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.

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Baxter and Brady

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Say hello to the newest Adoptable Pets of the Week, Baxter and Brady! This duo is one part sweet and one part chill.

Their friends at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington had this to say:

Baxter and Brady are the true definition of best friends! These sweet guys would love to be your close companion, whether that’s chilling out on the sofa, playing in the yard, or being goofballs together.

Baxter’s favorite things are: treats, cuddling on the couch, playing outdoors, and chasing around his brother. Brady’s favorite things are: treats, resting in his crate, playing outdoors, and chasing around his brother.

His special talents are: Giving the world’s best hugs and kisses!

His perfect day would be: A morning of outdoor playtime with his brother Brady! After that he loves to cool off and relax with a frozen peanut butter Kong! Once he’s tired out, he’d like to take a quiet nap with his brother Brady.

If Baxter was an ice cream flavor, he would be: Strawberry! He’s soft and shy but full of love! If Brady was an ice cream flavor, he would be: Vanilla! He’s soft, shy, and doesn’t need any extra toppings.

Baxter is not so into loud noises and sudden movements. He is shy in the beginning but warms up with time. Once he warms up, he will become your best friend!

Is this furry duo the right fit for you? Read Baxter’s complete profile to learn more and don’t forget to visit the shelter to meet this special duo.

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 gallery!

Arlington doc indicted by feds for alleged pill scheme

By ARLnow.com
Gavel (Flickr photo by Joe Gratz)

An Arlington doctor is facing federal charges after a grand jury indicted her for the illicit distribution of opioid pills.

Dr. Kirsten Ball is facing nearly a dozen counts of charges related to oxycodone distribution. Federal prosecutors say she and her office manager, who was convicted and sentenced last year, conspired to dispense “vast quantities of oxycodone to her patients — contrary to ordinary standards of medical care.”

One patient received prescriptions for “as many as 360 oxycodone 30-mg tablets per month,” while another received a prescription to treat “long-term pain” while they were performing “manual labor on Ball’s home,” according to a press release.

The charges potentially could land Ball, 68, in prison for decades. Despite the allegations, reviews of her care on a doctor rating website are generally positive.

“Very caring, affirmative, straight forward yet, gentle approach to health care,” wrote one patient. “If you need a professional physician, with a comforting approach, Dr. Ball is a great choice!”

Arlington has been hard hit by the national opioid crisis. There were more than 70 fatal opioid overdoses here between 2015 and 2020, according to Arlington County Police Department statistics. The crisis has also infiltrated local schools, with the fatal in-school overdose of a Wakefield High School student this year helping to spur action by Arlington County and Arlington Public Schools.

The press release about the indictment is below.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging an Arlington doctor with distributing tens of thousands of oxycodone pills for almost a decade for no legitimate medical reason.

According to allegations in the indictment, Kirsten Van Steenberg Ball, 68, was a primary care physician who operated a medical practice out of her home in Arlington. Ball allegedly conspired with her office manager to shield the fact that she was dispensing vast quantities of oxycodone to her patients—contrary to ordinary standards of medical care—from law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

The indictment alleges that Ball’s office manager, Candie Marie Calix, 40, of Front Royal, used an alias to disguise the fact that Calix was, herself, a patient of Ball. According to the indictment, Ball allegedly prescribed her office manager approximately 50,000 oxycodone pills over a period of approximately 10 years.

The indictment further alleges that the Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP) investigated Ball twice: once in 2015 and once in 2021. Despite the two investigations, Ball did not change her prescribing practices. According to the indictment, examples of Ball’s prescriptions include the following:

  • Prescribing a patient as many as 360 oxycodone 30-mg tablets per month;
  • Prescribing similarly high quantities of oxycodone to close family members;
  • Paying a patient to perform manual labor on Ball’s home while concurrently prescribing the patient oxycodone, ostensibly for long-term pain;
  • Loaning a patient $40,000 while concurrently prescribing the patient oxycodone;
  • Continuing to prescribe oxycodone to patients after they failed drug screens.

Ball is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, and 21 counts of distribution of oxycodone. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Calix was sentenced to seven years in prison on September 28, 2022, for conspiring to distribute oxycodone.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh is prosecuting the case.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Driving in the dark and the rain (Flickr pool photo by Emma K Alexandra)

Large Comcast Outage — Updated at 8 a.m. — As of last night, numerous readers were reporting a widespread Comcast outage in parts of Arlington, particularly south Arlington. The outage started Thursday afternoon. Service has been restored this morning, per Comcast. “Services have been restored and the cause was a third-party trenching company that cut through our underground fiber,” a spokesperson told ARLnow. “We apologize to those impacted.” [Twitter]

Rotary Club Awards Students, Teacher — “The Arlington Rotary Club awarded college scholarships totaling $18,000 to two Arlington students at its annual education fund banquet. At the April 20 banquet, Mikey Samayoa also was honored as the club’s Key School ‘Educator of the Year’ for 2022-2023. Samayoa, a fourth-grade teacher in Key School-Escuela Key’s bilingual elementary-school program, worked with families to help them register for the Arlington recreation soccer program.” [Patch]

‘Pink in the Park’ This Weekend — The rescheduled date for National Landing’s Pink in the Park event is this Sunday. Weather may again be a factor, with rain in the forecast. [Eventbrite]

It’s Friday — Rain throughout much of the day. Cool. High of 57 and low of 55. Sunrise at 6:14 am and sunset at 7:57 pm. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Emma K Alexandria

Listing of the Day: 1401 N. Oak Street #308

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Address: 1401 N. Oak Street #308
Neighborhood: The Weslie — Rosslyn
Type: 3 BR, 2 (+1 half) BA condo — 2,060 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,249,000

Open House: Sunday, April 30 from 1-4 p.m.

Noteworthy: Stunning 3 BR/2.5 BA two-level condo in The Weslie

Refined design, elegance and space await in this over 2,000 sq. ft 3 BR/2.5 BA two-level home in Rosslyn’s The Weslie. Enjoy open views of the Netherlands Carillon and Potomac River from your 12.5 ft floor-to-ceiling windows plus sliding glass doors onto an expansive 20 ft. terrace in a park-like setting.

The newly remodeled top to bottom gourmet-kitchen features quartz counters, high-end cabinetry and SS appliances, designed to maximize space and storage. Open dining/kitchen to living room with soaring ceilings, over 13 ft tall, and dramatic overhead lighting. Powder room, laundry and primary bedroom with en-suite complete the main level living.  Primary suite includes newly installed double-vanity with quartz counter, high-end lighting and spacious walk-in closet.

Up the sweeping curved staircase to the top level, you will find two spacious bedrooms, both freshly painted with brand new light fixtures. One includes refinished built-ins, perfect for an office, if preferred. Full upstairs bathroom just updated to include new quartz-topped vanity and lighting. Recently installed Carrara marble floors throughout add to the luxurious feel of the home.

One assigned garage space #28 and storage unit #31 convey. Condo amenities include full-service front desk concierge, renovated lobby, fitness center/community room and access to a large rooftop terrace with incomparable views of the D.C. monuments and skyline. Host your friends for the 4th of July fireworks with special privileges for this 3rd floor unit!

The Weslie is ideally located blocks from the Rosslyn Metro, 1-mile to Georgetown, direct/quick access via the Roosevelt Bridge to D.C., straight-shot 5+ minute drive to Reagan National. Iwo Jima is blocks away, as is access to nearby bike/jogging/hiking trails. Innovation ES/Dorothy Hamm MS/Yorktown HS.

Listed by:
Liz Lord — Compass Real Estate
571-331-9213
[email protected]
www.arlvahomes.com

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Apr 27, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 8713 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Apr 27, 2023.

  1. Rollover crash closes Route 50 during evening rush hour
  2. Fairfax County case may give stronger footing to residents suing Arlington over Missing Middle
  3. Morning Notes
  4. County Board mulls putting pickleball courts in empty offices and private clubs

📅 Upcoming events

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

☔ Friday’s forecast

Showery. Overcast. Cool. High of 57 and low of 55. Sunrise at 6:14 am and sunset at 7:57 pm. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Haiku of the Day

Gentle summer breeze
Through the fields of golden wheat
Sun-kissed dance unfolds

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Most and least expensive homes sold in Arlington (Mar-Apr 2023)

By ARLnow.com

This past week saw 41 homes sold in Arlington.

The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $220,000 while the most expensive was $2,874,999.

Over the past month, meanwhile, a total of 78 single-family homes were sold. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive homes sold over the past month.

Most expensive homes sold

  1. 4283 38th Street N — $2,874,999 (6 Beds | 6.5 Baths | 1,978 SQ FT)
  2. 1630 N Barton Street — $2,800,000 (7 Beds | 7.5 Baths | 5,189 SQ FT)
  3. 1801 N Herndon Street — $2,787,500 (5 Beds | 5.5 Baths | 6,582 SQ FT)
  4. 4018 N Stafford Street — $2,699,000 (6 Beds | 6.5 Baths | 6,570 SQ FT)
  5. 6020 26th Road N — $2,565,186 (6 Beds | 6.5 Baths | 5,675 SQ FT)

Least expensive homes sold

  1. 1505 S Pollard Street — $650,000 (3 Beds | 1.5 Baths | 1,519 SQ FT)
  2. 4029 8th Street S — $680,000 (3 Beds | 1.5 Baths | 1,037 SQ FT)
  3. 5033 12th Street S — $730,000 (2 Beds | 2 Baths | 1,379 SQ FT)

Rollover crash closes Route 50 during evening rush hour

By ARLnow.com
1/5

The intersection of Route 50 and Park Drive was shut down for part of yesterday’s evening rush hour after a serious crash.

The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Scanner traffic suggests that only one vehicle — a gray SUV, which came to rest on the driver’s side — was involved. The driver was trapped in the SUV after the crash.

Firefighters worked to stabilize the vehicle and safely remove the driver, who was initially reported to be unconscious but was alert once rescuers arrived. The driver was then taken via ambulance to a local trauma center.

In addition to shutting down the busy commuter route for an extended period of time, the crash uprooted a road sign at the intersection.

A resident who lives nearby noted that this intersection has seen numerous crashes over the years.

“Lots of accidents at that intersection,” said Michael Thomas, who lives a block or two away. “Lots of inebriated drivers departing from Outback Steakhouse. They (and others) make right turns on red from Park onto Route 50 despite the signed prohibition. And people on Route 50 drive too fast and run red lights.”

Thomas said firefighters cut open the roof the the SUV, a Toyota RAV4, to remove the driver. It was “hard to tell” what caused the crash, he said.

A crowd of local resident gathered as the rescue operation took place. The intersection reopened by 7:45 p.m., according to Arlington Alert.

The intersection of Route 50 and Park Drive was reconfigured several years ago in an attempt to improve safety.

Shortly after the rollover crash, another notable wreck was reported elsewhere in Arlington. A driver rear-ended an ART bus near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Courthouse Road.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Walking in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Mosque Parking Mess Discussed — “The mosque has hired personnel to augment volunteers helping those attending services to find legal parking close by. But the efforts apparently are not enough, as the Green Valley neighborhood is faced with congestion issues during Friday prayer services and the Islamic faith’s holiday periods. One proposal floated over the past few weeks was to provide off-site parking and a shuttle service.” [Gazette Leader]

Firefighters Endorse Challenger for Prosecutor — “Today, the Arlington Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, Local 2800 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, endorsed Josh Katcher for Commonwealth’s Attorney of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church.” [Twitter]

Chamber Alarmed by Court Ruling — “The Chamber is extremely concerned that any municipal and county ordinances approved in virtual public hearings before July 2021 now face legal uncertainty. The Arlington Chamber formed a coalition with other local and regional chambers of commerce and business organizations to express our shared concern to Governor Youngkin and to General Assembly leaders urging them to act to contain the consequences of these rules.” [Arlington Chamber of Commerce, PDF]

New YHS Basketball Coach — “There probably won’t be much transition  time or learning curve needed for the new head boys varsity basketball coach who was announced April 25 at Yorktown High School. Joe Keimig, 36, was hired by the Patriots and brings plenty of experience as a head coach.” [Gazette Leader]

‘Human Library’ Event This Weekend — “Each of us has a story to tell. Why not share that story at the library? Arlington County’s Central Library is hosting a Human Library event on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Human Library aims to create a safe space for dialogue where topics are discussed openly between those who wish to share and those who wish to listen and respectfully engage. Difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.” [WUSA 9]

More Offices, Jobs Coming to Ballston — “Jamestown, a design-focused real estate investment and management firm, today announced a wave of new office leasing at Ballston Exchange, a mixed-use retail, dining, and office development in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood. The three deals, which total nearly 30,000 square feet, will add to the dynamic workplace environment at the property and bring new career opportunities to the neighborhood.” [Press Release]

Detroit-Style Pizzeria Opening Near Arlington — “Jet’s Pizza, a fast-growing purveyor of Detroit-style pies, will open its first Greater Washington location a couple blocks from Potomac Yard in Alexandria. The Sterling Heights, Michigan-based company has inked a lease to replace the shuttered Auburn Cleaners at 6 E. Glebe Road, the company confirmed to the Washington Business Journal. The future store is listed on the Jet’s Pizza website, minus the address, and is expected to open later this year. A specific opening date is not yet available.” [Washington Business Journal]

It’s Thursday — Cloudy with periods of sun and a chance of light rain. Mild. High of 67 and low of 49. Sunrise at 6:15 am and sunset at 7:56 pm. See more from Weather.gov.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Apr 26, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 13370 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Apr 26, 2023.

  1. BREAKING: Climate protesters block GW Parkway
  2. Bagel bummer: Bruegger’s bids Ballston bye-bye
  3. The Arlington Festival of the Arts returns to Clarendon this weekend, with road closures
  4. Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

📅 Upcoming events

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

☔ Thursday’s forecast

Cloudy with periods of sun and a chance of light rain. Mild. High of 67 and low of 49. Sunrise at 6:15 am and sunset at 7:56 pm. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Haiku of the Day

Lost in starlit skies
Universe whispers secrets
Timeless cosmic dreams

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Bagel bummer: Bruegger’s bids Ballston bye-bye

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 11:50 a.m.) Bruegger’s Bagels has closed up shop in Ballston.

The long-time breakfast and lunch spot at 818 N. Quincy Street just closed, posting a sign on the door directing bagel fans to a location of corporate sibling Einstein Bagels, in Bailey’s Crossroads.

“Thank you for allowing us to make your mornings brighter & more delicious since 1986,” the sign says. “We look forward to continuing to provide you with freshly baked, kettle-boiled bagels at one of our nearby locations, 15 minutes away: 3556D S Jefferson St, Falls Church, VA 22041.”

The closure was not announced in advance, but there were signs that this Bruegger’s was not long for the sizable ground floor space that it occupied along Wilson Blvd.

The restaurant appears to have struggled in the wake of the pandemic, as fewer people populated local offices, thus requiring fewer catered bagel platters. The dining room, once filled with local residents and office workers sipping coffee and noshing on schmear-filled bagels, never reopened.

Bagel aficionados who don’t want to go all the way to Bailey’s Crossroads will now have Brooklyn Bagel in Courthouse as arguably the closest equivalent eatery.

BREAKING: Climate protesters block GW Parkway

By ARLnow.com
Heavy traffic on the GW Parkway due to protest (via Google Maps)

The northbound lanes of the GW Parkway are blocked near Potomac Overlook Regional Park in Arlington due to a protest.

Climate protesters associated with the group Declare Emergency blocked the busy commuter route shortly before 8:45 a.m.

U.S. Park Police officers are on the scene.

Northbound traffic on the Parkway is backed up to Spout Run.

Update at 9:25 a.m. — Traffic is starting to move again, according to WTOP and USPP.

Hat tip to Alan Henney. Map via Google Maps.

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