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Man Dies After Glebe Road Moped Crash

Published April 23, 2017 at 9:55AM

An Alexandria man has died after losing control of his moped and crashing into a sign.

The crash happened in rainy weather around 5:40 p.m. Saturday, on S. Glebe Road near ramps to and from I-395.

From an Arlington County Police Department press release:

At approximately 5:40 p.m. on April 22, police were dispatched to the 2400 block of S. Glebe Road for the report of a single-vehicle crash involving a moped. Arlington County Fire Department medics administered CPR before transporting Virgiliro Lopez, 45, of Alexandria, VA to George Washington University Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Detectives from the Critical Accident Team (CAT) responded to the scene. The initial investigation revealed the driver was traveling southbound on Glebe Road when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a traffic sign in the median. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has additional information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective T. Parsons at [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously to Arlington County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.

Glebe Road was closed or at least partially blocked for more than an hour following the crash, while police investigated. NBC 4’s Darcy Spencer tweeted the following photo from the scene.

#BREAKING Moped Driver Injured After Crashing Into Pole in Arlingtonhttps://t.co/03ztyiScPN pic.twitter.com/RVutVYiF8W

— Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer) April 22, 2017

Open Houses In Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published April 21, 2017 at 2:00PM

On the lookout for a new home? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing in Arlington this weekend.

Check out our real estate section for a full listing of open houses this weekend. Here are a few highlights:

4362 N. Pershing Drive
1 Bed/1 Bath Townhome
Agent: Vickie Dziuk
Listed: $220,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

3650 S. Glebe Road
1 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Peter Braun
Listed: $349,900
Open: Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

2522 N. Winchester Street
2 Bed/1 Bath Multi-Family
Agent: Bradley Wisley
Listed: $500,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

4043 Columbia Pike
3 Bed/2.5 Bath Townhome
Agent: Ronald Cathell
Listed: $625,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

890 N. Nottingham Street
4 Bed/2 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Ann Wilson
Listed: $750,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

1309 19th Road S.
4 Beds/3.5 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Virginia Smith
Listed: $985,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

117 N. Fillmore Street
5 Bed/5 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Nancy Yahner
Listed: $1,169,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

Interested in getting your open house listed? Email us.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 21, 2017 at 9:00AM | Updated April 21, 2017 at 9:51AM

Budget Plan Has Slightly Lower Tax Rate Hike — The 2017-2018 county budget that Arlington County Board members are set to vote on this weekend includes a 1.5 cent tax rate hike, a half cent lower than first proposed. The budget includes increased funding for schools, Metro, county employee raises, land acquisition and services for immigrants faced with deportation. It raises the tax burden on the average homeowner by about $300. [InsideNova, Washington Post]

No Easter Egg Roll Tix for APS — Arlington Public Schools received hundreds of tickets to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll under the Obama administration, but did not receive any for President Trump’s first egg roll this year. D.C. Public Schools also were not invited. Critics say minority children were under-represented at the event. [Patch]

Big County Events This Weekend — Among the events in Arlington this weekend are a trio of major annual happenings: the Arlington Homeshow and Garden Expo at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, the Arlington Teen Summer Expo at Wakefield High School and the Arlington Festival of the Arts in Clarendon.

Blue Virginia’s County Board Endorsement — Influential local Democratic blog Blue Virginia has endorsed Erik Gutshall in the race for Arlington County Board. A party caucus will be held next month for the four-way Democratic contest. [Blue Virginia]

Arlington Pet of the Week: Harper

Published April 19, 2017 at 1:15PM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Harper, a Redskins and Nationals fan who loves Shirlington. Here is what her owner, Jamie, had to say about her:

Harper is a 2.5 year old toy poodle. My husband and I got her last Christmas and she turned out to be the only gift that mattered. Every day since she has brightened our lives and those around us with her playful and sweet nature. She has a lot of energy and is always eager to play fetch, go for a swim, take a romp in the snow or play with other dogs. However, when she’s ready to settle down, she enjoys belly rubs and snuggles.

She is definitely a dog of the community. As a big DC sports fan, she tolerates wearing Redskins and Nats jerseys on game days. On nice days, she loves to walk around the Shirlington Village (so many other dogs and kids for her entertainment!). She also loves trips to the dog park and though she may be small, she runs circles around the other dogs there. We’re so glad we “rescued” her from Maryland and made her a Virginian. Harper is loving life in Arlington (and so are her parents!).

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

#Pet of the Week

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published April 14, 2017 at 10:30AM

Looking for somewhere new to live? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing in Arlington this Easter weekend.

Check out our real estate section for a full listing of open houses this weekend. Here are a few highlights:

2615 S. Walter Reed Drive
2 Bed/1 Bath Townhome
Agent: Charles Bengel
Listed: $320,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

1300 Army Navy Drive
2 Bed/2 Bath Condo
Agent: Edward Downs
Listed: $443,500
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

4043 Columbia Pike
3 Bed/2.5 Bath Townhome
Agent: Ronald Cathell
Listed: $625,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

613 S. Taylor Street
4 Bed/3 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Patrick Loftus
Listed: $799,900
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

5011 14th Street N
4 Bed/3 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Ronald Cathell
Listed: $899,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

239 N. Barton Street
3 Beds/2.5 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Ronald Cathell
Listed: $998,900
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

3819 N. Tazewell Street
3 Bed/3.5 Bath Townhome
Agent: Matthew Shepard
Listed: $1,150,000
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

Interested in getting your open house listed? Email us.

Podcast: Matt Hussmann of the Clarendon Alliance

By ARLnow.com

Published April 12, 2017 at 5:30PM

Matt Hussman is the executive director of the Clarendon Alliance, the organization that is charged with improving “the health and vitality of the Clarendon corridor.”

The alliance is a booster for local businesses and helps to put on the annual Clarendon Day festival and a number of other events.

In this week’s 26 Square Miles podcast, we asked Matt about the current state of Clarendon, about turnover among restaurants and retailers, and about the future of the neighborhood — including development projects in various states of planning or construction.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Shiro

Published April 12, 2017 at 12:30PM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Shiro, a cat who loves playing fetch. This is what her owner, Carletta, had to say about her:

Shiro was adopted from the amazing Homeward Trails Rescue organization just over two years ago. Originally we thought we were maybe just going to foster her but after two days we knew that there was no way possible we were giving her away!

She is impossibly sweet, loves to play fetch and will chase a laser light until your arm is about to fall off. She also is a big fan of sleeping under blankets and love, love, loves to rip up paper! I know that you can’t compare pets to people but she’s my baby and I’m a better human being because she came into my life. She is calming, funny and everything I didn’t know I needed in a pet until we got her.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

#Pet of the Week

Open Houses In Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published April 7, 2017 at 2:00PM

On the lookout for somewhere new to live? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing in Arlington this weekend.

Check out our real estate section for a full listing of open houses this weekend. Here are a few highlights:

2903 S. Woodley Street
1 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Carrie Shokraei
Listed: $265,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

1301 Courthouse Road
2 Bed/2 Bath Condo
Agent: Richard Nathan
Listed: $534,800
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

316 S. Fenwick Street
3 Bed/1.5 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Elizabeth Lucchesi
Listed: $745,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

29 N. Oakland Street
3 Bed/3.5 Bath Townhome
Agent: Ronald Cathell
Listed: $799,900
Open: Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

5011 14th Street N
4 Bed/3 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Ronald Cathell
Listed: $899,900
Open: Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

3700 N. Woodstock Street
5 Beds/4 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Kevin Love
Listed: $1,000,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

2601 N. Jefferson Street
4 Bed/4.5 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Christopher Downey
Listed: $1,124,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

Interested in getting your open house listed? Email us.

BREAKING: Storm Damage Reported Around Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published April 6, 2017 at 2:00PM | Updated April 6, 2017 at 5:47PM

Storm damage to Macy’s in Pentagon City (photo courtesy David L.)

Storm damage to Macy’s in Pentagon City and damage to car

A fallen tree damaged a home on N. Wakefield Street

A fallen tree damaged a home on N. Wakefield Street (photo courtesy Monica Morin)

A taxi was damaged by a fallen tree and other debris on S. Randolph Street

A fallen tree on Lee Highway at N. Park Drive damaged a car by a bus stop

(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) A severe thunderstorm that ripped through Arlington just after lunchtime has left some debris and damage in its wake.

In Pentagon City, part of the facade and roof of the Macy’s at the Pentagon City mall was damaged and a portion of it fell onto a car. One minor injury has been reported. As of 2:45 p.m., workers were on the roof inspecting the damage.

According to scanner reports, a tree fell on a car near the intersection of Route 50 and Park Drive. The two occupants of the vehicle were shaken up but not injured.

A tree fell into a home on the 1400 block of N. Wakefield Street, a few blocks from Washington-Lee High School, according to a fire department dispatch. The tree caused damage to the front of the house, but did not hit a car parked next door.

A number of other instances of trees and utility lines falling have been reported around the county, including at the intersections of S. Wayne Street and 6th Street S., S. Adams Street and 8th Street S., and 31st Street S. and S. Randolph Street.

As of 2:45 p.m., just over 550 Dominion customers were without power, according to the company’s outage map.

Via Twitter, residents say the storm brought hail in addition to very strong winds.

https://twitter.com/TylerSuiters/status/850042341238943744

https://twitter.com/makalea_b/status/850041880893063168

https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/850045146133561345

Today's storms⛈have caused many down trees. These are pics are of a near miss on the 1400 block of N Wakefield. Thankfully no injuries! pic.twitter.com/WpICI0AIE6

— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) April 6, 2017

https://twitter.com/RyanMiller_WX/status/850066486035132416

@WODTrail tree down on Curtis trail. By new EZPass structures on I66. @ARLnowDOTcom pic.twitter.com/D5orvs9LP8

— Brendan (@kiteboardr) April 6, 2017

Morning Poll: Shop Local vs. Shop Online

By ARLnow.com

Published April 6, 2017 at 10:15AM | Updated April 6, 2017 at 10:44AM

This week brought the sad news that long-time local outdoor retailer Casual Adventure is closing up shop.

The owners wrote that it’s “no secret that the old retail model no longer works” at a time when online retailers keep gaining market share.

There is a reason why Amazon’s market value is now almost twice that of Walmart.

You know things are topsy-turvy when Bethesda residents are petitioning against the closure of a large chain bookstore — which 20 years ago would have been criticized for running independent bookstores out of business.

“Shop local” has been a popular rallying cry recently for those who value the community-enhancing power of local businesses, but it’s hard to deny that there are a ton of empty Amazon boxes sitting curbside on recycling day. “Shop local” is nice in theory, but the convenience and low prices online often win out when it’s time to actually make a purchase.

In today’s poll, we wanted to find out where Arlingtonians stand on this.

Think of a category of something you want to buy — outdoor goods, books, pet supplies, etc. What are you most likely to do: specifically seek out a local bricks-and-mortar retail store to buy the product, or just buy it online from Amazon or another site?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 6, 2017 at 9:00AM

John Glenn to Be Buried Today — Astronaut, U.S. senator and one-time Arlington resident John Glenn will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery this morning. Glenn died in December at the age of 95. Arlington County Police Department motor units are assisting with rolling road closures for the funeral procession. [Rare]

CivFed Rejects Tax Hike — The Arlington County Civic Federation voted “overwhelmingly” to call on the County Board to reject a proposed property tax rate hike and instead tap into reserve funds to provide needed funding boosts for Metro and Arlington Public Schools. [InsideNova]

Tears for Casual Adventure — Long-time customers, employees and owners of Casual Adventure in Virginia Square are all shedding tears as the 61-year-old store prepares to close. The outdoor retailer is holding a store closing sale to liquidate its inventory. [NBC Washington]

Lawsuit: Sexual Harassment in Arlington Apartment — A lawsuit alleges that a 72-year-old official with a small graduate school in D.C. coerced students “into sexually explicit physical examinations at his Arlington, Va., apartment, ostensibly to keep their jobs and advance their careers.” [Washington Post]

Buckingham Profiled by WaPo — Buckingham is a diverse, relatively affordable community near Ballston and the Orange Line. But its civic association president does not like the direction the neighborhood is headed — and he didn’t mind expressing that in the Washington Post’s “Where We Live” community real estate profile. “For Bernie Berne… the biggest issue is the ‘destruction of the neighborhood by affordable housing,'” the paper wrote. “Berne… said he believes the ‘increase in the density’ of the area ‘takes away open space and trees.'” [Washington Post]