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.

ACPD Warns of New Mail-Based Scam

By ARLnow.com

Scammers are sending letters to Arlington residents, fraudulently claiming to be Arlington County authorities and threatening punishment if a debt is not paid over the phone.

The Arlington County Police Department issued a warning about the scam today, showing images of scam letters that appear to come from an official source. The scammers claim to be part of a non-existent “Benefits Suspension Unit” or “Tax Processing Unit,” and threaten to cut off Social Security benefits or seize wages, police say.

Those that receive such letters are encouraged to report them to police via an online form.

More from ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department is warning the public about scam mailings that threaten individuals with seizure of their wages and Social Security benefits to satisfy alleged non-payment of taxes. Recipients are instructed to call a toll-free number by a set date or further enforcement action will be taken against them.

The mailings use a fraudulent government seal and are sent from the ‘Benefits Suspension Unit, Arlington County, Public Judgement Records’ and/or the ‘Tax Processing Unit, Internal Processing Service, Arlington County, Public Judgement Records.’ This office does not exist.

If you have been a victim or target of a scam in Arlington County, report to police using the online crime report.

Scammers may use various techniques to fool potential victims. Avoid becoming a victim by following these practices:

  • Be suspicious of any unsolicited phone calls, emails, mailings or in-person solicitations which request funds or claim that you owe money.
  • Never use a phone number provided to you from an individual making threats to verify their credibility. Use a verified phone number to contact a government agency if you’re concerned you might owe money.
  • Avoid unusual payment methods. No government agency will instruct you to resolve your debt using a payment method such as Bitcoin, money wires, mailed cash or gift cards.
  • Keep your information private. Don’t share your personal information with organizations you are unfamiliar with, don’t have ties to and did not initiate contact with.
  • Take your time. If you are requested to act quickly or there is a stated emergency, it may be a scam. Scammers create a sense of urgency to get you to act impulsively.
  • If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Whitney

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week is Whitney, a 10 year old Golden Retriever who loves napping and swimming.

Here is what Whitney’s owner had to say about her life here in Arlington:

Whitney, a Golden Retriever who just turned ten, loves walks through Clarendon and hikes along the Potomac

Whitney came to Arlington when she was one year old via Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue in West Virginia after her owner became ill, and she’s had an amazing life here. Along with her German Shepherd and black Lab mix housemates, she makes up an awesome variety pack.

She’s slowed down from her early days, when she was unusually athletic for her breed and ran like a greyhound, but still has a very active lifestyle and enjoys a daily swim in the Potomac. She also likes walking through Lyon Village and Clarendon, looking for street pizza, and hanging out on the front porch and casually barking at dogs who have the gall to walk past our house. Like any Golden, she’s proficient at napping plus seeking and giving affection. A friend’s chihuahua who stays with us sometimes totally has the hots for her, so she’s still a looker at ten!

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!

Coronavirus Cases Slow, For Now, While Deaths Rise

By ARLnow.com

The rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington has dropped over the past few days, but four COVID-related deaths have been reported this week.

The Virginia Dept. of Health reported only nine new cases in Arlington overnight, five new cases the day before that, and 15 new cases two days ago — all below the seven-day moving average.

The county’s cumulative case count is now 3,569, while the seven-day moving total of new cases is 134 — or 19.1 per day.

Despite that good news, there is some bad news: another coronavirus death was reported overnight, the fourth such death reported by VDH over the past three days. Arlington’s cumulative total now stands at 141. Prior to Monday, the death toll had only risen by four over the course of more than 50 days.

Hospitalizations in Arlington are also elevated, relative to earlier this summer. Arlington has recorded 17 new COVID hospitalizations over the past week, with three new hospitalizations reported overnight. The seven-day total has only dipped into the single digits once over the past two weeks, after staying in the single-digits throughout the summer before that.

What might be behind the recent drop in cases?

It’s entirely possible it’s just a normal fluctuation, as the numbers have bounced up and down for months. It’s also possible that the return of students to college campus could be a partial explanation.

A student from Arlington who contracts the disease while at college elsewhere would most likely not be included in Arlington’s numbers, according to county health officials.

That could have a noticeable impact on Arlington’s numbers — since the Phase 3 reopening on July 1, which allowed more people to crowd in to bars and restaurants, a preponderance of cases in Arlington have been among those in the 18-29 age range.

But the return to campuses may be short lived: James Madison University students, for instance, are returning home after an outbreak on campus led to more than 500 active COVID-19 cases.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Again Named Top Digital County — “Arlington today was named the No. 1 Digital County in the U.S. by the Center for Digital Government and National Association of Counties 2020 awards. This marks the fourth time Arlington has received the top spot for its 150,000-249,999 population category.” [Arlington County]

County Swamped With Would-Be Poll Workers — “Earlier this summer, some Washington-area election officials were warning of a possible shortage of volunteers to work the polls come November. But a recent surge in interest has left those same officials with a good problem to have… ‘We have too many right now, to be honest,’ says Eric Olsen, the deputy director of Arlington County’s Board of Elections.” [DCist]

Yard Waste Collection Resumes With Delays — “Due to heavy yard waste volumes associated with the resumption of curbside yard waste collection, some customers may see their yard waste carts delayed until the following day.” [Arlington County]

Turkey Trot 5K Goes Virtual — “Organizers of the annual Arlington Turkey Trot have opted for a ‘virtual’ format for 2020. Instead of running as a group on Thanksgiving morning, the hundreds of Turkey Trot participants are being asked to run on their own the weekend of Thanksgiving.” [InsideNova]

Nearby: D.C. Getting New Area Code — “D.C. has had one single area code — 202 — for more than 70 years. But it will soon be joined by a second area code… The nation’s capital is expected to run out of 202 phone numbers in the third quarter of 2022.” [WTOP]

Beyer and Garvey to Trump Campaign: Wear Masks in Arlington, Please

By ARLnow.com

Two top local Democratic elected officials are calling on the Trump administration and the president’s Rosslyn-based campaign to wear masks while in Arlington County.

Rep. Don Beyer and Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey sent a letter today to Trump’s chief of staff and campaign manager, imploring them to follow public health guidelines at campaign headquarters and at events.

The letter was prompted by Vice President Pence’s June visit to Trump HQ, in which he and dozens of mask-less staffers were photographed crowded together, as well as by a recent presidential speech in a Pentagon City hotel ballroom, in which few of the conservative activists in attendance wore masks.

Trump’s Rosslyn headquarters was temporarily shut down in July due to a COVID-19 case, according to Politico.

“It is deeply important to us that everyone when they are in Arlington, including the President and personnel affiliated with him, adhere to public health guidelines requiring physical distancing and face coverings in indoor settings,” Beyer and Garvey wrote in the jointly-signed letter. “We beseech you to prioritize the health of the people around you, including your own staff and, especially, the residents of Arlington whom we represent. The future health of our community may depend on it.”

Trump, Beyer and Garvey are all up for reelection in November.

The full letter is below.

(more…)

More Crashes at Rock Spring Intersection, Despite New Signs

By ARLnow.com
1/8

“We’ve seen too many accidents here. Think [before] you cross!”

So reads signs recently placed on Little Falls Road, at the crash-prone intersection with Old Dominion Drive, below signs restricting traffic to right turns only during rush hour. A few yards from the signs, around lunchtime Friday, was yet another crash.

The two-vehicle, T-bone crash involving an SUV and a minivan resulted in at least one vehicle occupant, a young woman who was visibly shaken, being evaluated by medics. A young girl appeared to have been riding in a car seat in the minivan at the time but was uninjured.

“It’s always this intersection here,” a police officer directing traffic could be heard saying to a passerby.

Friday’s crash was the eleventh so far this year at Old Dominion and Little Falls, according to Arlington County Police Department data. By comparison, there were 14 crashes there during all of 2019 and 13 throughout 2018.

Locals have long known the intersection — with no stop for Old Dominion traffic and limited sightlines for Little Falls traffic — to be dangerous, so much so that three years ago a 13-year-old took it upon himself to start a petition for safety changes, ultimately leading to the rush hour restrictions. Though the restrictions have been in place for a year, the crashes have not slowed down.

A wreck in May sent an SUV careening over the sidewalk and into the front yard of a home in the corner. No injuries were reported. A subsequent ARLnow morning poll found that more than 70% of respondents think a four-way stop or a traffic signal should be installed at the intersection.

There was another two-vehicle crash at the intersection on Monday, though it’s not clear whether it actually occurred in the intersection.

No additional changes are currently planned for the intersection, though some may be forthcoming — eventually.

Arlington County officials tell ARLnow that VDOT has applied for grant funding for the intersection on the county’s behalf, a process that might take some time.

“This intersection continues to pose safety challenges, and has been investigated by our Transportation Engineering and Operations (TE&O) staff,” said Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey. “As the intersection is under VDOT control, we’ve applied to the VDOT STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) program for grant funding.”

Hui Wang, Arlington’s Transportation Engineering and Operations Bureau Chief, said the state grant would help fund a study that will then provide recommendations for safety changes.

“If approved, VDOT has a group conducting comprehensive review of all aspects with community engagement included,” Wang said.

Garvey said she has also asked about “interim solutions.”

“I’ve asked our staff for a briefing to better understand the situation and, if there are any further interim solutions to pursue, I’m hopeful we can advanced them,” she said.

After Another Shooting at Lounge, County ‘To Explore All the Options’

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) Another shooting in the parking lot of Purple Lounge on Columbia Pike has county officials mulling additional action against the nightlife venue.

Police say a man was shot around 5 a.m. Sunday outside the business at 3111 Columbia Pike, after the suspect opened fire into a crowd. The shooter was also shot and lightly wounded by security guards, according to an Arlington County Police Department press release.

Both the victim and the suspect suffered injuries considered non-life threatening.

The weekend exchange of gunfire follows another shooting in the same parking lot nearly a year ago. A 29-year-old suspect was arrested last September after police say he shot a man in the abdomen, seriously injuring him, following an early morning dispute.

Last year’s shooting prompted the Arlington County Board to revoke the lounge’s live entertainment permit in December. The Board was told that police had responded to the venue nearly 70 times between January and November, and that neighbors were frequently complaining about early morning noise and incidents associated with the business, even well after closing time.

Despite the incidents and alleged health code and alcohol violations, Purple Lounge had its Virginia ABC permit to serve beer, wine and liquor renewed for a year on May 1, according to public records.

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, in a statement to ARLnow, said the county is exploring ways to “halt bad behavior” at the business.

“The incident at the Purple Lounge is the latest in a series of very disturbing events associated with that establishment,” Garvey said. “The Board is working with the Manager and our attorney to explore all the options available to us to halt bad behavior within and around the property.”

In July, Arlington denied Purple Lounge’s application for expanded outdoor seating in its parking lot, a county spokeswoman noted.

Photos courtesy @lavvra/Twitter

Columbia Pike Donut Shop Has Closed Permanently

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The former Sugar Shack Donuts along Columbia Pike will not be reopening, after the restaurant’s owner filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The Washington Business Journal reports that former state lawmaker Rob Krupicka — a Sugar Shack franchisee who was in the process of rebranding his locations as an independent, plant-based cafe called Elizabeth’s Counter when the pandemic struck and forced them to close — has declared bankruptcy and shuttered the 1014 S. Glebe Road location in Arlington for good.

The store originally opened in 2016.

Krupicka’s D.C. location is also closed permanently, but he hopes to keep the now-rebranded Elizabeth’s Counter location at 804 N. Henry Street in Alexandria open with an expanded outdoor dining area, the Business Journal reports.

The nearest donut shop to the former Arlington Sugar Shack is a Dunkin Donuts inside a gas station at 3100 Columbia Pike.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

It’s September — With a flip of the calendar, it is now September. Including today, there are 122 days remaining until 2021. There are nine weeks until Election Day. [YouTube, Wall Street Journal]

NORAD Exercises This Week — “We will conduct air defense exercise Falcon Virgo between midnight and 5:30 a.m. (ET) Sept.1-3 in the Washington, D.C. area. The exercise includes U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft, a U.S. Army C-12, a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65D helicopter, and a Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182T. Some portions of the exercise may involve flights at approximately 2,500 feet and may be visible from the ground.” [Facebook]

The Backstory Behind Chasin’ Tails — Cajun seafood restaurant Chasin’ Tails, in East Falls Church, along with Happy Endings Eatery in Rosslyn, are owned by two brothers who became globetrotting multi-millionaires by playing online poker. [Washingtonian]

Rosslyn Company to Be Acquired — “Arlington language learning company Rosetta Stone Inc. is being acquired by private equity-backed Cambium Learning Group Inc. for $792 million. The all-cash deal announced Monday values Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST) at about $30 per share, about 87% higher than its closing price on July 16.” [Washington Business Journal]

Long-time Journalist Dies — “William R. Neikirk, an award-winning economics and political journalist who spent nearly 35 years with the Chicago Tribune and served as White House correspondent during the Clinton administration, died Aug. 27 at his home in Arlington, Va. He was 82. The cause was dementia and complications from the novel coronavirus.” [Washington Post]

Kanye on Va. Ballot — “Rapper Kanye West has qualified to appear on Virginia’s presidential ballot in November, according to state election officials. Elections officials confirmed Friday evening that West will appear on the ballot as an independent after verifying he submitted 5,000 petition signatures from Virginia voters.” [InsideNova]

Nearby: D.C. Offices Nearly Deserted — “Only 5 percent of office workers in downtown DC were in their workplaces at the end of July, according to a new report from the DowntownDC BID. Economic activity in downtown DC, it found, was 12 percent of what it was the year before.” [Washingtonian]

Bank Branch on Lee Highway to Close

By ARLnow.com
1/2

The SunTrust Bank branch at 4710 Lee Highway, near the Lee Heights Shops, is set to close later this year.

The bank notified customers of the impending closure in a recent letter. The branch is scheduled to close its doors at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

Those who avidly follow corporate mergers and acquisitions might have noticed that SunTrust and BB&T have branches across the street from one another on that block of Lee Highway. That’s of note because the two banks announced a $66 billion merger last year, with BB&T buying SunTrust in an all-stock deal. The combined company is now known as Truist.

As might have been predicted, the branches are now being combined, with the current BB&T branch at 4707 Lee Highway set to serve customers of both banks starting on Monday, Nov. 9.

“At our blended branch you’ll continue to receive the personal care you’ve come to expect from SunTrust teammates, whether you visit us in the lobby or use the drive-thru lanes,” the letter said. “There will also be BB&T teammates on hand to assist BB&T customers. There will be no changes to the ATM.”

Those with safe deposit boxes at the SunTrust bank branch will receive instructions on transferring them to a new location, the letter says.

Photos via Google Maps

Police: Suspect Sprayed Man with Fire Extinguisher, Threw Wine Bottle at Amazon Office Window

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:50 p.m.) A 26-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly caused some minor mayhem in Crystal City last night.

Police say they the suspect, who was drunk, first asked a man for money, then — when the victim refused — struck him several times and sprayed him with a fire extinguisher.

The same suspect later threw a wine bottle at a window near the Crystal City Metro station, shattering it, before being spotted and detained by an officer nearby, according to ACPD. Photos from the scene this morning show a shattered window at one of Amazon’s temporary HQ2 spaces.

More from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ROBBERY/DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, 2020-08300215/08310015, 18th Street S. at Crystal Drive. At approximately 10:35 p.m. on August 30, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect allegedly approached the victim inside of a commercial building and requested money. The victim declined and suspect then struck the victim multiple times, implied he had a firearm and fled on foot. As the victim exited the building, he was approached by the suspect, who sprayed him with a fire extinguisher and again fled on foot. The victim was not injured. At approximately 12:53 a.m., an officer observed the suspect in the area of 18th Street S. and S. Bell Street and detained him without incident. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that at approximately 11:55 p.m., the same suspect allegedly threw a wine bottle at a window in the 1800 block of S. Bell Street, causing it to break. John Smith, 26, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Destruction of Property and Drunk in Public. The investigation into the robbery is ongoing.

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