Author: ARLnow.com

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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.

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]

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]

Teens Missing in Arlington — From the Arlington County Police Department: “MISSING: Anne Arundel County Police are seeking the public’s assistance locating missing juveniles who may be in Arlington County. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 410-222-4731.” [Facebook]

APS Tackles Bathroom Vaping — “Some of Arlington’s secondary schools may see vape-detection equipment placed in bathrooms to address ongoing use of nicotine and THC oil by students. ‘Bathrooms are a trouble area – other students feel unsafe,’ School Board member Mary Kadera said during a recent School Board meeting.” [Gazette Leader]

School Board Chair Wants Drug Data — “Arlington parents and the broader community might at some point in the future be able to see how the county’s various schools compare in terms of drug use and abuse. After quiet prodding apparently didn’t get the response she wanted, School Board Chairman Christina Diaz-Torres on Oct. 12 went public in her call for the school system to provide more specific information on drug cases at local schools.” [Gazette Leader]

Today: Dog Film Fest — “Join the Animal Welfare League of Arlington at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse for a special screening of the 2023 New York Dog Film Festival… Doors open at 6 PM.” [Event Calendar]

Are You Missing a Pigeon? — From the Animal Welfare League of Arlington: “Do you recognize these animals? A0054604332 – neutered male gray and white cat found on 10/16. A0054608585 – female brown dog found found on 10.17. 0054536387 – rock pigeon found on 10.5. Thank you for helping us reunite these pets with their families!” [Twitter]

Design Award Submissions Open — “Arlington County’s design awards program, DESIGNArlington, is now accepting submissions for architectural, historic preservation, landscape and public art projects. Submissions will be accepted through December 7, 2023.” [Arlington County]

Another DCA Gun Arrest — “Police arrested a Bethesda, Maryland, man on Monday after he was stopped by security officers with a loaded handgun at a checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The .40 caliber gun was loaded with 13 bullets and was packed in the man’s carry-on bag, the TSA said. It was the 30th gun that TSA officers at the airport have detected at one of the checkpoints, which ties the record at Reagan National Airport set in 2021.” [Patch]

Bottomless Brunch Horror Story — “The birthday cake was the first bad sign. Bringing your own food technically wasn’t allowed at the Arlington restaurant where Lorraine McNamara was working the bottomless-brunch shift, but she let it slide. She was already serving the entire patio by herself. Plus, the kitchen was backed up. The birthday group was pounding mimosas on empty stomachs.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Wednesday — Mostly sunny today with a high temperature near 65 degrees. For Wednesday night, expect partly cloudy skies and a low around 49 degrees. [Weather.gov]