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One Critical After Ashton Heights Fire

By ARLnow.com

Published October 11, 2017 at 10:25AM

House fire on N. Ivy Street (photo courtesy ACFD)

One person is in critical condition after a house fire in Ashton Heights early this morning.

The fire broke out around 1 a.m. on the 500 block of N. Ivy Street. By the time firefighters arrived, the front of the house was already fully engulfed in flames.

Two men who lived in the house made it out safely. A third man was “quickly located and rescued” and transported “to a burn center in critical condition,” according to the Arlington County Fire Department.

No firefighters were injured. The cause of the blaze is now under investigation.

BREAKING: Washington-Lee HS Secured as Police Investigate Threat

By ARLnow.com

Published October 10, 2017 at 1:35PM | Updated October 10, 2017 at 3:08PM

Police outside of W-L High School during threat investigation in 2017 (file photo)

(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) Washington-Lee High School is in “secure the building” mode as police investigate a threat.

“At approximately 12:07 p.m., police responded to the report of a telephone threat received at W-L,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The school has been secured as police investigate.”

Initial reports suggest the school received calls claiming to be from an expelled or suspended student, threatening violence. While police investigate the threat, officers and school employees are taking precautions.

“Staff are at every door to monitor people coming to the school,” said Arlington Public Schools spokeswoman Linda Erdos. “Police are investigating. Classes are going on as scheduled.”

A heavy police presence could be seen around the school around lunchtime today. The W-L pool was closed to members of the public while the school was secured.

Dismissal is occurring as scheduled at Washington-Lee High School. The investigation into the phone threat is ongoing.

— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) October 10, 2017

Man Robbed Along 23rd Street in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Published October 10, 2017 at 1:00PM

File photo

A man was robbed at knifepoint along the row of restaurants and shops on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City.

The robbery was reported early Monday morning, after the restaurants had closed.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ROBBERY, 2017-10090029, 500 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 2:43 a.m. on October 9, police responded to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that a male victim was walking in the area when he was approached by a suspect with a knife. The suspect stole the victim’s personal belongings and fled on foot. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6’2, 225 pounds, clean shaven, wearing a blue and white striped shirt and white shorts. The investigation is ongoing.

Get Your Free ARL Stickers

By ARLnow.com

Published October 10, 2017 at 11:30AM

As a proud Arlingtonian and a fan of this website, you’ve only had a couple of chances to get your hands on some ARL schwag over the year.

If you missed out, today you have another opportunity.

We’ve bought some stickers — the kind you put on a laptop or a folder or wherever it is you put small logo stickers — and dropped them off at a couple local places. Feel free to pick some up, no purchase necessary.

Here’s where to get them, while supplies last:

Northside Social (3211 Wilson Blvd)
Artisan Confections (1025 N. Fillmore Street)
Central Coffee Bar (1901 N. Moore Street)
Arlington Economic Development (1100 N. Glebe Road #1500)

#free stuff

Morning Poll: Breaking News Alerts?

By ARLnow.com

Published October 10, 2017 at 9:50AM

There has not been much breaking news in Arlington lately. For those who like to comment on stories with “Slow news day?” — yes, that has been accurate for a good portion of the past month.

But inevitably, breaking news does happen in Arlington. We are a county with some 230,000 residents, a major airport, rail lines, Metro tunnels, highways, bridges, a river, government offices and one of the world’s largest office buildings — things happen here.

We know that one thing readers like about us is that we are often the first to report breaking news. But our email subscribers are often slow to see that breaking news, since by design they only get an update once a day.

Also, those who like our Facebook page are subject to the whims of the Facebook algorithm, and might not be seeing breaking stories.

Today we’re wondering: should we offer an alternative? Should we start sending out breaking news alerts to email subscribers?

#poll

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 10, 2017 at 8:50AM | Updated October 10, 2017 at 9:35AM

Record High Low Temperature — The area has set another record for a warm low temperature. Yesterday, the low temperature at Reagan National Airport was 74 degrees, besting the previous Oct. 9 record of 72 degrees. [Twitter]

Record APS Enrollment — Enrollment at Arlington Public Schools for the 2017-2018 school year has been recorded at 26,927, surpassing the previous record set in 1963 in the midst of the Baby Boom generation. “The official count was up 789 students – 3 percent – from a year before, and has now risen 27 percent since the 2010-11 school year,” the Sun Gazette reported, though the final figure was well below the more than 27,000 projected. [InsideNova]

Record School Library Circulation — Print is apparently not dead yet, as 1.044 million books and other printed materials were checked out at Arlington Public Schools libraries last school year, a new record. It is the first time that count has exceeded 1 million. [InsideNova]

ACFD Getting New Ambulances — The Arlington County Fire Department is getting two brand-new ambulances for its fleet. [Twitter]

Courthouse Meeting Bowls in KidsPost — “Near Arlington’s courthouse, three unusual round wooden objects are attracting attention and exploration by people of all ages. Some think they look like amusement park rides. To Hadley Christiansen, 3, of Arlington, ‘they look like salad bowls.'” [Washington Post]

Meeting Set on High-Speed Rail Line — A public hearing is being held in Alexandria next Tuesday to gather public input on proposed high-speed rail service from D.C. to Richmond. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by James L.

ACFD Treats Dozens of Army Ten Miler Runners for Heat-Related Illness

By ARLnow.com

Published October 9, 2017 at 1:00PM

The Arlington County Fire Department had to roll out its mass-casualty ambulance bus to treat and transport dozens of runners suffering from heat-related illness during the Army Ten Miler on Sunday.

Race organizers shortened the course mid-way through the race, citing safety concerns amid unusually warm and humid conditions for an October day, WJLA reported. Sunday was “Washington’s sultriest October day ever recorded,” according to the Capital Weather Gang.

ACFD evaluated or treated a total of 145 patients and transported 34 to local hospitals, mostly due to heat-related incidents, Capt. Ben O’Bryant told ARLnow.com.

The fire department had staged two medic units on scene, with utility vehicles to transport stricken runners from the course, but called in an additional six ambulances around 9:30 a.m., O’Bryant said. The ambulance bus was called in shortly thereafter.

O’Bryant described the response as a “strike force” response, one level below a mass-casualty incident. All of the sirens were enough to attract the attention of Crystal City residents, one of whom took to Twitter to ask about it.

We are responding to medical emergencies around the Army 10 Miler as well as other emergencies in the area.

— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) October 8, 2017

During the incident five ambulances from Fairfax, Alexandria and Reagan National Airport filled in as mutual aid at Arlington fire stations, said O’Bryant.

Last year, during much cooler weather, ACFD only transported five Army Ten Miler runners to Virginia Hospital Center, he said.

Photo via John Sonderman/Flickr. Hat tip to Jim H.

Manassas Business Owners Wary of Becoming Like Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Published October 9, 2017 at 11:00AM

Some small business owners in Manassas are concerned that Manassas is becoming too much like Clarendon.

Potomac Local reports that the Arlington neighborhood came up during a business roundtable discussion on Friday. While some expressed apprehension at the idea, others were supportive of Manassas becoming more upscale.

The topics ranged from development to affordable housing.

Some in the group said they don’t want to see more apartments and condos built in the city. Others advocated for condos that sell for $350,000 and above.

“I see Manassas looking more and more like Clarendon in Arlington,” said one man.

Clarendon has changed considerably over the past decade or two, with an influx of new apartments, condos, restaurants and younger residents. Along with the new development and new residents, however, the neighborhood has also seen rising rents and the loss of many long-time local businesses.

Photo courtesy Potomac Local

#local business

Morning Poll: Are You Working Today?

By ARLnow.com

Published October 9, 2017 at 10:00AM

Today, Columbus Day, is a federal holiday, which means that a large portion of the local workforce has the day off.

Not everyone gets the day off work, of course. There are essential workers — cops, nurses, bus drivers, etc. — who work no matter what the holiday. Then there are organizations like ours, which swap Columbus Day with the day after Thanksgiving, thus trading today for a four-day Thanksgiving weekend, which many employees prefer. There also might be some who do not treat Columbus Day as a holiday out of principle.

But just how large a portion is off today? Who is enjoying a three day weekend, compared to those who are working?

Despite the fact that those bored at work are probably more likely to respond than those on vacation, let’s try to find an approximate measure for how many Arlingtonians have Columbus Day off.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 9, 2017 at 9:00AM

Nate Remnants Pushing Out — It has been a rainy and windy morning thanks to the remnants of what was once Hurricane Nate. The heaviest of the rain is over but it is expected to remain windy and humid during the day today, with a gale warning in effect until 6 p.m. for those on the water. [Twitter, Weather Channel]

Voter Registration Up This Cycle — Arlington County has processed twice the number of voter registration transactions between Labor Day and Oct. 6 this year as it did during the same period four years ago, according to elections chief Linda Lindberg. That suggests greater interest in this year’s statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, though County Board and School Board races are also on the ballot. [InsideNova]

Arlington Schools Get Grant — Arlington is among the Virginia localities getting a grant for new school security equipment. Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Langston High School Continuation Program are together receiving $44,480 through the state program, put in place in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting in Connecticut. A total of $6 million is being divvied out to dozens of school systems, paying for “video monitoring systems, metal detectors, classroom locks, electronic-access controls, visitor-identification systems, direct communications links between schools and law enforcement agencies, and other security upgrades.” [Gov. Terry McAuliffe]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman