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.
Locals should avoid contact with Little Pimmit Run north of Williamsburg Blvd due to a sewage leak.
A leak in a sanitary sewer line may be contaminating the stream, the county said Tuesday afternoon in an Arlington Alert.
“Due to a sanitary line leak, avoid contact with Little Pimmit Run downstream of Williamsburg Blvd,” the county said. “Crew on scene addressing the issue. Unknown completion time.”
Little Pimmit Run winds through Upper Pimmit Run Park, near Jamestown Elementary, as well as other portions of North Arlington and McLean. It flows into Pimmit Run near the GW Parkway, before making its way into the Potomac River near Chain Bridge.
Two men in their late teens are facing felony charges police say they robbed a store on Columbia Pike over the weekend.
The robbery happened around 1 p.m. on Saturday, according to county police. An Arlington Alert sent that afternoon said it happened at 2340 Columbia Pike, which is the address of Wireless Rxx — a computer and phone repair shop and retailer that was struggling early in the pandemic.
According to police, three young male suspects entered the store and started trying to smash the display counter with rocks — when that didn’t work, they allegedly reached over the counter, stole merchandise, and then started throwing items at store employees before fleeing.
Two of the suspects were located by officers further west on Columbia Pike. Both were arrested, including one taken into custody after a foot chase, police said. Despite an extended search of the area, the third suspect was able to get away.
More from an ACPD daily crime report:
ROBBERY, 2020-09050122, 2300 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 1:03 p.m. on September 5, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that three male suspects entered a business and attempted to smash a glass display counter with rocks they had concealed in their clothing. When that was unsuccessful, the suspects allegedly reached over the counter and stole merchandise. The suspects then threw merchandise at store employees and attempted to strike one employee before fleeing the scene on foot. A lookout for the suspects was broadcast to responding officers. Units canvassed the area and located two of the suspects in the 2700 block of Columbia Pike. One suspect fled on foot from officers and, following a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into police custody. Delonte Roach, 18, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Felony and Eluding Police. Raymontae Ford, 19, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Felony and Obstruction of Justice. Both suspects were held without bond. Suspect Three remains outstanding and is described as a young Black male, medium height with a skinny build.
The rolling seven-day total of new coronavirus cases in Arlington dipped into the double digits over the weekend.
Fifty-one new COVID-19 cases have been reported since Friday, bringing the current seven-day total to 96. That’s down from 175 three weeks ago. On Monday the seven-day total reached 85, the lowest mark since July 26.
Arlington’s test positivity rate has also dipped recently and is currently 4.4%, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.
New COVID-related hospitalizations have continued, however. Six hospitalizations were reported over the holiday weekend, bringing the rolling seven-day total to 11, which is down from a summer high of 18 on Aug. 31. One new COVID-related death was also reported over the weekend.
The cumulative total of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the county currently stands at 3,656, 478 and 143, respectively.
(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools reported technical difficulties with its remote learning platform this morning, on the first day of school.
“We are aware that students are having challenges logging into their classes,” APS said in a School Talk email to families around 9:45 a.m. “We are working to address the issues quickly and appreciate your patience. We apologize for the difficulty families have experienced this morning.”
An APS spokesman described the problems as a “firewall issue.”
“We are aware of a firewall issue that is preventing students from logging into Teams,” Frank Bellavia told ARLnow late Tuesday morning. “As soon as we have resolved the issue, we will provide update to families.”
Numerous parents contacted ARLnow with reports of the tech problems.
“APS first day is a disaster. iPad not connecting to Canvas App. No one is answering the technical assistance line,” said one. “What a way to start the year!”
Maybe tomorrow? The only successful logins have been through non-APS devices…
“Almost everyone couldn’t get in on the school provided iPad,” said a Key Elementary parent. “The teachers had to send out a link to the Teams Meeting which eventually worked.”
As of early Tuesday afternoon, Bellavia said the issues have been resolved. Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán issued the following statement around 2:30 p.m.
We sincerely apologize for the system-wide technical challenges many families experienced today, especially with connecting APS devices to Canvas and Microsoft Teams. The Department of Information Services identified that the primary source of the issue was firewall-related, due to the large volume of traffic trying to access Microsoft Teams at one time. We are deploying a solution now.
We knew there would be a high volume of traffic on the first day of school. We believed we had taken all necessary steps to prepare for this in advance, and unfortunately this morning we discovered an additional adjustment was needed. We are refreshing the firewall servers now. Performance has already improved and should continue to improve through the afternoon. We will continue to monitor this tomorrow and throughout this first week to make adjustments when necessary.
There are no additional steps necessary for families. We encourage you to continue trying to log on and to try restarting your child’s device.
Additionally, the phone number we had set up for technology support was quickly overwhelmed due to the same issue, and we have resolved that issue. Families can continue to access our self-help guides on the website and dial 703-228-2570 for additional support. We are sorry for the issues and understand your frustration as we start the year.
I also want to clarify that we were aware of an issue with Global Protect, brought to our attention late last week, and that issue was resolved over the weekend. We will continue to monitor and support families throughout this week and on an ongoing basis.
APS is starting the school year fully remote, with the hopes of at least partially returning to classrooms later this fall.
Few if any major difficulties were reported in the spring as APS students stayed at home and used remote learning tools to reinforce existing lessons. That contrasted with Fairfax County Public Schools, which attempted to teach new material but experienced a technological meltdown that led to the district’s top technology official stepping down.
Little Beet closed in Rosslyn (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Little Beet closed in Rosslyn (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Fast-casual vegetarian restaurant Little Beet has closed permanently in Rosslyn.
The eatery opened three years ago at 1800 N. Lynn Street. At the time it was the second Little Beet location in the D.C. area for the growing New York-based chain.
A sign on the door suggests that while the Rosslyn location is closing, more Little Beets are on the way for the region.
“As we continue to grow our presence in the D.C. metro area, we are sad to announce that our Rosslyn location will be closing its doors,” the sign says. Part of our mission is to spread food knowledge and change the perception of vegetable-forward meals. Now it’s time for us to plant new seeds in different neighborhoods.”
“We’ll be expanding in this area in the near future and hope to see you at our 2021 openings,” the sign continues. “Thank you for an amazing journey, Rosslyn!”
Currently, Little Beet’s website lists no open locations in D.C. or Virginia, though the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City still lists a Little Beet location there — which opened late last year — on the mall directory.
Staff photos by Jay Westcott. Hat tip to @mikeywl.
School Year Starts Today — “While the start of this year will certainly look and feel different than previous years, we are all excited to welcome students back for distance learning and to start connecting and building relationships in new ways. Our first days of school will be focused on helping students get to know their teachers and classmates and creating new routines.” [Arlington Public Schools]
Many Still Uncounted by Census — “To have a complete understanding of our community, everyone needs to be counted. Currently, Arlington stands at a 75.2% self-response rate, meaning that a significant portion – almost one-fourth – of the County still needs to be counted.” [Arlington County]
Overturned Vehicle on Route 50 — “[On Saturday] crews freed a driver from an overturned vehicle on Route 50 near Abingdon St. The patient was transported to a trauma center with non-life threatening injuries.” [@ArlingtonVaFD/Twitter]
Why Marymount Is Back in Person — “There are a number of schools that are going entirely online… That’s not what the students wanted, Becerra told the Washington Business Journal. A university-conducted survey found that the majority of students said they felt like they didn’t learn as well remotely as they did in person.” [Washington Business Journal]
Local Nonprofits to Merge — “Bridges to Independence, a Northern Virginia provider of housing and vital services for at risk families and individuals, today announced its intent to merge with the Bonder and Amanda Johnson Community Development Corporation (BAJCDC), a community-based non-profit with a mission to address the health, education, financial empowerment and social service needs of people living in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood.” [Press Release]
Rosslyn Firm Makes Acquisition — “Innovative Discovery (ID), a trusted partner for law firms, corporations, and government agencies that provides service, guidance, and consultation throughout the information lifecycle, is pleased to announce that it has acquired Integro, a leading provider of information governance and content services solutions.” [Innovative Discovery via Potomac Tech Wire]
Amazon Adding New Jobs in Seattle Area — “Amazon is adding 10k jobs in the Seattle region, aka HQ1. Unclear what this means, if anything, for HQ2 in Arlington. At last check, Amazon was sticking to its original plan of 25k jobs and a second construction phase for another 2m square feet of office.” [@ARLnowDOTcom/Twitter]
On Friday, ACPD issued a community warning about a middle-aged man who had aggressively cursed at, mooned and in some cases struck pedestrians, in at least five separate incidents along trails in Arlington. Police say they received “numerous tips” over the weekend, which led them to identify a suspect.
“On the evening of Sunday, September 6, police executed a search warrant at the suspect’s residence and took him into custody without incident,” police said in a press release today. “David Marlowe, 55, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with Robbery, Assault and Battery (x3), Indecent Exposure (x5) and Felony Possession with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility on no bond.”
Marlowe is accused of striking several people in fits of rage, attempting to steal one victim’s cell phone, and exposing his buttocks on numerous occasions. The marijuana charge against him was not further explained in the press release.
On Friday, a police spokeswoman told ARLnow that the department was “working with our regional partners” to try to determine whether the same suspect might be behind similar incidents on other trails, including a August 13 confrontation on the Mt. Vernon Trail that’s being investigated by U.S. Park Police.
Police say they’re continuing to investigate and are seeking additional information about the case.
The investigation into the suspect’s actions is ongoing. Anyone with additional information related to this investigation is asked to contact the Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Members of the public reporting additional criminal incidents are asked to use the police department’s online reporting system.
Photos courtesy Arlington County Police Department
Updated at 1:25 p.m. on 9/7/20 — A suspect has been arrested in the case.
Arlington County police are looking for a middle-aged man with a penchant for bicycling, yelling, mooning, and hitting people.
Police say the man has been involved in at least five separate incidents since the morning of August 11, as described in the press release below. Most involve the cyclist approaching on a trail and becoming enraged at pedestrians who get in his way or tell him to slow down.
There may be even more “trail rage” incidents, like this August 13 confrontation on the Mt. Vernon Trail that’s being investigated by U.S. Park Police.
“I can confirm we’re working with our regional partners to determine if this series is linked to other cases in the area,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.
The police department released the photo of a man they say is the suspect, above, taken during an incident on Aug. 29. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
More from the press release:
The Arlington County Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance identifying a suspect involved in a series of incidents along Arlington trails. In the month of August, police received five reports of an aggressive cyclist involved in confrontations with pedestrians walking along trails. Based on witness interviews and evidence collected, detectives are investigating this as a series involving the same individual.
At 7:25 a.m. on August 11, police were dispatched to an assault that just occurred in the area of S. Glebe Road and S. Four Mile Run Drive on the Four Mile Run Trail. Upon arrival, it was determined the male and female victims were walking along the trail when a cyclist approached them yelling to stay on the right side of the yellow line. When the male victim yelled back, the cyclist approached and circled the victims on his bicycle before pulling down his shorts and exposing his buttocks. The cyclist then allegedly struck the male victim on the arm and unsuccessfully attempted to take the female victim’s phone from her hand.
At 5:03 p.m. on August 15, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault on the W&OD trail between Sparrow Pond and Columbia Pike. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 10:06 a.m., the male and female victims were walking on the trail when they were approached from behind by a cyclist traveling at a high rate of speed. When the male victim took out his cell phone, the cyclist allegedly attempted to strike the him twice, making contact on the second attempt. The suspect then pulled down his shorts and exposed his buttocks before riding away.
At 3:35 p.m. on August 16, the reporting party and male victim were walking on the W&OD Trail in the area of Columbia Pike at S. Four Mile Run Drive when they were approached from behind by a cyclist. The cyclist allegedly yelled for the pedestrians to get off the trail and passed closely by at a high rate of speed while yelling obscenities. When the male victim yelled back, the cyclist allegedly pulled down his shorts and exposed his buttocks. The cyclist then rode back towards the reporting party and victim, continuing to yell obscenities before making a U-turn and leaving the area.
At 11:39 a.m. on August 21, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault which occurred on the Custis Trail at approximately 10:30 a.m. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was running on the trail in the area of N. Frederick Street when she was approached from behind by a cyclist. As the victim attempted to move over, the cyclist passed her at a high rate of speed and allegedly struck her in the back of the head and neck with an open hand and yelled for her to move over.
At 7:24 p.m. on August 29, police were dispatched to the area of S. Park Drive and S. Columbus Street on the W&OD trail for the report of an assault and battery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male and female victims were walking along the trail when they were approached from behind by a cyclist traveling at a high rate of speed. When the male victim yelled for the cyclist to slow down, the suspect dismounted, confronted the victim and allegedly struck him in the face.
The suspect is described as a White male with the appearance of someone in his 50’s, approximately 5’8″ to 5’11” with an athletic build and gray hair. He was riding a black bicycle and wearing sunglasses, a white helmet, black shorts, white shirt with red and black trim, red socks and white shoes at the time of the incidents.
Anyone who has information regarding the identity of the cyclist or details surrounding these incidents, is asked to contact the Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
The Village at Shirlington (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The new CVS in Shirlington Village is set for a Grand Opening on Sept. 6th (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
The new CVS in Shirlington Village is set for a Grand Opening on Sept. 6th (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
The new CVS Pharmacy in Shirlington is opening over Labor Day weekend.
The store at 4060 Campbell Avenue, in the Village at Shirlington, is set to open this Sunday, Sept. 6.
The space was previously occupied by the now-closed Ping by Charlie Chiang’s and by Cheesetique, which relocated to a larger storefront in Shirlington.
The 10,906-square-foot CVS has been in the works for about a year. Its outdoor signage features a big red heart facing the corner of Campbell Avenue and S. Randolph Street.
The store will be open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 8 a.m.-9 p.m., according to the company’s website.
(Updated at 12:55 p.m.) The renaming of Lee Highway is continuing apace.
The Lee Highway Alliance (LHA), which is spearheading a renaming process for the east-west commuter artery also known as Route 29, today announced the 25 members of a Working Group charged with coming up with new names.
Among the members are Arlington NAACP President Julius Spain, Sr.; Lebanese Taverna co-owner Grace Abi-Najm Shea; and Matt Weinstein, a land use attorney and former legal counsel for Arlington Democrats, who will chair the group.
In a press release, below, the Alliance says the Working Group will start holding virtual meetings, which will be open to public viewing, in mid-September.
“Our vision for the future is a welcoming and equitable Main Street, and neither ‘Lee’ nor ‘Highway’ is representative of that vision,” said Ginger Brown, Executive Director of the LHA, which was working on envisioning ways to modernize the car-oriented corridor when it was also tasked with the renaming.
A new video released by the LHA yesterday makes the case for why Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s name should be removed from Route 29 in Arlington.
“I think that there comes a time in history when you need to change in order to move ahead,” the video says.
“It wasn’t named Lee Highway in 1865 or 1866 when the Civil War ended, it was named Lee Highway in the 1920s and 30s,” says Wilma Jones Killgo, who has served as president of the John M. Langston Citizens Association, which represents the historically Black neighborhood of Halls Hill, along Route 29.
“When Black people started getting educated and creating businesses and creating their own wealth,” she continues, “it was all a series of intimidations.”
The new name chosen for Route 29 should be “welcoming to all people and businesses,” should “work for all four Northern Virginia jurisdictions that include Lee Highway, and should promote “economic vitality” via effective branding, the Alliance’s website says.
The Working Group has four meetings scheduled, starting on Sept. 16 and running through Jan. 13. The full LHA press release about the group’s formation is below.
Ginger Brown, Executive Director of the Lee Highway Alliance, today announced a Working Group that will lead the effort to recommend new names for Lee Highway to the Arlington County Board. The 25 members of the Working Group reflect a variety of backgrounds and skills, from business ownership to civic involvement.
LHA has been in conversation with the County Board for nearly three years about renaming the 4.6 miles of Lee Highway to better reflect a welcoming, vibrant, and future forward identity. “We are beginning the conversation on replacing both of the words present on Lee Highway” says Brown. “Our vision for the future is a welcoming and equitable Main Street, and neither ‘Lee’ nor ‘Highway’ is representative of that vision.”
In mid-September, the group will begin its community engagement work to solicit ideas for new words for Lee Highway. The group’s virtual meetings, which are also slated to begin mid-September, will be open to the public for viewing.
Matt Weinstein (Chair), Grace Abi-Najm Shea, Bill Braswell, Ginger Brown, Mike Cantwell, Sandi Chesrown, Lynn Coates, Elaine Furlow, Saundra Green, Lauren Harris, Mike Hogan, Paul Holland, Wilma Jones, Jeff Joseph, Minneh Kane, Anika Kwinana, Ben Keeney, Diane Kelly, Annie Moyer, Maia Potok-Holmes, Richard Price, Andy Rude, Julius D. Spain, Sr., Jim Todd, and Tom Wolfe.
Several members of the Working Group were drawn from LHA’s Community Advisory Committee, an existing body that helps LHA communicate with stakeholders, garnering feedback, channeling ideas, and encouraging new ways to reach the residents and business/property owners.
The Working Group will also receive input from Advisory Groups made up of subject-matter experts.
The groups include a Branding Advisory Group, Business and Property Owners Advisory Group, Institutional Advisory Group, Transportation Advisory Group, and LHA’s own Communications Committee.
