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Freeze Possible Tonight, Tomorrow Night

Published April 4, 2016 at 9:20AM

The National Weather Service is warning against a possible freeze overnight Monday into Tuesday, and again Tuesday into Wednesday.

Warm weather this afternoon will give way to showers, possible storms and falling temperatures. Should the temperature drop below freezing tonight, it could damage plants and ruin spring gardens.

The NWS has issued a Freeze Warning for early Tuesday, from midnight to 10 a.m.:

… FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM EDT TUESDAY… … FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING…

* TEMPERATURES… IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S TONIGHT. IN THE MID 20S TO AROUND 30 TUESDAY NIGHT.
* IMPACTS… UNPROTECTED VEGETATION SENSITIVE TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL BE KILLED OR DAMAGED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL SENSITIVE CROPS AND OTHER VEGETATION.

A FREEZE WATCH MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE. THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

A Freeze Watch has been issued for early Wednesday, from midnight to 9 a.m.

Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk

#freeze

Man Stabbed on Four Mile Run Trail

By ARLnow.com

Published April 3, 2016 at 12:05AM

A man suffered non-life-threatening injuries after reportedly being stabbed on the Four Mile Run Trail Saturday night.

The incident happened around 11 p.m., on the trail between Shirlington and Glebe Road.

A man was reported to have been stabbed in the thigh but only suffered “minor injuries,” according to police. He was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital, according to a fire department spokeswoman.

One person has been taken into custody in connection to the apparent stabbing, said Arlington County Police spokesman Ashley Savage.

The incident stemmed “from an argument between two subjects who appear to be highly intoxicated,” said Savage.

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Published April 2, 2016 at 11:05AM

This week was, quite frankly, a disappointing week for comments on the site.

Without going into detail, there were way too many assumptions being made about groups of people, way too many off-topic political trolls and way too much mean-spiritedness.

Moderating comments after they’re made can only do so much to rein in the trolls. It’s a big task when you get more than a thousand comments per week — especially when you’re trying to report the news at the same time.

So starting today, we’re taking a proactive measure to try to improve the conversation in the ARLnow comments. We’ve turned off the option to comment as a guest, without registration. From now on, all comments must be made by registered users.

We know there are some long-time commenters who are not registered. We know there are some insightful comments that come in from unregistered users, who perhaps cannot register to comment during working hours due to the nature of their job.

However, we also know that there are sites like DCist where a community has developed and there’s no shortage of comments, despite only allowing registered commenters.

Our ambition is first and foremost to have civility in our comments. We also hope that the comments are consistently interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining. We hope that our comments help engender a sense of community. What we don’t want is comments that are mean-spirited, monotonous or off-topic.

With registered users we will take a more hands-off approach to moderation. However, we will not hesitate to wield the banhammer for trolls, racists or spammers.

Feel free to discuss this change, or any other topic of local interest, in the comments.

#weekend discussion

UPDATED: Teen Charged With Murder in Fatal Stabbing

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 11:55PM | Updated April 2, 2016 at 12:29PM

(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) A 17-year-old has been charged with murder following a fatal stabbing Friday night.

Police say the teen is a “relative” of the victim, and that the stabbing “resulted from a domestic incident that took place in a residence in the 3600 block of 3rd Street S.”

The deceased victim was identified as 46-year-old Arlington resident Dennis Adams. This was Arlington County’s first homicide of 2016.

From an ACPD press release:

On April 1, 2016 shortly after 8:00 p.m., Arlington County Police officers were dispatched to the 100 block of S. Glebe Road for an assault with injuries. Arriving officers located one juvenile male suffering from minor injuries. A police unit responding to the scene was flagged down by medics at the intersection of S. Glebe Road and 3rd Street S. where a second male victim suffering from numerous stab wounds was located. The second victim, Dennis Adams, 46, of Arlington VA was transported to George Washington University Hospital Trauma Center where he was pronounced deceased.

The juvenile male was able to provide police with a detailed account of the events that occurred on April 1. Through the course of the investigation, detectives uncovered a number of inconsistencies in the juvenile’s account of these events and other evidence that lead them to believe his account was fabricated.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit has determined that this stabbing resulted from a domestic incident that took place in a residence in the 3600 block of 3rd Street S. Detectives have charged a 17-year-old relative of the victim with murder and stabbing while committing a felony.

Anyone with information about this incident and/or who may have observed anything suspicious in the area is asked to contact Detective S. Bertollini of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4243 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

(more…)

ACFD to Go Door-to-Door in Nauck and Douglas Park This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 7:00PM

This weekend, members of the Red Cross and the Arlington County Fire Department will be going door-to-door in the Douglas Park and Nauck neighborhoods, performing fire safety checks and smoke alarm inspections and, when necessary, installing free smoke alarms.

The goal: “to reduce the number of fire-related injuries and fatalities by ensuring residents have working smoke alarms.”

In 2013, two children were injured in a Nauck house fire (see photo, above). In 2014, two elderly residents died during in a house fire in the neighborhood.

ACFD says it will continue canvassing Arlington neighborhoods throughout the spring and summer to promote fire safety. From a press release:

According the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a working smoke alarm reduces the chance of dying in a fire by nearly half. Acting Fire Chief Joseph Reshetar explains, “Early detection of a fire is a key element to survival. Please make sure your smoke alarms are operating properly.”

Last summer ACFD piloted this program and, in just 14 days of canvassing, installed a total of 865 alarms and 174 batteries. Of the 1,826 homes inspected last summer, 30 percent had no working smoke alarms or an insufficient number of smoke alarms. Chief Reshetar will join the firefighters and volunteers canvassing this Saturday with the goal of reducing that percentage.

Firefighters from all 10 fire stations will continue to canvas neighborhoods throughout Arlington County every Saturday from now through September, to provide smoke alarm inspections and installations. Arlington County residents may also contact the fire department to schedule these services.

Remember, installing smoke alarms is only one part of home fire safety. The Fire Department and Red Cross encourage you to:

Test your smoke alarms every month by pressing the “test” button.

Change the batteries in all alarms twice a year with daylight savings time, unless you alarm is equipped with a 10 year lithium battery.

Ensure every person in your home understands and practices your home fire escape plan twice a year. Your plan should include two ways out of every room, getting low, closing the door behind, going directly to your predetermined family meeting place, and then calling 9-1-1.

Wind Advisory For Saturday Night, Sunday Morning

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 5:45PM | Updated April 2, 2016 at 11:19AM

(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) Arlington County and surrounding areas will be under a Wind Advisory from 11 p.m. Saturday to noon on Sunday.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are possible. From NWS:

… WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON EDT SUNDAY…

* TIMING… LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.

* WINDS… WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.

* IMPACTS… SCATTERED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. DIFFICULTY DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. SECURE OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND TAKE CARE DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

#wind

Conte’s Bike Shop Now Open in Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 4:35PM

Conte’s Bike Shop in Virginia Square (file photo)

The new Conte’s Bike Shop in Virginia Square quietly opened for business last week.

The store, at 3449 Wilson Blvd, is awaiting some additional window signage and product inventory before holding its grand opening.

Located between two other well-established bike shops along the Orange Line corridor — Freshbikes in Ballston and Revolution Cycles in Clarendon — Conte’s hopes to compete on selection, price and service.

Conte’s is primarily a dealer of bicycles from Giant, the world’s largest bike manufacturer. The store also offers Liv bikes, Giant’s brand aimed at female cyclists, and BMC bikes.

Revolution, by contrast, is primarily a Trek and Felt dealer, while Freshbikes offers brands like Cannondale, Specialized, Cervelo, Santa Cruz and others. It’s not dissimilar to there being a number of car dealerships offering different makes of cars along a given corridor.

It’s a return to Arlington for Conte’s, which previously lent its name to what its now Freshbikes. About five years ago Conte’s decided to stop franchising and the store at 3924 Wilson Blvd was renamed in 2011. Co-owner and store manager Charles Conte called Freshbikes and Revolution “great” stores, but said he’s looking forward to serving Arlington again.

“We create a level of professionalism in the marketplace that will give customers another choice,” he told ARLnow.com Friday. “There are too many people who cycle in this community without having enough choices.”

Conte’s, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year, has seven other stores throughout Virginia, including one that opened at 7121 Leesburg Pike in Falls Church a few months ago. Conte said “several” new stores are in the works, but declined to provide additional details.

UPDATED: ACPD Investigating Series of Burglaries in Madison Manor

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 2:10PM | Updated April 1, 2016 at 4:00PM

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a series of two home burglaries that were reported Thursday morning in the Madison Manor neighborhood.

The burglaries occurred on the 6200 block of 12th Street N. and on the 1000 block of N. Quintana Street.

“As we were investigating these burglaries, we received a report from two witnesses that they saw two Hispanic males approach a residence in the 900 block of N. Quesada where they attempted to steal a bicycle,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The suspects fled the area on foot.”

An earlier version of this article reported that more than two homes were broken into, which is incorrect, Savage clarified.

From an ACPD crime report:

BURGLARY(series), 160331013, 6200 block of N. 12th Street. Between 9:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. on March 31, two male subjects forced entry into a residence and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and several items of value. A second residence was entered in the same fashion and an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. Two witnesses described seeing two Hispanic males with backpacks and short black hair approach a residence in the area around the same time as the incident. Investigation is ongoing.

**This series is related to case numbers 160331015 1000 block of N. Quintana Street, 160331018 900 block of N. Quesada Street

Arlington Crime Rate Drops in 2015

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 11:55AM

Arlington’s crime rate dipped by about 6 percent last year, according to new crime data from the Arlington County Police Department.

It’s the second consecutive year of a crime decline. In 2014, the crime rate dropped by 8.22 percent. In 2013, crime increased just over 3 percent.

The crime rate takes into account only “Part I” offenses — homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.

Of those categories, three saw increases in 2015. Robberies were up from 110 to 115, a 4.5 percent increase, aggravated assaults rose from 141 to 144, a 2.1 percent increase, and homicides doubled — from 1 to 2.

Excluding the police shooting of a combative, metal pole-wielding domestic violence suspect — deemed a justifiable homicide but included in the statistics — the homicide rate would have remained steady. The one criminal homicide of the year was the murder of Bonnie Delgado Black; the trial of Black’s estranged husband, David Black, on first degree murder charges is scheduled to begin June 13.

More details on the crime rate, from ACPD, are below.

Arlington’s overall crime rate decreased by 6.01% in 2015. This is the second year in a row the overall crime rate in Arlington County decreased. The crime data is collected using the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).

The grand total of Part I offenses (homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft) was 3,631 in 2015, down from 3,863 in 2014. Additionally, the Police Department received a total of 87,475 calls for service during the calendar year. “Safe communities are built on strong partnerships between police and the communities they serve,” commented Chief of Police M. Jay Farr. “We are committed to engaging with our citizens and making our community safer together.”

Following current national trends, property crimes declined in Arlington County in 2015. The largest decrease were the number of burglaries, down 13.59%. In addition, larcenies decreased by 7.08%. Motor vehicle theft resulted in the largest increase at 11.03%. The Arlington County Police Department is reminding citizens to always keep doors locked and windows up whenever leaving their vehicle unattended. Valuables should be removed from sight and never store a spare key inside your vehicle.

There were two categories that experiences marginal increases in 2015. Robberies increased from 110 in 2014 to 115 in 2015, a 4.55% increase. Aggravated assaults increased from 141 in 2014 to 144 in 2015, a 2.13% increase. There were two homicides last year in Arlington County, both stemming from domestic-related incidents. There was no change in the number of rapes reported. The police department will continue to be a visible presence throughout Arlington County as officers actively patrol areas and investigate reports.

The Arlington County Police Department remains focused on the reduction of the incidents of crime, and the improvement of quality of life in Arlington County. We will continue to work diligently to reduce crime and keep Arlington’s neighborhoods safe by concentrating on our commitment to community engagement, transportation safety and crime control.

Coffee Shop to Replace CD Cellar?

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 11:05AM

A coffee shop may replace the former CD Cellar in Clarendon.

A building permit application has been filed to convert the former music store at 2607 Wilson Blvd — roughly half-way between the Clarendon and Courthouse Metro stations — to a coffee shop.

The permit application doesn’t name the coffee shop, but the listed permit holder, a Courthouse resident named Andira Jabbari, recently registered the domain name Blumencafe.net, according to a Google search.

A website has yet to be set up at that domain and no other information about the coffee shop was immediately available.

CD Cellar closed in January and moved its inventory to its store in Falls Church.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 1, 2016 at 9:35AM | Updated April 1, 2016 at 10:32AM

Power Outage at Courthouse Metro Station — A power outage has been reported at the Courthouse Metro station. The outage turned off most of the lights and trapped some customers in the station’s elevator, according to Twitter accounts. The station is said to now be operating on emergency power. [Twitter, Twitter]

Interview with John Vihstadt — Washingtonian has published a Q&A with Arlington County Board member John Vihstadt. During the interview, Vihstadt said of county government: “by and large, it’s well managed.” Before he was elected, however, Vihstadt said the county was in danger of losing its way. “There was a growing consensus that we were too self-congratulatory. There was too much ‘Aren’t we doing great?’ And if there was room for improvement, it was nothing another taxpayer dollar couldn’t solve.” [Washingtonian]

Garvey on I-66 Widening — In a county-produced video, Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey discusses the somewhat controversial VDOT plan to widen a portion of I-66 in Arlington. [Facebook]

Another AAA Rating for Arlington — Bond rating agency Fitch Ratings has again assigned Arlington County its top AAA rating. The high rating allows the county to borrow money more cheaply than less creditworthy jurisdictions. [BusinessWire]

Rising Sea Levels and Arlington — A new interactive map shows what rising sea levels would mean for D.C. and Arlington. The good news is that the two meters of sea level rise predicted to occur by 2100 would result in little impact for most of Arlington; the most vulnerable areas are portions of Reagan National Airport, East Potomac Park in D.C. and other areas along the banks of the Potomac. [Washingtonian]

Arlington Little League Opening Day — It looks to be a cool and cloudy start to the local little league season this weekend. Arlington Little League’s 30th anniversary season kicks off at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Barcroft Park. [Twitter]

One Year Anniversary for Shirlington Restaurant — Osteria da Nino in Shirlington (2900 S. Quincy Street) is celebrating its one year anniversary on Sunday. The restaurant will offer a complimentary glass of Prosecco and appetizers for guests from 4-6 p.m. [ARLnow]

Flickr pool photo by Airamangel