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.
Lyle is a silly, goofy and lovable “teenage” puppy who is always ready to go, go, go!
He is an excellent adventure buddy, always ready to explore the outdoors and greet every passerby with a happy tail wag. As much as he loves humans, he loves dogs even more. He always has a blast romping around with his four-legged friends and would make a great companion for anyone who is looking to find a friend for their current dog.
As fun-loving as he is, Lyle also has a laid-back side and enjoys naps in the sunshine. He self-entertains with toys and chews when his friends are too busy to play.
He is also a smart cookie who is always willing to work for treats and has already mastered cues like “Sit,” “Down” and “Shake”!
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.
Update on 11/7/23 — The suspect in this case has pleaded guilty, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. More, below, from a U.S. Dept. of Justice press release.
A former FBI contractor pleaded guilty today to production and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, beginning in February, Brett Janes, 26, of Arlington, groomed a 13-year-old minor (MV1) to transition from playing Valorant with him, a popular first-person shooter game, to engaging in “strip” games on a video chat function in Discord. Although MV1 did not want to play this game, Janes employed threats of suicide, various money payments through CashApp, and flattery, until MV1 produced CSAM for him.
In addition, a search warrant revealed Janes was communicating with at least a dozen other minors. Of those minors, he convinced one 12-year-old boy to produce CSAM and attempted to entice another 14-year-old boy to produce CSAM. Janes manipulated these minors by befriending, flattering, and outright begging them for content. A review of his devices revealed he purchased hundreds of videos and images of CSAM from the internet, including graphic videos of prepubescent children being raped.
Janes pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of receipt of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years 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; and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Significant assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department and the Galloway Township Police Department in New Jersey.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Withers and Special Assistant U.S Attorney McKenzie Hightower are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Earlier: A 26-year-old Arlington man who worked as an FBI contractor is facing child exploitation and pornography charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria says a grand jury returned charges Wednesday against Brett Janes, including “two counts of sexual exploitation of children and production of CSAM, one count of attempted coercion and enticement, and one count of receipt of child pornography.”
If convicted he’ll face at least 15 years in prison.
Address records suggest that Janes lived in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood, a few blocks from Oakridge Elementary School. Federal prosecutors say he met and then exploited boys over the internet, including via video games and on Discord.
More on the charges, below, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment today charging a former FBI contractor with sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Brett Janes, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly contacted roughly a dozen minor boys over Discord and Snapchat. He allegedly groomed the minors by telling them he worked for a U.S. intelligence agency before repeatedly threatening suicide if the minors did not continue to communicate with him. Janes allegedly enticed one victim, a 13-year-old boy whom he met through the first-person shooter game Valorant, to strip and masturbate over a live video Discord call by threatening to kill himself and by paying him money over CashApp. He allegedly enticed a 12-year-old boy to create and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over Discord through flattery and repeated begging.
Janes allegedly received child sexual abuse material from these two minors, as well as two separate minor victims, and attempted to meet up with a minor. He also allegedly purchased hundreds of videos and images of child sexual abuse material from Telegram.
Janes is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children and production of CSAM, one count of attempted coercion and enticement, and one count of receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Arlington County Chief of Police, Charles “Andy” Penn, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney McKenzie Hightower is prosecuting the case.
Any individuals who believe they or someone they know may have been victimized by Janes are encouraged to contact the FBI at 202-278-2000 and ask to speak to the child exploitation and human trafficking task force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Fall menu outside of Compass Coffee in Ballston (staff photo)
A Pumpkin Spice Latte ordered from an Arlington Starbucks on Aug. 24, 2023 (staff photo)
It’s that time of year again: the Pumpkin Spice Lattes have arrived at local Starbucks stores.
Local chain Compass beat the Seattle-based coffee giant to market this time, rolling out a fall menu featuring pumpkin- and maple-flavored pick-me-ups a few days ago. Dunkin and others started slinging the spice even earlier, part of a broader trend of fall flavors creeping into the summer season.
Starbucks said it will release its Pumpkin Spice Latte and fall menu on Thursday, six days earlier than last year.
The announcement kicks off the annual debate over whether it’s too soon for fall flavors and if pumpkin fanfare has gone too far.
It also follows pumpkin spice’s Aug. 16 arrival at Dunkin’ and even earlier launches at Krispy Kreme, 7-Eleven and Bath & Body Works.
Between the lines: Nostalgia is one reason why the fall flavor keeps coming back earlier, Jason Fischer, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University, told Axios.
“It brings to mind those associated memories including those flavors and aromas of the pumpkin spice stuff,” said Fischer, a perception researcher who is also a pumpkin fan.
The summer heat is often the argument for why some say pumpkin pandemonium is too early but Fischer said it could be the opposite this year.
“Maybe the enduring heat is a thing that just makes us imagine and crave that cooler weather and then it calls to mind pumpkin spice even earlier,” Fischer said.
So what do you think: Have companies taken the pumpkin spice creep to far? Or do you like the fall vibes starting earlier, actually?
Cyclists on the bridge over Langston Blvd at sunset (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Leaders Summit Held in Ballston — From Sen. Mark Warner: “Great morning in Arlington speaking with elected leaders across Northern Virginia about some of the most pressing issues the region is facing: the affordable housing crisis, WMATA’s deficit, and the future of workforce development.” [Twitter, Press Release]
Rosslyn VC Firm Co-Leads Big Deal — “Arlington venture firm Sands Capital has co-led a $300 million Series D round into New York fintech Ramp to help the firm hire and bring products to market more quickly. Sands, which invested in Ramp for the first time, led the round with an existing investor, New York-based Thrive Capital.” [Washington Business Journal]
Beyer Blasts Trump Over Tariffs — “Maybe it’s a case of summer boredom, a little attention-seeking, an attempt to take a potential Republican presidential nominee down a peg, or maybe simply a visceral reaction to a main nemesis of the Democratic Party. Whatever the reason, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer wants you to know he is not happy with a proposal put forth by Donald Trump on imposing higher tariffs on all imports coming into the U.S.” [Gazette Leader, Twitter]
Award Deadline Extended — “The 30th annual William T. Newman, Jr. Spirit of Community Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a tireless and unselfish commitment to improving the quality of life in Arlington… Please submit nominations by Monday, August 28 to be considered.” [Arlington Community Foundation]
Letter: Fair Too Hard to Get To — “Why did Arlington officials make it so difficult to access the County Fair this year? There was only one shuttle-pickup location. Authorized parking was limited to a church with two small lots. Walking from there to the fair was not easy for those with physical limitations, like me, much less persons with disabilities. I suspect that this is a ploy by the County Board.” [Gazette Leader]
No Cable News Here — “PSA: We do not report on every cable outage. Also, small outages are frequent and Comcast has tightened up access to its outage map such that it makes it hard to discern major vs. routine outages.” [Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Scattered showers and thunderstorms with mostly cloudy skies throughout Thursday, accompanied by a high temperature of about 82 degrees. The south wind will blow at 10-13 mph, gusting up to 18 mph, and there’s a 40% chance of precipitation. Thursday night will continue to be mostly cloudy with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms, with temperatures dropping to around 69 degrees. The south wind will slow down to around 8 mph, and the chance of precipitation will rise to 50%. [Weather.gov]
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
🌦️ Thursday’s forecast
Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms with mostly cloudy skies throughout Thursday. Temperatures will reach a high of around 82°F with south winds ranging from 10 to 13 mph and gusts up to 18 mph. The chance of precipitation is at 40%. Thursday night will continue to be mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. The temperature will drop to around 69°F and the south wind will decrease to about 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
A man sleeping in his car chased off a pair of would-be carjackers, according to Arlington County police.
The incident happened around 4 a.m. near the intersection of N. Woodrow Street at 20th Road N. That’s in the residential Waverly Hills neighborhood, about a block from Woodstock Park.
The carjacking attempt was reported to police about two hours after it happened, ACPD said today in a crime report.
“At approximately 3:55 a.m. the victim was asleep inside his parked vehicle when he was awoken by two unknown male suspects opening one of the vehicle’s back doors,” said the crime report. “The suspects demanded the victim exit the vehicle and made threatening statements implying they had a weapon.”
“The suspects then attempted to open the driver door and a struggle ensued during which the suspects struck the victim with an unknown object resulting in the victim sustaining lacerations,” the crime report continues. “The suspects then fled the scene on foot and the victim briefly gave chase. The victim then returned to the scene and called police.”
The victim’s injuries were described as non-life threatening. He declined treatment on scene.
Grand Champion photograph at the 2023 Arlington County Fair (photo courtesy Samuel Norton)
APS Mulls Next School Calendar — “The biggest battle may be over the proposal that Arlington align itself with other jurisdictions that are now starting the school year two weeks before Labor Day. Arlington’s school year in recent years has started one week before, and many respondents to an online survey conducted by the school system were not in favor of starting earlier than that.” [Gazette Leader]
Higher Faregates Working? — “Metro today released preliminary data showing that new, higher faregates are reducing fare evasion by more than 70 percent at the first stations where they have been installed, including Fort Totten, Pentagon City, Bethesda, Vienna, Mt. Vernon Square, and Addison Road.” [WMATA]
Redditors Examine Local Murder — Online sleuths have been revisiting the still-unsolved 2020 murder of Scott Ratigan in his Ballston apartment. [Reddit]
YHS Baseball Coach Stepping Down — “With a change of full-time jobs on the horizon in coming months, Yorktown High School head baseball coach John Skaggs has decided to step down from that position at the Arlington school. Skaggs has coached Yorktown for nine seasons, with the last five being significantly successful with two Liberty District tournament championships in 2021 and 2018.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Wednesday — A sunny day with a high of 83°F, accompanied by a calm wind in the morning, which will pick up a southeastern direction at 5 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will witness partly cloudy skies and a low of 66°F, as the south wind maintains a breezy 6 to 9 mph. [Weather.gov]
The weather will be sunny with a high near 83 degrees, accompanied by light and variable winds. Expect increasing clouds Wednesday night with temperatures dropping to around 67 degrees, and a southeast wind at 6 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Nova Armory in Clarendon had their door smashed in an attempted burglary (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington County police responded to a break-in at Nova Armory early this morning.
The Metro-accessible gun store at 2607 Wilson Blvd had its front door “smashed in” by a suspect, setting off a loud alarm. The suspect reportedly took items but not any guns — the retailer takes weapons off shelves and stores them securely at night.
“At approximately 1:48 a.m. on August 22, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just occurred,” said today’s ACPD crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown male suspect forced entry into the business by smashing a glass door. The suspect then rummaged through the interior of the store before fleeing the scene with stolen items.”
“No firearms were reported stolen,” an Arlington police spokesperson told ARLnow.
Officers searched the area for the suspect but could not locate him. Police were called to the store later today to retrieve video surveillance footage.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation and our detectives are reviewing all the information available to them to identify the suspect in this case,” said the ACPD spokesperson. “We encourage anyone who may have information regarding the incident to contact police.”
Nova Armory was previously burglarized at its former Lyon Park location. In 2022, after moving to Clarendon earlier in the year, a Nova Armory employee chased down an alleged thief who tried to run off with a gun. In March of this year a ski mask-wearing man robbed the store of a gun and ammunition but was arrested on a bus soon thereafter, according to police.
Power outage map as of 2:15 p.m. on Aug. 22 (via Dominion)
(Updated at 9:15 p.m.) Thousands were without power in and around Crystal City and Pentagon City for much of the day due to a widespread outage.
The outage was first reported just after 11:15 a.m. Arlington County firefighters investigated a possible underground explosion and treated a Dominion worker with burns from steam that came out of a manhole, according to scanner traffic.
“At 11:18 a.m. a splice in an underground cable failed causing an arc/flash and 10,000+ outages in Crystal City, Pentagon City & nearby neighborhoods,” Dominion spokeswoman Peggy Fox told ARLnow shortly before 4 p.m. “We’re working to have all customers restored as quickly as possible, hopefully in a half an hour. A worker was treated at the scene and released.”
ACFD also responded to a large quantity of stuck elevator calls in the area, owing to the outage.
More than 10,250 Dominion customers were without power as a result of the outage. The outage map extended into the Aurora Highlands and Arlington Ridge residential neighborhoods, including Oakridge Elementary.
Arlington’s parks department closed the Long Bridge Aquatic and Fitness Center and the Gunston Community Center due to the outage.
As of 5:15 p.m., Dominion said all but 1,229 customers had their power restored, with outages still reported along Crystal Drive by ARLnow readers. As of 9 p.m. all customers had been restored, per Dominion.
Haze overhead in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
‘Missing Middle’ Permits Approved — “Arlington County approved its first three expanded housing option permits that will allow developers to move forward on building a 6-plex housing unit, a three townhouse complex, and a two-unit project… on lots in different parts of the county previously zoned for single-family housing. One of the projects approved by Arlington County is located uphill from an area in the Cherrydale and Waverly Hills neighborhoods in which the county is taking measures to address flooding issues.” [Patch]
Late Night Fire at Apartment Building — From Dave Statter, about a Sunday night incident: “Video of @ArlingtonVaFD arriving at the Crystal Plaza Apartments, 2111 Richmond Highway, about 30 minutes ago. A fire was found in the boiler room.” [Twitter]
Arrest for Attempted Break-in — “At approximately 7:31 p.m. on August 19, police were dispatched to a mental health call for service. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was walking in the area when the known male suspect attempted to engage her in conversation. The victim walked away and into a residential building during which the suspect followed her. The victim was then inside her apartment when she observed the suspect allegedly attempt to force entry to the residence and asked him to leave. Officers located the suspect in another residential building in the 200 block of N. Glebe Road and took him into custody.” [ACPD]
Some APS Vacancies Remain — “They’ll be close, but Arlington Public Schools’ ranks of teachers and bus drivers are unlikely to be at 100 percent come the start of school on Aug. 28. The school system as of Aug. 17 still had 58 full-time teacher slots to fill, Superintendent Francisco Durán told School Board members.” [Gazette Leader]
More Photos from Fair — “The 2023 Arlington County Fair benefited from Mother Nature’s nice side, as the weather cooperated for the tens of thousands who turned up to enjoy fun for all ages.” [Gazette Leader]
Signs of Summer’s Ending — From the Pentagon City mall: “Behold the spookiest collection of potions, oddities and curiosities at @bathbodyworks #Halloween.” From Starbucks: “👀🎃” [Twitter, Twitter]
New Parkington Photo Collection — “Before it was known as the #Ballston Quarter, #Parkington was the largest shopping center on the East Coast. Explore our #CenterForLocalHistory’s new chronicle of Parkington’s rise and retirement with more than 200 never-before-seen photos.” [Twitter, Arlington Public Library]
It’s Tuesday — A mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 84°F and a north wind at about 10 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear with a low around 63°F, and a Northeast wind around 6 mph will become calm after midnight. [Weather.gov]
Is Lyle a match for you? Email to [email protected] to set up a meet and greet with Lyle! And be sure to read his entire profile to learn more.
