ARLnow.com | ARLnow.com

Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Arlington

Published June 16, 2016 at 8:25PM | Updated June 17, 2016 at 9:15AM

Arlington County and some surrounding areas are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning through 9 p.m. tonight.

The National Weather Service says a storm producing high wind gusts is heading toward the area from the west.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

* UNTIL 900 PM EDT

* AT 820 PM EDT…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LEESBURG TO NEAR HAYMARKET TO NEAR WARRENTON…MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS…AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON…ALEXANDRIA…CENTREVILLE…DALE CITY…ROCKVILLE… BETHESDA…RESTON…LEESBURG…ANNANDALE…SPRINGFIELD… SOUTH RIDING…HERNDON…FAIRFAX…VIENNA…GROVETON… FALLS CHURCH…BROADLANDS…LANSDOWNE… LOWES ISLAND AND BRAMBLETON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

GET INDOORS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM WIND AND LIGHTNING. TREES AROUND YOU MAY BE DOWNED FROM DAMAGING WINDS…SO IF YOU ARE NEAR LARGE TREES…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. DON`T DRIVE UNDERNEATH TREES OR IN WOODED AREAS UNTIL THE THREAT HAS PASSED.

Woman Wakes Up to Find Slipper-Wearing Man Stealing Stuff from Her Hotel Room

By ARLnow.com

Published June 16, 2016 at 2:30PM

A woman who was staying in a hotel along Columbia Pike woke up early Monday morning to find a burglar in her room.

Police say the man stole items from the woman’s suitcase, in a room at the Sheraton hotel near the Air Force Memorial.

The burglar was reportedly wearing slippers at the time of the crime.

From an Arlington County Police crime report:

LATE BURGLARY, 160615013, 900 block of S. Orme Street. Between 4:10 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on June 15, a female victim awoke to a male suspect entering her hotel room. She observed him steal objects from her suitcase and then flee when she confronted him. The suspect is described as a black male in his twenties, approximately 5’8″ tall and weighed 160 lbs. He was wearing a gray shirt, orange/khaki shorts, and slippers.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 16, 2016 at 11:00AM | Updated June 16, 2016 at 11:51AM

VDOT Awards I-66 Contracts — VDOT has awarded $61.3 million in contracts to build tolling infrastructure on I-66 inside the Beltway. “The work is expected to begin by late summer with all construction completed no later than mid October 2017.” [WTOP]

Stop Arm Camera Enforcement Resuming — After having to pause enforcement and seek a legislative fix in order to issue tickets to violators, Arlington’s school bus stop arm enforcement program will resume July 1. Drivers who drive by a stop sign on a school bus will face an automatic $250 fine. [Arlington County, Arlington Public Schools]

Clinton Opening Arlington Office — Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign is reportedly opening a new office at 6035 Wilson Blvd, in the Dominion Hills shopping center. That’s the same shopping center in which American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell was shot and killed in 1967. [Patch]

Local Latino Leaders Talk Trump — At a press conference on Columbia Pike yesterday, former County Board member Walter Tejada said presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may regret his rhetoric on immigration come November. “In a tight election, the Latino community can decide who wins,” Tejada said. “To Mr. Trump, we want to declare a message that hate will not win.” [Washington Post]

Hernick Calls on Trump to Tone Down Muslim Remarks — Republican congressional candidate Charles Hernick, who’s challenging incumbent Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), wants Donald Trump to tone down his “divisive rhetoric” on Muslims, saying it “won’t help us unite with peace-loving Muslims against our common enemy.” He continued: “We need to stand together against hatred, violence and terrorism.” [InsideNova]

Local Startup Expanding — Fast-growing Arlington-based startup ByteCubed, a government tech consulting firm, is expanding with a new office in Crystal City for its now 150 employees. [Technical.ly DC]

UPDATED: Flash Flood, Severe Thunderstorm Watches Issued

By ARLnow.com

Published June 16, 2016 at 10:30AM | Updated June 16, 2016 at 2:14PM

Update at 2:15 p.m. — Arlington is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through 10 p.m. From the National Weather Service:

“SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT IS DAMAGING WIND WITH LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ALSO POSSIBLE. THE GREATEST RISK WILL BE BETWEEN 6 PM AND 10 PM…ESPECIALLY ACROSS VIRGINIA AND THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA.”

Earlier: Arlington and the D.C. region is under a Flash Flood Watch tonight.

Forecasters say heavy rainfall is expected and may cause localized flash flooding. The watch is in effect from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday. From NWS:

* FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT

* THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. REPEATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE SAME AREA MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

Much of the area is in an Enhanced Severe T-storm Risk today and a Flash Flood Watch goes into effect at 5pm. pic.twitter.com/NmJgPGaUay

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) June 16, 2016

Pentagon City Mall Shooting Suspects Sentenced

By ARLnow.com

Published June 16, 2016 at 9:30AM | Updated June 16, 2016 at 10:39AM

Two men arrested for a shooting outside the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall have been sentenced after entering plea agreements.

Reginald Dana is slated to serve three years in prison after entering an Alford plea for attempted malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Calvin Pelzer will serve a year in jail after pleading guilty to felony eluding and accessory after the fact, according to prosecutors.

The December 2015 shooting was described as a road rage incident at the exit of the mall’s parking garage. Police say Dana fired a gunshot in the air out of frustration with a driver who was having problems using a credit card at one of the gates. Pelzer, the driver, then sped away and tried to elude police who gave chase on I-395. The chase ended near 3rd and F Street NW in D.C., after the two suspects bailed out and started running.

Both men were both 21 years old and D.C. residents at the time of their arrest.

Some Elementary Students Will Be Able to Take Their iPads Home for the Summer

By ARLnow.com

Published June 15, 2016 at 3:00PM

Students at some Arlington elementary schools will be allowed to take their school-issued iPads home for the summer.

Letters were sent to parents of eligible students last week, asking them to “supervise and monitor your child while on the device” but also giving them the option of refusing the take-home iPad.

“The decision to allow students to take the APS issued iPads home over the summer is made individually by the administration at each school,” said Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia. “We are excited for the opportunity for our students to be able to extend their learning over the summer through access to high quality digital resources including curriculum specific tools as well as thousands of eBooks through the APS Library and Arlington Public Library systems.”

The letter sent to parents of Hoffman-Boston Elementary students, after the jump. A full list of the schools allowing take-home iPads was not immediately available.

(more…)

Arlington Ranked ‘Best City to Live in America’

By ARLnow.com

Published June 15, 2016 at 2:35PM | Updated June 15, 2016 at 3:30PM

Arlington County has topped a new list of the “Best Cities to Live in America.”

Arlington received high marks for education, health and fitness, nightlife, family amenities, outdoor activities, length of commute and diversity, according to Niche.com.

“It has very high home values, very high rent costs, and very low unemployment levels,” the website said. “Its citizens generally have very high education levels and very high income levels.”

Arlington bested cities like Cambridge, Massachusetts and Columbia, Maryland for the top spot on the list.

“These new rankings explore 224 cities to find the best places to live in the U.S. based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities,” said a Niche spokeswoman. “Our team of data scientists analyzed data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources to calculate these rankings.”

The top 15 in Niche’s new rankings are:

Arlington, VA
Cambridge, MA
Columbia, MD
Ann Arbor, MI
Plano, TX
Overland Park, KS
Boulder, CO
Berkeley, CA
Rochester, MN
Bellevue, WA
Irvine, CA
Sunnyvale, CA
Alexandria, VA
San Francisco, CA
Round Rock, TX

Flickr pool photo by Brian Allen

#rankings

Arlington County’s New Auditor Is Leaving the Job

By ARLnow.com

Published June 15, 2016 at 1:45PM

Arlington is searching for a new auditor, the county announced this afternoon.

Jessica Tucker, the county’s first independent auditor to report directly to the County Board, is resigning as of July 8 and taking a new job in California.

Tucker’s tenure at the county started on Jan. 25, and seemed to be going well. She announced that she was seeking audit suggestions from residents last month.

The county released the following press release about Tucker’s resignation and the search for a new auditor.

Arlington County will launch a broad search for a new County Auditor, following the resignation of County Auditor Jessica A. Tucker, who has accepted a position in California. Tucker was the first auditor for Arlington County to report directly to the County Board.

“We wish Ms. Tucker success in her new endeavor,” said Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey. “During her short tenure with the County, she laid the groundwork for a successor to quickly move forward with the Audit Committee’s work plan. At the same time, the work of the County’s internal auditor continues.”

Tucker will end her tenure with the County on July 8. She was named auditor in December, 2015. The County Auditor conducts independent program and operation audits and reviews of County departments, operations and/or County-funded programs, focusing on program efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. The County Auditor augments the County’s internal audit function within the Department of Management and Finance.

In March, The County’s Audit Committee, composed of two Board members, the County Manager, the Acting Director of the County’s Department of Management and Finance and three residents, developed a work plan for the County Auditor, reaching a consensus on the first three assignments:

Site Plan Process

Jail Medical Services

Emergency Medical Transportation (Ambulance) Fee, from a list of 33 audit suggestions provided by the County’s Advisory Commission, the County Manager and the County Auditor.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Mooch

Published June 15, 2016 at 1:00PM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Mooch. True to his name, Mooch sits around at home all day and does nothing productive for society.

Here’s what Arlington Forest residents Sylvie and Paul had to say about their doggy slacker.

Mooch is a Golden Retriever who lives at home and is unemployed.

He turned four on February 3rd, which makes him 28 in human years, a little too old to be hanging out in his parents’ place, but he is often forgiven because he is so sweet. Mooch absolutely lives up to his name, as he is a total mooch for affection. He also mooches for food, but not as much as he does for love. Mooch loves belly rubs and full body massages. He mostly eats Blue Buffalo’s chicken and rice but has a couple other favorite treats as well, including anything that falls off the dining room table, apple cores, bananas, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, and any food item he encounters on the street when walking outside.

When Mooch was just eight months old he attended Dogtober Day at Lacey Woods Park on Washington Boulevard. Mooch won the category of Best Costumewearing an airplane suit, and was dubbed Mooch Airways. He was then automatically entered into the running for Best in Show, and came very close to winning by applause-meter in what remains a highly contested decision. Mooch is a mellow guy though, so he doesn’t lose any sleep over it.

Mooch can often be found in Lubber Run Park sporting his most recent bad haircut, done by his owner. Fortunately he doesn’t embarrass easily.

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

Police: Metrobus Driver Ran Red Light, Struck Pedestrian in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published June 15, 2016 at 11:55AM

A pedestrian was struck by a Metrobus and seriously injured in Rosslyn Tuesday afternoon.

The crash happened around 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Nash Street, near the Key Bridge Marriott hotel. Police say the bus driver was at fault.

“A Metrobus was traveling westbound on Lee Highway when the driver of the Metrobus proceeded through a red light and struck a pedestrian in the crosswalk,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The pedestrian was taken to George Washington University Hospital in critical but stable condition. The driver of the Metrobus was issued a summons for failure to obey a traffic light.”

A Metro spokesman has thus far not responded to a request for comment.

File photo

Board to Consider Resolution Supporting Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants

By ARLnow.com

Published June 15, 2016 at 11:00AM

The Arlington County Board is expected to pass a resolution supporting driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants at its Tuesday meeting next week.

The resolution, below, states that there is a safety and economic benefit to issuing provisional driver’s licenses to non-citizens.

The resolution directs the County Manager to include support for such a policy in the county’s slate of state legislative priorities next year. Virginia doesn’t have any such law but D.C. and Maryland do.

WHEREAS, Arlington is an exceptionally diverse county with a substantial immigrant population and strives to be a “diverse and inclusive” community; and

WHEREAS, immigrants without driver’s licenses experience a diminished quality of life affecting their ability to hold a stable job, take care of their families, and fully participate in the county they call home; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, new laws have passed that now offer a driver’s license or a provisional license to immigrant residents of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Washington, D.C., and

WHEREAS, these laws reflect a national and collective understanding that offering driver’s licenses to undocumented residents provides an overall economic benefit to states and improves public safety by enabling authorities to know who is on the roads and to ensure that all drivers are properly insured.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Arlington County Board believes that offering driver’s licenses to the undocumented residents of Virginia would benefit Arlington County and the Commonwealth of Virginia and encourages the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia to pass a bill and send it to the Governor for consideration.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Arlington County Board directs the County Manager, or his designee, to include this policy in Arlington County’s proposed 2017 General Assembly Legislative Priorities.