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.

There’s a Helicopter Circling Near Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Update at 9:40 a.m. — Mystery solved: the helicopter was being used for aerial photography of Rosslyn.

Earlier: A helicopter was circling near the Rosslyn area around lunchtime today (Wednesday), though it’s unclear what exactly it’s doing.

The helicopter belongs to a private aviation company that works on projects for utility companies and government agencies. The same chopper has been conducting other flights around parts of Virginia over the past couple of weeks, and was reportedly spotted over Old Town Alexandria last year.

Today’s flight originated at Manassas Regional Airport, according to flight tracking websites.

Private aircraft traffic in close proximity to D.C. is tightly regulated and mostly limited to airlines going to and from Reagan National Airport. Some exceptions are made, however, for flyovers, aerial filming and other special purposes.

More from Twitter:

File photo

Arlington Pet of the Week: Luna

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Meet this week’s Arlington Pet of the Week, Luna, a 3 year old rescue who enjoys long walks and lounging in the sun.

Here is what Luna had to say about her life here in Arlington:

My mommy adopted me from a wonderful rescue organization called Operation Paws for Home when I was just one year old. She was what they call a Foster Failure! I must have mesmerized her with my caramel eyes and endless puppy kisses. Even though I was underweight, Heartworm Positive, and timid, my mom immediately new I was the perfect dog.

As excited as I was to be in my new home, it took me a while to adjust to my new life. I had bad separation anxiety and wasn’t too sure about strangers. I also discovered scary monsters living in my new home, like the evil toaster and ice cube maker. After I started to settle in, my mom decided to send me to puppy bootcamp. She said bootcamp would help my confidence and teach me cool tricks! Oh boy, was she right! I mastered the sit and stay command and my mom even taught me some super cool tricks like “Give me a Kiss” and my favorite, “Avada Kedavra”, which is when I dramatically play dead. I actually got so good at playing dead that I’ll do it without being asked and randomly collapse in public!

I’m now three years old but everyone still mistakes me for a Black Lab puppy. It must be my cute puppy eyes and small stature! My mom thinks I’m part Lab, Italian Greyhound, and Fruit Bat. Some of my favorite hobbies include long walks around Arlington, hogging the bed, sun bathing, and jumping into people’s arms. My mom swears I can jump 5 feet high and should consider a career as an Olympic Pole Vaulter. I love meeting new four-legged friends but sometimes I forget how to play like a dog. I like to crouch down, then spring around like a bouncy ball! My play tactics usually end up confusing my friends, but I’m sure I’ll learn how to do it right one day!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Robber Who Tried to Swim Away from Police Pleads Guilty

By ARLnow.com

A 34-year-old D.C. man dubbed the “Beltway Bank Bandit” has pleaded guilty to charges connected to his use of a gun in three robberies, including one in Arlington.

Federal prosecutors say Freddie Lee McRae brandished a firearm when robbing a Wells Fargo branch and a Burke & Herbert branch, both in Alexandria, in late 2018. He also brandished a pistol on April 21, 2019, when he robbed the Legend Kicks and Apparel store on Columbia Pike in Arlington, prosecutors say.

McRae’s getaway vehicle was spotted by police after that robbery, leading to a chase on the GW Parkway that ended up with the car in the Potomac River and McRae unsuccessfully trying to swim to freedom.

“McRae pleaded guilty to three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence,” the U.S. Attorney’ Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a press release Tuesday evening. “He faces up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 21 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 23, 2021.”

In addition to the three robberies for which he pleaded guilty on Tuesday, McRae also admitted to several other bank robberies, as well as the attempted robbery of a Capital One Bank branch in February 2019, prosecutors say.

The full press release is below.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Greens Want Tax Hike for New Initiative — “The Arlington Green Party is seeking a five-fold increase in one local tax in order to fund an environmental initiative. The party in late October promoted the idea of the county government giving owners of single-family properties in Arlington $1,000 credits to have energy audits conducted and then take cost-effective steps to improve efficiency…. The party wants to increase the existing utility tax from $3 per household per month to eventually hit $15 per household per month.” [InsideNova]

Looking On the Bright Side — “And the winner is: free paper yard waste bags. Available at five County sites during leaf season.” [@ArlingtonDES/Twitter, Arlington County]

Improvements Proposed in Seven Corners — “The Virginia Department of Transportation has provided another in a series of updates on potential improvements being studied along Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) between Jaguar Trail and Wilson Boulevard in the Falls Church/Seven Corners area.” [InsideNova, VDOT]

UPDATED: Biden, Dems Win Big in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 7:30 a.m.) To no one’s surprise, the Arlington electorate has turned out in a big way for the Democratic ticket.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris have 80.7% of the vote to 17.1% for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in Arlington, with more than 120,000 votes counted and all precincts reporting.

By contrast, 75.8% of Arlington voters picked Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, to 16.6% for Trump.

The Associated Press called Virginia for Biden just over half an hour after polls closed at 7 p.m.

As of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, overall turnout in Arlington County was over 75%. The voter turnout in 2016 was 82%, shy of the Arlington record of 85% in the 2012 presidential race between President Barack Obama and current Senator Mitt Romney.

Among local races, Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey (D) is cruising to an easy victory, with 71.6% of the vote, compared to 26.6% of the vote for independent challenger Audrey Clement.

In the Arlington School Board race — for two open seats — Democratic endorsees Cristina Diaz-Torres and David Priddy currently have 43.1% and 35.8% of the vote, respectively, leading independent candidate Symone Walker, who has 19.2% of the vote.

All five county bond issues will pass, with between 75-80% of the vote. That’s despite some organized opposition to the school bond.

Arlington voted against Constitutional Amendment #1, to establish a bipartisan redistricting commission in Virginia — 45% for, 55% against — though it has garnered the support of nearly two-thirds of voters statewide. Constitutional Amendment #2, providing vehicle tax relief to disabled veterans, easily passed statewide and received 81.5% of the vote in Arlington.

In the statewide race for U.S. Senate, incumbent Sen. Mark Warner (D) was declared the projected winner by the Associated Press early on.

In Virginia’s 8th Congressional district, which includes Arlington and Alexandria, incumbent Rep. Don Beyer (D) is winning handily, with 75.6% of the vote to 24.2% for Republican Jeff Jordan. The AP called the race at 8:10 p.m.

The initial returns that included early and mail-in votes were overwhelming Democratic, but with Election Day results rolling in the non-Democratic candidates have added to their totals and cut into the Democrats’ margin of victory.

Around Arlington, the pandemic has most people watching election coverage from their homes, rather than from bars. In Clarendon and Shirlington tonight, only a relative few could be seen in front of TVs inside the neighborhood’s usual watering holes.

As the election returns continue to come in, Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol said tonight that the county is “committed to ensuring every vote is counted.”

UPDATED: ‘Quiet’ Election Day So Far in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) It’s been a relatively quiet day at the polls in Arlington for one of the most contentious presidential elections in modern memory.

As of 4:30 p.m., only 13% of active voters had showed up at the polls. But that’s in addition to the 63% that had already voted via early voting or mail-in ballots as of Sunday.

“Things have run pretty smoothly throughout the day,” Arlington County Director of Election Gretchen Reinemeyer told ARLnow this afternoon. “It’s been pretty quiet for a presidential [election].”

As of 1 p.m., no more than 500 voters had cast ballots at any one Arlington precinct, Reinemeyer said. No issues have been reported at the polls so far, she added, though there have been numerous provisional ballots requested — likely a result of those who requested mail-in ballots deciding to vote in-person instead.

As for what to expect tonight, Reinemeyer said the bulk of the results should be released early on, after the polls close. Some 100,000 early votes that had been counted by Sunday should be tabulated and on the state election website shortly after 7 p.m.

Police: Man With Knife in Clarendon Was Actually Trying to Stop a Fight

By ARLnow.com

Sometimes, things are not as they first appear. That seems to be the case with an incident in Clarendon early this past Saturday morning.

Police say an officer patroling the bar district “observed a subject with a knife and detained him without incident” around 2:15 a.m. But soon, police say it became clear that the man with the knife was actually a would-be Good Samaritan and the victim of a crime.

“It was determined that two males were involved in a verbal altercation when the subject attempted to intervene,” the Arlington County Police Department said in a crime report. “Upon doing so, he was physically assaulted by one of the involved males and fell to the ground. He stood up, brandished a knife in an attempt to stop the assault, and walked away from the incident.”

“During the course of the investigation, the predominant aggressor in the assault was identified,” the crime report continues.

A 22-year-old man from Wareham, Massachusetts “was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and Drunk in Public,” ACPD said. “He was held on no bond.”

Also early Saturday morning, police responded to an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven store on Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. More from the crime report:

ROBBERY (late), 2020-10310075, 1600 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 5:00 a.m. on October 31, police were dispatched to the late report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that at 4:24 a.m., two suspects entered a business. Suspect 1 approached an employee and brandished a firearm while Suspect 2 demanded cash from the register. The suspects fled the scene on foot after stealing an undisclosed amount of cash. Suspect 1 is described as a White male wearing a black puffy jacket with a red shirt underneath, black ski mask and khaki pants. Suspect 2 is described as a White male wearing a black jacket, light blue ripped jeans and a black ski mask. The investigation is ongoing.

UPDATED: President Trump Visits His Election HQ in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 4:35 p.m.) President Donald Trump visited Arlington on Election Day.

The president is greeted campaign staff at his national reelection headquarters, located in an otherwise unremarkable Rosslyn office tower, as voters nationwide continue to head to the polls.

The presidential motorcade arrived around 12:15 p.m. A few dozen Trump supporters waved signs and flags across from the headquarters for the president’s arrival, as police blocked several streets in the area.

The president spoke to campaign personnel, in brief remarks that were aired on cable news. Afterward, just before 1:30 p.m., the motorcade departed.

The Trump headquarters — also referred to as the Republican National Committee annex — has generated some minor protests and local controversy over the course of the year.

Rep. Don Beyer and Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, both Democrats, called on the campaign to enforce mask wearing after a reported COVID outbreak at the HQ, and a Trump speech at a conference in Pentagon City in which many attendees did not wear masks.

The president’s last reported appearance at the Rosslyn headquarters was a surprise visit in February.

Arlington, owing to its prime location near D.C. and the area’s base of political talent, has been home to a number of presidential campaigns, including:

  • John McCain 2008 (in Crystal City)
  • Hillary Clinton 2008 (in Ballston)
  • George W. Bush 2004 (in Courthouse)
  • Ronald Reagan 1980 (near Columbia Pike)
  • The campaigns of Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Joe Lieberman and Mike Gravel

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (At the Mall This Year)

By ARLnow.com

One might think that taking photos with Santa is the kind of thing that would get nixed in a pandemic, particularly one that has closed schools. Not so, at least in Arlington.

In an early Christmas miracle, Santa is set to arrive at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City later this month, mall owner Simon announced Monday evening.

“Simon is pleased to announce a safe and socially distanced Santa visit for families as part of the Simon Santa Photo Experience at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City,” said a press release. “Santa arrives on November 27, 2020 and will be available for socially distanced visits until Christmas Eve.”

The arrival date — Nov. 27 — is Black Friday, also known as the day after Thanksgiving.

“For everyone’s safety, visiting Santa will be a socially distanced experience,” Simon said — though it’s unclear what exactly that means in practice, given that sitting on the jolly one’s lap is de rigueur for any proper Santa photo.

The mall owner notes that reservations are required to visit with Santa this year, and that “Santa and his helpers will be wearing masks throughout the duration of each visit.”

Voting Underway in Arlington County

By ARLnow.com

It’s Election Day and across Arlington County thousands are voting at dozens of polling places staffed by hundreds of volunteers.

So far no issues have been reported at the polls, election officials tell ARLnow.

Turnout may be lighter than usual for a hotly-contested presidential election, on account of 63% of active voters in Arlington having already cast early and mail-in ballots. As of 9:30 a.m., the county elections office said that “an estimated 5% of remaining voters” had voted since the polls opened at 6 a.m.

“Polling places were busy early, but most are running smoothly now,” the elections office said.

On the ballot in Arlington this year is the presidential race — President Donald Trump (R) facing off against former Vice President Joe Biden (D), plus Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen — along with races for U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, County Board and School Board. There are also referenda for two proposed state constitutional amendments and five county bond issuances.

Polls will stay open tonight until 7 p.m.

More via Twitter:

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Polls Are Open — After a record-setting run-up to the 2020 presidential election, it’s Election Day and polls are now open. Polling places in Arlington are open until 7 p.m. County government is closed today so metered parking will not be enforced. There are two local races: Audrey Clement (I) challenging incumbent Libby Garvey (D) for Arlington County Board, and Cristina Diaz-Torres, David Priddy and Symone Walker vying for two open Schools Board seats. [Arlington County]

Other Races on the Ballot — Two of Arlington’s members of Congress — Democrats Rep. Don Beyer and Sen. Mark Warner — are facing Republican challengers: Jeff Jordan and, in the Senate race, Daniel Gade. Both Jordan and Gade are retired Army officers. Also on the ballot are a pair of proposed changes to the Virginia constitution, and five county bond referenda, including one facing some organized opposition. [Arlington County]

Changes to Potomac Yard Development — “Six months after pivoting from office to residential, ZMA Development is aiming to go slightly smaller at Potomac Yard. The latest plans filed with Arlington County have reduced the number of residential units from 620 to 488 units planned at the Landbay C-East site at Potomac Avenue between 29th and 33rd Streets S (map). The two-phase development, now dubbed Hazel National Landing, also has added a 50 foot-wide ‘pedestrian passageway.'” [UrbanTurf]

Marymount Adding Softball — “Dr. Irma Becerra, President of Marymount University, has announced the addition of softball as a varsity sport, with competition set to begin during the Spring 2022 semester.” [Press Release]

New Public Access TV Series — “Months after their senior year in high school did a 180 degree turn from what they envisioned nearly a year ago for senior year rites, a group of students from Arlington launched the Gen Z Diaries: Senior Edition.” [Press Release]

Nearby: A Woke Retirement Home — Residents of the Goodwin House senior living community in Bailey’s Crossroads, home to a number of former Arlingtonians who were engaged in civic activism, have been busy getting out the vote and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement during the pandemic. [Washingtonian]

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