall National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, October 28, 2023. This dedicated day is an opportune time for community members to take advantage of free, convenient and confidential medication disposal at one of Arlington County’s four permanent drug take-back boxes.” [ACPD]

Tourney Win for Softball Team — “With late-inning comebacks in semifinal and championship games, the Arlington Sage won the recent 14-and-under B Division of the Madison Small Memorial girls softball tournament in Sterling. The tourney was reduced to one day because of weather issues. The Sage finished 6-0 in their 15-team age division.” [Gazette Leader]

Funding for Local Health Startup — “An Arlington heart health startup has raised $8 million to bring its virtual home care to more value-based care provider groups and payers… Ventricle Health provides its members with access to a network of 2,000 cardiologists — members can book appointments to be seen virtually in as little as three days.” [Washington Business Journal]

It’s Thursday — Expect partly sunny skies with highs around 69 degrees and south winds ranging from 6 to 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. As for Thursday night, it will be cloudy with lows near 55 degrees accompanied by south winds blowing at 7 to 9 mph. [Weather.gov]


Good Wednesday 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 — Oct 18, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌥️ Thursday’s forecast

Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high temperature of approximately 69 degrees. The south wind will blow at 6 to 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Tonight, expect a cloudy sky with the temperature dropping to around 55 degrees while the south wind continues at 7 to 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows.”
– Aristotle Onassis

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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


File photo

A man was seriously injured after a hammer and knife attack in the Lyon Village neighborhood yesterday.

The Tuesday evening incident happened on the 1700 block of N. Calvert Street, a few blocks from Lyon Village Park, and involved two men who knew each other, police said.

Officers were not made aware of the attack until later that night, after the victim was treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

More from ACPD:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING (late), 2023-10170254, 1700 block of N. Calvert Street. At approximately 9:22 p.m. on October 17, police were dispatched to INOVA Fairfax Hospital for the late report of an assault that occurred in Arlington County. The preliminary investigation indicates at approximately 4:50 p.m., the male victim and male suspect, who are known to each other, became engaged in a verbal dispute during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a hammer. A witness separated the victim and suspect and a short time later, the suspect reapproached the victim, brandished a knife and struck the victim, causing a laceration. The suspect left the scene and the victim self-reported to the hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.


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 — Oct 17, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Wednesday’s forecast

The weather will be mostly sunny with a high temperature of around 65 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at 3 to 5 mph. In the evening, it will turn partly cloudy and the temperature will drop to approximately 49 degrees, with a south wind at the same speed of 3 to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
– Mahatma Gandhi

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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


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