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Man Charged With Stealing Liquor from Whitlow’s

Published July 15, 2015 at 1:45PM

A D.C. man was arrested Monday morning after allegedly trying to steal liquor from Whitlow’s in Clarendon.

Police say the man entered the bar, at 2854 Wilson Blvd, just after 9:00 a.m. and stole six bottles of liquor. An alert employee, however, was able to foil the alleged theft and hold the suspect until police arrived on scene.

Wilber Johnson, 37, was arrested and charged with statutory burglary and grand larceny, according to a crime report.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Sam-I-Am

Published July 15, 2015 at 12:35PM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Sam-I-Am, a dachshund who is as cuddly and lovable as his center of gravity is low.

Sam’s owner, Bill, had the following to say about the little guy.

This is Sam-I-Am. He’s a dachshund through-and-through. We brought him home from the breeder in May of 2013. Sam had lived with his biological mom and dad, Maggie and ET. He has been able to visit with his parents to the delight of all, perhaps most of all the breeders.

It’s often said that little dogs think they really are big dogs, Sam, not so much. He’ll bark up a storm patrolling the perimeter of his Arlington yard but when something really scary comes along he runs straight to his keepers. He is the sweetest little guy who wants nothing more than to be with his humans, usually as close as he can get. He’s a creature of habit too. He loves his daily patches of morning sunlight for snoozing, exploring his yard and playing every evening before he beds down for a long sleep right about the same time each night.

Our Sam likes to be on the water too. He perches happily in the forward corner of his sailboat cockpit and leans into the tacks with the best of the crew. He makes is displeasure known when the motor has to be turned on rather than being under sail. His joy is a trip to the beach in the dinghy, he explores, does is business, paddles in the lapping waves then runs back and scrabbles up the side of the dink ready to head back to the anchorage and re-take command of his sailing cutter seeming to say – “look lively there swabs, light up the barbie and pull me a cold one from the icebox!”

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.

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, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Arlington and Northern Virginia.

#Pet of the Week

World Cup Champ Ali Krieger to Celebrate Win in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Published July 15, 2015 at 9:00AM

U.S. Women’s National Team defender Ali Krieger is planning to celebrate her World Cup win in Clarendon on Sunday.

We’re told that Krieger will be holding a private rooftop bash for family and friends at Don Tito (3165 Wilson Blvd) on Sunday afternoon.

Born in Alexandria and raised in Dumfries, Krieger posted a photo of a Virginia welcome sign on Twitter Sunday, saying it was the “best feeling” to be home. That followed a ticker tape parade in New York City and an on-stage appearance at a Taylor Swift concert in New Jersey earlier that week.

Though not yet finalized, Krieger is likely to hold a meet and greet with fans at Don Tito between 4-5 p.m., according to Don Tito partner Scott Parker.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued

By ARLnow.com

Published July 14, 2015 at 8:15PM

Arlington and much of the rest of the D.C. area is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch tonight.

Forecasters say a line of storms may roll through the area with wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour. From the National Weather Service:

ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER WEST VIRGINIA AND EASTERN KENTUCKY SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD TO EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE WATCH AREA…EITHER MAINTAINING INTENSITY OR (IF IT TEMPORARILY WEAKENS) STRENGTHENING AGAIN ONCE ENCOUNTERING FAVORABLE AIR MASS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS. AS SUCH…DAMAGING GUSTS ARE EXPECTED AND ISOLATED…MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE.

The storm watch is in effect through 1:00 a.m. A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect tonight, with forecasters warning of the potential for torrential rainfall of 1-2 inches during the storms.

Pantless Man Causes Bomb Scare on Lee Highway

By ARLnow.com

Published July 14, 2015 at 1:15PM

Lee Highway was closed for nearly two hours last night after a man told police he had a bomb.

The bizarre incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Police received a call from a “concerned citizen,” reporting that a man was walking down the road with his pants around his ankles.

The man failed to comply with the commands of responding officers who tried to stop and question him, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Instead, he began walking down the middle of Lee Highway, shouting obscenities, daring police to shoot him and saying he had a bomb in his backpack, Sternbeck said.

Eventually, the man dropped the backpack in the middle of the roadway and was then taken into custody. Police shut down Lee Highway between N. Lexington Street and Sycamore Street while the county’s bomb squad evaluated the backpack. No bomb was found, and the road reopened after an “extended” closure, said Sternbeck.

The man has been charged with resisting arrest, assault on police and making a bomb threat, we’re told.

Crime Report: Irate CVS Customer, Man Arrested for Bleach Incident

By ARLnow.com

Published July 14, 2015 at 10:20AM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:11PM

It was a relatively busy weekend for Arlington County Police, at least according to the department’s daily crime report.

On Saturday evening, police say a customer at the CVS in Buckingham went on a name-tag-ripping tirade when he found out the pharmacy was closed.

From ACPD:

ROBBERY, 150711067, 200 block of N. Glebe Road. At 7:15 pm on July 11, a subject became irate when told the pharmacy of CVS had closed and assaulted an employee, ripping his nametag off of his shirt. The subject left the store and was seen fleeing in a vehicle. The suspect is described as a white male in his sixties, approximately 5’8″ tall and 145 lbs. He was wearing green shorts, white polo shirt and sandals at the time of the incident.

On Sunday afternoon, a man in Nauck allegedly threw bleach on several people and then threatened them with a pair of knives, following a verbal argument.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING WITH A CAUSTIC SUBSTANCE, 150712030, 2400 block of S. Shirlington Road. At 1:55 pm on July 12, a subject threw bleach on several victims following a verbal altercation. The subject then brandished two knives and made threatening remarks. Darrell Bailey, 24, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding by a caustic substance.

The rest of the daily crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 14, 2015 at 9:20AM

Rep. Beyer Holding Taylor Swift Fundraiser — Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is holding a fundraiser with 15-20 guests at tonight’s Taylor Swift concert in D.C. The National Journal says Beyer is “Congress’ biggest Taylor Swift fan.” The Arlington Falls Church Young Republicans pounced on that headline for a punny press release. “When it comes to the national debt and big government regulations, Millennials want to ‘shake it off,'” the AFCYRs wrote. [National Journal, AFCYR]

Arlington Appoints DHS Director — Arlington County Dept. of Human Services deputy director Anita Friedman is getting a promotion. Friedman has been appointed as head of the department by Acting County Manager Mark Schwartz, less than two weeks after Schwartz took over for now-retired County Manager Barbara Donnellan. [Arlington County]

Rosslyn Metro Center Building Sold — The 22-story office building atop the Rosslyn Metro station has sold for $180 million. Rosslyn Metro Center, located at 1700 N. Moore Street, may be due for renovations following the sale. [Washington Business Journal]

Washingtonian Lauds ARLnow — ARLnow.com, along with its sister sites Borderstan, Hill Now and Reston Now, have been honored as the “Best News Blogs” in the D.C. area by Washingtonian. “Obsessive (but not mind-numbing) reporting on communities paid off,” the magazine said of our company’s expansion. Thank you to the staff of Washingtonian for this honor. [Washingtonian]

Flickr pool photo by TheBeltWalk

Library Braces for Release of ‘Go Set a Watchman’

By ARLnow.com

Published July 13, 2015 at 4:45PM | Updated July 13, 2015 at 5:09PM

Arlington Public Library is getting ready for the literary equivalent of a new iPhone release or a summer blockbuster premiere.

“Go Set a Watchman,” author Harper Lee’s follow-up to the American classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” is being released on Tuesday. Despite some mixed reviews, some 300 library patrons have already lined up — by placing holds at the circulation desk or online — to read about Scout’s return to Maycomb.

The library has 50 copies of the book, plus two copies in Spanish and eight audiobooks — which are all either at the library now or being delivered soon, according to spokesman Peter Golkin. It will also have eBook and eAudiobook copies via its Overdrive system, starting tomorrow.

Golkin said the library adjusted its orders in response to strong demand.

“There’s always strong demand for the latest titles by acclaimed authors like Donna Tartt and James Patterson and pretty much any name you see toward the top of the best-seller list,” he said. “But Harper Lee is a very special case, this being only her second book published and also because it involves the characters from her first. ‘Mockingbird’ is one of the most revered titles in American literature and also a classic film adaptation so the anticipation is certainly understandable.”

Korean Chicken Restaurant Coming to Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

Published July 13, 2015 at 2:30PM

A large window sign is up for a new Korean-style chicken restaurant that’s coming to Shirlington.

The Village at Shirlington announced late last month that DAK Chicken would be opening in the former Bonsai space on Campbell Avenue.

“DAK Chicken, a modern Korean fusion restaurant will offer Korean style soy garlic, spicy, or honey glazed chicken, as well as a variety of Korean style fusion food and unique Korean drinks,” the shopping center said via Facebook.

The concept is similar to Bonchon, a Korean-style chicken restaurant that opened on N. Pershing Drive in Lyon Park in 2013.

DAK, which will serve lunch and dinner, is expected to open “later this summer.” It joins two other restaurants that are planning to open relatively soon in Shirlington: Hula Girl and Palette 22.

County Releases Affordable Housing PSA Videos

By ARLnow.com

Published July 13, 2015 at 11:45AM

Arlington County has released a series of public service announcement videos touting the benefits of affordable housing.

The 30-second “Faces of Affordable Housing” videos were created in advance of hearings scheduled for September on the county’s proposed Affordable Housing Master Plan. The draft plan calls for the creating of 15,800 new affordable housing units by 2040.

The videos, which were published on YouTube and will air on the county-run Arlington TV cable channel, include the tagline, “Affordable housing, a foundation for our future.”

The video above is intended to show how the county’s affordable housing program “creates community and helps people age in place. Other videos show how the program:

Creates opportunities for economically disadvantaged people to live, work and play in Arlington
Helps the economy
Encourages household stability
Promotes diversity

Morning Poll: Rename Jefferson Davis Highway?

By ARLnow.com

Published July 13, 2015 at 10:55AM

Arlington County plans to ask its state legislative delegation to sponsor a bill that would rename Jefferson Davis Highway, the Washington Post reports.

While the likelihood of such a bill passing is slim, County Board Chair Mary Hynes said the county has received “a flurry of letters from residents” asking that the Confederate leader’s name be removed from the highway, also known as Route 1.

(County Board Vice Chair Walter Tejada did not respond to an inquiry from ARLnow.com last month, asking whether a name change resolution for Jefferson Davis Highway was a possibility.)

In 2012, the county renamed the stretch of road formerly known as Old Jefferson Davis Highway “Long Bridge Drive.” This time around, talk of renaming the highway comes amid a national conversation about the Confederate flag and whether it’s more a symbol of southern heritage — or slavery and racism. Last week, South Carolina’s legislature voted to remove the flag from the grounds of the state capitol.

Do you think Jefferson Davis Highway should be renamed?

Photo via Google Maps