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.

Top 30 Arlington Stories of 2020: #1-5

By ARLnow.com

It’s here: with the clock ticking down to 2021, we present the top 5 most-read ARLnow stories of 2021.

Thank you for supporting local news in 2020. We look forward to expanding our team and providing even more local coverage next year.

5. Healthy Paws: Boy Dog Bumps — The Mysterious Bulbus Glandis (March 8, 2018 | 51,086 views)

This sponsored article on the anatomy of a male puppy’s underside from 2018 picked up lots of Google search traffic this year. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

4. BREAKING: Virginia is Now Under a Stay-at-Home Order (March 30 | 68,631 views)

“The order, announced Monday afternoon, takes effect immediately and is intended to dramatically slow the rapid spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. There are currently 86 reported coronavirus cases in Arlington County and 1,020 cases statewide, according to the Virginia Dept. Of Health.”

3. BREAKING: Arlington Announces First Coronavirus Case (March 9 | 77,418 views) 

Arlington’s first confirmed positive COVID-19 case came on a day in which the Dow plunged 2,000 points and the realization that the world was about to change started to settle in. The individual who tested positive was “an individual in their 60s who recently returned from international travel.”

2. Arlington County Now Reporting Most Coronavirus Infections in Virginia (March 17 | 92,057 views)

“As of noon today, the Virginia Dept. of Health reported 13 coronavirus cases in Arlington. That’s the highest count of any individual jurisdiction in the state — up from 9 cases in Arlington yesterday.” Meanwhile, restaurants were starting to announce temporary closures and officials were urging people to “practice social distancing” — a new term that required a link as an explanation.

1. BREAKING: Arlington Officers Ordered to ‘Immediately Leave D.C.’ (June 1 | 104,290 views) 

After ARLnow reported exclusively that Arlington County police officers in riot gear were assisting with crowd control near the White House, amid Black Lives Matter protests, President Trump made his infamous walk over to St. John’s Church for a photo op. Arlington officers were pressed into duty to push the crowd back, as federal officers around them used tear gas and what some described as excessive force. That prompted the Arlington County Board to recall officers deployed to the District on a mutual aid agreement with U.S. Park Police.

ARLnow will resume our local coverage on Monday. Happy new year, Arlington!

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

DCA Expansion to Open Mid-2021 — “The 230,000-square-foot concourse on the north side of Reagan National Airport looks ready for passengers. The exterior walls are up. The roof is on. The terrazzo floor is almost in. And 11 of the 14 new jet bridges are being installed… The concourse is slated to open in July, but plans are in the works to do a ‘soft opening’ ahead of that date. An announcement is expected early next year.” [Washington Post]

Local Homeless Org Seeking Donations — “An organization in Arlington who helps the homeless now needs your help. Bridges to Independence in Arlington is a family shelter that has had to reduce the number of people they help due to COVID, but the need for help remains high. ‘We’ve served at least 22 new families since the pandemic and we are expecting an increase going into the new year,’ Whitfield said. [WJLA]

County Board to Meet with CivFed — “Immediately following the Jan. 4 organizational meeting of the Arlington County Board, the five members will hold an online gathering with the Arlington County Civic Federation. The 90-minute confab is designed as the opportunity for elected officials to expound on their priorities for the coming year, and for Civic Federation delegates to give feedback to pre-screened questions and, if time is available, questions from the floor.” [InsideNova]

Missing Woman Found — An Arlington woman reported as missing by county police a few days ago had been found, the department says. [Twitter]

It’s New Year’s Eve — ARLnow hopes you and yours have a happy new year. We are on a limited publishing schedule today; our news coverage will return in full on Monday. County offices and facilities, meanwhile, will be closed tomorrow, on New Year’s Day.

Arlington Has Averaged One COVID Death Per Day Over the Past Week

By ARLnow.com

Seven Arlington residents have died of COVID-19 complications since last Wednesday, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

As of this morning, VDH reported 181 cumulative COVID-related fatalities, up from 174 on Dec. 23 — an average of one per day. Sixteen new hospitalizations were also reported during that time.

Arlington’s seven-day trailing average of new coronavirus cases currently stands at 80.6 cases per day, after reaching a pandemic record of just over 100 cases per day on Christmas day. The cumulative total of local cases since early March is now 8,786, according to VDH.

With many people planning New Year’s Eve get togethers despite the pandemic, Arlington County this week encouraged residents to take precautions.

“If you are celebrating the New Year with people outside your household, make sure you follow steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19: Wear a mask; Stay at least 6 feet apart; Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces; Wash your hands; Stay home if you are sick,” the county said, echoing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

“Consider other activities to celebrate New Year’s, including virtual celebrations with loved ones, a New Year’s party for the people you live with or picking up a special meal from a local restaurant to share with your household,” the county said.

Police Investigating Carjacking in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Another carjacking has been reported in Arlington.

The crime happened around 2:30 a.m. Monday in Pentagon City. Police say a group of five suspects jumped a man who was standing outside his vehicle, then started to drive off with it, dragging him for “a short distance” in the process.

The victim suffered minor injuries, police said.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

CARJACKING, 2020-12280012, 1400 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 2:34 a.m. on December 28, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was outside of his vehicle when a group of five suspects approached him and began asking for a ride. The suspects surrounded the victim, at which point they grabbed the keys to the vehicle from the victim and assaulted him. The suspects entered the vehicle and the victim attempted to pull one suspect out of the driver’s seat unsuccessfully. The suspects then began to drive away, dragging the victim a short distance and fled the area prior to police arrival. The victim sustained minor injuries during the incident and was transported to an area hospital. The vehicle is described as a red 2020 Kia Optima with Florida license plate LKUP10. Suspect One is described as a Black male, wearing a black balaclava, red jacket, black shirt, blue jeans, and brown boots. Suspect Two is described as a Black male, wearing a black jacket, black pants, and brown boots. Suspect Three is described as a Black male, wearing a black jacket, dark jeans, sneakers and a black hoodie. Suspect Four is described as a Black male wearing a black hoodie, dark jeans, and red sneakers. Suspect Five is described as a male wearing a black jacket, black pants and black shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Free T-Ball This Spring — “Arlington Babe Ruth (ABR) is now offering free T-Ball to boys and girls ages 4-6. ABR recognizes that young players will try multiple sports in order to see what sticks, so we’ve eliminated registration fees for the youngest players. The free ABR Blastball and T-Ball programs are excellent ways to introduce boys and girls to baseball, using simple drills, a soft ball and lightweight bats, and a fun-oriented approach that teaches the rules while building enjoyment for the game.” [Arlington Babe Ruth]

Most-Read Arlington Library Books — “These are the books Arlington readers turned to the most in 2020. Unsurprisingly, many top fiction titles were part of a series, and many top nonfiction titles reflect a yearning for social justice and a desire for human connection.” [Arlington Public Library]

Virtual Meetings Lead to More Participation — “The Electoral Board was actually in the midst of conducting a meeting in March when the county government began battening the hatches and closing facilities while the COVID crisis was taking hold. Its meetings since then have been conducted on an electronic platform. There is a plus side to that. ‘Attendance has certainly increased – it has more than tripled,’ county elections chief Gretchen Reinemeyer said.” [InsideNova]

GW Parkway Lane Change — “Years of side-swiping, rear-ending and near misses have prompted traffic pattern changes to crash-prone sections of the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Interstate 395. Northbound traffic on the George Washington Parkway is permanently narrowed into a single lane at the crosswalk near Memorial Bridge.” [WTOP]

New Year Video from Arlington Children’s Chorus — “Watch this video of a song we wrote and performed that we did to bring some good cheer to the local community this holiday season… After all our festive activities were cancelled, writing a song trying to capture a little bit of the spirit of the season was a way to let our children’s voices be heard. It’s been amazing how much joy has blossomed from such a difficult situation!” [YouTube]

Distinction for Arlington Biotech Firm — “[Arlington-based] Kerecis is the fastest growing company in the regenerative-tissue market in the United States according to SmartTRAK Business Intelligence, which compared industry-sales and market-share data for 3Q 2020 to 3Q 2019.” [Kerecis]

Police: Woman Punched, Robbed in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

A woman who was sitting in her car the day after Christmas in Pentagon City was attacked and robbed by a pair of teens, according to Arlington County police.

The victim was in her car, on her phone — on the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street, near the Pentagon City mall — when one of the suspects allegedly climbed in the back of the car, punched her, and stole her phone. The suspect also tried unsuccessfully to steal the woman’s purse, police said.

The teens ran off before officers arrived. The woman suffered what police described as minor injuries.

More from an ACPD crime report:

ROBBERY, 2020-12260096, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 5:47 p.m. on December 26, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was inside her vehicle using her cell phone when she was approached by two suspects, who opened the rear doors to her vehicle. Suspect One struck her with a closed fist and stole her phone and attempted to steal her purse unsuccessfully, while Suspect Two tampered with items in the vehicle. The victim yelled for assistance, at which point the suspects fled prior to police arrival. The victim sustained minor injuries. Suspect One is described as a Black male in his teens, approximately 5’6″, with a slim build,  wearing a dark colored hoodie, blue jeans, and a black mask. Suspect Two is described as a white male in his teens, approximately 5’6″, with a slim build, wearing a dark colored hoodie, jeans, and a mask. The investigation is ongoing.

Animal Welfare League Warns of Rabid Raccoon

By ARLnow.com

A potentially rabid raccoon with a taste for human flesh is on the loose in the Donaldson Run neighborhood.

The raccoon bit a person last week on the 4200 block of 25th Street N., two blocks from Taylor Elementary School, according to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. It ran off and “has not been located.”

Two other raccoons with rabies-like symptoms have been removed from the neighborhood by animal control officers over the past month, AWLA said.

Arlington residents, particularly those in the Donaldson Run area, are being encouraged to remain vigilant.

“If you or your pet may have come into contact with any wild animals including bats or raccoons, please call Arlington County Animal Control at 703-931-9241 immediately, after hours please stay on the line to speak with the answering service who will alert an officer,” the organization said last night in a statement.

“If you see a raccoon that appears sick, lethargic, disoriented, or aggressive, do NOT approach the animal and please call Animal Control immediately: 703-931-9241.”

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Columbia Pike Resident Goes Missing — “ACPD seeks the public’s assistance locating Ms. Amanda Aniston, last seen Dec. 12, 2020 in the 1200 blk of S. Courthouse Rd. She is described as a Black female, brown hair, brown eyes, approx. 5’9″, 140 lbs. She may be in need of medical services.” [ACPD]

Did False Report Lead to Police Encounter? — “The head of the Arlington NAACP, Julius D. Spain Sr… said he would seek a meeting with Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti and ‘if someone needs to be charged with making a false report, so be it.’ Crutchfield said in his complaint that ‘the neighbor who called the police lied about me taking pictures of the military base nearby to trigger a police response.'” [Washington Post]

Early Voting ‘Here to Stay’ — “Arlington is likely to provide a number of satellite centers for early voting in the 2021 general election – but how many there will be, and where they will be located, remain open questions. ‘Early voting is here to stay,’ predicted county elections chief Gretchen Reinemeyer, briefing Electoral Board members during a Dec. 16 meeting.” [InsideNova]

County May Help With Caucuses — “Find yourself in need of holding an election? The Arlington County Electoral Board soon may be able to help. Board members voted 3-0 on Dec. 16 to move forward on a policy that would allow political parties and, potentially, other groups to rent equipment and use election-office personnel during their own elections… Those doing the renting also would have to reimburse the cost.” [InsideNova]

New Rosslyn Apartment to Be Temporary Hotel — “Penzance Cos. is bringing in a pop-up hotel startup to help fill a portion of its massive mixed-use project on the western side of Rosslyn. Kasa Living is looking to use 100 units at The Highlands at 1555 Wilson Blvd. as temporary hotel rooms, according to a new filing from Penzance with Arlington County planners. The fully furnished apartments will serve as short-term rentals offered up by Kasa for up to seven years.” [Washington Business Journal]

Christmas Eve Scare for Barcroft Residents — “Missile into occupied dwelling… 4600 block of 9th Street S. At approximately 3:56 p.m. on December 24, police were dispatched to the report of destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victims were inside a residence when they heard a loud noise and observed an object had been thrown at a window, causing it to break.” [ACPD]

Here Are a Dozen Businesses Listed for Sale in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Earlier in the year we checked in on some local businesses that were listed for sale online.

Listing aggregator BizBuySell generally doesn’t name the business that’s for sale, but the descriptions in each listing provide some clues. With the pandemic causing financial hardship for many small businesses, while prompting older owners to contemplate retirement, the list of businesses for sale remains relatively long.

Below are some that are currently listed in Arlington. Note that some listings may be for businesses that already closed and thus no longer active.

  1. Prime Location Restaurant & Bar — “High volume restaurant & bar located on a heavy traffic road in Arlington VA. This restaurant was established in 2019 with all brand new top of the line furniture, fixtures & equipment. With an extensive menu featuring burgers, sandwiches, steak & fish platters to salads and everything in between, this restaurants specialty is its infamous craft beer, rotating drafts & cocktail selection.”
  2. RESTAURANT & BAR Full Kitchen/Bring Your Own Concept — “Currently open as a Restaurant and Bar. Huge potential for motivated and experienced parties to take over and convert to a Sports bar, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Italian restaurant, Hookah bar, or Bakery. Located in very busy corner location with a lot of foot traffic. Size 2,500 Sf. Rent $14,760.”
  3. Pet Grooming Spa — “Great Opportunity for Pet Groomers. Located in heart of Arlington. Excellent client base with many loyal repeat customers. Business is open 6 days a week on a appt only basis.”
  4. Dry Cleaners for Sale/Prime locations — “Prime locations. Doing very well in this challenging time. Just reduced sale price! Well established profitable business. Each 1600sf store. 1-plant, 1 pick up store. Loyal customers. Owned since 1997 ( 23 years) Reasonable rent. High growth potential in the booming market. Pick up store location only using about 60% of space. ( could sublease the other 40% to tuxedo rental for example ) Right cross street brand new apartment complex going to deliver soon. (calculating 25%-30% increase in revenue) Has alterations & shoe repair. The current owner not doing any marketing and offering any promotions. Most employees will stay.”
  5. Ice Cream business in a high income area — “Unique and Very well established Ice Cream business in a very nice area surrounded by businesses and residentials. VERY high-income area with limited dessert choice. Seller’s initial investment was more than $350K about 2 years ago. High End Establishment. Great Reputation. Seller is looking for a experienced and passionate buyer who can utilize this business and location to make a very profitable business. Currently, this is a franchise business, but a buyer can keep this or put his/her own concept to increase revenue.”
  6. Nail, Hair Salon and Spa — “Well established Spa serving a well-to-do community for 20 years. Grocery anchored shopping center. 11 massage rooms (2 for couples), 9 has water. 3 toilets, 3 showers, 1 sauna, 1 dry spa. Large spa but rent is very reasonable. Membership program, gift card sale available. Most staff will stay. Seller will help during transition. A face lift will bring in new energy and more growth.”
  7. Profitable Fast Casual Restaurant in Arlington — “Do not miss this opportunity to own a turn key fast casual restaurant in the heart of Arlington VA. This restaurant is surrounded by office buildings as well as residential condos and apartments which provides heavy walking traffic. All furniture, fixtures and equipment are in pristine condition and included in the price. This profitable restaurant can be converted to fit almost any menu/concept and the rent is well below the current market price. Street parking with 2 spots for ownership.”
  8. Latin Fast Food Carry Out with Food Truck — “Profitable fast casual Latin American restaurant for sale with option to buy food truck. Established in 2011, this restaurant has come along way with nothing but great reviews. Located on a heavily populated road in Arlington VA surrounded by office buildings and residential. The restaurant does approximately $500,000 a year in annual sales while the food truck averages $5,000 dollars per week with only running 15 hours per week. The restaurant has a beer, wine and liquor license but does not currently serve liquor.”
  9. Asian Fusion-Carry Out Restaurant for Sale — “Location, location, location! on the main road of Arlington county Asian Fusion Carry-Out for sale. Easy to change the menu to Pizza, [Rotisserie], or Sushi Restaurant. 1500 sf. 16 seat capacity. 8 parking spaces. (4 in front,4 in the back) Big basement. Decent size kitchen. Walk-in cooler.12 feet hood in place. Pandemic forced to close this business but a great opportunity for other concepts. 5 years lease remaining and 1-5 year option. Low rent and good location is the key to success.”
  10. Pizza place for sale — “Great location in Arlington, very low rent 1200 sq ft… very unique pizza place , excellent service and quality food.”
  11. Retail Upscale Lingerie Boutique — “This award-winning European-stye boutique offers upscale women’s lingerie from a high-end storefront in a high traffic urban area. This is an exciting opportunity to purchase an establishment with enormous upside potential. The store’s bra-fitting services attract and retain an extensive group of very loyal customers. Because women should have a bra-fitting every year and that requires an in-person visit, this business does not compete with online retailers.”
  12. Two Upscale & Modern Group Fitness Centers — “Great opportunity to own two top-rated and innovative group fitness centers that provide a proprietary group exercise program, personal training, and open gym services. The Arlington location was opened in 2017 and has established a large loyal client base, and the Alexandria location opened in October of 2020 in a new upscale mixed-use plaza. Each facility is outfitted with the latest cardio, strength training, and functional fitness equipment as well as wearable heart rate technology that can display on screens throughout the facility.”

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Christmas Tree Collection Starts in One Week

By ARLnow.com

If you have a Christmas tree in your house — a real one, like 44% of respondents to a recent ARLnow poll — you’ll need to keep it watered for at least the next week.

Arlington County is not beginning its annual Christmas tree collection until Monday, Jan. 4. The two-week curbside collection will run through Friday, Jan. 15.

Residential waste collection customers — primarily those in single-family homes — will have trees collected on their regular trash collection day. Residents of apartments, condos and townhomes can drop trees off at the county’s Earth Products Yard in Shirlington.

Collected trees will be turned into mulch and reused throughout the county.

More from the county website:

Trees collected by the County the first two full weeks of January are turned into mulch available from County facilities.

From Jan. 4 through Jan. 15, place trees at curb no later than 6 a.m. on your regular trash collection day after removing ALL decorations, nails, stands. Do not place trees in plastic bags.

After Jan. 15, Christmas trees are handled at curbside as part of regular year-round yard waste collection. Make sure the tree is bare and ready for composting. Trees over 8-feet long will need to be dismantled.

Tree Drop-Off

Residents without regular curbside pickup, including those living in townhomes, apartments and condominiums, can bring Christmas trees to the Solid Waste Bureau’s Earth Products Yard in Shirlington. For safe dropoff, call 703-228-5000 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. to schedule a weekday appointment. You will need proof of residence in Arlington to drop off.

Photo via Arlington County

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Restaurant Delivery Popular in Arlington — “When WTOP asked UberEats what the top neighborhoods for deliveries are around D.C., it ranked the top five, based on number of orders in 2020. They are Northeast D.C. (it did not specify a specific neighborhood), Shaw, Adams Morgan, Arlington County’s Lyon Park (a dense residential neighborhood south of Rosslyn) and Pentagon City.” [WTOP]

County Board to Elect New Chair — “The Arlington County Board will elect its 2021 Chair and Vice-Chair during its Monday, January 4 virtual Organizational Meeting, and Board Members will lay out their priorities for 2021. The new Chair will succeed 2020 Chair Libby Garvey and will serve for one year.” [Arlington County]

Arlington Housing Market Stays Hot — “Arlington County remains the most expensive D.C. suburb, with a median selling price of $660,000 in November, up 20% from last November, according to Long & Foster data. The number of homes that sold in Arlington last month — 221 — was 23% more than a year ago. The good news for potential buyers in Arlington is that the 530 active listings at the end of November was up 122% from November 2019.” [WTOP]

Gelato Comes With ‘Woke’ Facts — “Most ice cream pints display little more than nutritional information and ingredients, but Amore Congelato founder Thereasa Black wasn’t about to waste an opportunity to advance her company’s social justice mission. Each pint contains ‘stay woke’ facts printed on the side that cover pitfalls of the U.S. criminal justice system. Pick one up at her storefront in Arlington or at Glen’s Garden Market.” [Washington City Paper]

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