A car ran into a wooded embankment near the intersection of S. Four Mile Run Drive and Columbia Pike this morning.

The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. on the 4600 block of S. Four Mile Run, behind a parking lot for The Carlton Condominium. A dark-colored sedan drove over a bike path and into the woods along Four Mile Run.

Firefighters stabilized the vehicle and helped the driver get out. No serious injuries were reported.

No word yet on how, exactly, the crash happened. A similar crash happened on the opposite bank of Four Mile Run in early September.


Arlington Holds Disaster Drill for Cyclists — “On Saturday BikeArlington and the Office of Emergency Management held the county’s first Disaster Relief Trial, modeled after such events in Oregon, Washington, and California… 70 registered families, teams, and individual bikers traveled throughout Arlington, stopping at four checkpoints and completing eight challenges.” [Local DVM]

Marymount Launches Internship Fund — “Marymount University has announced plans to financially support students who intern at non-profit organizations that do not have the resources to pay them. The new ‘Sister Majella Berg Internship Fund’ is a way to solidify partnerships between the university and local safety-net organizations, new Marymount University president Irma Becerra said.” [InsideNova]

AT&T Donates $30K to Local Nonprofit — “Bridges to Independence announced today a new contribution from AT&T. A private, nonprofit organization, Bridges is dedicated to serving families experiencing homelessness in the City of Alexandria and Arlington County, VA. AT&T’s support will directly benefit Bridges’ mission by expanding the organization’s Youth Development Program which serves children experiencing homelessness.” [Press Release]

Ballston Apartment Building Sold — “The Chevy Chase Land Company… announced today the $90 million acquisition of 672 Flats, a 173-Unit Class A apartment building in the heart of Ballston.” [Press Release]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin


The Metrorail system has been “rebuilding” for years and now has a dedicated stream of funding. On top of that, its general manager just received a big vote of confidence from the Metro board: a new contract and a sizable raise.

So why does Metro still kind of suck?

On today’s 26 Square Miles podcast we talked with the semi-anonymous creator of Unsuck DC Metro, a blog and Twitter account that is perhaps Metro’s biggest and most vocal critic.

We talked about Paul Wiedefeld’s new contract, his adversarial relationship with Metro’s main union, the system’s new railcars and more — and tried to arrive at an explanation for why Metro is in its current state.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunesGoogle PlayStitcher or TuneIn.


Everyday Heroes in Our Midst — On Wednesday morning, a grounds crew working outside the Clarendon Metro took some time out to help a disabled man to the bus stop. “Hey @ArlingtonDES @ArlingtonVA, a little late here but please forgive your grounds crew working near the #Clarendon metro this morning if they were running a little late,” said the Twitter user who witnessed the encounter and snapped a photo. [Twitter]

Body Found in Water Near Memorial Bridge — “D.C. police have recovered a body found Thursday morning in the Potomac River near Arlington Memorial Bridge, near the Lincoln Memorial, according to a department spokeswoman.” [Washington Post]

Glass to Be Removed from Recycling List? — “The county government appears on the verge of eliminating collection of glass as recyclable material and directing residents to instead dump it in their regular trash bins… currently, there is a ‘negative market value’ for glass, County Manager Mark Schwartz told board members, and because it’s difficult for processors to recycle glass products, most of it ends up being destroyed like regular trash anyway – either to a landfill or to be incinerated.” [InsideNova]

County May Reopen Exit for DCA Rideshare Drivers — “Arlington County officials have offered a solution to the gridlock caused by rideshare drivers moved to a parking lot between Jefferson Davis Highway and South Eads Street: Reopening an exit at 27th Street, which would allow rideshare drivers accepting passengers to quickly leave the lot and turn onto the nearby airport access road.” [WTOP]

Cosplay Event at Library — “Join Maker and cosplayer Dylan Smith as he discusses how he’s incorporated 3D printing into cosplay, what materials he’s used, and how you can get started. This event is designed for adults and teens in grades 6+.” [Arlington County]

Mobile Posse Launches New Product Line — Arlington-based Mobile Posse has “announced the release of Firstly Mobile… the company’s latest next-gen content discovery platform, [which] creates a smarter smartphone experience for consumers, a safer brand experience for advertisers and a bigger revenue opportunity for carriers and OEMs.” [Globe Newswire]

Hungry Donates Thousands of MealsHUNGRY, an Arlington-based food startup, “has donated funds equivalent to more than 70,000 meals to Washington, D.C.-area and Philadelphia-area food assistance centers, including Feeding America and the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). HUNGRY donates funds equivalent to one meal for every two purchased to those in need via its ‘Fight Against Hunger’ program.” [PRWeb]

Photo via @USArmyOldGuard


A man suspected of raping a woman in Arlington has been taken into custody after a 16-hour barricade situation in D.C.

Arlington County Police say Salodus Zeloter Hicks, 60, barricaded himself inside a home on the 3300 block of Mt. Pleasant Street NW after Arlington officers arrived to execute a search and arrest warrant last night (Wednesday). He was taken into custody around 1 p.m. today with the assistance of D.C. police and the FBI.

Hicks is facing charges of forcible rape and strangulation in connection with the Sept. 17 sexual assault of a woman in an apartment building on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike. Police say Hicks, who was caught on surveillance video, met the victim after responding to an online ad.

“During the arranged service, the suspect physically assaulted and raped the victim,” police said in a press release. “Following the assault, the suspect fled the scene on foot.”

Police were vague about the exact nature of the advertisement in order to protect the victim’s identity.


Arlington and much of the D.C. region is under a Flood Watch today as another big batch of rain moves into the area.

With the ground already saturated, any significant rainfall can cause ponding or even more serious flooding.

More from the National Weather Service:

…FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF MARYLAND, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND VIRGINIA, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS, IN MARYLAND, CARROLL, CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD, CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY, NORTHWEST HOWARD, AND NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN VIRGINIA, ALBEMARLE, ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA, CENTRAL VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE, CULPEPER, EASTERN LOUDOUN, FAIRFAX, GREENE, MADISON, NELSON, ORANGE, PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK, SOUTHERN FAUQUIER, AND STAFFORD. * FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT * A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL RIDE NORTHEAST ALONG A STALLED FRONT LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE, AND WITH THE GROUND ALREADY SATURATED, FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP. &&


The two suspects wanted for a shooting in Arlington’s Nauck neighborhood last week have been arrested.

Arlington County Police say Ahmed Ali Mahmoud, 24, and Osman Mohamed, 25, were arrested in the Virginia Square area and are now facing numerous charges.

The shooting happened just a block from Drew Elementary School. Police say the shots were fired after “a minor verbal dispute occurred between one victim and suspects inside a convenience store.”

More from an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department has arrested two suspects wanted for their role in a shooting that occurred last week in the Nauck neighborhood. Ahmed Ali Mahmoud, 24, and Osman Mohamed, 25, were arrested in the 3400 block of Fairfax Drive and charged with Malicious Wounding by Mob, Discharging a Firearm in a Public Place (within 1000 feet of a school zone), Malicious Wounding and Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. Both men are being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility on no bond.

At approximately 2:03 p.m. on September 20, police were dispatched to the 2000 block of S. Kenmore Street for the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined that a minor verbal dispute occurred between one victim and suspects inside a convenience store. The victim then exited the store and entered a vehicle with two additional victims. The two suspects approached the vehicle on foot where the dispute escalated and shots were fired by the suspects in the direction of the vehicle. The suspects then fled the scene on foot. One victim was treated for a minor injury.

This remains an ongoing criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective R. Ortiz of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-7402 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).


President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is reportedly looking for office space in Arlington.

The Washington Post reports that Trump 2020 HQ could be located in Arlington, a departure from the 2016 campaign, which was headquartered at Trump Tower in New York City.

Per the Post:

The campaign has not yet signed a lease on office space, but campaign manager Brad Parscale and other officials are looking at several Arlington options, including in Rosslyn, which boasts easy Metro access.

The move is not expected until after the Nov. 6 midterm elections, at which point Trump’s reelection campaign will begin ramping up in earnest, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans.

With its deep bench of political talent and proximity to the White House and Congress, Arlington has been a go-to spot for presidential campaigns. Among the notable campaign headquarters in the county:

  • John McCain 2008 (in Crystal City)
  • Hillary Clinton 2008 (in Ballston)
  • George W. Bush 2004 (in Courthouse)
  • Ronald Reagan 1980 (near Columbia Pike)

Other candidates to set up shop in Arlington, according to a county press release from 2016, include Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Joe Lieberman and Mike Gravel.


A widespread power outage has left hundreds in the dark around Wakefield High School and the Columbia Forest neighborhood south of Columbia Pike.

As of 10 p.m., Dominion was reporting 865 customers without power in Arlington County. Many more were without power along Columbia Pike before their electricity was restored.

The first reports of an outage came in around 7:30 p.m., as storms rolled through the area.

https://twitter.com/Fortran/status/1045098723037118464

https://twitter.com/SoniaOnTheMove/status/1045103847054733312


Arlington and surrounding areas are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch tonight (Wednesday).

A line of potentially severe storms is approaching the D.C. region from the west. Forecasters say the storms could bring gusty winds, frequent lighting and hail.

More from the National Weather Service:

Photo (top) via National Weather Service


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