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.

Photos: Fourth of July 2023 fireworks and fun

By ARLnow.com
1/30

Missed the fireworks on the National Mall last night? Or just want to relive the Fourth of July grandeur?

ARLnow staff photographer Jay Westcott brought his cameras to the Marine Corps War Memorial near Rosslyn to capture the show and some of those watching the show.

Unlike past years when weather resulted in extra haze that obscured the fireworks, the 2023 edition benefited from clear skies and relatively pleasant temperatures.

The fireworks viewing was not the only Independence Day celebration of note in Arlington. Neighborhood events were held throughout the county, including the annual parades and block parties in places like Barcroft and Douglas Park.

Have your own photos to share? Show them off in the comments.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
An airliner on approach to DCA over Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Local Pickleball Saga in NYT — “Arlington’s pickleball drama made the front page of the New York Times.” [Twitter, New York Times]

Arrest for Assaulting Police — “1200 block of S. Courthouse Road. At approximately 7:14 p.m. on June 30, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, the reporting party advised a possibly intoxicated individual was located in the stairway of a residential building. As the arriving officer was attempting to take the suspect into custody, he allegedly became combative, resisted arrest and struck the officer. With the assistance of additional police units, the suspect was taken into custody, during which he struck and headbutted a second officer.” [ACPD]

Fire in Crystal City — Construction debris reportedly caught fire on an upper floor of an under-construction building on the 1900 block of Crystal Drive over the weekend. [Twitter]

Crash on I-395 — From Dave Statter: “Vehicle stops on I-395S 8A ramp across from the Pentagon, backs up, crosses over to the Pentagon ramp, causes another driver to run off the road knocking down a sign, and then drives away. It was 7:10 pm. Hope someone got the tag.” [Twitter]

Local Bank to Close — “Alexandria’s Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. is planning to close its full-service branch in Crystal City and is looking to replace it with a smaller location somewhere between Amazon.com Inc.’s second headquarters in Pentagon City and Virginia Tech’s forthcoming Innovation Campus at Potomac Yard. The $3.7 billion-asset bank recently put its 1,217-square-foot space at 500 23rd St.” [Washington Business Journal]

YHS Tennis Star Places in State Tourney — “Rayan Elkhalifi… moved to Arlington for the 2022-23 school year from Morocco, where he did not play high-school tennis as a freshman, sophomore or junior. For Yorktown, Elkhalifi won Liberty District and 6D North Region tournament singles championships, then finished second in the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state tourney.” [Gazette Leader]

Pornhub Now Blocking Va. Users — “Pornhub is pulling out … of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The wildly popular smut purveyor shut down access to amorous Dominion state residents to protest a new law requiring age verification.” [New York Post, Virginia Mercury]

Code Orange Alert Today — “The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Code ORANGE Air Quality Alert Wednesday for Northern Virginia. A Code Orange Air Quality Alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups.” [Weather.gov]

It’s Wednesday — A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind becoming north around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. [Weather.gov]

UPDATED: Two dead, one fighting for her life after early morning crash

By ARLnow.com
Intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and S. Dinwiddie Street (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 6:15 p.m.) A vehicle with three people inside crashed into a tree along S. Walter Reed Drive early this morning, killing the 23-year-old driver and a 21-year-old passenger.

The July 4 crash happened around 2 a.m. at the intersection with S. Dinwiddie Street — a few blocks from Route 7 and from Wakefield High School. The force of the crash caused the vehicle to catch fire.

The circumstances leading to the crash are currently unclear. Arlington County police are asking anyone with information about it to contact investigators.

At last check, there was one surviving passenger with critical injuries, being treated at a local trauma center.

ACPD said Tuesday evening that a passenger, originally listed in critical condition, had died.

“The driver has been identified as 23-year-old Furkan Avkan of Alexandria, VA,” the police department said. “A passenger in the vehicle passed away at the hospital. She has been identified 21-year-old Habiba Harbaoui who was visiting the area from Tunisia.”

The initial ACPD press release is below.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred in the early morning hours of July 4, 2023.

At approximately 2:06 a.m., police were dispatched to S. Walter Reed Drive at S. Dinwiddie Street for the report of a vehicle fire. The preliminary investigation indicates the occupants were traveling southbound on Walter Reed Drive when the vehicle left the roadway, entered the median, struck a tree and caught fire.

The adult male driver was located unresponsive inside the vehicle and pronounced deceased on scene. The two passengers, both adult females, were removed from the vehicle and transported to area hospitals in critical condition.

The identity of the driver is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective T. Parsons at [email protected] or 703-228-4172. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for Arlington, D.C. area

By ARLnow.com
Storm clouds moving in over Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington and the D.C. area are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch Monday afternoon and evening.

The watch is in effect until 10 p.m.

From the National Weather Service: “A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 10pm. Scattered severe storms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and large hail are possible through this evening. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. There is also an isolated threat for flash flooding during this time.”

 

ACFD investigating ‘suspicious’ vehicle fire near Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

 

The Arlington County Fire Department responds to a call in Shirlington in Oct. 2019 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington County fire marshals are investigating a vehicle fire in the Shirlington area that might have been deliberately set.

The incident happened this past Friday morning on the 4500 block of 31st Street S., between the Shirlington and Fairlington neighborhoods.

“The Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD), Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is investigating a vehicle fire that occurred at approximately 6:00 a.m. on the morning of June 30,” Capt. Nathaniel C. Hiner tells ARLnow. “The ACFD arrived on the scene of the fire and found a black BMW X5 completely engulfed in fire. The OFM has determined the fire to be suspicious in nature and is asking nearby residents that may have any information that could benefit the investigation to please contact Deputy Fire Marshal Ryan Murphy [at] [email protected].”

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Power lines near the Bluemont Junction Trail (photo courtesy Eric Dunham)

Road Closures Tomorrow — “The Arlington County Police Department, Virginia State Police, United States Park Police, and Virginia Department of Transportation will close multiple roadways on Tuesday, July 4th, 2023. These closures are designed to facilitate the safe passage of large crowds for the Independence Day events and fireworks.” [Arlington County]

County Gov’t Closed on July 4 — “Arlington County Government offices & services are operating on modified schedules for the Independence Day holiday… Permit parking is always in effect unless specifically noted on the sign. Meters are not enforced on holidays.” [Arlington County, Arlington County]

SoberRide Active for Holiday — From the Arlington County Police Department: “If your celebration includes alcohol, plan a safe ride home before the festivities begin. This Independence Day, @WRAP_org is offering free Lyft rides to help prevent impaired driving.” [Twitter, SoberRide]

Armed Robbery in Cherrydale — ” 3900 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 12:10 p.m. on June 29, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered a business, brandished a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.” [ACPD]

Friday’s Road Work Near Ballston — “According to Arlington Department of Environmental Services, around 2:12 p.m., a sink hole was reported at Washington Boulevard and North Glebe Road. It was caused by a valve leak in that area and resulted in traffic being limited to the intersection. Crews reported to the scene to to repair the leak and restore the road surface. Drivers were advised to seek alternative routes at the time.” [WUSA 9]

Beyer Revives SCOTUS Bill — “Today, Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Don Beyer (VA-08) reintroduced The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act following the Supreme Court’s decision to block the Biden Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan.” [Press Release]

Light Publishing Schedule Today — As today is a quasi-holiday with July 4 tomorrow, ARLnow will be operating on a light publishing schedule. We will not be publishing tomorrow, except in the event of breaking news, but will be back fully on Wednesday.

It’s Monday — A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 5pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Otherwise partly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. At night: Showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms. [Weather.gov]

UPDATED: Large power outage affecting Ballston, neighborhoods along Wilson Blvd

By ARLnow.com
Power outage map on 7/1/23 (via Dominion)

Update at 2:35 p.m. — About 500 customers remain without power in Arlington. A Dominion spokeswoman says the outage was caused by an “unrelated tree contractor [dropping] a tree on our wire.”

Earlier: Nearly 4,600 Dominion customers are in the dark as a result of a widespread power outage Saturday morning.

It’s unclear what caused the outage, which stretches from Ballston to Bluemont to Boulevard Manor to Dominion Hills along the Wilson Blvd corridor, according to Dominion’s outage map and emailed tips to ARLnow.

As of publication time, Dominion is estimating that power will be restored between 1-4 p.m.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jun 30, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 6087 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Jun 30, 2023.

  1. Plans to turn Nottingham Elementary into ‘swing space’ prompt swift backlash
  2. Morning Notes
  3. Ballston Quarter is getting an interactive art installation for the month of July
  4. A gym in Shirlington hunts for a new home before closing its doors in August

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. Arlington pulled prosecutors from traffic court. A driver who struck a girl on a bike escaped charges on an error. (13297 views)
  2. Arlington to consider hunting and sterilizing deer, or fencing parks, to cull herds (7834 views)
  3. JUST IN: Community activist charged with sexual assault (7745 views)
  4. ACPD: Bystanders intervene as suspect fights officer in Clarendon (7063 views)
  5. The new “athletic country club” in Clarendon is sprinting to open next month (6661 views)
  6. A tricycle-based Turkish coffee purveyor has set up shop in Ballston (5941 views)
  7. Three hurt in serious Route 50 crash (5106 views)
  8. NEW: Code Red air quality alert issued for Thursday (4766 views)
  9. More than a dozen mirrors stolen from cars parked in S. Arlington (3565 views)
  10. Plans to turn Nottingham Elementary into ‘swing space’ prompt swift backlash (3417 views)
  11. Parents call on APS to address slow academic growth, teacher turnover at Oakridge Elementary (3184 views)
  12. New draft plan for Langston Blvd calls for private development to help build public benefits (2598 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

⛈️ Saturday’s forecast

Scattered showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. At night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
– Chinese Proverb

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Haze in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Crystal House Development Advancing — “The first of those phases — for which the APAH-EYA venture submitted a site plan amendment application last week to the county’s planning department — would see an 80-unit all-affordable housing building for seniors at the site’s northern edge, along South 18th Street, in lieu of the 63-unit market-rate condo building currently approved to go there. The applicant aims to apply for low-income housing tax credits in the coming months to help finance the project, break ground next year and deliver the building in 2026.” [Washington Business Journal]

Reminder: Illegal Fireworks in Va. — “In general, any firework that explodes, moves on the ground or in the air, or shoots a projectile is illegal in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many localities prohibit the sale, possession or use of all fireworks. The State Fire Marshal’s Office advises Virginians to check local ordinances as well as the Statewide Fire Prevention Code prior to purchasing and utilizing fireworks.” [Press Release]

Fireworks Safety Tips — From the Arlington County Fire Department: “Only buy fireworks from ACFD approved stands, look for the ACFD permit! – Light only 1 firework at a time. – Follow the label directions carefully.” [Twitter, ACFD]

Premature Death Study — “In Northern Virginia, the likelihood that you’ll live to the age of 75 mostly hinges on your racial and ethnic background and what neighborhood you live in, according to a new report from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University. Race, ethnicity, and neighborhood were also major factors in determining whether you died from COVID-19 between 2020 and 2021, the report found.” [DCist]

Police Host Pride Event — From the Arlington County Police Department: “ACPD’s 2023 Pride with the Police event was a huge success thanks to our hosts at Freddie’s Beach Bar and our Arlington public safety partners. Thank you all for joining us! Happy Pride Month!” [Twitter]

Video of Chase Through Arlington — “Heart-pounding video shows a police chase through Northern Virginia and into D.C. at speeds well above 100 mph. Northern Virginia Bureau Reporter Drew Wilder reports the Virginia State Police dashboard camera video just became available after the driver was convicted and sentenced in court.” [NBC 4, Twitter]

It’s Friday — A slight chance of showers between 2pm and 5pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jun 29, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 10221 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Jun 29, 2023.

  1. A tricycle-based Turkish coffee purveyor has set up shop in Ballston
  2. Morning Notes
  3. ACPD: After breaking into car, would-be thief opens home’s garage door
  4. New draft plan for Langston Blvd calls for private development to help build public benefits

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

🌤️ Friday’s forecast

Widespread haze. Patchy smoke before noon. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 5 to 10 mph. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
– Albert Schweitzer

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Code Orange alert for Friday as Arlington’s air quality remains at ‘unhealthy’ levels

By ARLnow.com
Arlington’s air quality index as of 4 p.m. Thursday (via AirNow.gov)

It’s been another smoky day in Arlington, and the air quality is still considered “unhealthy” as the workday nears a close.

The Air Quality Index registered at 177 as of 4 p.m. Thursday, solidly in the “Code Red” level.

Tomorrow is expected to also be hazy, but somewhat improved, with a Code Orange alert issued minutes ago.

More, below, from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast a Code Orange air day for the metropolitan Washington region tomorrow: Friday, June 30. Code Orange levels mean the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, including older adults, children, and people with heart or lung disease. Smoke coming from wildfires in Canada will contribute to the increased levels of fine particle pollution.

COG advises the following health precautions:

  • Sensitive groups like people with heart or lung disease like asthma or emphysema, older adults, and children should make outdoor activities shorter and less intense and watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.

Residents can check current air quality conditions on COG’s website or the Clean Air Partners website.

On unhealthy air days, COG advises the following actions to improve the air:

  • Avoid lawn mowing or use an electric mower.
  • Use gas or electric grills instead of charcoal.
  • Fill your vehicles’ gas tank after sunset.
  • Take transit, carpool, or work from home.
  • Turn off lights and electronics when not in use and follow tips from your electric utility about how to use less electricity to cool your home.

COG provides air quality forecasts and current air quality conditions for metropolitan Washington. It also educates the public about voluntary actions people can take to reduce pollution and the health risks of bad air quality through its Clean Air Partners program, which is co-sponsored by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.

https://twitter.com/StefJohnson21/status/1674448066651254785

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