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.

VDOT to replace bridge over N. Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com
1/3

A nearly 60-year-old bridge over N. Glebe Road is slated for replacement.

The circa-1964 Old Glebe Road bridge, which spans the north-south artery just before the steep hill down to Chain Bridge, would be too costly to repair, VDOT says. The state transportation agency is instead planning a $15 million project to replace it.

About 7,000 vehicles per day use the bridge, VDOT says. A virtual public meeting is planned this Wednesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the project.

VDOT’s current timeline calls for a public meeting late next year to discuss the design of the new bridge, followed by construction starting in mid-2027.

More, below, from a VDOT email.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public information meeting Wednesday, Oct. 18 on the planned replacement of the North Old Glebe Road bridge over North Glebe Road (Route 120). The bridge, which averages 7,000 vehicles a day, was built in 1964.

A new bridge will be constructed due to the estimated rehabilitation cost of the existing bridge exceeding 65% of the estimated cost to replace the bridge.

The new bridge will feature a wider sidewalk on the eastern side and an additional sidewalk on the western side.

Get Involved

In lieu of an in-person meeting, VDOT invites residents and travelers to learn more, participate in the virtual meeting and give feedback in the following ways through Nov. 1:

  • Attend the Oct. 18 online meeting. Register for the meeting or to participate without registering in listen-only mode, call 844-992-4726 (use access code 2484-673-7292 and password 1234). The project team will make a short presentation beginning at 7 p.m. and answer questions after the presentation. In case an alternate date is needed, the meeting will be held Nov. 1.
  • Provide comments via the online comment form or by email to [email protected].
  • Mail comments to Ms. Dipali Patel, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Meeting materials and the presentation will be available online at virginiadot.org/OldGlebe, including the recorded presentation after the meeting.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Signs in Shirlington tell consumers to keep alcohol in the crosswalk while crossing the street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Helicopter Search Last Night — “ACPD is investigating a domestic dispute in the 4300 block of 12th Rd. S. The male suspect fled the scene and aerial search by a police helicopter yielded negative results. Police remain in the area investigating.” [Twitter]

New Wakefield Baseball Coach — “For some time, Adam Balutis has been considered a Mr. Baseball of sorts in Arlington because of his variety of involvements in the sport… Balutis recently was named the new head varsity coach at Wakefield High School. He has been an assistant coach in different capacities the past 20 years at Arlington rival Washington-Liberty High School.” [Gazette Leader]

Board Approves Tree Grant — “How much does it cost the Arlington government – or, more specifically, Arlington taxpayers – to plant and maintain a tree? A new grant application gives some idea: $500 per tree planting, on average, plus $500 for ongoing maintenance. That’s according to a planned submission by the county government to state officials, seeking $300,000 from two separate grant programs to plant and maintain trees in the county.” [Gazette Leader]

Local Restaurant on TV — “Osteria Da Nino’s owners visit the Good Day Cafe to show off how to make pasta noodles at home.” [Fox 5]

It’s Monday — Sunny skies in the morning will gradually transition to mostly cloudy conditions during the afternoon. The high temperature is expected to be near 60°F, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 13 mph. Monday night will remain mostly cloudy, with a low temperature hovering around 47°F and a gentler northwest wind at approximately 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Oct 13, 2023

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 — Oct 13, 2023.

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

  1. NOW: Police searching for suspect after slashing in Rosslyn (11660 views)
  2. New apartments, church and daycare to open next year in Ballston (7997 views)
  3. Video: Woman, 22, leads police on wild chase around Pentagon grounds (5679 views)
  4. Arlington police offering $20k for identity of person sending harassing emails to female ACFD personnel (5659 views)
  5. Padaek now open at Arlington Ridge Shopping Center (5354 views)
  6. Amazon delivery driver arrested for alleged assault in Penrose (5129 views)
  7. Early morning armed carjacking pushes Arlington past 2022 total (3945 views)
  8. Proposed senior living facility in Alcova Heights heads to County Board amid affordability, sustainability concerns (3892 views)
  9. Swiftie Soirée offers fans a night of Taylor Swift-themed festivities in Arlington (3547 views)
  10. County changes course on HOV and bus-only lane on Langston Blvd through Rosslyn (3441 views)
  11. Arlington startup raises nearly $1 million with help of local tech accelerator (3113 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 showers and possible thunderstorms after 5pm today, with patchy fog between 1-2pm and a high near 63. South winds will be between 6-9 mph, and there’s an 80% chance of precipitation with rainfall amounts up to half an inch. Tonight, there will be showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a low around 50. East winds will shift to north and may gust up to 18 mph, with a 90% chance of precipitation and similar rainfall amounts as during the day. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
– Harper Lee

🌅 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. 👋

NEW: Motorcycle crash near Ballston sends one to hospital

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A motorcyclist suffered a significant injury this afternoon after a crash near Ballston that was caught on camera.

The crash happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Washington Blvd.

Footage from a traffic camera, below, shows the rider of the motorcycle making a left turn in front of the driver of a silver car, who hit the brakes but too late to avoid the collision.

Two fellow riders who were also waiting to turn left can be seen hurrying to provide aid. A driver who was behind the trio can also be seen stopping to help. It was not immediately clear whether the striking driver remained on scene.

Initial reports suggest that the rider suffered a serious broken leg and perhaps other injuries. They were taken via ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The intersection was partially closed immediately after the crash due to the police and fire department response.

Listing of the Day: 2554-A S. Arlington Mill Drive

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Address: 2554-A S. Arlington Mill Drive
Neighborhood: Windgate
Type: 3 BR, 2 (+1 half) BA townhouse — 2,000 sq. ft.
Listed: $725,000

Noteworthy: Recent renos, near bikepath, Shirlington restuarants, nightlife, groceries

Updated three level brick end townhouse set amid the lush landscaping of the Windgate II community.

Recent heating and air conditioning, water heater, renovated baths, kitchen appliances, wood floors in bedrooms, and other niceties. Enter through a front porch to a large living room that flows into the dining room and then the family room opens to the kitchen. Just off the family room is a fenced patio with areas for gatherings, plants and pets. A powder room and coat closet complete this level.

Upstairs, the primary bedroom has double closets and a private, renovated bathroom. The second and third bedrooms are served by a recently-renovated hall bathroom. The unfinished basement has high ceilings, rough-in plumbing for another bathroom and provides space for laundry, storage, hobbies, and crafts. Finish it to your needs or use the clean, fresh area as you wish.

The townhouse has two parking spots, and the well managed community provides a pool, gazebo for gatherings, and two tennis courts Windgate is near a bike path and Shirlington Village for Harris-Teeter groceries, Signature Theatre, a host of restaurants, shops, services, and movies. The Shirlington bus hubs provides service to the Pentagon, Crystal and Pentagon Cities, for Amazon HQ2 and Ballston. Easy access to Rt. 7 to Tysons and I-395 to everything.

This pristine townhouse awaits the savvy buyer who values space and location.

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

There was an Arlington Powerball winner — of $50,000

By ARLnow.com
Powerball lottery ticket (file photo)

The big winner from Wednesday’s $1.73 billion Powerball drawing might be in California, but there was a decidedly smaller-scale winner in Arlington.

Someone bought a $50,000 winning ticket at the 7-Eleven store at 2815 S. Wakefield Street, just down the hill from the Fairlington neighborhood, according to the Virginia Lottery.

One $1 million winning ticket was sold in nearby Alexandria and, including the Arlington winner, five $50,000 winning tickets were sold statewide.

“In Wednesday’s drawing alone, more than 145,000 Virginia Powerball tickets won prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million,” Virginia Lottery said.

“During the 36 drawings of the jackpot run that began in July and ended with the $1.725 billion drawing Wednesday night, sales of Powerball tickets in Virginia generated an estimated $30.3 million in profit,” the lottery noted. “The profit from every Powerball ticket bought in Virginia goes to K-12 public education in the Commonwealth. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Lottery raised more than $867 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.”

ARLnow has previously reported on $1 million winning Powerball tickets sold in Arlington in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn from the Marine Corps War Memorial (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Time for a Tax Hike? — “Arlington’s County Board chairman says 2024 may end up being a year where homeowners could expect to face a taxation double-whammy: higher home assessments coupled with an increased tax rate. ‘It’s time,’ Christian Dorsey said of a rise in the existing real-estate tax rate of $1.03 per $100 assessed valuation.” [Gazette Leader]

Dems Statement on Middle East — “Arlington Democrats stand in solidarity with all our Jewish community members and all those affected by Hamas’s reprehensible attack on Israeli civilians. We echo President Biden’s words: ‘There is no place for hate in America. Not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody.’ We are committed to fighting hatred in all its forms and to creating a safe and welcoming community for Arlingtonians of all faiths.” [Twitter]

Extra Vigilance Today — “Police in the Washington region will have an increased presence at places of worship, and some schools plan to close Friday after a former Hamas leader called for supporters to come out for a day of rage, the militant group’s standard call for demonstrations.” [Washington Post]

Free Donuts This Morning — “Dunkin’, the official coffee and donut of the Washington Capitals, is celebrating the return of hockey with a home opener pep rally at the Arlington Dunkin’ at 3300 Wilson Blvd. on Friday, October 13. Starting at 8:00 a.m., the first 100 guests will receive their choice of a free ALLCAPS Donut or Spider Donut! From 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., fans are invited to enjoy free giveaways from the Dunkin’ prize wheel, music and special appearances from Dunkin’ mascot Cuppy and the Capitals In-Arena Host Mike Ploger.” [Threads]

Scrutiny of Traffic Stop Law — “Local government representatives who make up the Virginia Municipal League voted this week in support of a statement calling for a review of a 2020 criminal justice reform law that limited law enforcement’s ability to make traffic stops for minor vehicle equipment issues.” [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Friday — Sunny skies and a high temperature near 70 degrees, with a gentle north wind of 5 to 7 mph. By Friday night, expect increasing cloud coverage and a low temperature around 51 degrees. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Oct 12, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday 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 12, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Friday’s forecast

The forecast predicts a sunny day with a comfortable high temperature near 70 degrees and a gentle north wind at 5 to 7 mph. As the evening approaches, expect an increase in cloud coverage and a low temperature around 51 degrees, with a light east wind blowing throughout the night. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”
– Aldous Huxley

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Most and least expensive condos sold in Arlington (September 2023)

By ARLnow.com

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

Most expensive condos sold

  1. 1201 N Nash St Unit 601 — Rosslyn — $2,152,000 (3 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,374 sq. ft.)
  2. 1881 N Nash St Unit 1503 — Rosslyn — $1,600,000 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,803 sq. ft.)
  3. 1111 19th St N Unit 1802 — Rosslyn — $1,037,500 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,239 sq. ft.)
  4. 1418 N Rhodes St Unit 114 — Clarendon/Courthouse — $969,500 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,708 sq. ft.)
  5. 1300 Crystal Dr Unit PENTHOUSE 14 — Crystal City — $895,000 (2 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,036 sq. ft.)

Least expensive condos sold*

  1. 2055 N Woodstock St Unit 101 — Waverly Hills — $206,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 565 sq. ft.)
  2. 4241 Columbia Pike Unit 206 — Barcroft — $210,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 719 sq. ft.)
  3. 2030 N Woodrow St Unit 11 — Waverly Hills — $210,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 588 sq. ft.)

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

Amazon delivery driver arrested for alleged assault in Penrose

By ARLnow.com
1/5

An Amazon delivery driver is facing charges after allegedly beating up a man in the Penrose neighborhood.

The incident happened Wednesday afternoon in a private townhouse development across the street from Penrose Square.

“At approximately 3:07 p.m., police were dispatched to the 2300 block of 9th Street S., for the report of an assault with injury,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Alli Shorb told ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect, a delivery driver, was making deliveries in the area when he became involved in a verbal dispute with the male victim over a parking issue that escalated to a physical altercation during which the suspect allegedly assaulted the victim.”

”A witness separated the suspect and victim, who both remained on scene. The victim sustained minor injuries,” Shorb added.

Scanner traffic suggests that the victim was found bleeding and was evaluated by medics. Shorb said the suspect, a 30-year-old resident of Capitol Heights, Maryland, has been charged with assault and battery.

Colleagues of the driver resumed his deliveries after the arrest. One who spoke to ARLnow claimed the driver — who was operating an unmarked white delivery van — was harassed by a resident who questioned what he was doing in the private community.

Staff photographer Jay Westcott contributed to this report

UPDATED: Police searching for suspect after slashing in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
Response to slashing incident on 19th Street N. in Rosslyn

Update on 10/13/23 — Arlington County police have released the following crime report about the incident. The suspect remains at large.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-10120097, 1800 block of N. Lynn Street. At approximately 10:56 a.m. on October 12, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect and male victim were involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a knife, resulting in a laceration. Responding officers located the victim in the 1000 block of 19th Street N. and immediately began rendering emergency medical assistance. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The suspect fled the scene following the assault and a canvass of the area for the suspect yielded negative results. The suspect is described as a white male with a slim build, approximately 25-35 years old, 5’9”-6’0” tall with black facial hair and wearing all black clothing. The investigation is ongoing.

Earlier: Arlington police and medics are on scene of a slashing incident in Rosslyn.

A victim suffered a severe arm injury after a man slashed him with a knife, initial reports suggest. It happened around 11 a.m. and the victim was found near the intersection of 19th Street N. and N. Kent Street.

Police applied a tourniquet to the victim’s arm and he’s now being transported via ambulance to a local hospital, according to scanner traffic.

ACPD is also investigating a report that a knife-wielding man — perhaps the same suspect — chased another victim in the area. That victim reportedly fled into the McDonald’s on N. Lynn Street and hid in the bathroom prior to police arrival.

While officers sort out what happened they requested that the H-B Woodlawn building in Rosslyn be placed in “secure the school” mode, according to scanner traffic.

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