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 County and other D.C. area jurisdictions are under a Dense Fog Advisory this morning.
From the National Weather Service:
… DENSE FOG ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EDT TODAY… * VISIBILITIES… ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS. * IMPACTS… AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL CAUSE SUDDEN REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY AND RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING, SLOW DOWN, USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS, AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU. &&
The fog is causing some delays at Reagan National Airport, the airport tweeted this morning.
Some fog this am causing minor delays. Check with your airline for your flight status. Happy Monday! pic.twitter.com/IOwGZBOY20
After one last blast of cold weather this week, it appears that old man winter has taken his last bow for the season, according to our friends at the Capital Weather Gang.
Also bowing out: the Republican effort to pass a replacement for the Affordable Care Act. A number of local lawmakers and Democratic political candidates have issued statements on the bill’s failure this afternoon, including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
While the healthcare bill has received much of the national media attention this week, it was also a busy local news week. Here are some of theweek’smost-readarticles.
Feel free to discuss the return of spring-like weather, the healthcare brouhaha on Capitol Hill or any other topic of local interest in the comments.
A convenience store was robbed in the Shirlington area Wednesday night.
The 7-Eleven at 2815 S. Wakefield Street was robbed by a group of three suspects, one of whom had a gun, according to police. No one was hurt during the robbery.
The same store, located down the hill from the Fairlington neighborhood, was robbed by a pair of suspects in October 2015.
More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ROBBERY, 2017-03220254, 2800 block of S. Wakefield Street. At approximately 10:49 p.m. on March 22, officers were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Three unknown suspects approached a store, however one remained outside while the other two suspects entered. Once inside, one suspect displayed a firearm and demanded money from the register. All three suspects then fled the area with an undisclosed amount of cash and items of value. The first suspect is described as a white male, possibly Hispanic, approximately 5’05”-5’11” tall, weighing approximately 150-180 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, khaki pants and white shoes. The second suspect is described as a white male, possibly Hispanic, approximately 5’05”-5’11” tall, weighing approximately 150-180 lbs, wearing a tan jacket, blue jeans and white shoes. There is no physical description for the third suspect.
Two people have been arrested after police interrupted their very public lovemaking in Rosslyn.
The incident happened behind Fire Station 10, in Rosslyn Highlands Park, according to scanner traffic.
“At approximately 3:32 p.m. on March 22, officers were dispatched to the report of two subjects allegedly engaged in sexual activity in public view,” Arlington County Police said in a crime report. “As officers were conducting the investigation, the female subject charged at the officer and struck him repeatedly.”
“Nicole Faircloth, 42, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with assault and battery on police and performing a sexual act in a public place,” the crime report continued. “Petko Ubiparipovic, 42, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with performing a sexual act in a public place. Both were held on bond.”
Arlington Population Continues to Rise — The latest Census Bureau estimate of Arlington’s population is 230,050, a 0.9 percent rise over the previous year. [InsideNova]
LaHood to Review WMATA — Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been tapped by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to conduct an independent review of Metro’s “operating, governance, and financial conditions.” The review will “develop recommendations for potential WMATA reforms, including mitigating growth in annual operating costs and sustainable funding.” [Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Washington Post]
Private Investigators Set Up Shop in Arlington — A group of private investigators is trying to solve the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich last July. The group, which does not have the support of Rich’s family, is working out of a “war room” in Arlington as it tries to piece together clues about the fatal shooting in D.C.’s Bloomingdale neighborhood. [DCist, WJLA]
County Board Hears Complaint About Poo — A resident’s complaint at a County Board meeting, about a homeless man “appropriating” a bus stop in Rosslyn, led to the following sentence in the Sun Gazette: “County-government spokesman Mary Curtius said it was ‘exceedingly rare’ to find human waste at bus stops.” [InsideNova]
Schaeffer’s Favorite Arlington Things — Eric Schaeffer, co-founder and artistic director of Shirlington’s Signature Theatre, recently shared some of his favorite local spots. Among them: French store Le Marche and Irish pub Samuel Beckett’s, both in Shirlington, along with Pupatella pizzeria in Bluemont and P.F. Chang’s in Ballston. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
An Arlington County Police officer was stabbed in the neck and saved from further injury by his ballistic vest during a confrontation with a man suffering an apparent mental health crisis.
The incident happened on the 800 block of N. Irving Street, two blocks from Clarendon.
Crisis Intervention Team trained officers were serving an emergency custody order on a 28-year-old resident around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to an ACPD crime report, when the man pulled out a knife and tried to tried to stab officers and take their weapons.
The officers, who are trained in non-lethal ways to deal with combative suspects, used a Taser to subdue him and take him into custody.
“One officer suffered a non-life threatening wound to the neck and numerous strikes to the body were obstructed by his ballistic vest,” according to the crime report, below.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2017-03220058, 800 block of N. Irving Street. At approximately 6:57 a.m. on March 22, officers were dispatched to the area to serve an emergency custody order on a subject. As the Crisis Intervention Trained officers made contact with the subject inside the residence, he advanced towards them, reached behind his back and produced a knife. The officers were able to block the initial strike and take the subject to the ground where he continued to be combative and repeatedly attempted to disarm the officers. A taser was deployed and the subject was taken into custody. One officer suffered a non-life threatening wound to the neck and numerous strikes to the body were obstructed by his ballistic vest. John Fitzgerald, 28, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with malicious wounding on law enforcement, assault and battery on police and attempt to disarm an officer.
An Arlingwood house generated a number of complaints in 2017 for signage claiming it was ‘poisoned’ as well as weeds (file photo from 2017)
An Arlingwood house generated a number of complaints in 2017 for signage claiming it was ‘poisoned’ as well as weeds (file photo from 2017)
An Arlingwood house generated a number of complaints in 2017 for signage claiming it was ‘poisoned’ as well as weeds (file photo from 2017)
Arlingtonwood is a tiny, affluent neighborhood nestled near the GW Parkway and Chain Bridge in the far northern corner of Arlington.
Amid what is otherwise an idyllic suburban scene along N. Richmond Street, one house stands out: a low-slung brick home covered in handwritten signs and Sharpie-scrawled writing on the white siding and doors.
“POISONED HOUSE, DO NOT ENTER – KEEP OUT,” reads the writing next to the main entrance. “DO NOT TAKE AND DO NOT REMOVE ANY POISONED ITEMS FROM MY POISONED HOUSE.”
The note goes on to claim that the house was poisoned in 1999 with various “dangerous substances” and that the “poisoning was proved to the FBI and Arlington police including other U.S. government agencies.”
“U.S. President Clinton was informed in 2000 and U.S. President Bush in 2001,” the sign continues.
Needless to say, neighbors are not happy with the signage.
“I have contacted the [county] and Arlington states there is nothing they can do because the signs are on private property,” one resident told ARLnow.com. “These signs affect everyone in the area as this home is stating there are poisonous gases everywhere (in the ground, her house, etc.). People stop all the time and ask if it is safe to be in the area.”
Gary Greene, Code Enforcement Section Chief for Arlington County, confirmed that there is basically nothing the county can do about the signs and writing. He said that the county has received seven complaints about the home in the past 12 years and that the only actionable code violations found — like an overgrown lawn — were corrected by the homeowner, who does not live in the house.
There is one outstanding “minor” code violation, Greene said, but it has nothing to do with the house being vacant or covered with signs. The signs are not in violation of Virginia law or county ordinance, he said.
“The signs, letters and wall writings visible on the front façade of the property were placed there in 2005 by the property owner; they have been a primary driver for complaint calls,” Greene said. “The signs, letters and wall writings are not of a commercial or political nature and have not been found in violation of any of Arlington’s property related ordinances.”
The house, which was recently assessed by the county at $862,500, was nearly auctioned by Arlington County in 2015 for non-payment of property taxes — but the taxes were eventually paid along with a penalty fee and interest, county records show. It is currently in good standing with the tax office after $8,570.16 in property taxes were paid in 2016.
Pike Booster ‘Disappointed’ By Transit Delay — Cecilia Cassidy, executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, said the group is “very disappointed” by the latest delay in bringing enhanced transit service to the Pike. Cassidy said the cancellation of the streetcar cancelled much of the planned development along the Pike and that the delays in providing a viable transit alternative have put other development into a holding pattern. [WAMU]
More on DCA Plans — The airports authority has released more details about “Project Journey,” its $1 billion plan for upgrading Reagan National Airport. “Scheduled to mobilize in summer 2017, Project Journey includes construction of two new security checkpoints that fully connect the concourse level of Terminal B/C to airline gate areas, buildout of an enclosed commuter concourse to replace the 14 outdoor gates currently serviced by buses from gate 35X and future improvements to roadway and parking configurations.” [Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority]
Good News, Bad News About Tech in Arlington — Arlington has risen in the rankings of the best places in the U.S. for women in tech, from No. 34 to No. 22 this year. However, women in tech in Arlington still earn less than men, there are significantly more men than women employed in tech in Arlington and overall tech job growth in Arlington over the past four years is flat. D.C., meanwhile, ranked No. 1 on the list. [DCInno]
A man has been arrested and accused of damaging two cars by throwing stuff off his apartment balcony in Pentagon City.
Police responded to the 1200 block of S. Eads Street around 6:20 a.m. this past Saturday morning after getting a call about items being thrown from a balcony.
Among the objects found damaged on the street were two fire extinguishers belonging to the apartment building and a clay statue, according to police.
Officers arrested a 26-year-old man and charged him with reckless endangerment and other crimes.
“The suspect advised he had been consuming alcohol prior to the incident and did not provide an explanation for his alleged actions,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
More from an ACPD crime report:
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY(Significant), 2017-03180081, 1200 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 6:20 a.m. on March 18, officers responded to the report of a subject throwing items from a balcony. Upon arrival, officers located several items in the roadway and on the sidewalk which appeared to have come from one of the residences. During the investigation, officers located two vehicles damaged by the items thrown. Gregory Matthew Pencosky, 26, of Arlington VA, was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, petit larceny, and destruction of property. He was held on a $3000 secured bond.
The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.
(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Police are talking to a man who was allegedly involved in a stabbing in Arlington’s Douglas Park neighborhood this morning.
The stabbing happened shortly before 10 a.m. in an apartment on the 1300 block of S. Taylor Street, near Doctor’s Run Park and Randolph Elementary School.
The male victim was stabbed in the back, according to scanner traffic. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Police… remain on scene investigating,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.com. “We have identified and are speaking to the other party involved and are not looking for any additional subjects involved in this incident.”
