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.

Arlington Agenda: January 8-15

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Monday, Jan. 8

Free Home Buyer Workshop *
Orange Line Living (1600 Wilson Blvd, Suite #101)
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.

Attend a free workshop for first-time home buyers that will delve into a comprehensive explanation of the home purchasing process and will include a $1,500 credit for future home purchases. The class is co-hosted by Orange Line Living and The Keri Shull Team.

Wednesday, Jan. 10

Arlington Committee of 100: Arlington’s Infrastructure *
Marymount University, Phelan Hall (2807 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 7-8 p.m.

Greg Emmanuel, director of the Dept. of Environmental Services, will lead a discussion on Arlington’s infrastructure needs, coming changes and future plans. An optional dinner is $28 for member and $30 for all others.

Thursday, Jan. 11

Piano Fight Club Show
Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street)
Time: 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

The duo, which touts “dueling pianos like you’ve never seen it before,” will hold its first show of the year at the bar and grill, which offers a full-service food menu in addition to live entertainment at night.

Sunday, Jan. 14

Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Man and the Mission
Wakefield High School Auditorium (1325 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 5-6:30 p.m.

The Dept. of Parks and Recreation is hosting the county’s annual program to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The program features musical and dance talent from Duke Ellington School of the Arts and spoken word artist Kim Miller.

Monday, Jan. 15

MLK Day of Service
Arlington Career Center (816 S. Walter Reed Drive)
Time: 8:30 a.m.-noon

Instead of taking the day off, make the holiday “a day on” by participating in a day of service led by Volunteer Arlington. Participants of all ages will select one service or training opportunity in the free program.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

JUST IN: Arlington Public Schools Closing Early

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools will be closing two hours early due to the threat of freezing rain during the evening commute.

More from APS:

All APS schools and offices will close two hours early today. The Extended Day Program will stay open until 4 p.m. Extracurricular activities, interscholastic games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled.

APS made the announcement around 10 a.m., as county crews were gearing up to pretreat local roadways.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ice Training for ACFD Water Rescue Team — While you were enjoying your weekend, snug in your warm home amid 10 degree weather, the Arlington County Fire Department’s water rescue team was using a chainsaw to cut holes in the ice on the Potomac and then jumping in. [Washington Post]

Freezing Rain Still Expected Tonight — A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect tonight, as forecasters expect freezing rain to fall this afternoon and potentially make for a very messy evening commute. [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter]

Civic Federation Seeking County Event Help — The Arlington County Civic Federation is asking county government to help make it more affordable for civic associations to hold events on county property. Currently, there are insurance requirements that eat into civic associations’ meager budgets. [InsideNova]

Metro Proposes Refunds for Delays — “Under the proposal, riders would receive an automatic credit on their SmarTrip card if their trip is delayed by 15 minutes or more. Staff will ask Metro’s board to approve the change this week… The refunds would only be given during the weekday rush period.” [NBC Washington]

Crystal City Startup Scores $3 Million — Stardog Union, a “Enterprise Knowledge Graph startup” based in Crystal City, has added $3 million to its Series A venture funding round. The funding will be used for “marketing, sales and speeding up product development.” [Technically DC]

Notable Local Runner Publishes Novel — “Arlington marathon champion Jay Jacob Wind has published his first novel, a techno-thriller entitled The Man Who Stole the Sun, available now on Amazon Kindle and hand-printed by mail-order. ‘It is the first marathon terror fiction novel, based on the Marine Corps Marathon though Washington, DC, since the very real Boston Marathon bombing nearly five years ago, in April, 2013,’ Wind said.” [PRNewswire]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

UPDATED: Hundreds Without Power in Rosslyn, Courthouse Area

By ARLnow.com

Update at 9:45 a.m. — Power has not been fully restored. According to the Dominion website, 282 customers are still without power. Restoration is currently expected by 1 p.m.

Earlier: Hundreds of Arlington residents are without power in the Courthouse and Rosslyn areas.

About 780 Dominion customers are in the dark on a frigid Sunday night, according to the power company’s website. The outage is between Route 50 and Clarendon Blvd, within the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights civic association boundaries.

The cause of the outage is reported to be under investigation and restoration is estimated between 7-11 p.m.

Winter Weather Advisory Issued, Icy Commute Possible

By ARLnow.com

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Monday evening.

Forecasters say a wintry mix may make for a slippery evening commute Monday.

More from NWS:

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM TO 9 PM EST MONDAY… * WHAT… A WINTRY MIX EXPECTED, WITH EITHER FREEZING RAIN OR RAIN THAT WILL FREEZE ON CONTACT WITH VERY COLD GROUND SURFACES. THE ICE WILL RESULT IN VERY SLIPPERY CONDITIONS ON SIDEWALKS, ROADS AND BRIDGES, INCLUDING DURING THE EVENING COMMUTE ON MONDAY. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A LIGHT GLAZE ARE EXPECTED. * WHERE… PORTIONS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MARYLAND AND CENTRAL, NORTHERN AND NORTHWEST VIRGINIA. * WHEN… FROM 3 PM TO 9 PM EST MONDAY. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS… EVEN IF TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING, THE GROUND AND OTHER SURFACES ARE STILL EXTREMELY COLD DUE TO THE RECENT ARCTIC BLAST. THIS INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF A GLAZE OF ICE ON SURFACES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.

UPDATED: Police Investigating Bank Robbery in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a bank robbery that happened in Clarendon this morning.

Police were called to the TD Bank on the 3100 block of Wilson Blvd, just across from the Clarendon Metro, around 11 a.m.

A man entered the bank, passed a note to a teller and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. The suspect did not display or imply a weapon. He remains at large.

ACPD issued the following press release Friday afternoon.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a bank robbery suspect captured on surveillance footage.

On Friday, January 5, 2018, at approximately 10:55 a.m., a male suspect entered the TD Bank located at 3101 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia and passed the teller a note, demanding money. No weapon was shown or implied. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect exited the bank and fled the area on foot.

The suspect is described as a black male in his mid-20’s, 5’8″ tall, weighing approximately 150lbs with a thin build. He was wearing a gray hoodie, a red knit hat and gray Nike sneakers at the time of the incident.

The Arlington County Police Department requests that anyone with information regarding this incident contact Detective R. Munizza at 703.228.4171 or [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Chamber Seeking State Help — Possibly in response to the push for housing conservation districts, “the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is asking the General Assembly to ‘serve as a backstop and a safeguard’ against overreach by localities on planning and zoning matters.” [InsideNova]

Reminder: SmarTrip Change Next Week — As of Monday, Metro riders will no longer be able to run a negative balance on their SmarTrip cards. [WMATA]

‘Meet the Chair’ Scheduled — Arlington residents will be able to meet newly-minted Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol on the evening of Jan. 18, when the Leadership Center for Excellence holds its annual Meet the Chair event. [Leadership Center for Excellence]

SoberRide New Year’s Record — A record 1,225 people used the free safe ride service SoberRide on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Thanks to its new partnership with Lyft, SoberRide’s organizer says it “has removed well more than two times as many would-be drunk drivers from Greater Washington’s roadways as compared with the previous year.” [PDF]

District Taco Continues to Expand — Five Guys may be given a run for its money as the most successful Arlington-born restaurant chain. District Taco is now opening a location in the Center City section of Philadelphia. [Eater]

Snow Shovel Contest Winner — “This is Susan. She won our snow shovel, writing that her favorite phase of snow treatment/removal is Phase 1. Brine makes her giddy. Susan’s old shovel is from Nebraska and cracking. Way to go, Susan.” [Twitter]

Photo courtesy @BoccatoGelatos

Saturday: Release Party for New District’s New Brew

Arlington’s New District Brewing is rolling out its second-ever bottled beer this coming Saturday, and you’re invited to the release party.

The Shirlington-area brewery at 2709 S. Oakland Street is introducing Abbey, a spiced, smooth Belgian Dubbel. But it’s a limited edition: just 250 individually-corked and hand-labeled 750ml bottles.

New District expects to sell out of its stock within 2-3 weeks, so the best opportunity to get your hands on one is at the release party on Saturday.

The event is being held from 1-9 p.m. at the brewery. Each $25 ticket will get you:

  • One 2 Year Anniversary Dubbel 750ml limited release bottle (with option to buy a second)
  • One pint of 2 Year Anniversary Dubbel on Tap
  • One beef brisket taco from the famous La Tingeria food truck, braised in a chipotle garlic sauce with NDBC brewed street beer for 12 hours.

Several other events are being planned at New District this week: a live band — No Second Troy — on Friday, and fill specials on Sunday.

The preceding was written by ARLnow.com and promoted by New District Brewing.

JUST IN: APS Opening on Two Hour Delay Friday

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools will open on a two hour delay Friday, the school system announced Thursday afternoon.

Dangerously low wind chills are expected overnight. Nearby, Montgomery County Public Schools has also announced a two hour delay Friday, while Fairfax County public schools will be closed.

More from APS:

All APS schools and offices will open two hours late. The Extended Day program will also open two hours late and morning field trips are canceled. Essential employees and food service workers should report to work at their regularly scheduled time. All other employees should report to work two hours past their usual start time. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

File photo

UPDATED: SWAT Team Arrests Man in Crystal City Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3:25 p.m. — The charges have been posted in Friday’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

NARCOTICS VIOLATION (Significant), 2018-01040111, 2200 block of S. Clark Street. At approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 4, police executed a narcotics search warrant and one suspect was taken into custody. Jacob Hill, 36, of Fairfax, VA was arrested and charged with manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance and transporting a controlled substance.

Earlier: A man was arrested by a heavily-armed SWAT team in the middle of Crystal City today, to the surprise of residents and office workers who watched it happen.

It happened around 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot behind the WeWork and WeLive building in Crystal City (2221 S. Clark Street). Video and photos posted to Twitter show three dark SUVs filled with heavily-armed law enforcement personnel surrounding a man in a light-colored SUV. Damage is visible on the light SUV’s windshield as the man surrenders to police.

In a brief statement, the Arlington County Police Department confirmed that they were involved in the arrest and that it was drug related.

“Arlington County Police executed a narcotics search warrant in the 2200 block of S. Clark Street,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “A diversionary device was utilized and one suspect was taken into custody. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing at this time.”

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Wind Chill Advisory Tonight As Strong Winds Push In

By ARLnow.com
1/5

It is about to get very windy and very cold in Arlington.

The strong winds are whipping up on the tail end of the “bomb cyclone” that brought snow to the area this morning. The resulting sub-zero wind chills have prompted a Wind Chill Advisory that will be in effect tonight through midday Friday.

From the National Weather Service:

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EST THIS MORNING… … WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON EST FRIDAY… * WHAT… SNOW OCCURRING THIS MORNING. VERY COLD WIND CHILLS EXPECTED LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS, INCLUDING DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES EXPECTED. EXPECT WIND CHILLS TO RANGE FROM 0 TO 10 BELOW ZERO. * WHERE… THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA… INCLUDING THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. * WHEN… FOR THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY, UNTIL 11 AM EST THIS MORNING. FOR THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY, FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON EST FRIDAY. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS… BE PREPARED FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES THIS MORNING FROM SNOW. THE COLD WIND CHILLS WILL CAUSE FROSTBITE IN AS LITTLE AS 30 MINUTES TO EXPOSED SKIN. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH THROUGH THIS EVENING… DECREASING TO 15 TO 25 MPH LATER TONIGHT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT COLD AIR AND THE WIND WILL COMBINE TO CREATE LOW WIND CHILLS. FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA CAN OCCUR IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.

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