Author: Airey

WeWork to Open New Rosslyn Co-Working Space in June

By Airey

(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) WeWork will soon open its newest Arlington co-working space, the company says.

“Our new Rosslyn location at 1201 Wilson is slated to open this June,” company spokeswoman Nicole Sizemore told ARLnow on Monday. The company is also now listing the new Rosslyn location on its website with an option to call for information about pre-opening rates.

“Amid federal agencies and corporate giants, WeWork’s shared office in Arlington is a powerful locale to put down roots,” reads a description on the company’s website. “Several floors in this modern building are converted workspace, featuring comfortable lounges, bright and airy conference rooms, and sleek private offices.”

The final lease includes 83,294 square feet of space across four floors near the top of the 31-story CEB Tower, according to a December press release. The Washington Business Journal reported that the coworking space will have more than 1,400 desks and will “target large, ‘enterprise-level’ corporations — government contractors, trade associations and the tech sector.”

WeWork’s move comes as several major companies and other coworking and meeting spaces are opening up shop in Rosslyn, including Cerner, Nestle and its subsidiary Gerber, Spaces, Convene and Eastern Foundry this past year.

WeWork said Monday that it had filed to go public on the stock exchange, which will test its $47 billion private valuation.

Photo via WeWork

Arlington Agenda April 29-May 5

By Airey

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday, April 30

MONA Private School Fair 2019
Congressional School (3229 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Mothers of North Arlington (MONA) — a support and social group for mothers — is organizing the a school fair, the 2019 Private School Fair, to give families the opportunity to meet admission representatives from over 40 local PK-12 private schools all together in the same space.

Wednesday, May 1

Trek Women’s Open House
Trek Bicycle Clarendon (2731 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Open house to for those who identify as women, trans, and/or non-binary to hear from  inspiring cycling advocates, meet awesome new friends, and win incredible prizes, including an FX2 bike. Plus, the first 50 guests will get a special surprise.

Thursday, May 2

Arlington PreK and K Girl Scout Formation Meeting!
Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 5-6 p.m.

Start your Girl Scout adventure in May. Parents, girls and community members are invited to learn about the 107 year-old movement and how your involvement makes Girl Scouting amazing with a meeting at Central Library. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP or reach out for more information.

Rock The Loop Free Concerts
Market Common Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Join Market Common Clarendon on Thursday evenings, May through July, for a series of FREE concerts on The Loop from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Support Homeward Trails Animal Rescue by purchasing beer or wine served by Heritage Brewing Co. during the concerts on The Loop. DreamStreet will be playing this Thursday, followed by Charles Platt next week.

Friday, May 3

Virginia Tech Executive MBA Class Visit
Virginia Tech Research Center (900 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 5:30-9 p.m.

Get a glimpse into the Virginia Tech Executive MBA student experience with a class visit. During the visit, you will sit in on a current Executive MBA class and have the opportunity to engage with our students, faculty, and program staff in a more casual environment. Attendees must register online at least 48 hours before it begins on Friday.

Wakefield High School a month before school startsChicago
Wakefield High School (1325 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 7-9:30 p.m.

The Wakefield Players present the musical “Chicago.” Character Roxie Hart murders her faithless lover and convinces her drab husband, Amos, to take the blame… until he discovers that he’s been two-timed by his wife and turns on her. Charged with a “hanging offense” Roxie and another “Merry Murderess” Velma Kelly vie for the spotlight and the headlines that will bring them fame, fortune, and acquittal.

Courageous Leadership: The 2019 District 27 Spring Conference*
Crowne-Plaza Hotel Crystal City (1480 Crystal Drive)
Time: Friday 5:30-10 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sign up to join the conference awarding this year’s recipient with the District 27 Communication and Leadership Award. Attendees can buy individual or table tickets and will be able to hear from speakers working in fields such as consulting and those in Toastmasters leadership. The event also features networking opportunities and a silent auction.

Saturday, May 4

Environmental Collection & Recycling Event (E-CARE)
The N. Quincy St Property (1425 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Arlington County will hold its biannual Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) this weekend, directly across the street from Washington-Liberty High School and the David M. Brown Planetarium. E-CARE is an event where residents can safely dispose of hazardous household materials (HHM), recycle bikes, small metal items and much more.

Community Shred Event
McEnearney Associates (4720 Lee Highway)
Time: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

McEnearney Associates welcomes the community for a free shredding event outside of its Lee Highway office. There will be a large truck on site looking forward to seeing you, and available to dispose of papers best shredded instead of thrown away.

Jane’s Walk: Arlington
Arlington Farmers Market (14th Street N. & N. Courthouse Road)
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.

WalkArlington and local landscape architects Ana Quintana and Lan Hogue will host the first inaugural Jane’s Walk in Arlington — a global event to activate the ideas of Jane Jacobs, legendary advocate for neighborhoods, and to support a community-based approach to city building through citizen-led walking tours. Attendees will explore Clarendon and Courthouse during the free event.

Cat Cafe
Columbia Pike Branch Library (816 S. Walter Reed Drive)
Time: 2-4 p.m.

Meet the purrfect addition to your family at the library where attendees will be able to enjoy free coffee and tea, eat sugary treats and play with the cutest adoptable kittens from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington this Saturday. Staff from AWLA will be present to answer cat behavioral questions and adoption advice. Please bring an ID and proof of residence if you plan to adopt on the spot.

Halls Hill-High View Park 2019 Neighborhood Day
High View Park (1945 N. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 1-5 p.m.

The free neighborhood day is back with moon bounces, face painting, food truck, prizes, raffles, Zumba, games, music, and more this year. The event will provide feature water, toys, and games for K-9 family member(s). The price of attendance is a box of cereal that event organizers will provide to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

National Chamber Ensemble – The Contemporaries*
Gunston Arts Center (2700 S. Lang Street)
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Music and dance unite as NCE and Bowen McCauley Dance premiere another exciting creation set to the music of Igor Stravinsky and the stunning choreography of Lucy Bowen McCauley. The event is a multimedia project for violin, cello, piano and computer that evokes the Disco Era and the music of the pop/rock group Queen.

May the 4th | an outer space dance party
Reagan National Airport (2401 Smith Blvd)
Time: 7-11:30 p.m.

On Saturday, May the 4th, also known as Star Wars Day, Scorpio Entertainment will transform the historic Reagan National Airport Terminal A Lobby into a spaceship-inspired cosmic dance party, featuring an open bar, live entertainment, views of the runway, glow wear for all guests, social media projection wall, galactic light show, and “a few other surprises” that may include a real-life Sharknado moment.

Sunday, May 5

LWV-Arl Co-sponsors State Senator Dist. 51 Candidate Debate 
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 3:15-5:00 p.m.

The League of Women Voters of Arlington along with the Nu Xi Zeta Chapter, Alexandria and the AAUW Arlington Branch is sponsoring a debate between state senate candidates Nicole Merlene and Barbara Favola. This is an opportunity to meet and question the candidates and learn their positions on important issues. Tickets are free with online registration.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Sushi Restaurant Kona Grill Appears to Have Rolled Out of Rosslyn

By Airey

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) Rosslyn’s Kona Grill is gone for good, the restaurant confirmed in an announcement one tipster forwarded this afternoon.

“Want to thank all our guests for their patronage and hope you’ll visit Kona Grill again when you are near our other locations,” the company’s announcement read.

Tipster Rob Stern said he saw received the announcement as a rewards club member and he is sad to see the restaurant go.

“I’d made a point to go to Kona Grill when I was in town for visits, from Raleigh, NC,” said Stern. “I’ve also enjoyed their Orlando location. Their salmon and macadamia nut chicken were two of my favorites.”

Four other tipsters sent ARLnow pictures of the signs that thank people for their patronage, saying, “We are sorry but we are now closed!!”

The restaurant, located at 1776 Wilson Blvd, served a mix of American fare like sliders and pan-Asian dishes like sushi and pad Thai noodles, according to its menu.

The news comes two weeks after its Arizona-based parent company Kona Grill Inc. announced the chain may file for bankruptcy after reporting $32 million in losses last year and closing eight other restaurants, reported the Phoenix Business Journal.

Last week, the Business Journal reported that the company’s shares were delisted from the stock market.

As of today (Monday), calls made to Kona Grill’s Rosslyn location went unanswered and the restaurant was no longer listed on the chain’s map of locations.

A Yelp reviewer noted yesterday (Sunday) that “stuff is packed up in large plastic tubs, and furniture is being loaded onto a box truck.” The restaurant’s Facebook has not posted since mid-February.

The Rosslyn location originally opened in 2015. At the time, Kona’s general manager Joesph Ortega said Rosslyn was scouted because, “It’s a growing area, young and upcoming” which he hoped would gel with the restaurant’s “very hip or retro feeling.”

The restaurant celebrated Kona Grill Inc.’s 20th birthday in September in Rosslyn, according to Rosslyn BID’s social media.

Photo via Angelika Lipkin

ACPD and Local Bars to Hold Nightlife Safety Event

By Airey

Police and local bar owners are teaming up to talk about alcohol and nightlife safety this week.

The two groups are co-hosting “A Conversation About Nightlife Safety” on Wednesday, May 1 from  7-9 p.m.

The free event will be held at the Hazel conference center at Virginia Hospital Center (1701 N. George Mason Drive). Attendees are asked to RSVP online.

“Patrons, restaurant staff, and those interested in maintaining Arlington County as a safe destination for entertainment are encouraged to attend a community conversation on nightlife safety,” a county press release reads.

Speakers include Freddie Lutz of Freddie’s Beach Bar, John Williams of Whitlow’s on Wilson, and Chris Lefbom of Ragtime, Rhodeside Bar and Grill, and William Jeffery’s Tavern

A panel line-up include officials from the county’s zoning, human services, economic development and fire departments.

Arlington County Police will be sending a member of its Restaurant Liaison Unit to the event, which is a part of the “Arlington Restaurant Initiative” to train bar employees to serve alcohol responsibly and help reduce nightlife crime.

Officials made the restaurant initiative a permanent fixture of Arlington’s nightlife scene back in October after piloting it earlier in 2018.

Last year, ACPD said that increased police presence around bars due to the initiative may have contributed to a jump in reported alcohol-related offenses, even though overall county crime rate dropped by 7.7%. The 2018 report noted  a 73% increase in liquor law violations and a 17% increase in “drunkenness” charges, in addition to police catching 703 fake IDs.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Airey

It’s Friday, which means Arlington County is finally done with budget season — oh and it’s almost the weekend!

In addition to passing a $1.4 billion budget this week, the County Board also voted to rename Jefferson Davis Highway.

In fact, they voted on so many things of note, it’s almost impossible to summarize it all in one breath: getting rid of glass recycling, updating the county’s bike infrastructure plan; updating the public spaces master plan (coverage of that coming Monday), granting permission for Ballston Quarter to hang up some real big TVs, approving an incentive package for Gerber, approving a couple of outdoor cafes, and awarding some trees.

Outside of the dais there was also plenty of Arlington news this week. Here’s some of what you might have missed:

Let us know your weekend plans and feel free to discuss these stories — or any other topic of local interest — in the comments below.

County Board Approves Outdoor Cafes for Burger District, Salt Line

By Airey
1/2

The Arlington County Board this week unanimously approved an outdoor dining area at Burger District in Courthouse, as well as a new outdoor bar in Ballston.

Burger District requested Board members amend zoning rules to allow the Courthouse eatery to seat patrons in four feet of space on the sidewalk outside of its 2024 Wilson Blvd location.

That would leave six feet for pedestrians on the 10-foot-wide sidewalk, which requires County Board approval, according to a staff report.

In return, the eatery agreed to:

  • Only operate the outdoor section from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
  • Keep the rest of the sidewalk (6 feet) clear
  • Not exceed more than 24 seats
  • Hold “no live entertainment or dancing”

“Permitting an outdoor cafe along Wilson Boulevard will help achieve the vision of the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study where there are ‘vibrant and people-friendly streets and plazas… full of life’ and ‘small businesses prosper,'” county staff wrote.

The Courthouse restaurant opened in August and serves burgers, shakes, hotdogs, and wings.

Last night the Board also approved a new “fixed” outdoor bar in Ballston, at upcoming restaurant The Salt Line, which is planning to open next spring.

Images 1 and 2 via staff reports 1 and 2.

Amid Primary Campaign, Defense Attorneys Sign Letter Opposing Prosecutor

By Airey

(Updated at 3 p.m.) Dozens of local attorneys have signed a blistering letter criticizing the tactics of prosecutors in Arlington.

The letter — signed by criminal defense and civil rights lawyers — comes as Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos, the county’s top prosecutor, is engaged in a primary election battle.

The two-page letter is signed by 109 attorneys who say the county treats minorities and people with mental illnesses unfairly. Stamos, however, says its a “political hit job” for her re-election campaign.

A section of the two-page letter, which was sent to ARLnow, reads:

We are concerned that nearly 98% of felony convictions in Arlington are the result of the defendant pleading guilty, exceeding the rate in all local jurisdictions (Alexandria: 91%; Fairfax/Loudoun: 93%) and even in the federal courts (97%). We are concerned that the low incidence of trials in Arlington is mainly due to overcharging and the fear of harsh consequences if a defendant does not accept a plea bargain.

We are concerned that Arlington convicts defendants of felonies at more than twice the rate of neighboring jurisdictions, despite its very low crime rate. We are worried that this reflects a culture of overcriminalization.

The county’s chief public defender, Brad Haywood is one of the signatories. He told ARLnow today (Friday) that, “the policies and practices of the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are precisely those that have led our criminal justice system to where it is now: broken and in need of change.”

“Among all Northern Virginia jurisdictions, there is a consensus among defense attorneys that Arlington is the most difficult environment in which to obtain fair results, and the fact that so many attorneys were willing to take a professional risk by putting their names on this letter bears that out,” Haywood said.

“I think I have to say that this effort and the timing of it is nothing more than a political hit job,” Stamos told ARLnow.

Stamos is running for re-election this year and is faced by Democratic challenger, former public defender Parisa Dehghani-Tafti. The two attorneys recently debated about convictions for first-time marijuana possession and other criminal justice hot topics, which have also entered the national political conversation.

“I can’t speak to the rates of felony convictions in other jurisdiction,” Stamos said today in response to the defense bar’s letter. “But a high percent of felony convictions in our District Court is a good thing because it means we’re not indicting cases that we don’t have the evidence to prove.”

The letter also criticizes Stamos for her policy on the discovery process that allows defense attorneys access to their client’s case records before a trial:

We are concerned that the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s discovery policy, which prohibits the use of technology to obtain copies of police reports and other documents, places unique and arbitrary restrictions on the discovery process, making it needlessly difficult for defense attorneys to be prepared for trial. We believe that real open file discovery would make the process more fair for defendants and make the criminal process much more reliable and efficient.

Stamos has said that the policy relies on manual discovery because that helps protect victims’ privacy and safety. As part of her campaign, Stamos has highlighted the endorsements she’s received from 50 local attorneys.

The letter is not the first time the public defender’s office has criticized the prosecutor for what he says is unjust application of the law. When ARLnow investigated a little-known provision allowing law enforcement to jail “habitual drunkards” in January, Haywood said the county should, “stop pretending we’re making the situation better by locking sick people away so the public can’t see them.”

A few months earlier, he also called Stamos’ cash bail reform “misleading.”

Today, Stamos accused Haywood of circulating the letter because he was “all about defeating” her campaign in the upcoming June primary by supporting Dehghani-Tafti.

Stamos also had words for the other 108 attorneys who signed, saying that “more than half the individual on the list don’t practice law in Arlington with any regularity if at all. And they don’t know me and I don’t them.”

(more…)

County Unveils ‘Housing Arlington’ Initiative To Tackle Affordable Housing Woes

By Airey

A new county initiative aims to help find ways to solve Arlington’s affordable housing shortage.

County Manager Mark Schwartz introduced “Housing Arlington” during Thursday night’s Arlington County Board meeting. Billed as an “umbrella initiative” for the county’s existing affordable housing programs, Schwartz said it will help officials and the public brainstorm solutions together.

During presentations Thursday night, county staff said Arlington has lost 17,000 market-rate housing units since 2005. With 58,000 more residents expected by 2045 and current rent for a 2 bedroom apartment averaging $3,000 per month, they said the squeeze for affordable housing is likely to worsen.

“If we are successful in this event, we will create and preserve more housing for Arlington residents,” said the Housing Division Chief David Cristeal.

The county currently creates affordable housing in a couple ways, including by subsidizing its construction with the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund (AHIF) and by subsidizing rent for low-income residents.

In 2015, the county officials pledged to create 15,800 affordable housing units before 2040, but have since fallen short of the yearly creation benchmarks.

“Housing Arlington is different first because it’s a County Board priority to bring solutions sooner… and the expectations are higher,” said Cristeal, adding that the initiative means the Arlington will be “even more focused on this challenge” and will be “more proactive” in collaborating between public and private sectors.

The initiative will focus on addressing the shortage of affordable homes for low-income and middle-income residents, per its website, and plans to leverage the county’s existing housing programs along with zoning tools and private-public partnerships to accomplish that goal.

Schwartz noted during last night’s meeting that Arlington’s “dilemmas of costly housing can’t, and should not, be solved with AHIF funding.”

He added that the money he and the County Board increased for AHIF’s budget this year “is a really good step” but that “it will never meet the full scope of the need.”

“We know residents across generations are facing pressures from multiple angles, and this interconnected solution allows our community to be responsive and efficient,” said County Board Chair Christian Dorsey in a press release.  The challenges don’t exist in silos and their solutions don’t either.”

Schwartz says the public has submitted ideas to the county before which are now research-able due to the Housing Arlington initiative. The ideas include:

  • Can publicly-funded housing be created specifically for teachers?
  • Should individuals let public safety staff live in accessory dwellings on their property?

Schwartz mentioned the initiative was also a response to the  “strong headwinds” the county faces in addressing affordable housing with Amazon coming to town.

The hearing to approve Amazon’s incentive package was dogged by activists who fear the company’s “HQ2” will hasten gentrification. Several residents shared how their rent has already increased since the company scouted its new headquarters in Pentagon City and Crystal City.

“What I’m sensing is a real concern about loss and vulnerability,” Dorsey during the March hearing in between protests.. At the time, Dorsey added that the “the history” of Arlington neighborhoods was that of gentrification and increasing property values.

“We never really had a way to stop it,” Dorsey said.

The Housing Arlington initiative will be housed in the Housing Division of the county’s Community Planning, Housing and Development Department (CPHD), per its website. Funding details for the new initiative were not shared.

The Housing Arlington initiative is scheduled to hold its first public engagement forum at Kenmore Middle School on Wednesday, May 29 from 6-9 p.m.

Flickr photo via woodleywonderworks

Arlington County Ditches Glass Recycling

By Airey

Arlington County is asking residents to trash glass, following a vote by the County Board last night.

Board members passed an amendment to the county code allowing the County Manager to delete materials from the list of what Arlington recycles. The move was made to allow County Manager Mark Schwartz to remove glass from the list after officials said it had become too expensive to recycle.

The county says in a press release that those who receive residential trash and recycling pickup service in Arlington should throw away glass in their black trash containers instead of the blue recycling bins. That will make things easier for the county’s recycling processor, which is currently sending glass to landfills.

The new county directive does not apply to those in offices, apartments and other commercial properties, whose waste collection is handled by private contractors.

Alternatively, people can dump their glass at one of two designated drop-off locations — at Quincy Park (N. Quincy Street and Washington Blvd) or the Arlington Trades Center (2700 S. Taylor Street) — which carts it to Fairfax County for an experiment in paving roads with smashed up glass.

“The County anticipates establishing additional drop-off locations to make it more convenient for residents, though no specific sites are yet under consideration,” said the county’s press release. “Glass that customers deposit in their black trash carts will be processed at the Covanta Waste-to-Energy facility in Alexandria where it will be incinerated and turned into electricity.”

The county’s “single-stream” recycling systems often shatter glass, which then mixes up different-colored shards and reduces its value, Arlington’s chief of solid waste Erik Grabowsky previously told ARLnow.

Recouping lost value is also harder than ever because of China’s decision to stop accepting some recycling materials, which led Arlington’s recycling costs to rise from $15.73 per ton to $28.62 per ton in the last six months, according to Grabowksy.

“We do have to come to grips with the fundamental reality that we are living in a fraudulent experience,” said Board Chair Christian Dorsey last night. “Because every time we put glass in our blue containers it’s not doing what we expect that it does. It’s being put in a landfill which is contrary to what we want, and not only that, but it’s costing us more money to do it.”

Grabowsky said that removing glass will lower the county’s overall recycling rate this year by 1 percent.

The good news, he says, is that the current recycling rate is 50.1 percent — a number already exceeding the county’s goal to recycle 47 percent of waste by 2024.

Now Grabowksy and the county want people to think about buying less glass, and finding ways to re-purpose it before throwing it out.

“Ultimately, what we want to do is establish a new glass hierarchy for Arlington county,” he said. In the press release, the county said residents should consider prioritizing the purchase of items in containers made of “recyclable metal or even plastic.”

Mark Schwartz said he hoped to identify three additional location for glass drop-off centers by August, but acknowledged it may take more time adding recycling facilities to neighborhoods “may not be met warmly.”

Grabowsky said that starting next month, that the county will begin notifying people of the change in recycling glass with with digital and mailed letters.

“I didn’t anticipate that this would ever be an issue a few years ago,” Schwartz said. “But the economy and the international relationships we’ve had as the United States have changed in the last two years and some months, for some reason.”

Flickr pool photo by Aaron Webb

New Ballston Domino’s Pizza Now Open

By Airey
1/3

A new Domino’s Pizza in Ballston is now bringing in the dough on N. Quincy Street.

The pizza shop is located at 550 N. Quincy Street next to Jimmy John’s and nearby the Founders Square development.

Staff told ARLnow today (Thursday) that the store will have a grand opening soon but a date hadn’t been picked yet. After the grand opening, staff expects the store to be open Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.

In the meantime, staff says the store will sling pizzas from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day as part of a soft opening.

As of today (Thursday) two delivery cars in the parking lot are outfitted with the trademark Domino’s signs — a parking arrangement previously approved by the County Board.

The eatery is the latest to open amid a flurry of restaurants openings in Ballston.

DCA to Hold Disaster Drill on Saturday With Smoke And Fire

By Airey

Residents and passersby may see fire and smoke may coming Reagan National Airport this weekend, but don’t worry — it’s just a drill.

The airport will be testing its emergency preparedness plan by simulating an airline crash with hundreds of pretend casualties, officials say. The full-scale disaster drill will be held from 9:00-11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

“During the exercise, smoke, fire, participants with mock injuries and a large number of emergency response vehicles may be visible to passengers and the public,” said the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

“Activities will be concentrated on the south side of the airfield in a controlled area near Runway 4,” MWAA said in a press release.

The drill will test how officials respond to a fiery airplane crash — from battling the flames, to triaging and transporting victims, and to coordinating communications with the public.

For those interested in participating, the airport is seeking volunteer victims who are at least 18 years old and have some clothes they don’t mind being destroyed by “moulage” — a.k.a. costume wound materials like fake blood.

All told, the airport hopes to attract 130 victims for the event.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations require airports develop emergency plans for disasters and test them with a full-scale disaster drill every three years. Saturday’s drill comes three years after DCA’s last drill in 2016.

MWAA also warns scanner listeners that they may hear first responders participating in the simulated scenario on Saturday.

Local law enforcement planned an emergency exercise of their own in case of a terrorist attack last month, after holding one two years ago.

Image via Eventbrite

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