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.

‘Nosy Neighbors’ Call Cops on Black Photographer

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington NAACP is decrying an incident in which a Black man was questioned by Arlington County police last week for photographing a house.

The incident happened on Monday, Dec. 21, in the Foxcroft Heights neighborhood, near the Air Force Memorial. A video and an account of what happened was posted on Facebook and first reported by Blue Virginia.

Marlon Crutchfield, a professional photographer who specializes in real estate, was photographing a client’s home when, according to his post, a “nosy neighbor” started to question what he was doing.

“A man came over and asked me if I needed any help, of course I didn’t,” Crutchfield wrote. “I informed the gentleman that I didn’t need any assistance. Honestly — I was offended. Every black person knows what this means… I am retired from the US Army with a Bronze Star. I am also a former Federal Law Enforcement Officer. I’ve taught my kids through the years to be good citizens to be good people in general but it seems as though things change slowly.”

Crutchfield said police started showing up after the encounter, apparently called by another neighbor. He posted a video of the police encounter, during which he declines an officer’s request to hand over identification.

“Have you seen me commit a crime? Has anybody seen me commit a crime?” he asks.

The homeowner with whom he was working can be heard questioning why police were called and calling the situation “very racist.” Eventually the officers leave as Crutchfield goes back inside the home.

“Have a great day, sir,” one of the officers says.

“NEVER have I been so embarrassed. It was hurtful and demeaning in so many ways,” Crutchfield later recounted on Facebook. “It could’ve gotten a lot worse… we’ve seen this many times as of late. It’s time for change.”

Photography is not a crime, though police in Arlington frequently respond to calls about “suspicious” people seen photographing buildings in various parts of the county. The Arlington branch of the NAACP said there’s no reason why multiple police vehicles would need to respond to such a “nonsensical call,” as happened last week.

“We are looking into this incident,” the local NAACP branch said in a press release. “We spoke with the citizen who recorded the video and the Acting Chief of Police. Additionally, we have shared the public video with selected officials of the Arlington County Board, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, three elected leaders of the Virginia General Assembly representing Arlington County, and the County Manager.”

“We have also issued a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request for all documents and police recordings related to this incident,” the organization added.

Additionally, NAACP Branch President Julius Spain, Sr. and First Vice President Kent Carter issued a statement about the incident, saying that “it is a time to stop dispatching police to calls like these.”

“It is not a crime to be Black,” Spain and Carter say. The full statement is below.
(more…)

ARLnow Holiday Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

‘Twas the afternoon before Christmas, when all through the county, hardly a creature was stirring outside, on account of the heavy rain.

This is the last post before ARLnow takes a three-day holiday break. However you’re spending this pandemic Christmas, in a year filled with anxiety and strife, we hope it’s relaxing and you get to enjoy a long winter’s nap

Should you want to keep the local discussion going over the holiday weekend, feel free to discuss any matters of local interest in the comments. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good (and virus-free) night.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Va. Supreme Court Passes on Pot Prosecution Case — “The Virginia Supreme Court has rejected an effort by Arlington’s chief prosecutor to rein in judges who are skeptical of her refusal to prosecute marijuana possession. But the court did not resolve the conflict, saying it could not weigh in because it had not been asked to consider any specific case.” [Washington Post]

Big Response to Mailbox — “‘We’ve collected at least probably 500 letters in the two weeks that we’ve had the [Santa] mailbox out,’ Rachael Tolman, the Park Manager at Gulf Branch Park said. ‘It’s a lot of letters.’ The lists some children put in the mailbox looked different, with requests for masks and good health.” [WUSA 9]

Nonprofit Merger Complete — “Bridges to Independence, a Northern Virginia provider of housing and vital services for at-risk families and individuals, has finalized its merger with the Bonder and Amanda Johnson Community Development Corp., a community-based non-profit with a mission to address the health, education, financial empowerment and social service needs of people living in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood.” [InsideNova]

Pedestrian Struck in Ballston — “Police and medics on scene of a pedestrian struck by a driver in front of the Ballston Harris Teeter on N. Glebe Road. So far, the victim’s injuries sound minor.” [Twitter]

Holiday Pop-Ups in National Landing — “As part of National Landing’s mission to activate public spaces, the BID has unveiled ‘Turn Up the Love,’ a winterlong campaign featuring a series of engaging outdoor pop-ups. These festive installations include a larger-than-life boombox adorned with thousands of colorful ornaments, three shareable photo frames and even more surprises to be announced after the holidays.” [National Landing BID]

Nearby: BB Gun Shootings in FC — “Police investigated calls of vandalism and found a teen who confessed to at least 50 incidents of shooting vehicles and people. Some victims have been identified, but police believe there may be more.” [City of Falls Church]

Top 30 Arlington Stories of 2020: #21-25

By ARLnow.com
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The countdown of the top 30 most-read Arlington articles of 2020 continues today, with numbers 21-25.

The pandemic dominated the headlines this year, but there were big stories on other topics as well.

25. Virginia’s ‘Phase 2’ Reopening to Start Friday, But Will Exclude N. Va. for Now (June 2 | 30,808 views)

“Northam said delaying Phase 2 for Northern Virginia will ‘allow for additional monitoring of health data.’ As of Tuesday, Arlington has reported 236 new coronavirus cases and 10 new hospitalizations over the past seven days.”

24. BREAKING: Arlington County Declares Local Emergency (March 14 | 31,339 views)

“While sitting a safe distance away from each other, members of the Arlington County Board voted 4-0 to approve a declaration of local emergency this morning, amid the coronavirus outbreak.” Even though mask usage was not being widely encouraged at that point, it’s still striking to see photos of groups of people unmasked as the pandemic raged.

23. Another Jump in Coronavirus Cases in Arlington, Fairfax County (March 25 | 31,494 views)

“As of noon on Wednesday, Arlington had 46 known coronavirus cases, an increase from 36 cases on Tuesday. Neighboring Fairfax County, meanwhile, saw its reported cases jump to 76, from 43 on Monday.”

22. Northam Announces New Coronavirus Restrictions in Virginia (Nov. 13 | 31,883 views)

In more recent pandemic news: “The restrictions… include slashing the maximum size of indoor and outdoor gatherings, reducing the age for the state’s mask requirement, and a 10 p.m. alcohol sales curfew at all restaurants and other dining and drinking establishments.

21. BREAKING: Va. Attorney General Sues Advanced Towing (June 25 | 33,330 views)

There is no love lost between Advanced Towing and those whose cars have been involuntarily relocated by the prolific towing outfit. So there was some celebrating in the comment section when it was announced that the company was being sued by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. The suit noted at least two incidents in which Advanced illegally towed police vehicles.

Our top stories countdown will continue next week.

County Closures Set for Christmas, New Year

By ARLnow.com

Christmas and the New Year are coming up, and with the holidays come a number of closures and changes in Arlington.

“Arlington County Government offices and services will be closed on Thurs., Dec. 24 and Fri., Dec. 25 for the Christmas holiday, and Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day,” according to the county website.

Arlington libraries will also be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, and parking meters will not be enforced on those days.

Additionally, residential trash and recycling collection on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 will be shifted to Saturday, one day later. ART buses will operate on a modified Sunday schedule on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Flash Flood Watch Issued for Arlington, D.C. Area

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:30 a.m.) Arlington and much of the D.C. area will be under a Flash Flood Watch on Christmas Eve.

A strong storm is expected to sweep through the area tomorrow afternoon and evening, bringing heavy rain and gusty wind. There may also be a few snowflakes near the end, as temperatures plummet, but no accumulation is expected locally.

More on the flooding potential, from the National Weather Service, is below.

…FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT…

* ONE AND HALF TO TWO AND HALF INCHES OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY  AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS AND POSSIBLE RIVER FLOODING.

Arlington Has Received a Shipment of the COVID-19 Vaccine

By ARLnow.com

Five new COVID-related deaths were reported in Arlington overnight as the county’s average daily caseload continues to climb.

An additional 101 local cases were reported this morning, bringing the seven-day moving average to about 90 cases per day, the highest point in nearly two weeks. Five new deaths were reported, bringing Arlington’s cumulative COVID fatality count to 174, which is less than a tenth of a percent of the overall population and just over 2% of cases (8,222).

Three new hospitalizations were also reported overnight, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data, but the seven-day trailing hospitalization total dropped to 10. Yesterday the seven-day total was 21, largely due to a big spike in reported hospitalizations on Dec. 16.

Encouragingly, Arlington now has its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Arlington County Board got the news on Tuesday, about an hour after the Arlington Health District received an allotment from the state health department. The first doses will be given to healthcare workers, nursing home residents and staff.

(Virginia Hospital Center has already started vaccinating its employees.)

“This is, I think, one of the brightest spots in this long nightmare of the pandemic,” Board member Katie Cristol said. “I can’t imagine that I am the only Arlingtonian who just breathed a sigh of relief listening to you describe what it means that our health care workers at Virginia Hospital Center and surrounding facilities are finally being reached by this vaccine.”

Arlington Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese predicted that the general public could be inoculated as early as mid-2021, and that the timing for the next phase is up to VDH. He also said that the next phase of inoculations will likely be for essential workers, including first responders, law enforcement and grocery store workers.

“This will take time to put into place,” Varghese said. “Even though we know how to vaccinate, vaccinating with six foot distances with appointments is not something that we’ve all done before. So, we ask for your patience.”

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have 95% efficacy rate, but have not been tested on anyone under the age of 16. Side effects include muscle aches, soreness and fever.

Varghese also said that the health department will not collect citizenship information from those receiving vaccines.

“We’re not collecting that in any of our databases about who’s getting it and what their immigration status [is],” he said. “If you do that you will send infection underground, and you will not be able to control the spread. That principle has been maintained, and I’ve actually registered in the vaccine system and there was no status question.”

James Cullum contributed to this report. DoD photo (top) by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II.

Morning Poll: Looking on the Bright Side?

By ARLnow.com

By all accounts, 2020 was terrible.

A pandemic claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Police killings. Riots. Violence in the streets. Unemployment. Hunger. Businesses closing. Rising levels of crime. Election controversy. Schools closed. Medical workers exhausted. Lockdowns. Social isolation. To name just a few.

Yikes.

Overall, this year sucked. But on an individual level, there are undoubtedly people for whom 2020 had some redeemable qualities.

Maybe you got engaged, or had your first child, or got a big promotion at work. Maybe spending more time at home and with family wasn’t so bad.

At the risk of making some feel guilty, this morning we’re asking: was 2020 actually a better year for you, personally, than 2019?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

BBC Airs Segment on AFAC — The Arlington Food Assistance Center, which is seeing record food need and lines throughout the day, was profiled in a segment that aired on BBC World News this week. [Twitter]

Fares to Return on ART Buses — “ART buses will resume front door boarding and fare collection starting on Sunday, January 3, 2021. Riders will begin boarding buses through the front door and will pay their fare at the fare box using a SmarTrip card or exact change. The regular ART bus fare for a one-way trip is $2.00.” [Arlington Transit]

Teens Launch Hot Cocoa Company — “In July, Wakefield High School rising seniors Farah Bahr and Sithiya Reshmee (who goes by the nickname ‘Resh’) founded F&R Sweets, a line that includes chocolate-dipped strawberries, churro cheesecake (made with croissant dough, cream cheese filling and cinnamon sugar) and hot chocolate bombs… the bombs ($3-$10 each) grabbed my attention. They are bonbon-like orbs filled with mini marshmallows, Swiss Miss cocoa mix (regular, caramel or peppermint) and sometimes other add-ins.” [Arlington Magazine]

AWLA Treats Dog With Skin Condition — “On Sunday, we were very surprised when a brown-eyed dog with a severe skin infection and hair loss came through our doors. He desperately needs us, and together we can start him on the path to healing. Rufus was found all alone on the side of the road and was brought to AWLA for help.” [Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Patch]

Fort Myer Bowling Alley Back Open — “The [Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall] Bowling Center had a small grease fire last week that temporarily shut down operations. Today, the fire department and health inspections were completed and they were given approval to re-open at 2 p.m.” [Twitter]

Arlington is Soldier’s Resting Place, At Last — “An Army sergeant from Panama, Oklahoma who was killed during the Korean War has been identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency,” from the 55 boxes containing remains of American service members turned over by North Korea in 2018. “Rodgers will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, at a later date that has yet to be determined.” [Times Record]

Top 30 Arlington Stories of 2020: #26-30

By ARLnow.com
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(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) Between now and New Year’s Eve, as in years past, ARLnow will be counting down the most-read articles on the site in 2020.

Needless to say it was a year to both remember and forget, with the pandemic dominating local headlines. But there are plenty of other local news stories that will appear in our countdown, which serve as a reminder that life went on, despite the deadly virus that largely defined the year.

The countdown begins below.

30. List: Black-Owned Businesses In Arlington (June 5 | 26,759 views)

Amid a racial reckoning in Arlington and throughout the U.S., ARLnow compiled a list of brick-and-mortar, consumer-facing businesses in Arlington helmed by Black local business owners.

29. JUST IN: Authorities Warn of Possible Measles Exposure in Arlington (Jan. 31 | 27,115 views)

In what now seems like a quaint exercise in sensible public health policy, Arlington County publicly warned about a potential measles exposure at a restaurant in Crystal City. The restaurant subsequently threatened to sue ARLnow.

28. BREAKING: Second Coronavirus Case Reported in Arlington (March 12 | 27,417 views)

“An individual associated with Christ Church in Georgetown, where a pastor was diagnosed with the disease, developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19 while self-quarantined at home and tested positive for the disease, the county said.”

27. Blue Angels, Thunderbirds to Fly Over Arlington on Saturday (May 1 | 29,734 views)

A big military flyover of several cities, intended to boost the country’s morale after weeks of pandemic lockdown, attracted lots of attention for its D.C. area leg.

26. County Manager’s Memo Regarding Removal of Black Lives Matter Chalk Art (June 22 | 30,498 views)

After ARLnow broke the story of Black county employees being dispatched to power wash away a little girl’s Black Lives Matter chalk art, we subsequently obtained a soul-searching memo from County Manager Mark Schwartz.

Our top stories countdown will continue tomorrow.

Morning Poll: Does More Flexibility Make You More Likely to Bike to Work?

By ARLnow.com

During the pandemic, many who formerly commuted to work are now working from home.

Some are eager to go back to the office full time when it’s safe to do so, while others may be contemplating a switch to either working from home permanently or at least a couple of days per week.

A wide range of companies are moving to or considering moving to a “hybrid workplace” model post-pandemic. Among them is Microsoft, which will let employees opt to work from home up to 50% of the time, or permanently with a manager’s approval.

It seems likely that many office-based employers in Arlington and elsewhere in the D.C. area will be implementing similar policies as the pandemic (hopefully) comes to an end this year. That has made us wonder about the impact on commuting.

More work from home days collectively would mean less commuting, which is generally a good thing for the environment and for traffic. There may be second order effects, as well, especially in cases where an employer offers flexibility in deciding when you go into the office.

Such flexibility, for instance, may have implications for bike commuting

Arlington County has long worked towards the goal of having more people bike to work, thus taking cars off the road during peak commuting times. So far it’s still a niche commuting option: only 1.5% of Arlington residents report biking as their primary means of commuting, compared to 51.1% who drive alone, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

Should you have the ability to pick and choose when you go to the office, it could allow you to go in on good weather days and skip bad weather days, a big deterrent to regular bike commuting. All of a sudden, with bad weather largely out of the equation, the idea of being able to commute for free without worrying about traffic, while getting a workout and fresh air, may become more attractive.

What do you think?

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