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.

UPDATED: High Wind Warning issued, after-school activities cancelled as storm ramps up

By ARLnow.com
Wind-blown raindrops on a window (staff photo)

Update at 3:55 p.m. — A Flood Warning has been issued for Arlington.

Update at 12:30 p.m. — The earlier Wind Advisory has been upgraded to a High Wind Warning.

…HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST WEDNESDAY…

* WHAT…Southeast winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected.

* WHERE…In District of Columbia, District of Columbia. In Maryland, Prince Georges, Charles, Central and Southeast Montgomery and Central and Southeast Howard Counties. In Virginia, Fairfax, Stafford, King George and Central and Southeast Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park Counties, and Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria.

* WHEN…Until 1 AM EST Wednesday.

* IMPACTS…Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

Update at 12:25 p.m. — The National Weather Service has issued the following forecast update, predicting deteriorating conditions and a period of “intense” rainfall between 6-10 p.m.

…HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
REGION TODAY BETWEEN 500 PM AND 1000 PM EST…

Weather conditions will deteriorate as a strong frontal system approaches this afternoon, then passes through the greater Baltimore/Washington region this evening. This will result high winds capable of downing trees and powerlines, tidal flooding, and the potential for flooding of small streams and creeks. This will create hazardous travel conditions late this afternoon through late evening across the region.

Light-to-moderate rain will continue early this afternoon, then increase in intensity late this afternoon, with a several hour period of heavy, intense rainfall expected between 6 PM and 10 PM. This heavy rainfall, coupled with already saturated soils from recent rainfall, will cause flooding of small streams and creeks. Do not attempt to drive across flooded roadways; additionally, flooding at night increases the risk for motorists not being able to quickly identify the water hazards due to decreased visibilities by the heavy rain and darkness.

Easterly winds will increase in intensity as well this afternoon across the region, with gusts to 50 MPH expected late this afternoon through mid-evening. Locations closer to the Chesapeake Bay will see higher wind gusts of 60-70 MPH. Strong winds will increase the risk of falling trees and downed powerlines. Again, the risk of poor outcomes resulting from high winds is increased during nighttime. Winds will decrease after midnight tonight.

Finally, areas along the tidal Potomac River and western shore of the Chesapeake Bay north of Smith Point VA should prepare for moderate-to-major tidal flooding. The cities of Baltimore, Annapolis MD, and Alexandria VA are most prone to tidal flooding, and the coupling of heavy rainfall and strong onshore winds of 50-60 MPH in these locations will work together to create moderate-to-major tidal impacts.

Earlier: Arlington County will be under a Wind Advisory and a Flood Watch from early this afternoon until Wednesday morning.

A storm packing heavy rain and gusty winds will sweep through the area, forecasters say, potentially causing widespread power outages.

Some local school districts like Montgomery County are dismissing students early, but Arlington and neighboring Alexandria and Fairfax County have so far not announced any early dismissals.

As of noon Arlington Public Schools said that after-school and evening activities have been canceled.

All APS after-school and evening activities are canceled for today, Tue, Jan. 9, 2024, including extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds. The School Board Work Session scheduled for this evening is also canceled. Extended Day will remain open until 6 p.m. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics.  For information about Arlington County programs and operations, go to www.arlingtonva.us.

VDOT, meanwhile, is warning of a potentially hazardous evening on local roads. From a press release:

…heavy rain is forecast across the commonwealth from Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night, with precipitation pushing off to the east after midnight into early Wednesday morning. Areas of flooding will be possible due to the saturated soils already in place. Wind gusts of up to 65 mph may also occur.

VDOT crews will be monitoring roadways and treating conditions as they develop.

This severe weather system may cause downed trees and power lines and other debris, as well as flooding that will make roadways extremely hazardous or impassable. Stay away from downed wires and do not approach or touch trees or limbs that are entangled with wires as they could be extremely dangerous. If those are in state maintained roadways, VDOT crews must await the power company to remove any electrical hazard before addressing downed trees or other roadway debris.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rain in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Garvey Talks Crime — “Board chair Libby Garvey didn’t go for the jugular, but in a Jan. 2 roundtable between County Board members and the Arlington County Civic Federation, managed to make her point: The county’s relatively recent catch-and-release approach to crime and punishment, she said, must end… Garvey made clear that the five-member County Board had no statutory authority to instruct prosecutor Parisa Dehghani-Tafti on how to run her office – ‘we cannot tell the commonwealth’s attorney what to do’ – but hinted that there was more to come on the issue.” [Gazette Leader]

Changes Mulled for B Live — “Changes could be coming soon to B Live, the live entertainment space that replaced longtime restaurant Whitlow’s on Wilson in Clarendon in May 2022. Husband and wife duo Mike and Crystal Bramson are considering plans to rebrand the roughly 4,000-square-foot space at 2854 Wilson Blvd. — perhaps to something like B Live Bar and Grill — to better convey to prospective customers that it’s not just open for live shows on the weekends.” [Washington Business Journal]

Boeing Stock Nosedives — “Shares of [Arlington-based] Boeing tumbled 8% on Monday as investors digested the news that the Federal Aviation Administration had ordered airlines to ground dozens of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for urgent inspections. The FAA issued the order on Saturday after a door plug blew out in the middle of an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday when the nearly brand-new aircraft was flying at around 16,000 feet.” [CNBC]

Union Kitchen to Nix Union? — From Washington Business Journal’s Dan Sernovitz: “Union Kitchen employees, citing picketing [and harassment], vote to break from @ufcwlocal 400. The vote followed an initial push over the summer to break from the collective bargaining union.” [Twitter]

First Bill for New Delegate — “For new-in-2024 Del. Adele McClure (D-Arlington), House Bill (HB) 157 likely always will hold a special place in her heart. That’s the first piece of legislation that was dropped into the hopper by McClure for the 2024 session. It focuses on eliminating exemptions from Virginia’s minimum-wage requirements for two groups: those employed as farm laborers and certain temporary foreign workers.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Tuesday — Heavy rain is expected with a high near 60, accompanied by strong east winds increasing from 10-15 mph to 23-28 mph in the afternoon, gusting up to 39 mph. A 100% chance of precipitation is anticipated, with 1-2 inches of new precipitation possible. Tuesday night, rain mainly persists before 1am, with a low around 44. Windy conditions continue, as the southeast wind shifts to southwest at 16-21 mph after midnight, and gusts could reach up to 47 mph. There remains a 100% chance of precipitation and an additional 1-2 inches of rainfall. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 8, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Monday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 8, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Tuesday’s forecast

Rain is expected mainly after 8am, with a high near 56. Conditions will be windy, with east winds increasing from 11-16 mph to 23-28 mph in the afternoon and gusts up to 39 mph. 100% chance of precipitation, with 1-2 inches of new rainfall possible. Tuesday night will see rain mainly before 1am, with a low around 44. Winds will shift from southeast at 21-26 mph to southwest at 15-20 mph after midnight, with gusts up to 46 mph. 100% chance of precipitation and an additional half to three-quarters of an inch of rain possible. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”
– Audrey Hepburn

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

UPDATED: Police search building near Route 50 after sound of gunshots heard

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 8 p.m.) Residents were asked to stay inside Monday evening as police searched part of the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood following reports of gunfire.

The initial call for gunshots heard along the 1700 block of Arlington Blvd came in around 5 p.m. Police verified with nearby Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall that no firing drills were underway at the time before starting to search the area.

The U.S. Park Police Eagle helicopter was called in to assist amid more reports of shots being heard, but has since left the county after not finding any suspects, according to scanner traffic.

“ACPD is investigating the report of shots heard in the 1700 block of Arlington Boulevard,” Arlington police said around 5:45 p.m. “At this time, no injuries or property damage have been reported. A police helicopter is assisting with an aerial search of the area. Expect continued police activity.”

The search appeared to be focused on one particular building.

“Community members are asked to avoid the area as police continue to investigate the report of shots heard in the 1700 block of Arlington Boulevard,” ACPD said around 6:20 p.m. “If you are in the area, go inside and stay inside.”

Police also closed the N. Rhodes Street bridge, near where the search was taking place, according to Arlington Alert.

Shortly before 8 p.m., the search was called off.

“A search of the building has concluded,” said ACPD. “No evidence of a shooting was located and there is no apparent ongoing threat to the community. We appreciate the community’s patience during the investigation. The avoid the area/stay indoors has been lifted.”

More, below, via social media.

 

ACPD: Boy robbed twice in successive days by same suspects

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating after a boy says he was robbed twice by the same group of suspects.

The first robbery happened around 7 p.m. this past Thursday in Rosslyn, while the second happened around 7 p.m. the next day in the Courthouse area, according to police.

Police say the boy knows the three male suspects, one of whom brandished a knife during the first robbery.

More, below, from the latest ACPD crime report.

ROBBERY (late), 2024-01050225/2024-01060032, 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard/15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street. At approximately 3:47 a.m. on January 6, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery by force. It was determined at approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 4, the juvenile male victim was in the area of the 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard when he was approached by three male suspects, who are known to him. Suspect One brandished a knife and made threatening statements while Suspect Two assaulted him and demanded his electronics. The suspects then left the scene with the stolen property and the victim did not require medical attention following the incident. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 5, the victim was in the area of 15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street when he was approached by the suspects from the incident the day before and approximately seven additional subjects. Suspect Two demanded and stole the victim’s personal property and caused damage to his electronic device before the group left the area on foot. No injuries were reported from the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Wild fight near Clarendon caught on camera

By ARLnow.com
Fight near Clarendon caught on camera (courtesy Dave Statter)

An early morning fight near Clarendon was caught on camera over the weekend.

The brawl happened around 2 a.m. Saturday along the parking-lined section of Fairfax Drive at the western end of Clarendon. The video shows one person being knocked to the ground and a car ramming the side of another car, amid a fight that appears to be between two groups of people.

Police arrive on scene near the end of the video.

According to public safety watcher Dave Statter, one of the people to post a photo of the fracas on social media, it’s just the latest in a series of fights over the past month or so associated with Clarendon nightlife.

In addition to fights that take place outside, “there are also multiple police calls each weekend night for fights inside the bars in the 3100 block of Wilson and Clarendon,” Statter wrote last week.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Arlington National Cemetery flyover, as seen from the Courthouse area (staff photo)

Pacers Owner Keeps Streak Alive — “Chris Farley is a runner who, for nearly a quarter-century, had finished a marathon or otherwise run 26.2 miles every year in under three hours. But in November, Farley, the owner of the Pacers Running stores in the D.C. area, was pretty sure his streak was over. He ran the New York City Marathon in just over three hours, a disappointment to him and his wide orbit of friends and supporters. He was ready to call it quits and say the streak was behind him — until his friends stepped in and told him they’d help him achieve his goal.” [Washington Post]

Renovations for Monroe Park Playground — “Get ready for some fun, the Monroe Park Playground is being redone!  Share your feedback to help inform upcoming renovations for the playground area of Monroe Park, which requires replacements according to Arlington County’s facility lifecycle process. No new amenities are planned for this project, which is funded by the Capital Improvement Plan.” [Arlington County]

Robbery in Va. Square — “The female victim was in the area when she was approached by the two juvenile female suspects. One suspect allegedly struck the victim, causing her to fall to the ground. The suspects then took the victim’s personal property and demanded the victim’s cellphone before fleeing the scene on foot with the stolen items. Responding officers canvassed the surrounding area, located the suspects in the Rosslyn Metro and took them into custody. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.” [ACPD]

Ranked Choice for General Election? — “It wasn’t the whiff of waffles you might have caught lingering in the air. But perhaps it was waffling.Intentionally or not, Arlington County Board members in a Jan. 2 confab with the Arlington County Civic Federation left some ambiguity whether they planned to enact ranked-choice voting for the 2024 general election. ‘It hasn’t been decided yet,’ County Board Chairman Libby Garvey said in response to a federation question, although she said upcoming meetings slated for Jan. 20 and 23 are ‘when I expect we’re likely to take it up.'” [Gazette Leader]

Hot Start for DJO Hoops — “A strong start to the season continued for the Bishop O’Connell Knights in recent days with more significant victories. First, the boys high-school basketball team (12-2, 2-0) finished 3-0 to win the Traditional Division of the annual Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach. Next, host O’Connell defeated Gonzaga, 65-57, in a big Washington Catholic Athletic Conference showdown in Arlington.” [Gazette Leader]

Strong Storm Expected Tuesday — “Weather models are unusually aggressive in simulating the potential for widespread 50 to 60 mph gusts as far south and west as the Carolina Piedmont. Major cities including Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York all could see gusts over 50 mph. The combination of high winds and saturated soils could topple trees, meaning power outages are likely.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with highs near 45, and a northwest wind at 5 to 9 mph that will become a light westerly breeze in the afternoon. Clouds will increase during the night, with lows around 32. [Weather.gov]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by coworking provider Industrious. ARLnow has been based in an Industrious office — one of several in Arlington — for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about stocking an office. 

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 5, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 5, 2024.

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

  1. NEW: The Freshman has closed in Crystal City (14838 views)
  2. Le Pain Quotidien in Clarendon has closed (12576 views)
  3. Rice Crook in Ballston Quarter Market has closed, but several new eateries are moving in (6184 views)
  4. Fight over Columbia Pike parking space leads to gun charges (5441 views)
  5. Falls Church to host inaugural restaurant week this month (5156 views)
  6. Bank swaps branch locations in Ballston (4481 views)
  7. Pedestrian injured after SUV runs into bank next to Pentagon City Metro station (4329 views)
  8. Morning Poll: How much snow do you think we’ll actually get this weekend? (4082 views)
  9. New County Board chair announces Arlington’s first ‘visioning process’ since 1986 (3298 views)
  10. Video: ACPD cruiser rear-ended and then pushed in Courthouse (2961 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

Expect a mix of rain, snow, and sleet until 11am, transitioning to rain and possible snow until 1pm, followed by rain for the rest of the day. Highs will be around 38°F with winds changing from southeast to northeast in the afternoon and gusts up to 18mph. Precipitation chances are 100%, with minimal snow and sleet accumulation. Saturday night will likely see rain until 10pm, then mostly cloudy conditions with lows near 33°F. There is a 60% chance of precipitation and potential accumulation between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

🌅 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. 👋

ACPD: Charges pending against driver who struck pedestrian and slammed into bank

By ARLnow.com
An SUV crashed into a bank in Pentagon City (photo courtesy Steve Brusk)

The man driving the Jeep that seriously injured a pedestrian before slamming into a Pentagon City bank is likely to face charges, police say.

The driver, who has not yet been identified, “was attempting to turn from S. Hayes Street onto 12th Street S. when he exited the roadway onto the sidewalk, struck a pedestrian and crashed into a closed bank,” an Arlington County police spokesman says.

The crash, which happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday, heavily damaged the front of the Chase bank branch at 710 12th Street S., next to the Metro station.

The man struck by the Jeep was seriously injured but is expected to survive. Charges are expected to be filed soon against the driver.

“The pedestrian, an adult male, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries and is currently in stable condition,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The driver of the striking vehicle, an adult male, was not injured and remained on scene. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing and charges are pending.”

The crash was witnessed by New York Times reporter Ken Vogel, who posted on social media this morning that the injured man was bleeding from the head and fading in and out of consciousness.

Traffic fatalities, including pedestrian deaths, are up sharply nationwide compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Times recently published an investigation (and a podcast) looking into U.S. pedestrian deaths, which are on the rise — especially in nighttime crashes.

Arlington County applying brine to ‘tricky spots’ ahead of storm, just in case

By ARLnow.com
Snow falls in the Westover neighborhood on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) This weekend’s coastal storm is expected to fall as mostly rain in Arlington, but the county is preparing just in case.

If you were among the 76% of ARLnow readers to predict less than an inch of snow in Wednesday’s poll, congratulations — one day out, the forecasters agree with you. The storm is currently expected to start as snow Saturday morning, leaving maybe a coating of accumulation locally before switching to sleet and heavy rain.

Even a coating could cause problem on some roads, though, and on the off-chance the storm overperforms in terms of snowfall, prep work could give crews a head start. To that end, Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services is applying brine lines to “hills, bridges and known trouble spots” today.

“Brining the tricky spots,” DES spokesman Peter Golkin confirmed to ARLnow in a brief email. “As per usual, best that people stay off the roads until a winter storm passes.”

VDOT, meanwhile, said Friday afternoon that it is gearing up for the storm, too.

“Northern Virginia District crews are ready for snowfall, wintry precipitation, and rain that is forecast to impact the region Saturday,” the department said. “As always, residents are asked to monitor forecasts, change travel plans if conditions worsen, and be aware of the potential for black ice and refreezing as temperatures remain low.”

Golkin also had a message for Arlington residents: don’t overdo it when putting down salt on sidewalks and driveways.

“We hope folks go easy on the salt,” Golkin wrote. “A little does a lot.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Flyover Planned This Morning — From AlertDC: “The US Military will be conducting a Flyover at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday January 5, 2024 at 9:10 AM.”

Protest at Blinken’s House — “Pro-Palestinian protesters targeted Secretary of State Antony Blinken with ‘fake blood’ outside his suburban Virginia home on Thursday. Activists surrounded his SUV as it rolled through the gates of his house in [Arlington, near the McLean border] and spilled red paint on the driveway as he left for work. The demonstrators shouted ‘shame on you’ and ‘war criminal’ and told the U.S. to stop the ‘genocide’ Gaza.” ACPD responded to the scene to assist the Diplomatic Security Service around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. [Daily Mail]

Public Safety Radio Issues — From Dave Statter: “Arlington County’s public safety radio system failed tonight. They went to a backup system, switching over to Fairfax County’s radio channels. That’s an important advantage of the long-standing interoperability in much of the region. It appeared to go down shortly after 6:30 p.m. This also impacted the Falls Church Police Department. FCPD shares Arlington’s radio system.” [Twitter]

Errant SUV Busted Bike Box — A driver who rammed into the Chase Bank in Pentagon City on Wednesday night “also completely took out the covered bicycle boxes that were there.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Final Report on Metro Derailment — “The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on the October 2021 Blue Line train derailment, which led to more than half of Metro’s fleet of trains being pulled off the tracks and drastically reduced rail service.
The NTSB’s final report said Metro was aware of a problem that caused the wheelsets on its new 7000-series trains to drift too far apart but that officials in the transit agency didn’t properly address the hazard before a Blue Line train derailed near the Rosslyn Metro Station.” [WTOP]

Significant Snow Unlikely — “Earlier in the week, we said the odds favored more rain than snow for a storm expected in the D.C. region this weekend. That remains the case, with most areas probably only seeing a little snow and sleet Saturday morning before changing to mostly rain in the afternoon.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high around 42 and a northwest wind around 6 mph, shifting to southwest in the afternoon. As night falls, anticipate increasing clouds and a low temperature of approximately 30, accompanied by a gentle south wind. [Weather.gov]

View More Stories