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.

Police: Man Punched Officer at Arlington County Fair

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5 p.m.) A police officer was punched in a face by a man upset at being bumped at the Arlington County Fair, according to a crime report.

The alleged incident happened Sunday night around 8:30 p.m., during the waning hours of the fair, which is held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center.

“An officer was on patrol at the fair when he and the suspect bumped shoulders,” according to the Arlington County Police Department. “The suspect became angry and struck the officer in the face with a closed fist.”

“Jaylen Gibson, 20, of Forestville, MD was arrested and charged with assault and battery on police officer,” the report continues. “He was held on no bond.”

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Police, Medics on Scene of Pedestrian-Involved Crash in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

A pedestrian was reportedly injured in a crash in Clarendon this morning.

The incident was reported shortly after 11:15 a.m. on Clarendon Blvd at N. Garfield Street. The exact circumstances around the crash and the extent of the pedestrian’s injuries were not immediately known.

Arlington County police and paramedics are on scene. One lane of Clarendon Blvd is blocked approaching the crash scene.

Morning Poll: Should John Glenn’s House Be Torn Down?

By ARLnow.com

Astronaut John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth. He was also an Arlington resident for about 5 years.

The group Preservation Arlington points out that Glenn’s former home, a mid-century rambler near Williamsburg Middle School, is now for sale with the listing hinting — “the value is in the land,” it says — that it will likely be a tear-down. The property is listed for $1,050,000.

During the lead-up to Glenn’s historic Friendship 7 mission, reporters camped outside the house on N. Harrison Street and Vice President Lyndon Johnson tried to visit, but was rebuffed by Mrs. Glenn. After, Glenn continued working in D.C., and at one point hosted at his home a cookout with special guest Gherman Titov, the Russian who was the first human to orbit the earth, according to an Arlington Public Library history.

Glenn moved with his family to Texas in 1963, but his presence in Arlington is still felt. In 2012, the home’s owners told WUSA 9 that people still stopped by to gawk at the space hero’s former house. Glenn died in 2016 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

There’s likely little that could be done to legally prevent the house from being torn down at this point, if that’s what the eventual buyer wants to do. But if you could call the shots regardless, what would you do? Would you allow the owner of the property to do whatever they want with it, or prevent demolition on the basis of the house being historic?

Photo via Washington Fine Properties

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Now Might Be the Time to Sell Your Home — “‘Some sellers are thinking ‘gosh, why don’t I just wait until Amazon gets into full bloom before I sell my house, because maybe values will go up even higher,” Christine Richardson, president of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, told WTOP. ‘But I’m not sure that is necessarily the right way to think about it, because often that initial exuberance is actually higher than reality turns out to be.'” [WTOP]

Local CVS Sold Millions of Opioids — “The largest recipient of pain pills in Arlington, according to the database, is a CVS Pharmacy located at 3133 Lee Highway. A total of 1,465,700 pills were shipped to this pharmacy between 2006 and 2012, which would be enough for one pill per year for each of the 106,612 people who live within five miles of the pharmacy.” [Patch]

Lots of Booze Sales in Arlington — “The eight Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) stores in Arlington accounted for 2.8 percent of total ABC purchases Virginia-wide during the state government’s last fiscal year, which saw a new statewide record set in total sales volume. A total of $29,052,507 in sales (excluding tax) were made at Arlington’s ABC stores from July 2018 to June 2019.” [InsideNova]

Cristol on Kojo — Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol went on WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi Show on Friday. Among the topics she discussed: the federal government’s search for a new shelter for detained, unaccompanied immigrant children in Northern Virginia. [Kojo Nnamdi Show, Twitter]

Local Restaurants Coming to Memphis — A pair of local restaurants — Matchbox American Kitchen and Arlington-based Big Buns Best Damn Burger Co. — are opening new locations in Memphis, Tennessee. [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

We are now officially in the back half of August and the final innings of summer.

That is especially true if you define summer as the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which pools are open and shandies are still stocked on supermarket beer shelves.

For those staying here or heading out of town, we hope you have an enjoyable and relaxing weekend. Here, for your weekend (beach) reading list, are the most-read stories on ARLnow this past week.

  1. Netflix Documentary Shines Spotlight on Shadowy, Arlington-Based Christian Organization
  2. Group of Black Parents Say Racial Disparities in Arlington Schools Need to End
  3. Pete’s New Haven Apizza in Clarendon Has Closed
  4. The Legend of Marceytown and Arlington’s Buried Treasure
  5. Subway in Ballston Closing Within the Month
  6. Whitlow’s Seeking to Renew Lease
  7. Shelter to Host Kitten Yoga Event with Adoptable Felines
  8. JUST IN: Serious Pedestrian Crash on Columbia Pike
  9. Cheesetique to Open New Location in Shirlington

Business Near Wakefield High School Robbed By Armed Man

By ARLnow.com

A business on King Street in Arlington, several blocks from Wakefield High School, was robbed by a man with a gun early Wednesday morning.

The incident happened shortly before 2 a.m. on the 4600 block of King Street, according to Arlington County Police. That block, on the far western edge of the county, is home to a Taco Bell and a 7-Eleven store.

More from an Arlington County Police crime report:

ROBBERY, 2019-08140018, 4600 block of King Street. At approximately 1:43 a.m. on August 14, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that an unknown male suspect entered a business while displaying a firearm, approached an employee and demanded cash from the register. The suspect assaulted the employee before stealing an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect fled the business prior to police arrival. The employee sustained minor injuries and was treated on scene by medics. The suspect is described as a black male, with an athletic build, 5’11”-6’4″, 175-200 lbs., wearing a black and white hat, white t-shirt, black pants and black and white shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Man Sentenced for Hate Crime — “A 61-year-old Arlington man has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for committing a hate crime. William Syring was sentenced Thursday after threatening employees of the Arab American Institute ‘because of their race and national origin,’ the Department of Justice said in a press release.” [WUSA 9]

Westover Water Main Update — “The leak beneath 5800 block of Washington Boulevard was fixed overnight but per policy, two galvanized service lines need replacement. Friday night expect detours both directions beginning 8pm. Water service shutoff in the area after close of business.” [Twitter]

Man Who Survived on Coke Talks — “From his bed at Virginia Hospital Center, reluctant newsmaker Glenn Smith gave me his version of his widely reported mishap. The 77-year-old homeowner on N. Trinidad St. in the Williamsburg area made local TV and online news last week after he suffered a fall in his kitchen and survived alone on the floor for five days — taking nourishment from his nearby stash of Coca-Cola.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Arlington Firms on Inc. 500 — Four Arlington-based firms are on the Inc. 500 list of fast-growing U.S. companies. [Washington Business Journal, Inc. Magazine]

Case of the Misplaced Door — “Someone decided to leave this large structure reclined in the entrance of my house 2 days ago. My HoA manager @Associa is not providing any help. Can @planArlingtonVA come to the rescue?” [Twitter]

Rosslyn Startup Expanding — “Hungry, the Arlington-based food technology startup that has drawn investments from celebrities such as Usher and Jay-Z, is expanding into Boston.” [Washington Business Journal]

Citizen’s Police Academy Applications Open — “The Arlington County Police Department is now accepting applications for the 23rd Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA). The CPA is an educational program designed to create better understanding and communication between police and the citizens they serve.” [Arlington County]

Crash on GW Parkway Causes Backups

By ARLnow.com

Updated at 4:45 p.m. — Delays remain heavy on the northbound GW Parkway, from the crash scene to just past the Memorial Bridge. Delays also remain southbound, starting around Route 123.

Earlier: A crash on the GW Parkway in Arlington is snarling the start of the evening rush hour.

At least one person was reported injured in the wreck, which happened just south of the first scenic overlook. Drivers should expect heavy traffic in both the northbound and southbound lanes.

Map via Google Maps

https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/1162093662374961152

JUST IN: Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for a portion of Arlington County as a storm with a history of damaging winds approaches from the northwest.

The warning is in effect until 4 p.m.

More from the National Weather Service:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING… * UNTIL 400 PM EDT.

* AT 316 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER CHANTILLY, OR NEAR CENTREVILLE, MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS, AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON, CENTREVILLE, RESTON, ANNANDALE, SPRINGFIELD, HERNDON, FAIRFAX, VIENNA, FALLS CHURCH, MANTUA, PIMMIT HILLS, BURKE, OAKTON, CHANTILLY, LINCOLNIA, TYSONS CORNER, LORTON, WOLF TRAP, MERRIFIELD AND NEWINGTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING.

CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURE’S LEADING KILLERS. REMEMBER, IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER, YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM, AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

JUST IN: Serious Pedestrian Crash on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

A man is fighting for his life after being struck by a driver on Columbia Pike.

The crash happened Thursday morning at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Carlin Springs Road, just over the Arlington border in Fairfax County.

Police say the victim suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene and is talking to detectives who are investigating the crash, per Fairfax County Police.

Two westbound lanes of Columbia Pike are blocked as a result of the investigation.

Emergency Water Main Work Planned Tonight in Westover

By ARLnow.com

Water service in parts of the Westover neighborhood may be interrupted tonight due to emergency water main repairs.

County crews are planning to dig up portions of the road to investigate a leak along the 5800 block of Washington Blvd, near the post office and the intersection with N. McKinley Road.

One eastbound lane of Washington Blvd is expected to be closed starting around 9 p.m. Water service may be turned off for some around midnight, according to Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services.

Photo via Google Maps

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