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.

JUST IN: Woman Killed in Pentagon City Pedestrian Crash

By ARLnow.com

A woman was killed while crossing a street in Pentagon City yesterday.

The crash happened around 2:15 p.m. The victim was struck by a vehicle while crossing mid-block on S. Fern Street between Army Navy Drive and 12th Street S., leaving her lying in the middle of the street.

The driver stayed on scene, according to Arlington County police. So far, no charges have been announced.

The woman was pronounced dead on the scene, ACPD said in a press release this morning. Fern Street was closed for several hours while detectives investigated the crash. Police are now asking anyone with additional information to come forward.

More from the press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Critical Accident Team (CAT) continues to investigate a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on Wednesday, July 15 in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood.

At approximately 2:15 p.m., police responded to the 1100 block of S. Fern Street for the report of a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian. The preliminary investigation indicates the pedestrian attempted to cross mid-block when she was struck by an oncoming vehicle. The pedestrian, an adult female, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene.

The identity of the pedestrian is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Anyone who may have witnessed this crash or has additional information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective S. Whalin at [email protected] or 703-228-4159. Information may also be reported anonymously to Arlington County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Coronavirus Cases Keep Climbing in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s coronavirus curve continues to trend upward.

While the county is by no means in Florida territory, the rate of new cases is quickening. The Virginia Dept. of Health reported 14 new cases in Arlington overnight, bringing the trailing seven-day rate of new cases to 124, the highest point since June 13.

Arlington’s one-week case growth rate reached a low of 42 on June 29. Virginia entered Phase 3 of its reopening on July 1.

Arlington’s test positivity rate, meanwhile, is now 6% — the highest it has been since June 14, when the rate of new cases was dropping.

The regional picture is similarly one of an increase in the rate of new cases.

“D.C., Maryland, and Virginia all reported their highest COVID-19 case counts since early June on Wednesday,” DCist reported yesterday. “D.C. tallied 80 new cases, its highest caseload since June 9. Virginia recorded 1,084 new cases, its largest since June 7. Maryland’s 756 new cases marked its highest count since June 5.”

At a news conference on Wednesday, his first since June 25, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam cautioned that reopening guidelines could change if cases continues to rise. (See statewide case count, below.)

At the press conference, officials introduced new workplace safety rules and called for stricter enforcement of social distancing guidelines and mask requirements, particularly at restaurants and bars.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Va. Adopts New Workplace Safety Rules — “Today, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board acted to protect the Commonwealth’s workers by adopting emergency temporary standards, which set forth enforceable, common-sense requirements that employers must follow to protect their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic… Key requirements, such as those for physical distancing, workplace sanitization, and information sharing, will apply to all workers.” [Commonwealth of Virginia, Legal Aid Justice Center, Twitter]

Witness Helps Apprehend Robbery Suspect — “Two employees followed the suspect outside and attempted to take back the items, at which point a physical altercation ensued. The suspect assaulted the employees and threw the items at them. During this time, a witness heard commotion outside the business and went to investigate, but was struck by the suspect as he fled on foot. Arriving officers, with the assistance of the witness, located the suspect nearby and took him into custody without incident.” [Arlington County]

ACPD No Longer Working With Ring — “Amazon.com Inc.’s doorbell camera subsidiary Ring Inc. has partnered with more than 1,000 law enforcement agencies across the country, but it appears it won’t be making a similar arrangement with the HQ2-area police force. Despite quite a bit of interest last year, the Arlington County Police Department said it is no longer ‘actively seeking a partnership with Ring,’ which would have provided its officers access to a special police portal of the company’s Neighbors app.” [Washington Business Journal]

Amazon Delaying Return to Offices — “Amazon said it is allowing employees who can work from home to do so until Jan. 8., once again extending the timeline on a return to work for many of its employees.” [CNBC]

Hope Gets Primary Challenger — Political operative Matt Rogers has announced that he will be challenging Del. Patrick Hope (D-Va.) in next year’s Democratic primary. [Twitter, Blue Virginia]

Local Stage Star Offers Singing Telegrams — “Her title role in ‘Porgy and Bess’ was postponed at the Kennedy Center this summer. Instead, Alyson Cambridge of Arlington, Virginia, is participating in Sing for Hope grams… The idea is to give personalized singing grams from Broadway and opera stars.” [WTOP]

ACFD Battles Falls Church House Fire — Arlington County firefighters were joined by firefighters from Fairfax County in battling a house fire on Robinson Place in the City of Falls Church yesterday. [Tysons Reporter]

Road Closed After Pedestrian Struck in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) Police have shut down a block of S. Fern Street in Pentagon City after a pedestrian was struck.

Arriving first responders found the individual lying in the roadway and bleeding, after being struck by a vehicle. Initial reports suggest that the person’s injuries may be serious.

S. Fern Street is currently blocked between 12th Street S. and Army Navy Drive as a result of the emergency response. The closure may be extended by a police investigation.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Walter

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Meet Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week, Walter, a 3 year old Bernese Mountain Dog who just moved to Arlington.

Here is what Walter had to say about his new life here in Arlington:

What’s up Arlington?! My name is Walter. I recently moved to Virginia from Michigan. My humans brought me here because of their jobs. As a Bernese Mountain Dog, I really miss the colder weather back in the mitten state. When it would snow, I would dig a hole and stay outside for hours. I also really miss my grandparents and cousins back in Michigan. Otherwise, I’m very happy with our move.

Arlington is so dog friendly. I go everywhere with my humans. I love how all of the restaurants and bars allow me to sit on their patios. We live near Circa and Bracket Room in Clarendon, so you can find me at one of those places most weekends. They treat me like a king by giving lots of pets and great food. Dennis at Bracket Room is the best because he sneaks me bacon. Everyone I’ve met in Arlington is so nice. The only complaint I have is that most people ask me how much I weigh. I’m not sure why. Just so everyone knows, I am 130 lbs. of pure muscle.

Here are some other fun facts for you: When my forever family got me, I was 10 weeks old and 10 lbs. Although I am huge, I think I’m a lapdog. I just turned 3 years old. People say I’m the happiest dog they’ve ever met. I like to smile. My favorite food is bacon. My favorite thing to do is to get pets from strangers. I love the dog park in Clarendon. I’m obsessed with tiny dogs. I hate ducks. I don’t chase any other animals besides ducks. I’m a momma’s boy. I don’t like swimming. I love sunsets. I have very good manners. And my Instagram page is This.Is.Walters.World. Look me up! Also, if you ever see me out, please say hi, and make sure there aren’t any ducks around!

Arlington, Alexandria Applying for Grants to Fund Mt. Vernon Trail Widening and King Street Changes

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Arlington County and the City of Alexandria are applying for a pair of grants that would bring significant changes to the Mt. Vernon Trail and a portion of King Street near Fairlington.

The county and the city are supporting each other’s grant applications to the Virginia SMART SCALE transportation funding program.

Alexandria is asking the Commonwealth for up to $40 million for what it calls the Upper King Street Multimodal Improvement project. The project “would fund design, right-of-way and construction of traffic/multimodal and streetscape improvements along King Street (VA 7) between Quaker Lane / Braddock Road and Menokin Drive,” adjacent to Arlington’s Fairlington neighborhood.

The car-oriented stretch is nonetheless a key pedestrian connection between Fairlington and the Bradlee Shopping Center. It has seen a number of significant crashes over the past few years.

“Today, there is a significant lack of multimodal facilities, contributing to safety needs along this corridor,” notes a county staff report, attached to a resolution supporting the application which will be considered by the Arlington County Board this weekend.

Also this weekend, the Board will consider its own SMART SCALE application, which asks for $20 million to widen and reconstruct 6.5 miles of the Mt. Vernon Trail between Roosevelt Island in Arlington and Jones Point Park, at the bottom of the Beltway, in Alexandria.

More from another county staff report:

This project would provide funding to the National Park Service (NPS) to improve and reconstruct approximately 6.5 miles of the Mount Vernon Trail in Arlington and Alexandria, from Roosevelt Island to near Jones Point Park. A portion of the 6.5 miles is within the District of Columbia; the SMART SCALE application is only for the portion in Virginia, with the District of Columbia portion funded separately. The National Park Service (NPS) will manage the project across all jurisdictions. The project widens the trail’s paved surface from between seven and eight feet to 11 feet where feasible, and makes other associated improvements including striping center and edge lines, signage, improved bridges, and realigned trail intersections. On June 23, 2020, the Alexandria City Council approved a resolution of support for Arlington to submit one project application for the trail portions in Virginia.

A recent National Park Service report recommended a widening of the trail due to heavy use and crash risks.

The county is also asking for $29.1 million in SMART SCALE funding to build two new street-level elevators to the Courthouse Metro station, including a replacement of the existing elevator.

The staff report, however, notes that the odds of any project being funded are relatively low.

“For this round’s pre-application cycle, 484 pre-applications were submitted for a total project cost of $7.5 billion, with nearly $3.1 billion in costs attributable to the VDOT Northern Virginia District,” county staff wrote. “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately $700 million to $800 million in funding statewide was expected to be available for award in this round of SMART SCALE.”

“Generally, large projects that expand highway or transit capacity score well, with smaller projects scoring less well, but remaining competitive due to their comparatively lower costs,” the report adds.

Both the resolution and the application authorization are on this Saturday’s County Board agenda.

Smokecraft BBQ to Open in Clarendon Later This Month

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A new barbecue joint is hoping for an opening sizzle despite other restaurants going up in smoke during the pandemic.

Smokecraft Modern Barbecue is planning to open at 1051 N. Highland Street in Clarendon, in the former Citizen Burger Bar space, on Friday, July 31, the restaurant just announced.

Given the reality of opening during a global health crisis, some things have changed since the restaurant was being planned last year.

“Originally slated to open in the spring, Owner and Pitmaster Andrew Darneille had to reimagine his business model and adapt to COVID-19 times with protocol prompted by guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the CDC,” notes a press release. “In addition to taking necessary health and safety precautions to protect the restaurant’s team and guests, the seating layout has been altered to allow for ample social distancing, menus will be projected on screens to minimize high touchpoints, and a takeout program will be offered with to-go beverage options.”

The food menu — available for lunch and dinner — includes duroc pork belly burnt ends, smoked avocado deviled eggs, grilled peach and prosciutto crostini, St. Louis ribs, wagyu brisket, smoked spaghetti squash, and applewood-smoked chesapeake crab cakes.

There will also be a brunch menu, with “smoked monte cristo and proper chicken and waffles,” and a “distinct and interactive beverage program.”

More from the press release:

Smokecraft Modern Barbecue (1051 N Highland St, Arlington, VA 22201) is excited to open its doors to the public on Friday, July 31. Smokecraft Championship BBQ, which won over 70 awards in 2019, including being named a KCBS Pork Team of the Year Finalist, and Reserve Grand Champions at the York County BBQ Festival just last month, seeks to continue pushing the limits of barbecue with their first brick and mortar location. Smokecraft will offer a diverse menu to satisfy every taste for lunch, dinner, and brunch, accompanied by dynamic beverage offerings and an expanded takeout menu.

Originally slated to open in the spring, Owner and Pitmaster Andrew Darneille had to reimagine his business model and adapt to COVID-19 times with protocol prompted by guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the CDC. In addition to taking necessary health and safety precautions to protect the restaurant’s team and guests, the seating layout has been altered to allow for ample social distancing, menus will be projected on screens to minimize high touchpoints, and a takeout program will be offered with to-go beverage options.

“We are excited to finally be able to share our award-winning barbecue with the local community,” says Owner and Pitmaster Andrew Darneille. “While these are challenging times to open a restaurant, we will continue to evolve our brand, while never waiving in our commitment to use the highest quality products to produce an amazing barbecue dining experience.”

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Va. to Step Up Restaurant Enforcement — “Recognizing an increase in COVID-19 cases in parts of the state, particularly in the Hampton Roads area, Gov. Ralph Northam is increasing enforcement of the state’s rules around the coronavirus… State licensing agencies will be conducting unannounced visits to establishments, as needed, and the state health department is shifting an additional 100 staff members to its existing team of 500 inspectors.” [InsideNova]

Barrels Fail to Stop Rogue I-395 Driver — Someone stopped their car on a highway, got out, and moved an orange barrel in order to avoid a slight delay while driving from Arlington to D.C. on I-395. [Twitter]

County Board to Approve Arts Grants — “Arlington County Board members on July 18 are slated to approve approximately $216,000 in annual grants for arts organizations… Each of the 21 organizations that requested funding saw at least part of their request fulfilled; in addition, two of four individual artists seeking funding garnered a grant.” [InsideNova]

Local National Merit Scholars — Nine Arlington students are among the National Merit Scholarship winners for 2020. [Patch]

Arlington Students Ace Latin Exam — “According to Arlington Public Schools about 130,000 students across the country take the [National Latin Exam] which focuses on vocabulary, grammar, Roman cultural history and mythology. Nineteen students in the school system were among the few who achieved perfection.” [WJLA]

Flickr pool photo by Vincent

Memo: Many County Employees to Continue Working Remotely Through October

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County employees who are currently teleworking will likely continue doing so well into the fall, County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a memo last week.

The internal memo, obtained by ARLnow, announced that the county will continue its current approach to operating during the pandemic — which includes an emphasis on telework for non-front-line workers — through Oct. 1.

“I am fairly certain that our current approach to doing business will continue much longer into the future beyond October 1,” Schwartz added, noting that the “need to allow space for absentee voting for the upcoming Presidential election… will most likely make a return prior to November 3 infeasible.”

Telework among county employees is up 15-fold since the start of the pandemic.

“County employees logged nearly 118,000 telework hours in late May/early June compared with about 7,700 hours in late February,” Arlington County spokeswoman Erika Moore said in response to an inquiry from ARLnow.

The county has been working hard to provide services to residents as safely as possible, Moore said.

“County employees have continued to work at a high level throughout the pandemic, providing government services to the community using virtual and other innovative and creative strategies,” she wrote. “Many services are available online and virtually, including permitting, inspections, and our call center operations. Arlington Public Library has developed many virtual options, along with e-books and grab-and-go services.”

“There are some important services that cannot be done virtually, including street and water maintenance, trash and recycling services, and public safety operations,” Moore added. “Those continue with specific public health protocols in place to protect both employees and the community.”

The full memo from Schwartz is below.

From: EmployeeUpdate
Sent: Wednesday, July 8, 2020 2:07 PM
To: All County Employees
Subject: Memo from the County Manager: Update on COVID-19 & County Operations

Thank you. Thank you for your commitment to serve our community throughout this pandemic. I am inspired every day by the creativity you have demonstrated over the past four months — allowing us to continue to serve our community in new and innovative ways. I wanted to update you on County operations and offer thoughts on what the next months may look like.

As of today, our public health officials note that there is still community wide spread of COVID in Arlington, in Northern Virginia and the wider region. While the number of patients in our hospitals infected with COVID continues to drop, we are far from “normal.”

I am announcing that we will continue our current approach to providing services through at least October 1. Knowing what has
happened over the past four months, I am fairly certain that our current approach to doing business will continue much longer into the future beyond October 1. We also will need to allow space for absentee voting for the upcoming Presidential election — and this will most likely make a return prior to November 3 infeasible. I will be back to you with more direction on how the rest of the calendar year is looking as we get closer to October.

(more…)

BREAKING: Superintendent to Propose Online-Only Start to School Year

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools would start the new school year a week later than originally planned, and with full time distance learning, under a new plan being proposed by new Superintendent Francisco Durán.

That’s according to a School Talk email just sent to APS families.

Durán says he will present his proposal to the School Board on Thursday. If approved, it would scrap the previous plan to start the fall with a hybrid model that would have most students in classrooms two days per week, while others could opt for online-only classes.

The hybrid model drew criticism from teachers and parents who said there would be no way to ensure the safety of students and school staff. On Monday the Arlington Education Association, which represents APS teachers, released a statement saying that “it is not prudent to re-open schools.”

“We believe, this fall, all learning should continue online from home,” the association said. “This is the only way to keep all educators and students safe and healthy.”

Earlier today, Arlington recorded its highest single-day total of new coronavirus cases since May.

Other parents, however, have called for a full-time return to in-person schooling, saying that online classes would disadvantage low-income students and single-parent households. A recent ARLnow poll found that about 30% of respondents supported five-day-per-week classroom instruction in the fall, while slightly more called for online-only instruction and a plurality preferred the hybrid model.

Under Durán’s new proposal, the school year would start on Sept. 8, rather than Aug. 31, to allow teachers more time to plan for online-only instruction. After the first quarter of the school year, some students may return to classrooms.

“We will continue to monitor the health data in September, with the goal of beginning to transition some students to in-person instruction in early October, which is the mid-point in the first quarter of the school year,” Durán wrote.

Over the weekend Montgomery County (Md.) Public Schools released a similar plan, with an online-only start to the school year.

A tipster tells ARLnow that the decision was reached yesterday.

“Rumor has it APS administration and principals met today and agreed to start the first quarter of the school year online only,” the tipster wrote on Monday.

More from the email:

APS Families,

As we continue to see an increase in positive cases for COVID-19 nationwide, over the past several days I have taken time to re-evaluate our plan and path forward. I have met with both County leaders and School Board members to review current health data for Arlington and the state. Yesterday, we reviewed the APS health and safety plan with our Return-to-School Task Force to address concerns we have received from teachers, staff, parents, and the community.

Based on these discussions and our monitoring of local and national trends in COVID-19 cases, I am proposing to the School Board on Thursday night to postpone the start of the academic year to Tuesday, September 8, and begin our school year virtually in the full-time distance learning model for all students. Throughout our planning, the health and safety of our staff and students has been our top priority, and beginning the year with a virtual model allows us to continue to monitor the situation until we are confident it is safe to return.

(more…)

New Restaurant Coming to Ballston Quarter

By ARLnow.com

The details are scarce, but a new restaurant appears to be coming to Ballston Quarter mall.

Permits have been filed for a restaurant called Superette at 4238 Wilson Blvd, the mall’s address. The restaurant will seat somewhere between 1 and 100 people and will serve beer, wine and cocktails, the permit suggests.

No other details about the restaurant, which does not yet have a public web presence, were immediately available.

An LLC associated with the new restaurant, however, is linked to local restaurateur Sam Shoja, who owns Emilie’s in D.C. and, according to Eater, “three D.C. area franchises of Jinya Ramen Bar and two locations of kebab Sheesh in Northern Virginia.” Shoja also previously owned a stake in Ballston Quarter eatery Hot Lola’s.

Noted chef Kevin Tien recently split from Emile’s, which he founded and co-owned with Shoja. Eater noted that in return for Tien’s stake in the restaurant, “Shoja has given Tien his 40 percent share in Hot Lola’s, the chef’s Sichuan-style hot chicken sandwich brand with a stall in a Ballston food hall.”

A retail broker whose contact information was listed on the permit for Superette did not respond to a request for comment.

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