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.

Reston man faces charges in Arlington sex crimes investigation

By ARLnow.com
Matthew Coble (photo courtesy ACPD)

A 21-year-old Reston man is facing charges after a sex crimes investigation involving victims under the age of 18.

The charges stem from “criminal incidents that occurred in 2020,” Arlington County police said. ACPD says they’re now seeking other potential victims of the suspect, identified as Matthew Coble.

Coble was already on the radar of law enforcement. In July, an Arlington jury found Coble guilty of Aggravated Sexual Battery of a mentally incapacitated or physically helpless individual in a public park. His sentencing in that case is currently set for Dec. 15.

More on the latest charges and the search for additional victims, below, from an ACPD press release.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is investigating a suspect charged with sex offenses against a teenage juvenile and is seeking possible additional victims.

On September 18, police received information regarding criminal incidents that occurred in 2020 and immediately initiated a comprehensive investigation. As a result, Matthew Coble, 21, of Reston, VA was charged on October 13 with Indecent Liberties with a Child (x3) and Production of Child Pornography. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility without bond. Additional information regarding the investigation is restricted from release in accordance with Virginia Code § 16.1-301 and Virginia Code § 19.2-11.2.

Based on the investigation, detectives believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with past inappropriate encounters with this suspect or who has additional information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective P. Pena at 703-228-4183 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

VHC re-routes ambulances after systems issue

By ARLnow.com
Ambulance (file photo)

Ambulances were temporarily re-routed to other hospitals after VHC Health suffered some technology issues this morning.

The re-routing for non-critical cases was broadcast to Arlington County Fire Department medics around 10:30 a.m. As of 12:45 p.m., another broadcast suggested that the hospital was back on line for ambulances.

A spokesperson confirmed to ARLnow that technology issues prompted a re-route notice out of “an abundance of caution.”

“VHC Health is experiencing intermittent downtime of some non-critical systems,” the VHC spokesperson wrote. “The redirection is in an abundance of caution. Care for all patients on campus is not impacted.”

VHC did not directly answer a question about what caused the systems issue. American hospitals have been dealing with a wave of cyberattacks and ransomware hacks, sometimes knocking systems out for weeks at a time, various news outlets have reported.

Formerly known as Virginia Hospital Center, VHC Health opened an expansion of its Arlington campus earlier this year and has been expanding to other Northern Virginia locations.

Two nabbed in foot chases after vehicle theft attempt from Amazon HQ2 garage

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police vehicle responding to assist with foot chase in Pentagon City on Oct. 16, 2023

A pair of suspects led Arlington County police on extended foot chases through Pentagon City yesterday afternoon.

Police first responded to a parking garage below Amazon’s HQ2 building around 3:30 p.m. Monday after security observed suspects in ski masks trying to break into a car.

The suspects were later spotted in the area and took off running. Personnel from some federal law enforcement agencies with nearby offices — the DEA and the U.S. Marshals Service — helped police spot the fleeing suspects, according to scanner traffic. Both suspects were apprehended around 4:30 p.m.

More, below, from today’s ACPD crime report.

ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY AUTO, 2023-10160155, 500 block of 14th Road S. At approximately 3:30 p.m. on October 16, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined security personnel were inside a parking garage when they heard an activated car alarm and observed the two male suspects wearing ski masks allegedly tampering with the steering column of the vehicle. Security personnel verbally confronted the suspects and they exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. A lookout was broadcast and officers canvassed the area for the suspects. A short time later, officers located the suspects in the area of S. Fern Street and 12th Street S. and attempted to detain them during which both suspects ran from the area. Following foot pursuits, both suspects were located and taken into custody. During the course of the investigation, burglarious tools were recovered from the scene. No injuries were reported. [Suspect 1], 18, of Fort Washington, Md. was arrested and charged with Attempted Grand Larceny Auto, Possession of Burglarious Tools, Destruction of Property, Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and Wearing a Mask in a Public Place to Conceal Identity. [Suspect 2], 18, of Alexandria. Va. was arrested and charged with Attempted Grand Larceny Auto, Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony and Wearing a Mask in a Public Place to Conceal Identity.

Morning Poll: Best tacos in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com
Tacos El Chilango truck in Radnor-Fort Myer Heights (file photo)

National Taco Day earlier this month reminded us that, for an East Coast suburb, Arlington has some pretty solid taco options.

But which one is the best? On this Taco Tuesday, we’re letting readers weigh in.

The following selections were compiled via a number of lists, including this recent list from Arlington’s tourism website. If we missed your favorite, let us know in the comments.

Vote for up to three of your favorite taco spots in Arlington, below.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn as the sun sets (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Final APS Enrollment Figures — “Arlington Public Schools’ official 2023-24 school-enrollment figure is down 656 students from earlier projections and remains below pre-pandemic levels… The final figure of 27,452 for all students from pre-kindergarten to adult was down just three from the 27,455 reported for the 2022-23 school year, while the K-12 enrollment of 26,533 was up 94 students, Superintendent Francisco Durán said.” [Gazette Leader]

WHS Football Still Winless — “The Wakefield Warriors had their closest game of the high-school football season when they lost to the visiting Marshall Statesmen, 21-3, in an Oct. 14 afternoon Liberty District contest. The winless Warriors (0-8, 0-4) trailed just 6-0 at halftime, and got on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal by Josh Bronfield in the third period, cutting the lead to 6-3.” [Gazette Leader]

Narrow Victory for Yorktown — “One week after suffering a disappointing road loss in the final seconds, the Yorktown Patriots responded in their next high-school football game with a thrilling walkoff home victory. The Patriots defeated the Langley Saxons, 31-28, in that seesaw Liberty District Oct. 13 clash on a game-winning 35-yard field goal by Max Yoon on the final play with no time remaining.” [Gazette Leader]

Honor for W-L Junior — “Aaron Rafael Zevin-Lopez and Elijah Lee, co-presidents of the Virginia Chapter of Voters of Tomorrow (VOT-VA), received the 2023 AMPLIFY Award for a youth-led organization on Tuesday… ‘I am honored that our team has been recognized by Voices for Virginia’s Children for our advocacy work in the Commonwealth,’ Zevin-Lopez, an 11th grade student at Washington-Liberty High School.” [Patch]

Spooky Season in Full Force — “Arlington never disappoints when it comes to Halloween decorations. I loved seeing these gems up near Williamsburg MS.” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — Partly sunny conditions and a high temperature of around 63°F, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy with a low temperature of approximately 47°F. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Oct 16, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Monday 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 16, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Tuesday’s forecast

The weather forecast predicts a partly sunny day with a high temperature of about 63°F accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 6 to 8 mph. At night, the skies will be partly cloudy with a low temperature of around 47°F and a gentle northwest breeze of 3 to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Leaders can let you fail and yet not let you be a failure.”
– Stanley McChrystal

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Tesla smashes into Columbia Pike playground

By ARLnow.com
1/5

The driver of a Tesla careened down a hill and smashed into a playground over the weekend along Columbia Pike.

The crash happened around 1:45 p.m. Saturday on the grounds of the Wildwood Park apartments, on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike.

No other vehicles were involved, according to police, and no injuries were reported.

“The preliminary investigation indicates the driver was attempting to park in the 3400 block of S. Jefferson Street when the vehicle proceeded down a hill and struck a fence, wall and utility pole,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.

Scanner traffic suggests the vehicle — a Tesla Model Y with Maryland temporary tags — overturned at least once while going down the hill but came to rest upright.

The playground, which is “usually packed with kids,” was empty amid a steady rain, a tipster tells ARLnow.

The driver, a 59-year-old Maryland woman, “was issued a summons for reckless driving,” according to Savage. She works at a nearby senior living facility, online records suggest.

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.

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