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.

Podcast: Chef Mike Cordero

By ARLnow.com

Mike Cordero is one of the most prolific restaurateurs in Arlington.

He’s the man behind local hotspots like Don Tito, The G.O.A.T., Barley Mac, Bronx Pizza and soon — The Bronson and Taco Rock. Also, you might have seen him cruising the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in his Bentley.

On this week’s 26 Square Miles podcast, we talked with Cordero about his background, the success of his restaurants, the partnerships that helped build that success, and his new concepts.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Courtesy photo

Crime Report: Axe-Wielding Burglar in Douglas Park

By ARLnow.com

A burglar tried to break into a home in Douglas Park early Monday morning, at one point picking up an axe and rapping it against a glass window, according to police.

A resident was inside the home on the 4200 block of 16th Street S. at the time and called police. A suspect was soon located and arrested by officers. No one was hurt.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

BURGLARY, 2019-04080006, 4200 block of 16th Street S. At approximately 12:45 a.m. on April 8, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male victim was inside his residence when he heard his screen door open. Upon investigating, he observed a male suspect inside the screened-in porch of his residence. The suspect allegedly attempted to open the door leading directly into the residence and then proceeded to knock on the door’s window pane with an axe located on the victim’s property. Arriving officers canvased the area and located a subject matching the description provided by the victim. Darrell Graham, 53, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Burglary. He was held on no bond.

Also in this week’s crime report were a pair of reported robberies.

ROBBERY (late), 2019-04060062, 1300 block of Lee Highway. At approximately 5:50 a.m. on April 6, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery. Upon arrival, the male victim reported that at approximately 5:00 p.m. on April 5, a known suspect approached him and asked for the beverage he was drinking. When the victim refused, the suspect struck him and stole the beverage. The victim declined medical treatment. The suspect is described as a black male in his 40’s with black hair. The investigation is ongoing.

ROBBERY (late), 2019-04030059, 4200 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 8:20 a.m. on April 3, police responded to the late report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 6:40 a.m. on March 28, the victim observed the known male suspect attempt to steal his friend’s bicycle. When the victim attempted to intervene, the suspect brandished a knife and threatened him. The suspect fled the scene on the bicycle. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 15-18 years old, with a slim build, wearing all black clothing and a black baseball hat. The investigation is ongoing.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Pickles

By ARLnow.com
1/4

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Pickles, an 18-month-old Catahoula rescue.

Here’s what his owner, William, had to say:

He loves his new home in Arlington after he was rescued from Texas. He’s a fast learner and loves to eat, so it never takes him long to master a new trick when there are hot dogs on the line. Pickles has never met a human he didn’t like, and likes to spend his day by your side, always prepared for a belly rub.

Pickles loves sneaking up on squirrels and rabbits, even when his human standing next to him gives him away, and he keeps his nose to the ground on nighttime walks pursuing the elusive neighborhood fox. He enjoys watching nature documentaries and video games, and if there’s a hug happening nearby he has to be in the middle of it!

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!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

Maya Bistro Now Open on Lee Highway

By ARLnow.com
1/6

A new restaurant has opened along Lee Highway.

Maya Bistro, which offers Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine in a sunny, modern setting, recently opened its doors. Spurred by positive reviews on Nextdoor and Yelp, customers flocked to the restaurant Friday night, causing it to run out of some of its menu items, staff said Saturday.

Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, Maya Bistro is family-run and those working in the front and back of the house over the weekend included a brother, sister, father and grandmother.

Menu items include moussaka, sandwiches including falafel and adana, grilled meats on skewers, and several varieties of pide flatbreads.

Maya Bistro is located at 5649 Lee Highway in the Leeway-Overlee neighborhood, in the former Nook Play Space storefront.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Caps Player Abandons Car on Glebe Road — “Monday was media day for the Capitals, their first practice of the postseason. [Lars] Eller was on his way to MedStar Capitals Iceplex when suddenly, his car broke down… in the middle of Glebe Road.” [NBC Sports Washington]

Task Force Ices Snow Proposal — “Thirteen of the 14 voting members of the task force ‘do not believe the county has made the case that snow operations on [the large government parcel at Old Dominion Drive and 26th Street North] must be expanded, especially given the small number of annual major storms.'” [InsideNova]

ACPD Marks Alcohol Awareness Month — “Alcohol Awareness Month, recognized each April, is a public health program designed to increase outreach and education on the dangers of alcoholism and issues related to alcohol. More than 300 establishments in Arlington County hold Virginia ABC licenses permitting the serving and sale of alcohol.” [Arlington County]

Amazon May Pay for Public Transit — “Amazon has actively promoted the use of public transit, such as by paying the full cost of its employees’ fare cards for light rail, buses and ferries — a perk that it is considering extending to new employees in Arlington. The company boasts that only a quarter of its Seattle employees commute to work by driving solo. Nearly 1 in 3 use transit, and more than 1 in 5 walk.” [Washington Post]

Arlington Touts Bike Benefits — “The County continues to build on the bicycle’s unique ability to provide clean short- and medium-range transportation that requires far less infrastructure and resources compared to automobile traffic.” [Arlington County]

Water Main Repairs Complete — Updated at 8:35 a.m. — Repairs to a burst 12-inch water main in Crystal City have been completed, but several roads in the area remain closed. The water main break cut water service to several buildings in the area, including a hotel. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Minivan Crashes into Columbia Pike Condo Building

By ARLnow.com
1/2

The driver of a minivan plowed into the front of the Trafalgar Flats condo building along Columbia Pike Monday night.

Photos show the minivan on the sidewalk in front of the recently-built residential building with visible front-end damage.

Officials inspected the building, at 989 S. Buchanan Street, for structural issues today but initial reports suggest it only suffered superficial damage.

Job Listing: ARLnow Publisher Seeks Digital Editor

By ARLnow.com

Local News Now, the publisher of four local news publications in Northern Virginia including ARLnow.com, is seeking our first Digital Editor to help take our local journalism and audience engagement to the next level.

We’re looking for a Digital Editor who will help our editorial team break stories and reach readers while maintaining a high bar for quality. A typical week on the job will include copy editing, story planning, and audience engagement work.

The successful candidate will be joining a growing team of journalists at our office, three blocks from the Ballston Metro station.

Job responsibilities include:

  • Copy editing about 15-20 articles per day prior to online publication
  • Providing coaching and assistance to reporters covering enterprise stories
  • Monitoring multiple news sources, including email inboxes, Facebook messages, Twitter feeds and scanner radios, in order to help our team break stories and coordinate breaking news coverage
  • Helping to cover for reporter vacations and sick days
  • Running our main Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to help promote stories and engage with readers

Here’s what we’re looking for:

  • 5-10 years of relevant local news experience
  • Strong copy editing skills and meticulous attention to detail
  • Experience working in a fast-paced, occasionally high-stress environment
  • A passion for training and coaching early-career journalists, helping them to achieve their full potential
  • Ability to multitask and monitor multiple news sources, including Twitter, email and scanner radios
  • Experience running branded social media accounts and an innate ability to understand and connect with an audience via social channels

Compensation for the position is competitive and based on experience. Provided benefits include health, dental and vision insurance.

Local News Now is bootstrapped, profitable and proudly independent. We are an equal opportunity employer that believes in objective reporting, holding local leaders accountable and the important role that local journalism plays in our democracy.

To apply, email a resume and links to writing samples to [email protected]

BREAKING: Large Water Main Break in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) An intersection in Crystal City is closed as a result of a major water main break in the middle of the intersection.

The break was reported around 1:15 p.m. at the intersection of Crystal Drive, S. Potomac Avenue and 27th Street S.

Traffic camera footage showed water flowing from a gash in the asphalt and first responders setting up “caution” tape around the intersection, which is along a dedicated bus route.

A “significant” sinkhole was forming in the roadway as a result of the break and nearby parking garages were starting to flood, according to scanner traffic. Firefighters established an incident command at the scene due to structural concerns.

As of 2:15 p.m., public works crews were on the scene and the flow of water appears to have been stopped or significantly slowed, but not before water seepage reportedly caused a power surge and outage in the Crystal City area. Several buildings in the area are also reported to be without water service.

https://twitter.com/GrantKidwell/status/1115670737287897089

Ballston IHOP Closed After Another Fire

By ARLnow.com

For the second time since October, the Ballston IHOP has closed after an early morning fire.

The fire was reported around 3 a.m., in the kitchen at the 935 N. Stafford Street restaurant, filling it with smoke, according to the Arlington County Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

This morning signs on the restaurant’s doors said it was closed due to a “maintenance issue.” IHOP was closed for more than a week after the October fire, but there’s no word as to how long this closure may last.

A fire department spokesman said the causes of the two fires are not initially believed to be related.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Man Nabbed for Gun at DCA — “The number of firearms caught by Transportation Security Administration officers at checkpoints at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) have increased at an alarming rate this year as TSA officers caught the ninth gun of the year yesterday, April 7.” [TSA]

Trustify Co-Founder Lands Federal Appointment — Once high-flying Arlington startup Trustify, which has shut down amid a flurry of lawsuits and accusations of malfeasance, has generated another headline, this time for its co-founder’s new job. Jennifer Mellon was appointed confidential assistant to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Neil Chatterjee, prompting questions from one energy industry publication. [E&E News]

Fire at Pike Apartment Building — “Units on scene 5500 blk of Columbia Pike for fire in trash compactor in high rise residential building. Fire is out, extinguished by sprinkler system. No extension. No injuries reported.” [Twitter]

Phoenix Bikes Rises — “With a newish executive director and a new space to call home, Phoenix Bikes will have a lot to celebrate at its upcoming ‘Makers’ Ball’ later in the month.” [InsideNova]

Photo courtesy Noah Kaufman

Arlington Woman to Appear on ‘Price is Right’ Today

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington woman will appear as a contestant on The Price is Right today, an experience she said was “surreal and amazing.”

Katherine Lam, an Arlington native who went to Washington-Lee High School and now lives in the Virginia Square area, said in a 2014 interview that it was her goal to be on the CBS show by the time she was 35.

On a 30th birthday trip to Los Angeles, she lived out that long-time dream, attending a show taping after getting tickets online and then getting selected to be a contestant.

“It was crazy,” she said, recalling the moment her name was called to “come on down.”

“It’s so loud in the studio that someone has to hold up a sign with your name,” Lam told ARLnow. “And then I just freaked out. My friend and I jumped up and down, we were so excited.”

She wasn’t able to say much more, partially because the show tries to keep the results under wraps until it airs, and partially because she just wasn’t able to remember all of the details.

“I was so excited that I almost blacked out a bit,” said Lam. “The adrenaline was crazy. It was almost like a dream.”

Those who want to see how she did can tune in today (Monday) at 11 a.m. on local CBS affiliate WUSA 9. Lam said she’ll be watching with friends and family, including her grandmother, at her parent’s house in Arlington.

Photo courtesy CBS

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