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.

Murder Suspect Was Arrested for Shoplifting in NYC

By ARLnow.com

More details have emerged about the arrest of murder suspect Jason Allen Johnson.

Arlington County Police say Johnson — who is wanted for the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old man at a north Arlington house party in February — was arrested for shoplifting on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Johnson is being held in New York City, pending extradition to Virginia.

More from an ACPD press release:

A suspect wanted for Murder in Arlington County has been arrested in New York City. At approximately 4:10 p.m. on October 24, Jason Allen Johnson was arrested in the 2700 block of Broadway in Manhattan for shoplifting. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that he was wanted for First Degree Murder and on a District of Columbia Superior Court Warrant for Failure to Appear on a Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance – Cocaine charge. He is being held in New York City pending extradition to the Commonwealth.

At approximately 3:22 a.m. on February 19, 2017, Arlington County Police responded to the 6300 block of N. 29th Street for the report of shots fired. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began performing CPR. Arlington County Fire Department medics transported Michael Gray, 23, of Manassas, Virginia to Inova Fairfax Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The initial investigation revealed that this shooting resulted from a dispute that took place during a party at a residence in the 6300 block of N. 29th Street. Following an intensive investigation including witness interviews and the review of crime scene evidence, charges were sought for Jason Allen Johnson, 38, of Washington D.C. Johnson subsequently fled the area and a long, exhaustive search was initiated by the United States Marshals Service and the Arlington County Police Department.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. If you have additional information regarding this investigation, contact Detective J. Trainer of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4185 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Letter: Arlington Public Schools Recycling Rate is Too Low

By ARLnow.com

The following letter was written by Ryan Bloom, Chloe Fugle, Maria McGlone and Ethan Novak, student board members of Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment.

A little-noticed Arlington County government report that was issued during hurricane season should be read as a call for action on a local issue that concerns a growing number of public school students and other Arlingtonians: recycling efforts in our public schools.

The September report by the County Solid Waste Bureau (SWB) concluded that, while Arlington County as a whole has a recycling rate of 46.8 percent, the rate for Arlington Public Schools (APS) is estimated to be 15 percent. This is below the minimum recycling rate of 25 percent mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The 15 percent estimate for APS recycling is not surprising given our observations and those of the SWB in school cafeterias, hallways and classrooms. SWB reported that 70 percent of schools are not fully compliant with County recycling code; even almost two years after the code came into effect.

For example, schools’ recycling bins sometimes lack clear, explanatory signs and these bins are often not co-located with trash bins. The result is often confusion about what goes in what particular bin resulting in students and teachers tossing both recyclables and trash in the nearest container.

The SWB reports that few schools have a successful cafeteria recycling system, which is the likely result of a “… lack of clear administrative standards and policies concerning a recycling culture campus-wide.”

Our public schools should be a model for effective stewardship practices, rather than a source of embarrassment. Students develop lifelong habits based on what they see and are taught in their homes, schools and communities.

Moreover, taxpayers benefit from effective recycling practices since disposing of trash is typically more expensive than recycling. The County Board has resolved to achieve “zero waste” by 2038, which will only be achieved if our families and institutions, including APS, take action today and implement an effective recycling system fully compliant with County recycling code.

Signed by,

  • Ryan Bloom, Arlington, Student Board Member, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment
  • Chloe Fugle, Arlington, Student Board Member, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment
  • Maria McGlone, Arlington, Student Board Member, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment
  • Ethan Novak, Arlington, Student Board Member, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment

ARLnow.com occasionally publishes letters about issues of local interest. To submit your thoughts for consideration, please email [email protected]. Letters may be edited for content and brevity.

Crime Report: Man Exposes Himself Outside of Toy Store

By ARLnow.com

A 61-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly walking around pantsless outside of a Clarendon toy store.

The incident happened last Thursday around 11 a.m. The suspect was seen without pants, exposing his genitals, outside of Kinder Haus Toys in Clarendon, according to scanner traffic at the time.

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

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2017-10190099, 1200 block of N. Fillmore Street. At approximately 11:00 a.m. on October 19, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure. Upon arrival it was determined that a male suspect was observed exposing himself outside of a business. William Klugel, 61, of no fixed address was arrested and charged with Indecent Exposure and Drunk in Public. He was held on no bond.

The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Murder Suspect Arrested — Jason Allen Johnson, wanted for the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Michael Gray at an Arlington house party in February, has been arrested. Fox 5 reports that Johnson was arrested in New York on unrelated charges. [Fox 5]

County Threatens Eminent Domain for Bus Parking Lot — Arlington County is threatening to use the power of eminent domain to acquire a property it is currently leasing for bus parking along I-395 near Shirlington. The County Board last night authorized an offer to buy the property, which is assessed at $20.5 million, but also authorized use of eminent domain to acquire the property if its purchase offer is unsuccessful. [Arlington County]

Auditor Plans to Tackle School Construction Costs — “The Arlington School Board’s internal auditor plans to take a crack at a vexing question: Why does it cost so much more to build a school in Arlington than elsewhere? Or does really cost that much more, after all?” [InsideNova]

ACPD Greets All-Law Enforcement Honor Flight — Officers from the Arlington County Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies often greet honor flights arriving at Reagan National Airport. Yesterday they greeted the first-ever honor flight of veterans who all later served as law enforcement officers. [Twitter, Twitter]

Endorsements for Gutshall, McCullough — Democratic Arlington County Board candidate Erik Gutshall has picked up the endorsement of the Sun Gazette newspaper. Independent progressive candidate Charles McCullough, meanwhile, has been endorsed by the Working Families Party. [InsideNova, InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Ameschen

Knives Come Out Following Parking Space Dispute

By ARLnow.com

A dispute over a parking space led to a man and woman brandishing knives and making threats, according to police.

The incident happened Saturday night in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood. Police say the victim was waiting for a parking space to open up when the suspects “pulled around him and parked in the space.”

“Following a verbal dispute, the two suspects left the area and returned, each brandishing a knife,” Arlington County Police said in a crime report. “The suspects made threats but no one was injured.”

The full crime report item is below.

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2017-10210274, 2700 block of S. Fern Street. At approximately 10:08 p.m. on October 21, police were dispatched to the report of an Attempted Malicious Wounding. Upon arrival it was determined that the male victim was waiting for a parking space to become available when the suspects pulled around him and parked in the space. Following a verbal dispute, the two suspects left the area and returned, each brandishing a knife. The suspects made threats but no one was injured. The suspects then fled the scene on foot. Suspect 1 is described as a black female in her 20’s with curly hair. Suspect 2 is described as a black male in his 20’s wearing black sweatpants and a short-sleeved [t-shirt]. The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Belmont TV Closing — Belmont TV, located at 4723 King Street on the Arlington-Alexandria border, is planning to close its doors at the end of the month, after about 75 years in business. [Washington Business Journal]

APS Having Trouble Hiring Bus Drivers — “The strong local economy is creating some challenges for Arlington Public Schools’ efforts to fill out its bus-driver and bus-assistant ranks. There are still ‘nine routes that don’t have permanent drivers,’ said John Chadwick, the school system’s assistant superintendent for transportation, at the Oct. 19 School Board meeting.” [InsideNova]

Northam, Roem Speak at Freddie’s — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and House of Delegates candidate Danica Roem spoke last night at an LGBT-focused campaign event at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City. Also attending the event were state Sen. Adam Ebbin, Del. Mark Levine and Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette. [Washington Blade]

History of the Pentagon Cable Crossing — A cable crossing, marked with large signs along the banks of the Potomac River, dates back to the construction of the Pentagon in early 1940s. [Atlas Obscura]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Arlington Under Wind Advisory Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County and much of the surrounding D.C. area is under a Wind Advisory.

The advisory, which is in effect until 6 a.m., cautions that an approaching line of gusty showers may produce damaging winds.

From the National Weather Service:

… WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EDT TUESDAY… * TIMING… TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. THE GREATEST CONCERN WILL BE FOCUSED MORE IN THE EVENING NEAR I-81, AND NEAR OR AFTER MIDNIGHT ALONG I-95. * WINDS… SOUTH 15 TO 30 MPH, WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. * IMPACTS… SCATTERED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. DIFFICULTY DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&

Police: ‘Mob’ of Young Males Chased Victim, Dragged Him into Woods

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a frightening “assault by mob” incident that happened early Sunday near Campbell Elementary School.

Police say a male victim was walking along the 700 block of S. Carlin Springs Road, near the Fairfax County line, when more than a dozen young males “chased him before dragging him into the woods, where he was threatened at gunpoint.”

The motive for the alleged attack is unclear.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below.

ASSAULT BY MOB, 2017-10220037, 700 block of S. Carlin Springs Road. At approximately 2:18 a.m. on October 22, police were dispatched to the report of a large group of males chasing an individual across the roadway. The call was transferred from Fairfax County dispatch and arriving officers made contact with Fairfax County Police officers who were also dispatched to the area to investigate. The victim advised that while walking in the area, a large group of male suspects with weapons chased him before dragging him into the woods, where he was threatened at gunpoint. The victim was able to fight back and flee the scene. Officers canvassed the area with negative results. The group of male suspects is described as being approximately 13 young, Hispanic, white males, wearing either black or blue hooded sweatshirts. All of the suspects were described as approximately 5’6-5’8 in height with dark features. The investigation is ongoing.

County Board Approves Pedestrian-Friendly Changes to Courthouse Intersection

By ARLnow.com
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Arlington County will spend just over $640,000 to re-configure an intersection in Courthouse neighborhood.

The County Board unanimously approved the construction project at its meeting Saturday.

The plan is to remove a one-way portion of roadway that serves as a shortcut to 15th Street N. in front of county government headquarters, and instead have Clarendon Blvd traffic access 15th Street via a 90 degree turn at the traffic signal-equipped intersection a bit farther down the road.

As currently configured the triangle of roadway leads to conflicts between cars and pedestrians, county staff says. The goal of the project is to improve “pedestrian safety, circulation and access in and around Courthouse Plaza.”

The new intersection will include additional trees, green space and other amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

More from a county press release:

Clarendon Boulevard is a key arterial street in the R-B corridor, and the intersection of 15th Street is central to the busy Courthouse Metro Station. The intersection is currently designed primarily to funnel automobiles onto 15th Street North, which often results in conflicts between pedestrians, vehicles and transit users.

New safety and streetscape improvements, which will include new concrete curb and gutter, ADA compliant sidewalks, storm structures and streetscape amenities, such as benches and bike racks, will make this area safer for all travelers. The project also will improve the circulation of the Courthouse Plaza parking garage and provide better access to the surrounding street network by extending the parking garage’s entrance to Clarendon Boulevard. The bus stop waiting area along 15th Street North will be expanded and the existing bus stop at Clarendon Boulevard/N. Wayne Street will be relocated to the far right of the intersection to facilitate safer pedestrian crossing along this street segment.

“These are the kinds of projects that make Arlington such a great place to walk,” County Board Chair Jay Fisette said in a statement. “This intersection is going to function better for all who use it – and look a lot better – as a result of the improvements the Board approved today.”

Photo (1) via Arlington County, photo (2) via Google Maps

Arlington Submits Amazon Application, Reveals Few Details

By ARLnow.com

While many other local jurisdictions have revealed their pitch for Amazon’s planned second headquarters, Arlington is keeping its proposal close to the vest.

“I can tell you that yes, our proposal was submitted, but we’re not releasing any details of specific sites or anything due to competitiveness reasons,” an Arlington Economic Development spokeswoman said in response to an inquiry from ARLnow.com.

Generally speaking, there are two Metro-accessible corridors for Amazon to choose from in Arlington: the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor and the Crystal City-Pentagon City corridor. In an informal poll asking where Amazon should build its new headquarters, readers gave a slight edge to the R-B corridor.

Amazon is expected to announce the winning city for its “HQ2” at some point in 2018.

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