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.

Large water main break closes busy road near Shirlington

By ARLnow.com
Water main repairs underway on Shirlington Road

Repairs are underway along Shirlington Road after a large water main break early this morning.

A 12-inch main broke overnight in front of the Weenie Beenie restaurant, near the border of the Shirlington and Green Valley neighborhoods.

Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says repairs are expected to take until 5 p.m. today and “some 150 customers could be affected” by the break.

Shirlington Road is closed in both directions between S. Arlington Mill Drive and S. Four Mile Run Drive.

Morning Poll: What’s your lottery jackpot threshold?

By ARLnow.com
Powerball lottery ticket (file photo)

The drawing for the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history is set to take place tonight.

The Powerball jackpot has reached $1.73 billion, or a lump sum of around $750 million. That’s second only to the $2.04 billion jackpot won by a single ticket-buyer in Southern California last fall.

“The upcoming drawing on Wednesday will be the 36th drawing in the jackpot run, and the first time in Powerball history that back-to-back jackpot cycles have generated billion-dollar grand prizes,” the Multi-State Lottery Association said. “The Powerball jackpot was previously won on July 19, when a ticket in California won a jackpot worth $1.08 billion.”

Given the infinitesimally small odds of actually winning a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot, many rational people avoid spending their money on it. But, sometimes, the dream of a giant jackpot beats out rationality and the lure becomes too strong.

This morning we’re asking: what’s the prize threshold beyond which you decide that you have to play one of these lotteries?

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Oct 10, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Tuesday 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 10, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Wednesday’s forecast

Expect increasing clouds throughout the day, reaching a high temperature near 70°F, with a gentle northwest wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. At night, the sky will be partly cloudy, and it will be calm with a low temperature around 49°F. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Give me a firm place to stand, and I will move the earth.”
– Archimedes

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Early morning armed carjacking pushes Arlington past 2022 total

By ARLnow.com
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

The 15th carjacking of the year in Arlington — based on ARLnow’s count of public crime reports — happened early Monday morning in the Green Valley neighborhood.

The incident happened around 3:20 a.m. on the 3200 block of 24th Street S., near the Shelton apartment complex.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

CARJACKING, 2023-10090040, 3200 block of 24th Street S. At approximately 3:21 a.m. on October 9, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was inside his parked vehicle when the male suspect approached on foot, brandished a firearm and demanded he exit the vehicle. The victim exited the vehicle and the suspect entered and fled the scene in the vehicle. No injuries were reported. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 6’0”-6’1”, with facial hair wearing a puffy jacket, jeans and a black mask. The victim’s vehicle is described as a black 2017 Lincoln Premiere with Virginia license plate TXN5943. The investigation is ongoing.

The last reported carjacking in Arlington happened on Sept. 21. With this latest incident, Arlington has now exceeded the 14 total carjackings reported in 2022.

Also in the latest ACPD crime report, two Hyundais were stolen while the airbags were taken from six Honda vehicles.

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY AUTO/VEHICLE TAMPERING (Series) (Late), 2023-10080168/2023-10080171/2023-10080175, 1900 block of S. Eads Street/2000 block of Richmond Highway/1100 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 12:47 p.m. on October 9, police were dispatched to the late report of a larceny. Upon arrival, it was determined between approximately 5:00 p.m. on October 7 and 12:00 p.m. on October 8, the unknown suspect(s) stole two vehicles and caused damage to a third vehicle in the area while attempting to steal it. The stolen vehicles are described as a white 2018 Hyundai Sonata with Virginia license plate UCX2840 and a white 2014 Hyundai Sonata with Virginia license plate UMR4355. There are no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

LARCENY FROM AUTO/ATTEMPTED LARCENY FROM AUTO/DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (Series) (Late), 2023-10080121/2023-10080182, 2300 block of 25th Street S./2400 block of 24th Road S. At approximately 9:56 a.m. on October 8, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined between approximately 3:00 a.m. and 9:40 a.m., the unknown suspect(s) caused damage to the driver side door handles of eight vehicles in the area and stole airbags from six of the vehicles. No additional items were reported stolen from the vehicles. All involved vehicles are Honda models. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.

Military funeral honors and flyover for Arlington Marine killed in Australia

By ARLnow.com
1/29

The following was written by Kevin M. Hymel of Arlington National Cemetery. It was linked in yesterday’s Morning Notes but is republished this morning with permission. Cpl. Collart grew up in Arlington and graduated from Washington-Liberty High School.

Alexia Collart’s eyes filled with tears as she accepted the flag that had been draped over her son Marine Cpl. Spencer R. Collart’s casket. Her daughter Gweneth, sitting beside her, openly wept. Bart Collart, Cpl. Collart’s father, held back tears. The family’s grief spread to the crowd of more than 100 family and friends, who either dabbed their eyes or let the tears roll down their cheeks.

Twenty-one-year-old Cpl. Spencer died on Aug. 27, 2023, when the V-22 Osprey aircraft in which he was flying as the crew chief crashed in Australia during a training exercise. A month later, on Sept. 25, he was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

Cpl. Collart always wanted to serve his country. At age 14, he finished the sentence on a school assignment, “When I grow up, I will…” with “be in the military.” A field trip to the National Museum of the Marine Corps convinced him to join the Corps. “He excitedly told us these amazing stories he’d learned of heroic Marines who defended our country,” Alexia Collart reminisced. Bart Collart agreed, recalling, “He was gung ho about the Marines even before he met with the recruiter.” He added that survivors from the crash that took his son’s life told him that the crew’s quick thinking and actions saved the lives of 20 Marines inside the Osprey. “They told us it was a heroic act.” That’s part of the reason the Collarts buried their son at Arlington National Cemetery. “People told us he was a hero,” said Collart, “and deserves to be buried at Arlington Cemetery.”

At the service, Father Andrew Merrow, the director of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, sprinkled dirt on Collart’s casket as he said, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” He then led the crowd in the Lord’s Prayer.

The service included a flyover by four V-22 Osprey aircraft, the firing of three volleys and the sounding of Taps. Navy Chaplain (Cpt.) Steven Walker gave final remarks, telling the crowd that “Cpl. Spencer Collart, United States Marine Corps, takes his rightful place here, among the ranks of our nation’s heroes.”

Then, a handful of enlisted Marines and one sailor, who had served with Cpl. Collart as Osprey crew chiefs, approached the casket. They had been invited by the Collart family. One by one, they placed their own Aircrew Wings on the casket and then pounded them in with their fists. One Marine paused and tapped the casket twice, as if he was patting a friend on the shoulder to say everything was going to be okay. The sailor, openly weeping, calmly placed both her palms on the casket and left them there for a few seconds.

Collart’s parents and sister each placed a rose atop the casket. Once they were placed, Alexia Collart hugged her father as they cried together.

When it was over, extended family and friends gathered around the family to offer support. As people hugged and spoke, Mr. Collart walked over to his son’s casket and placed a hand on it as if to say goodbye one last time.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Westover at dusk (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Military Flyover Today — From AlertDC: “The US Military will conduct a fly over at Arlington National Cemetery on October 10, 2023 at 1:00PM.”

Police Holding ‘Essentials Drive’ — “The Arlington County Police Department is hosting an Essentials Drive to benefit unsheltered individuals in our community. Officers will be present at the following locations and times to collect new toiletries and cold weather items as well as engage with community members.” [ACPD]

County Bomb Squad on TV — “Storm Team4 meteorologist (and science teacher) Ryan Miller gets some hands-on education with the Arlington County bomb squad.” [NBC 4]

Another Win for W-L — “The Washington-Liberty Generals (6-1, 2-1) were the lone Arlington football team to win in Friday night, Oct. 6 action. The Generals bounced back from a double-overtime loss the week before with a 52-26 blowout road victory over the Marshall Statesmen in a Liberty District high-school contest.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Tuesday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. West wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Tonight expect mostly clear conditions, with a low around 48. [Weather.gov]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
As seen at the construction of “The Grove at Dominion Hills” on the former Rouse estate (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Funeral for Arlington Marine — “Alexia Collart’s eyes filled with tears as she accepted the flag that had been draped over her son Marine Cpl. Spencer R. Collart’s casket. Her daughter Gweneth, sitting beside her, openly wept. Bart Collart, Cpl. Collart’s father, held back tears. The family’s grief spread to the crowd of more than 100 family and friends, who either dabbed their eyes or let the tears roll down their cheeks.” [Arlington National Cemetery]

HQ2 ‘Is At a Crossroads’ — “Amazon HQ2, the corporate site selection project, was a symbol of the tech industry’s economic muscle. Now it stands as a palace built for a former dynasty… From door desk to gourmet coffee bars onsite, HQ2 was one of the last grand gestures of the Bezos era. It falls to his successor, Andy Jassy, to decide whether to resume the project as designed or opt for a more frugal alternative.” [Bloomberg]

Dog Lost After Crash — From the Arlington County Police Department: “Have you seen Dutch? He was inside a vehicle that crashed last night in the 2000 block of 21st Street N. He was uninjured but panicked and ran. Officers last saw him in the area of Langston Blvd and N. Veitch St. Anyone who sees him is asked to call dispatch 703-558-2222.” [Twitter]

Boy Wounded, Police Investigating — “At approximately 7:44 p.m. on October 5, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, officers located the juvenile male victim suffering from a laceration and immediately rendered aid. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening. Limited details were provided regarding the events that preceded the call for service and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.” [ACPD]

Preservation Funding for Barcroft — “The Barcoft School and Civic League will use grant funding from the Arlington County government to support urgent maintenance needs on the historic Barcroft Community House. The civic association received $23,000 in historic-preservation funds from the county, which will be matched by dollars it raises.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Columbus Day — At least, that is, to a majority of our readers. Last year an unscientific ARLnow poll found that 54.5% of readers call today’s federal holiday “Columbus Day” to 32.75% for “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” Another 12.75% said they haven’t used either in years. [ARLnow]

Metro Service Plan Today — “On Monday, Oct. 9, in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day, Metrorail service will operate weekend service levels and Metrobus will run Saturday Supplemental Service. Pre-scheduled subscription trips will be canceled on MetroAccess, but customers may still make a separate reservation to travel on the holiday.” [WMATA]

It’s Monday — Mostly sunny, then isolated showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Oct 6, 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 6, 2023.

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

  1. BREAKING: Two charged after more overdoses at Wakefield HS (23581 views)
  2. One Arlington restaurant made the Washington Post’s Fall Dining Guide (20979 views)
  3. New European-inspired bakery and cafe ‘coming soon’ to Ballston (8901 views)
  4. Anonymous commenting on new APS feedback platform divides some Arlington School Board members (6596 views)
  5. Man charged with DUI after rollover crash in Arlington Forest (6583 views)
  6. NOW: ACFD battling house fire in Arlington Forest (5938 views)
  7. Arlington Restaurant Week kicks off this month with nearly 50 participating eateries (5826 views)
  8. Celtic House plans to open new whiskey and bourbon bar later this fall (5357 views)
  9. Florida woman faces litany of charges after reported break-in and standoff (5296 views)
  10. Langston Blvd plan criticized for last-minute edits and smaller-than-hoped affordable housing commitments (5025 views)
  11. Free rush-hour ART bus fares in peak directions start today (3951 views)
  12. An Arlington-based startup accelerator has moved into new digs in Rosslyn, with room to grow (3201 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 scattered showers primarily before 1pm, followed by cloudy skies clearing gradually during the day, with a high temperature near 66°F. Strong northwest winds of 15-17 mph are anticipated, along with gusts up to 25 mph. There is a 50% chance of precipitation. For Saturday night, the sky will be clear with a low temperature of around 47°F accompanied by northwest winds of 11-14 mph and gusts up to 22 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
– Albert Einstein

🌅 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. 👋

Obituary: Madelin Jones Barratt (1954-2023)

By ARLnow.com

Madelin Jones Barratt (Age 69)
Memorial service info

Madelin Jones Barratt, 69, of Falls Church, Va., passed away peacefully at home on September 29, 2023 of mesothelioma.

Madelin was born in 1954 in Houston, Texas to C.M.C. Jones, Jr. and Jacquelin Jones. Her father was a Marine Corps officer and the Jones family was stationed in several locations around the United States during Madelin’s childhood, including Annapolis, Md., Quantico, Va., Pearl Harbor, and Camp Lejeune, N.C. After graduating from Lejeune High School, where she was a captain of the cheerleading squad, Madelin attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., where she received a bachelor’s degree in music in 1976.

Not long into her career as an elementary school music teacher in Loudoun County, Va., Madelin’s mother introduced her to Henry D. Barratt, Jr. Madelin and Henry were married in June 1978. They raised three children and enjoyed 45 years of marriage. With visible delight Madelin unified her family and guests with song, artfully playing the piano or strumming the ukulele in lively accompaniment.

Madelin was an active member of The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, Va., where she served as a volunteer with the women’s ministry, as a Sunday school teacher, and with the children’s choir. She also volunteered her time as a music teacher at Rivendell School in Arlington, Va., for almost 20 years. Madelin was known as a welcoming presence in her neighborhood and at church. She was an accomplished seamstress who made and mended clothes for herself and her family. Madelin loved chocolate and covered the cabinets of the kitchen in her college residence with empty M&Ms bags.

After being diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2019, Madelin faced her illness with courage founded on her faith in Jesus Christ. She was grateful for the compassionate treatment she received at Georgetown University Hospital and at the National Institutes of Health, where she participated in a clinical trial that extended her life on this earth and provided encouraging results for further research into new treatments.

Madelin was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Henry; her son, William and his wife Susanna; daughter Ellen Schooley and her husband Andrew; daughter Anna Barratt and her husband Abel Ferreira Mendes; sisters Martha and Molly Jones; and grandchildren Constance and Virginia Barratt, and Timothy, Margaret, Evelyn, and Isaac Schooley.

A memorial service will be held on Oct. 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at The Falls Church Anglican, 6565 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Va., 22042.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Madelin’s memory may be made to Comunidad, a charity serving children and adults in the Falls Church area through education and leadership training (https://www.comunidadva.org/donate).

>> Donation link

The following memorial event is planned.

Memorial Service
10/10/2023 02:00 PM to 03:30 PM
The Falls Church Anglican
6565 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, Virginia 22042

Listing of the Day: 3077 N. Quincy Street

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Address: 3077 N Quincy Street
Neighborhood: Bellevue Forest
Type: 5 BR, 6 (+1 half) BA single-family detached — 4,500 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,900,000

Noteworthy: Grand home perfect for all types of entertaining.

Plan to spend the holidays in this beautiful 5 bedroom, 6.5 bath home with approximately 4500 square feet of living space. It is located on one of the prettiest streets in the Bellevue Forest neighborhood of Arlington.

Step into the grand, two-story foyer leading to the light-filled living room and dining room, perfect for all types of entertaining. Continue on to the gourmet kitchen, which features warm wooden cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, an island and desk area, and eat-in dining space. The kitchen opens to a cozy family room with a wood-burning fireplace. French doors lead to an office/den beyond, with an attached full bath. There is also a powder room on the main level for your guests’ convenience. Step out from the kitchen to a large patio.

Upstairs, you will find the spacious primary bedroom with a 10ft tray ceiling, two walk-in closets, a private balcony, and a large bathroom with double vanities. Three more bedrooms on this level all have their own en-suite bathrooms. Head down to the lower level, featuring a spacious rec room with outside access. A full bath connects to the rec room and a lovely airy fifth bedroom, perfectly private for your guests. You’ll find a bonus room on this level as well. Natural wood garage doors add a special touch to the exterior.

This part of North Quincy is not a through street. You will love the peaceful location!

Listed by:
Anne Cronin — McEnearney Associates
[email protected]
(703) 597-3082

Is a Rosslyn office opening behind tonight’s mysterious, elaborate fireworks display?

By ARLnow.com
Fireworks over the Potomac Thursday night (photo via @StefJohnson21/Twitter)

A lengthy fireworks display took D.C. and Arlington residents by surprise tonight — leaving locals guessing as to who was behind it.

The fireworks went off around 7:30 p.m., launched from a barge on the Potomac River between the Kennedy Center and Roosevelt Island, near Rosslyn. The nearly 15 minute display was on the scale one might expect for the Fourth of July.

The display, however, was not publicized in advance.

Even D.C.’s city council took to social media to express surprise, while digging up an entry in the Federal Register for a Coast Guard safety zone for the fireworks.

Following the fireworks, an ARLnow reader floated a theory of who was behind the display.

“I don’t have inside knowledge to confirm it, but I’d be willing to bet the source of the fireworks was Genetec opening their new ‘DCXC: Genetec Experience Center’ on 1000 Wilson Blvd,” the reader, who asked to remain anonymous, told ARLnow.

Genetec is a Montreal-based security and technology company. The Washington Business Journal reported in August that it had signed a lease for a new “flagship” showroom on the 25th floor of the Rosslyn twin towers building — and planning an October opening.

Someone who attended the event took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say that the fireworks were, in fact, for Genetec’s grand opening.

“The view from the new office on the rooftop was amazing,” the person wrote.

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