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.

Here’s the Aftermath of Yesterday’s Four Mile Run Drive Brush Fire

By ARLnow.com

(Updated on 5/17/17) A brush fire that burned for an hour yesterday between the Four Mile Run Drive access road and the W&OD Trail left a large, scorched scar on the hillside.

A passerby photographed the scene yesterday evening and said “you can still smell” the smoke and fire, which was caused by a downed power line.

At least one vehicle appeared to be damaged during the incident.

Photos courtesy @bobco85

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Field Lighting Recommendation Pushed to September — A long-delayed decision on whether to add lights to the athletic fields next to Williamsburg Middle School is getting delayed again: county staff says it will not have a recommendation for the County Board until September. A community work group that spent three years tackling the subject was unable to come to a consensus in its 89-page report. [InsideNova]

VDOT-Maintained Neighborhood Streets Crumbling — VDOT is trying to catch up on its paving of secondary (neighborhood) streets, but in places like Fairfax County many such roads are crumbling. Arlington County paves its own local roads rather than relying on VDOT, though the agency is still responsible for maintaining highways and some primary routes in the county. [WTOP]

School Board to Give Land to County — Despite the current school capacity crunch, the Arlington School Board is expected to deed 4.75 acres of land next to Taylor Elementary School to the county government, which will use it to expand Zachary Taylor Park. The land has been deemed too steep and unsuitable for building new facilities. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak

Arlington Named ‘Best City for Millennials’

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is now the No. 1 best “city” for millennials in the entire country, according to new rankings from the website Niche.com.

Last year Arlington ranked second on the same list. This year, as also noted by the New York Times, Arlington is at the top, ranked highly for nightlife, diversity, public schools, and being “good for families.”

Nearby Alexandria was ranked No. 4 on the list.

The rankings reflect that the millennial generation is getting older and having children. Last year’s list included grades for “access to coffee shops” and “access to restaurants,” which appears to have made way for the schools and families grades.

The top 10 cities for millennials in 2017, according to Niche:

  1. Arlington, Va.
  2. Cambridge, Mass.
  3. San Francisco, Ca.
  4. Alexandria, Va.
  5. Minneapolis, Minn.
  6. Seattle, Wa.
  7. Ann Arbor, Mich.
  8. Berkeley, Ca.
  9. Sunnyvale, Ca.
  10. Sandy Springs, Ga.

Depending on how you define the millennial generation, it constitutes somewhere between 30-40 percent of Arlington’s population, though some worry that many millennials starting families may be forced to move out due to the high cost of housing and childcare.

Previously, Arlington was ranked as having the most affluent millennials in the U.S. by Niche and Clarendon was ranked as being Washington’s best neighborhood for millennials by Zillow.

Image via Niche.com

BREAKING: Tree Down on Power Lines, Brush Fire Along Four Mile Run Drive

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Update at 2:30 p.m. — The fire has been extinguished and Four Mile Run Drive is expected to reopen shortly. The access road is expected to remain closed until the fallen tree is removed.

Update at 2:15 p.m. — Electricity has been shut off to the fallen power lines and firefighters are now working to extinguish the brush fire.

Earlier: A tree has fallen on power lines and sparked a growing brush fire along Four Mile Run Drive.

The incident was first reported by a passerby just after 1 p.m.

Initial reports suggest a large tree fell across the Four Mile Run Drive access road, striking a power line. That sparked a brush fire in the dry grass below, which as of 1:20 p.m. continues to burn.

The fire department cannot extinguish the wildfire around the power line until Dominion Power crews arrive and shut off the power, according to scanner traffic. As of 1:40 p.m. the flames were nearing vehicles parked along the access road.

Residents should expect “a lot of smoke in the area,” according to a police officer on scene. Police have shut down traffic in both directions on the access road near S. Wakefield Street and are preparing to shut down the mainline Four Mile Run Drive.

Photo courtesy Alex Chamandy, John Chandler

ACPD to Begin Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign Next Week

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police will again be stepping up enforcement of seat belt laws, starting next week.

ACPD’s enforcement campaign, part of the national Click It or Ticket program, will run through the Memorial Day holiday, from Monday, May 22 to Sunday, June 4.

More from a police press release:

The Arlington County Police Department is once again reminding motorists to Click It or Ticket. As part of the national seat belt enforcement campaign, law enforcement agencies around the country will be stepping up enforcement from May 22 to June 4, just ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Every day, unbuckled motorists are losing their lives in motor vehicle crashes. As we approach Memorial Day weekend and the summer vacation season, we want to make sure people are doing the one thing that can save them in a crash, buckling up.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half of the 22,441 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2015 were unrestrained. At night from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., that number soared to 57 percent of those killed. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.

In 2015, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 13,941 lives of occupants ages 5 and older according to the NHTSA. That’s why motorists are encouraged to buckle up every time on every ride.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

World of Beer Gets Rebranded — The Ballston location of World of Beer is no longer part of the chain and has instead been rebranded as “Crafthouse.” The restaurant — along with former WoB locations in Fairfax and Reston — is now offering a full menu of American craft fare and a drink menu that includes local beers, bourbons, whiskey, wine and other spirits. [Reston Now]

County’s Stance on Rising Homeless Population — Via an Arlington County press release: “We believe that the increase in Arlington’s numbers this year do not reflect the long-term trend in our County,” said Arlington County Board Vice Chair Katie Cristol. “Since 2008, when we launched the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, Arlington has cut its number of homeless persons by more than half. We’ve made great strides in housing veterans and chronically homeless individuals and families.” [Arlington County]

Metro Changes Next Month — Starting June 25, Metrorail’s operating hours are being shortened while rail and bus fares are increasing, rush hour rail frequency is decreasing and some bus routes are being discontinued. [WMATA]

Freddie’s Named Top Brunch Spot — Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant, a gay bar in Crystal City that hosts a Broadway brunch on Saturdays and a Champagne brunch on Sundays, has been named one of the 100 best brunch spots in America by OpenTable. [OpenTable]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Video Shows Sex Assault Suspect Sneaking into Apartment Building

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn sexual assault suspect (photo courtesy ACPD)

(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) A new video released by the Arlington County Police Department shows the suspect in a violent sexual assault sneaking into another Rosslyn apartment building.

The video shows the man — described as a slim, 6-foot-tall black male in his early 20s — walking into the secured apartment building, on the 1900 block of Wilson Blvd, behind a resident who was walking her dog.

“The suspect is then stopped by the concierge who refused further access into the building,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The suspect leaves the area on foot in the direction of the 1500 block of Key Boulevard,” where the May 7 attack took place shortly thereafter.

From a prior police press release:

If anyone has information on the identity of this individual or details surrounding this incident, please contact Detective P. Pena of the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit at 703.228.4183 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Savage cautions residents of secured residential buildings against letting “common courtesy come before safety.”

“Don’t permit a stranger into a secure building or buzz them into a building,” she said. “Don’t hold a door open for someone who is not authorized to be in the building. Once you enter a secure building, ensure the door closes securely behind you. If you see suspicious behavior, report to police.”

Ray’s Hell Burger to Close in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The famous, ever-evolving Ray’s Hell Burger restaurant in Rosslyn, often named on lists of the best burgers in the United States, is closing.

Signs up at Ray’s Hell Burger, at 1650 Wilson Blvd, say it is going on “hiatus.” Last night an employee told ARLnow.com he did not know when it would reopen.

“Beginning Sunday, May 14 this location of Ray’s Hell-Burger will be on hiatus. The last service will be on Saturday, May 13,” the sign says. “Please continue to visit Ray’s Hell Burger at 449 K Street NW, 7 days a week. Ray’s the Steaks accepts reservations 7 days a week at 2300 Wilson Blvd (sorry, no burgers).”

Owner Michael Landrum could not immediately be reached for comment.

Hat tip to Sarah W.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Homeless Population on the Rise in Arlington — “Most jurisdictions saw declines in homelessness from 2016, though the population… increased by 33 percent in Arlington County. Kathleen Sibert, the president and chief executive of the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network, noted that because Arlington has a relatively small homeless population, modest fluctuations can create dramatic-looking percentage increases or decreases.” [Washington Post]

More on New Rosslyn McDonald’s — The new state-of-the-art McDonald’s in Rosslyn has some food offerings not available elsewhere in D.C. It has an in-house bakery that serves fresh pastries; the other closest McDonald’s with a bakery is in New York City. Also, the restaurant will soon offer two special ice cream sundaes: turtle brownie and strawberry shortcake. [Rosslyn BID]

County Seeks Volunteers for ‘BioBlitz’ — “Arlington County is seeking dedicated volunteers to support its May 20 ‘BioBlitz,’ a quick-but-intense wilderness exploration that will produce a catalog of our natural holdings spotted within a 24-hour window. Think of it as a snapshot of the common-to-rare wildlife that can be found hiding in plain sight within our borders.” [Arlington County]

Drafthouse Continues to Critique Kennedy Center — Arlington Cinema Drafthouse owner Greg Godbout has penned another letter to customers that makes the case for why the Kennedy Center is competing unfairly for comedy acts. The letter also accuses the center of “lying” and a “cover up” after Godbout went public with his initial criticism. [Drafthouse Comedy]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Just Listed in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Just Listed banner

Just Listed highlights Arlington properties that just came on the market within the past week. This feature is written and sponsored by Team Cathell, “Your Orange Line Specialists.”

Buyers got a break this week as the tables turned a bit on sellers. More inventory entered the market than left the market. Some 97 fresh new listings hit the market this week, while buyers ratified only 77 contracts. Loan officers reported that applications dropped mysteriously without any explanation. The big boost in inventory is great news for buyers.

Incredibly the days on market spiked to 60 this week from only 22 last week. Of the 77 homes sold, 32 sold within a week. But there were 13 homes that had been on the market over a year that sold this week. Many of those exercised some late coming price drops that made them more attractive demonstrating that the market remains very price sensitive.

Mortgage rates held steady with just a slight rise. The 30-yr fixed rate rose about four basis points to end at 4.18%.

Click to see all the fresh new inventory in MRIS and call Team Cathell (703-975-2500) when you find a home you like.

ACFD Investigating Intentionally-Set Fire at Arlington Church

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Someone tried to light a door on fire at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses church in the East Falls Church neighborhood of Arlington this morning.

The fire was set using a flammable substance just before 10 a.m., according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Jason Hart. The fire damaged the door — an entrance to the church sanctuary — and some surrounding bushes but did not spread beyond that.

Investigators from the Fire Marshal’s Office are still on scene this afternoon, gathering evidence.

This is the second such arson case currently being investigated in Northern Virginia, Hart said; a similar fire was recently set at a Jehovah’s Witnesses church in the Falls Church section of Fairfax County.

Arlington authorities are coordinating the investigation with their Fairfax County counterparts, according to Hart.

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