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Flying Dumpster Lid Smashes Windshield of Metrobus

Published February 13, 2017 at 3:30PM

The strong winds Monday morning caused a frightening moment for a Metrobus driver in the Crystal City area.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. on S. Eads Street at 22nd Street S.

“The lid of a trash dumpster that was being pushed down the street was blown open by the wind striking the windshield of a Metrobus,” a Metro spokesman told ARLnow.com. “The bus operator was treated on site for minor injuries due to broken glass.”

The bus was not in service at the time and no other passengers were reported to be on the bus.

File photo

Justice to Face Justice After Being Bottled Up By Cops

By ARLnow.com

Published February 13, 2017 at 1:30PM

A 26-year-old Fairfax man named Adam Justice is facing several charges after an incident in Clarendon early Saturday morning.

Just before 1 a.m., police say a suspect tried to throw a glass bottle at a restaurant employee, who ducked out of the way just in time to avoid the projectile. The suspect took off on foot as police gave chase, but after a brief pursuit he was taken into custody.

The incident happened on the 1100 block of N. Highland Street, according to a crime report; that’s the same block as Clarendon Grill.

More on the charges Justice is facing, below, from an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2017-02110017, 1100 block of N. Highland Street. At approximately 12:55 a.m. on February 11, officers witnessed a male subject throw a glass bottle at a restaurant employee. The employee was able to move out of the way and was not struck by the bottle. Officers attempted to take the male suspect into custody but he tried to flee the area on foot. Following a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody. Adam Rhodes Justice, 26, of Fairfax Va, was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding, obstruction of justice, and drunk in public.

Glebe Elementary Closed Due to Power Outage

By ARLnow.com

Published February 13, 2017 at 11:30AM

Glebe Elementary students were bused to Washington-Lee High School this morning after a power outage closed the school.

The school sent the following letter to families.

Dear Glebe Families:

Power went out at Glebe Elementary School this morning due to high winds. There is no estimate as to when power will be restored, so students are being bused to Washington-Lee High School (1301 N. Stafford St.) for the remainder of the day. Students will continue instruction at W-L and lunch will be provided.

Students in Extended Day will remain at Washington-Lee until they can be picked up. If possible, families of students in Extended Day are encouraged to pick up their students early. To pick up your child, please go to the main office (Door 1) at Washington-Lee. A staff member will be there to assist you. Students who ride the bus will be transported from Washington-Lee to their normal bus stop.

We apologize for the inconvenience.
Sincerely,

Jaime Borg
Principal

Forecasters say strong wind gusts will continue through the afternoon, though the worst of the wind is over.

High wind warning downgraded to wind advisory in DC area. Gusts in 40-50 mph still possible thru this afternoon: https://t.co/8kbQyv6tsh

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) February 13, 2017

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 13, 2017 at 9:30AM

Traffic Lights Dark in Rosslyn — Due to power outages, several traffic signals at busy intersections in Rosslyn were dark during the morning rush hour. Police were stretched for resources as they tried to direct traffic and deal with wind-related issues elsewhere in the county. [Twitter, Twitter]

Arlington’s Child Care Shortage — “In Arlington, Virginia, Erika Gibson, child care supervisor for the Arlington County Department of Human Services, said most of the county’s 50 licensed care centers have waiting lists for children under 2.” [WTOP]

Grocery Association Coming to Rosslyn — On the heels of food and beverage giant Nestle’s announcement that it is moving to Rosslyn, the Grocery Manufacturers Association has announced it is going to move from D.C. to Rosslyn, leasing 34,000 square feet at 1001 19th Street N. [Washington Business Journal]

New 2017 Commission Chairs — The Arlington County Board has approved the new 2017 chairs of more than a dozen county commissions and boards. [InsideNova]

Obit: Bill Hurd, Jr. — Arlington resident Bill Hurd, Jr. died Jan. 27 at the age of 66 after “aggressive battle with prostate cancer.” The last decade of Hurd’s life was eventful: his first wife died in 2010, shortly after they moved to her hometown in Minnesota. He became active in the community there and was elected mayor. A native of Northern Virginia and a fan of politics, sports, cigars, dogs and Texas Hold’em poker, Hurd later remarried and in 2015 moved back to Arlington. [Legacy]

DEVELOPING: Thousands Without Power As High Winds Sweep Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published February 12, 2017 at 11:55PM | Updated February 13, 2017 at 8:17AM

Update at 8 a.m. — Thousands of Arlington residents are waking up to no electricity this morning. The number of outages in Arlington is only down to around 4,900. Marymount University is still without power and portions of the Rosslyn/Courthouse area, including traffic signals at some busy intersection, are dark.

(Updated at 12:15 a.m.) More than 6,500 Dominion customers are without power in Arlington tonight after a squall line packing 60+ mile per hour wind gusts swept through the region.

Numerous trees, power lines and utility poles are said to be down across parts of Arlington, primarily in north Arlington. Several transformer fires have also been reported.

In some cases, trees are leaning against live lines and catching on fire. In other cases, power lines and poles are down across roadways, blocking lanes. Glebe Road, Military Road and Williamsburg Blvd are among the roads reported to blocked.

On Williamsburg Blvd, a fire department vehicle was damaged, possibly by falling branches or debris.

A large portion of Arlington north of Lee Highway — from Cherrydale up to McLean, including the Marymount University campus — is in the dark, according to a Dominion outage map.

There are also portions of Shirlington, Fairlington and other areas of south Arlington without power, according to the map.

In all, more than 34,000 Dominion customers throughout Northern Virginia are without power, including more than 7,000 in Alexandria. High winds are expected to continue throughout the day on Monday.

https://twitter.com/Parks_Jasmine/status/831008297922727936

Dominion power estimates 2am-4am for power restoration. Phones and Internet remain operational. Updates will follow.

— Marymount University (@marymountu) February 13, 2017

Power outage on campus. Internal phones remain operational. Updates will follow.

— Marymount University (@marymountu) February 13, 2017

https://twitter.com/tweedyBard/status/831003558069796864

1121pm: 66 mph wind gust at Reagan Airport!

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) February 13, 2017

(more…)

High Wind Watch Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published February 12, 2017 at 12:00PM

Arlington and much of the D.C. area is under a High Wind Watch tonight through Monday.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts of up to 60 mph are possible and could result in downed trees, branches and power lines.

From NWS:

… HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. * TIMING… LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON MONDAY. * WINDS… NORTHWEST 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. * IMPACTS… STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS… TREES… AND POWER LINES. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH… OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. &&

High Wind Watch has been posted for late Sun into Mon (gold shading on map). Wind gusts to 60 mph possible. Please monitor latest forecast. pic.twitter.com/n4fKFpZuJP

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) February 11, 2017

#wind

County Board: ‘Not In Favor’ of Funding Gondola Project

By ARLnow.com

Published February 11, 2017 at 6:55PM

The Arlington County Board says it does not support further county funding of the proposed Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola.

The project would have cost $80-90 million to build and another $3.25 million annually to operate, according to a study, the findings of which were released in November.

“Given our identified and pressing transportation needs, along with some ongoing concerns about the long-term value of the gondola, the Board is not in favor of any further funding of the gondola project,” Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette said in a letter to the Gondola Study executive committee.

The full letter, which was released late this week on the county website, is below.

Dear Members of the Executive Committee,

On behalf of the Arlington County Board, I am writing to you regarding the Rosslyn-Georgetown Gondola study and to share our collective position on the project.

First, I want to thank you for giving Arlington County the opportunity to join you and other partners in exploring the potential opportunities for constructing and operating a gondola service in our region.

Board members, along with our staff, have reviewed the conclusions of the feasibility study for the proposed aerial gondola between Rosslyn and Georgetown. The study addressed many of the important components, including ridership demand, cost of installation, cost of operations, engineering, technical issues, and permitting requirements. An estimate of $80-$90 million was included in the study as the order of magnitude construction cost of the project.

Arlington already has a large number of transportation projects in the County’s Master Transportation Plan, including several in Rosslyn that will require substantial resources and attention over the next several years. The Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola is not a project included in our recently approved Capital Improvement Plan. Given our identified and pressing transportation needs, along with some ongoing concerns about the long-term value of the gondola, the Board is not in favor of any further funding of the gondola project.

Thank you again for your joint efforts in exploring this particular alternative transportation option. We look forward to our continued partnership on other regional transportation initiatives.

Sincerely,

Jay Fisette, Chair

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Published February 10, 2017 at 5:00PM

The weekend is here after a busy week that boomeranged from springlike warmth and sunshine to rain, wind and freezing temperatures.

The top five most-read stories of the week were:

As a reminder, on Saturday Metro’s next SafeTrack “surge” will begin, shutting down Blue Line service for more than two weeks. Yellow “Rush Plus” trains will replace Blue Line trains, while buses from the Pentagon will replace Blue Line service to Arlington Cemetery.

Feel free to discuss the big stories this week, the seesaw weather or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

#weekend discussion

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published February 10, 2017 at 2:15PM

If you’re in the market for a new place to live, Arlington has several options to consider this weekend.

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

812 Arlington Mill Drive
2 Bed/1 Bath Townhome
Agent: Jamaal Carey
Listed: $199,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

4904 29th Road South
1 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Kay Houghton
Listed: $307,500
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

1300 Crystal Drive
2 Bed/1.5 Bath Condo
Agent: David Salmon
Listed: $422,000
Open: Sunday 3-4 p.m.

3445 South Wakefield Street
2 Bed/2 Bath Townhome
Agent: Andrew Robertson
Listed: $485,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

1422 21st Street South
5 Beds/3.5 Baths Single-Family Detached
Agent: Aaron Seekford
Listed: $995,900
Open: Sunday 10 a.m.-noon

3724 Vermont Street North
3 Bed/2 Bath Single-Family Detached
Agent: Matthew Shepard
Listed: $999,911
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

Real estate agents, if you don’t see your listings in our real estate section shoot us an email and we’ll let you know what your office needs to do to get listed.

UPDATED: Police Investigate Bank Robbery in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published February 10, 2017 at 12:55PM | Updated February 10, 2017 at 3:56PM

Note to Washington-Lee HS parents after Ballston bank robbery

(Updated at 3:49 p.m.) Arlington County Police are on the lookout for a man suspected of robbing a bank in Ballston.

A man entered the Navy Federal Credit Union, on the 800 block of N. Randolph Street, and passed a note to a teller around 11:40 a.m., police said. He then ran off with an “undisclosed amount of money.”

Arlington County police set up a perimeter to try to search for the man but thus far no arrests have been reported. During the search nearby Washington-Lee High School was placed in “secure the school” mode as a precaution, according to scanner traffic.

The suspected robber is described as a white male who was wearing a brown jacket, a brown and cream colored winter hat and sunglasses.

This is not the first robbery at the Navy Federal in Ballston. The bank was the scene of an armed robbery in 2012. Separately, another man in a winter coat and sunglasses robbed a Navy Federal in Potomac Yard and then dumped some of the loot on S. Glebe Road in Arlington on Monday.

Despite the similar suspect descriptions, a police spokeswoman said it’s too early to determine whether the robberies are linked.

Moby Dick Kabob Restaurant to Open in Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

Published February 10, 2017 at 11:00AM

Work is underway on a new kabab restaurant in Shirlington.

Moby Dick House of Kabob will be opening later this year in the former Medi space. The fast casual Mediterranean restaurant, which served pitas, salads and rice bowls, closed this past fall.

Moby Dick serves Persian cuisine, including various salads, pita bread sandwiches, rice plates and kabobs. The company has around 20 locations in the D.C. area, including one in Clarendon at 3000 Washington Blvd.

So far, no opening date has been announced. A call Thursday morning to a spokesman for the company has not been returned.