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.

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Rocky

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Say hello to Rocky!

This little guy is the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week and is currently in foster through the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

His friends had this to say:

This little fluff-nugget is Rocky! Weighing just 9lbs, Rocky may be small but he’s packed with personality — he loves stuffed toys, long walks, making new dog friends, and above all, snuggling up with his people.

He can be nervous about new people, but it doesn’t take long for him to warm up and hop into your lap. Once you’re friends, you’re friends for life — Rocky will want to be close to you as often as he can!

And we always give in to his requests for cuddles, especially since he’s been through a rough few months.

When Rocky came to AWLA, we noticed he had a significant heart murmur, so he was sent to a cardiologist who diagnosed him with a condition called congenital pulmonic stenosis (a narrowing of the heart valve). This is a life-threatening condition and very unusual for his age.

Thankfully, we were able to take Rocky to the Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine for surgery and it went very well! The veterinary team at VT has given him a very good prognosis! Rocky will need daily medication and a three-month check-up with a cardiologist (AWLA will assist with the cost of this appointment).

Our team will go over the details of this information when you meet Rocky and answer any questions you may have.

Rocky must be the perfect companion for you, right? Learn more about Rocky by reading his entire profile!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.

NEW: Macy’s to close Ballston location this spring

By ARLnow.com
1/5

The Macy’s store in Ballston is slated to close this spring, as soon as March, ARLnow has learned.

The department store at the Ballston Quarter mall was one of five locations the company identified last week as set to close in 2024. Macy’s is also planning to cut some 2,350 jobs this year.

Signs are now up outside and inside the store, advertising a storewide 30% off sales. All sales are final as of Monday, Jan. 22, according to the signage.

A Macy’s spokesperson tells ARLnow that the clearance sale “will run for approximately 8-12 weeks.” The store is expected to close after that.

The Arlington County Board approved a redevelopment plan for the Macy’s site in December 2022. The plan calls for a 16-story, 555-unit apartment complex atop a grocery store and another 1,400-square-foot retail space.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Looking west from Rosslyn at sunset (Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon)

Murder Suspect Nabbed After Carjacking — “A woman wanted for murder in Prince William County was arrested Tuesday after a carjacking in Arlington and  pursuit into Prince George’s County, Md. At 11:55 a.m., police were called to 2nd Street North in Arlington after a woman approached another woman from behind, grabbed her shoulders and demanded her car keys, Arlington County police said. A struggle ensued and the suspect indicated she had a gun, stole the keys and took the car.” [InsideNova, Twitter]

Theft Suspect Arrested After Bike Chase — “At least seven Fairfax County Police Department vehicles were involved in the pursuit. They get held up at a stop light in the eastbound lanes on Columbia Pike at the Arlington County border while a bicyclist passes by, headed in the wrong direction in the westbound lanes. The man was ultimately caught at the Columbia Pike and S. Greenbrier Street intersection.” [FFXnow, Twitter]

VSP Stops Dangerous Driver — From Dave Statter: “At 10:55 a.m., a driver stopped in the middle of I-395S Exit 8C to Crystal City, backed up in the roadway, and made a right turn in front of traffic to get off the exit and to the thru lanes. And all of this was witnessed by a @VSPPIO trooper who promptly went to work.” [Twitter]

‘Dippin Dots Attack’ at Mall — “This past Saturday evening, January 20, 2024, 1 was sitting in the food court at the Pentagon City Mall with my brother and my children when we were bombed from above. Dippin Dots suddenly landed all over us, our food, and our possessions.” [Reddit, Twitter]

Ranked-Choice Voting on Feb. Agenda — “What any final action will look like remains up in the air, but Arlington County Board members on Jan. 23 committed to addressing, within a month, the potential change to ranked-choice voting for Arlington County Board general elections.” [Gazette Leader]

WHS Basketball Team Stays Hot — “With a 10-point road victory over the McLean Highlanders, the Wakefield Warriors continued to increase their lead in the Liberty District boys high-school basketball standings. Wakefield (14-2) won, 45-35, on Jan. 22 to improve to 6-0 in the district.” [Gazette Leader]

Alexandria Facing Housing Suit, Too — “A group of opponents to the Zoning for Housing policy last year, which ended single-family housing zoning among other changes, has filed a lawsuit over the case. The lawsuit was filed in the Alexandria Circuit Court and argues the city violated its charter and the Virginia Constitution by not showing the impact on the real estate market or city infrastructure.” [ALXnow]

It’s Thursday — Expect rain and patchy fog with a high near 60 and south winds at 6-8 mph. There’s an 80% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts ranging from a tenth to a quarter of an inch. Expect a nighttime low of around 55 and south winds at 5-7 mph. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 24, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday 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 — Jan 24, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect rain and fog with a high near 61 and a southwest wind of 5-8 mph, accompanied by an 80% chance of precipitation and new amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch. Thursday night, rain is likely, as well as potential thunderstorms after 4am, with a low around 55, the same wind conditions, and a 70% chance of precipitation – new rainfall amounts similar to earlier, but potentially higher in thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.”
– Anne Frank

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

JUST IN: Former community activist accused of sexual assault found guilty

By ARLnow.com
Elder Julio Basurto speaks during the County Board recessed meeting in 2021 (via Arlington County)

An Arlington man accused of sexually assaulting women he lured into his car in Clarendon has been found guilty on all counts.

Julio Basurto was convicted on four criminal counts after a three-day trial, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington and Falls Church announced Wednesday evening.

The prosecutor’s office noted that Basurto recorded video of one of his attacks.

Police said Basurto would drive up to Clarendon’s nightlife district early in the morning and offer women a ride, then would sexually assault the victim in his car. Detectives are still seeking potential victims from multiple other possible incidents ranging from September 2021 to September 2022.

Basurto was arrested last June, after an assault that occurred on May 21, 2023.

Prior to his arrest, Basurto was frequently quoted by local news outlets as a community activist, often going by his church title, “Elder Julio Basurto.” He was outspoken on local issues from drug overdoses in schools to conditions in affordable apartment complexes.

Basurto also previously worked as an interpreter, including for Arlington Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn profile. He served on an APS advisory committee, received an award from a prominent local nonprofit for his tenant advocacy, and was highlighted by a County Board member on his website’s endorsements page.

More on the trial and conviction, below, from a press release.

Today, following three days of trial and about two hours of deliberation, a jury found Julio Basurto guilty on all charges brought by this office. Mr. Basurto was convicted of two counts of abduction with intent to defile, one count of object of sexual penetration, and one count of forcible sodomy.

These charges stemmed from two separate incidents in the Clarendon area, one on October 10, 2021, and another on May 21, 2023, in which he lured two different women into his car, and sexually assaulted each of them.

During the investigation, it came to light that Mr. Basurto recorded one of the sexual assaults and saved the video on his mobile phone in a file that was double encrypted.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nassir Aboreden successfully tried the case and obtained the guilty verdicts from the jury. Our Victim Witness team provided essential support and helped the victims navigate the legal system. The Office is grateful to the ACPD, who doggedly investigated this case since the first reported instance, in 2021, and the Special Victims Unit detectives for their care in preparing the case and sensitivity toward the victims.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said, “I’m grateful the jury came to the right verdict here. It’s hard to say that this is justice because the victims will always have to live with the trauma they have endured in these violent sexual assaults – but this is a win for public safety, so no woman trying to enjoy a night out with her friends has to fear that Mr. Basurto will do the same to them.”

Sadly, based on information obtained during the criminal investigation, detectives believe there may be additional incidents that occurred during the early morning hours on the following dates:

  • September 20, 2021
  • October 3, 2021
  • October 14, 2021
  • September 4, 2022

We urge anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or who has had past inappropriate encounters with Mr. Basurto to contact the Arlington County 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).

Jo DeVoe contributed to this report

Falls Church has twice as many restaurants as Arlington on new Washingtonian ‘100 Very Best’ list

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Falls Church may be pint sized compared to Arlington, but the Little City next door has the county beat handily in a new list of the region’s best restaurants.

Three Arlington restaurants appear in Washingtonian’s just-released 100 Very Best Restaurants list. Twice as many Falls Church restaurants appear in the same pages.

That’s despite solid Northern Virginia representation on the “Very Best” list.

“Some of the year’s coolest spots — Joon in Tysons, Ellie Bird in Falls Church, Kirby Club in Fairfax — debuted in the Virginia suburbs,” the magazine noted in its introduction. In all, 21 Virginia eateries were listed.

Those in Arlington are:

  1. Cafe Colline
  2. Ruthie’s All Day
  3. Padaek (which recently opened in Arlington and has another location in Seven Corners)

The six in Falls Church are:

  1. Ellie Bird
  2. La Tingeria (formerly an Arlington food truck)
  3. Nue
  4. Pho Ga Vang
  5. Rice Paper
  6. Thompson Italian

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Snow-covered benches at The Lot near Clarendon (photo courtesy George Brazier)

New Field Check-in Process — “The Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) this spring will begin a pilot program using an phone-app-based check-in procedure at fields that have been reserved for group use… The process is expected to be simple – ‘you scan a QR code,’ Anselene said.” [Gazette Leader]

Wounded Duck Rescued — From the Animal Welfare League of Arlington: “Thank you Officer Votroubek & Blue Ridge Wildlife Ctr for saving this long-tailed duck! He had a bad wound on his wing but is on the mend. Long-tailed ducks breed in the Arctic & migrate along our northern coasts. We think was blown inland during last week’s storm!” [Twitter]

Another Water Main Break — From the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services yesterday: “Emergency Water Main Repairs: Crew working on broken main at 1800 S Glebe. SB traffic detoured around work site. Use alternative routes.” [Twitter]

School Board Photo Update Needed — “Few Arlington School Board members have made it two full terms of late, and one apparently continues to hang around even after his term has expired, at least on the school system’s Website. As of Jan. 22, the group photo of School Board members on the Arlington Public Schools Website continues to be one from 2022, taken when Reid Goldstein was serving as chair.” [Gazette Leader]

Award Nods for Local Theater — “Productions at the Signature Theatre in Arlington over the past year received a total of 20 nominations for the 40th Helen Hayes Awards, second only to Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Nominations in the 41 award categories were announced on Monday. The Helen Hayes Awards ceremony will take place on May 20 at The Anthem in D.C.” [Patch]

It’s Wednesday — Expect cloudy conditions with a high near 46 and a 40% chance of rain, as calm winds become southerly at 6 mph in the afternoon. Rain is likely on Wednesday night, mainly after 1am, as temperatures rise to around 52 by 4am with south winds at 6-11 mph. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, with 0.1 to 0.25 inches of new rainfall possible. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 23, 2024

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 — Jan 23, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Wednesday’s forecast

Sprinkles may occur before 3pm, followed by a slight chance of rain and patchy fog after 3pm and 9am respectively. Expect a cloudy day with a high near 47°F and a southeast wind of 3-5 mph; there’s a 20% chance of precipitation. For Wednesday night, rain is likely after 1am, with patchy fog and a cloudy sky. The temperature will rise to around 52°F by 3am, accompanied by a south wind of 6-9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with possible new precipitation amounts under a tenth of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.”
– Margaret Atwood

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

BREAKING: Former swim club board president pleads guilty to sexually exploiting children

By ARLnow.com
Mark Black (courtesy Alexandria Sheriff’s Office)

A former board president of the Arlington Aquatic Club pled guilty today to conspiring to sexually exploit several children.

Mark Black, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement one month before he was set to go to trial in federal court on Feb. 27, according to a press release from the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

He is set to be sentenced on April 30 and faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

From January 2018 to October 2021, Black was part of two groups that found prepubescent girls online and convinced them to livestream themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct, the release says. Black and his co-conspirators would secretly record so they could share the videos with each other.

Last November, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Black with six counts of creating, advertising, distributing and receiving child pornography between 2018 and 2023.

Black was one board president of AAC, an elite swimming program notable for producing a Tokyo Olympian two summers ago, and also worked as a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) attorney.

More, below, from the Justice Department press release.

A Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) attorney pleaded guilty today to conspiring to sexually exploit numerous children.

According to court documents, between January 2018 and October 2021, Mark Black, 50, of Arlington, was a member of two online groups dedicated to exploiting children. The goal of the two groups was to locate prepubescent girls online and convince them to livestream themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Black and his co-conspirators would covertly record this conduct and share the videos with each other.

In July 2019, Black induced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct on a live-streaming application while screen-recording that activity. That same month, Black and a co-conspirator also groomed another prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit acts on a photo and video-sharing application. The co-conspirator surreptitiously hacked into this girl’s live-video feed and recorded the sexual acts before sending them to Black.

Black was formerly the Arlington Aquatic Club (AAC) board president.

Black pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30 and faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Nicole M. Argentieri, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael D. Nordwall, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Shimon Richmond, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of the FDIC Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and Trial Attorneys McKenzie Hightower, Kaylynn Foulon, and James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. […]

Any individuals who believe they or someone they know may have been victimized by Black are encouraged to contact the FBI at 202-278-2000 and ask to speak to the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Morning Poll: Which presidential primary are you planning to vote in?

By ARLnow.com
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The New Hampshire primary is today, and Virginia’s presidential primary is six weeks away.

After former president Donald Trump’s record-setting win at the Iowa caucuses, all eyes are on New Hampshire to see if his remaining major opponent, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, can make it a competitive race.

While Trump consolidates support within the party, the Never-Trump faction of the GOP is rallying around Haley. And they might also be secretly hoping to get some help from across the aisle.

Virginia is among a number of states that hold an open primary, meaning that Democrats can vote in the Republican party and vice-versa.

“Virginia is an open primary state meaning that voters do not register by political party,” notes the Arlington County elections website. “Any registered voter is eligible to vote in any primary election. If both the Democratic and Republican parties hold primaries on the same day, voters must choose which party ballot they wish to vote, per Virginia Code § 24.2-530.”

The Democratic race, meanwhile, remains moribund, with challengers to President Biden mostly polling in the single-digits. A non-competitive Democratic race may — in theory, at least — drive a few more voters over to the more dynamic GOP primary, particularly Dems dead set against another Trump presidency.

So whether you vote on Super Tuesday, March 5, or vote early — in-person early voting started Jan. 19 in Arlington and ballot drop boxes opened yesterday — this morning we’re wondering which primary are you planning on voting in?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Sledding in Bluemont Park last Friday (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Water Main Break Near HQ2 — From Dave Statter yesterday: “Here’s the moment — 4:18 a.m. — when things suddenly bubbled up from underground after the water main break at S. 15th & S. Eads in Crystal City.” [Twitter, DC News Now, Twitter]

‘Limit’ to Arlington’s Arena Role — “Arlington’s new-for-2024 County Board chairman seemed to douse flames of expectation that the county government would gain a major seat at the table when it comes to the prospect of a sports arena proposed in nearby Alexandria. ‘There is a limit’ to what role the county government can play, Libby Garvey said at the Jan. 20 County Board meeting, when the matter was brought up by civic activist and perennial political candidate Audrey Clement.” [Gazette Leader]

Robbery On Metro Train — “Multiple juveniles were arrested after they were accused of robbing and assaulting two passengers on a Pentagon City Metro train. On Saturday around 4 p.m., the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) responded to a station where they learned two passengers had allegedly been robbed and assaulted by a group of nine juveniles.” [WJLA]

New Name for Career Center — “It’s gone a half-century without any highfalutin’ name, but a new committee may recommend applying one to the new Arlington Career Center building. Arlington School Board members on Jan. 25 are expected to appoint a naming committee that will look at potential monikers for the new Career Center, being built on the same South Arlington parcel where the current school has reigned since the 1960s.” [Gazette Leader]

Leasing ‘Flurry’ in Rosslyn — “The Arlington-based firm announced Jan. 18 that the National Association of Corporate Directors, a membership organization currently with offices near the Courthouse Metro station, will locate its headquarters to some 40,000 square feet in Monday’s The Towers at 1100 Wilson Blvd. The deal, which was inked in late November and whose term will begin in this coming fall, was part of what a spokesperson called ‘a flurry’ of Monday’s leasing activity in 2023, totaling some 300,000 square feet altogether in Rosslyn.” [Washington Business Journal]

Awaiting More Dem Candidates — “The Feb. 7 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting effectively could be the now-or-never moment for final candidate announcements headed into the spring campaign season… On the School Board side, those holding the two seats on the 2024 ballot – Cristina Diaz-Torres and David Priddy – have opted not to seek second terms. The lone formally announced candidate is Chen Ling.” [Gazette Leader]

Arlington GOP Straw Poll — “The Arlington GOP met tonight and held an unofficial, totally non-scientific straw poll for the Republican Presidential Primary. Here are the results: @realDonaldTrump – 60.5% @NikkiHaley – 23.7% @RonDeSantis – 10.5% @RyanBinkley – 5.3%.” [Twitter]

ART Anniversary Event — “Join Arlington County on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., to continue celebrating 25 years of Arlington Transit (ART) bus service to the community.” [Arlington County]

Another I-395 Crash on Camera — From Dave Statter: “The antics at I-395S Exit 8C still occur throughout the day, just somewhat less frequently thanks to the closure of one of the Boundary Channel ramps. This is from Friday afternoon with someone wanting to get to Crystal City in the worst way.” [Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — It will be mostly cloudy with a high temperature near 41 degrees and calm wind. Tuesday night, there’s a 30% chance of rain primarily after 1am, accompanied by mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature around 34 degrees with a light east wind. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

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