(Updated at 12:10 p.m.) Arlington firefighters are working to extinguish a fire in the basement of a Lyon Park home.

First responders were called to the 900 block of N. Garfield Street around 11:15 a.m. today (Thursday).

The blaze was largely concentrated in the lower level of a small duplex on the street, according to scanner traffic.

It’s unclear if any person was inside the house when the fire broke out, though a dog was removed from the house and brought to a local veterinary hospital, according to the Arlington County Fire Department. A firefighter also suffered minor injuries.

Photo via @USAUKItaly


With newly reshuffled leadership on the Arlington County Board, local officials are pledging a focus on equity as Amazon arrives this year, particularly when it comes to housing in the county.

The Board’s annual organizational meeting came with little in the way of procedural surprises last night (Wednesday). Vice Chair Christian Dorsey earned unanimous approval take the chair’s gavel, replacing outgoing Chair Katie Cristol, while Libby Garvey was elevated to take his place.

But the meeting still represented a major turning of the page in the county. Not only was the gathering the Board’s first since Matt de Ferranti’s swearing in, returning the Board to unified Democratic control for the first time since 2014, but it was a chance for Board members to sketch out a vision for how they plan to confront what looks to be a difficult year.

Naturally, Amazon proved to be the elephant in the room as officials delivered their annual New Year’s remarks. In kicking off the Board speeches, Dorsey framed his upcoming year-long chairmanship as one that will have “an emphasis on equity,” especially when it comes time to “expertly manage” Amazon’s growth.

Dorsey noted right away that he’s “only the third person who looks like me to ever serve as chair” of the Board — he joins Charles Monroe and William Newman, now the chief judge of Arlington Circuit Court, as the only black men to hold the gavel in the county’s history.

Accordingly, he said that history will guide his focus on “ensuring that Amazon’s gradual growth here benefits our entire community,” especially as the county prepares to confront some tough budget years while it awaits a projected revenue boom from the tech giant’s presence.

“Taken together, budget gaps today, and significant investment and commercial growth in the near term, present us with the dual responsibility of ensuring that today’s austerity doesn’t disproportionately burden the marginalized and most vulnerable, and that better times don’t leave those same people behind,” Dorsey said.

Board members agreed that a key area focus for leaders on that front will have to be changes to the county’s zoning code, as officials work to allow different types of reasonably priced homes to proliferate around Arlington. Cristol and Board member Erik Gutshall both praised the Board’s past work on housing conservation districts as a good first step, but both emphasized that the county needs to do more to meet its own goals for creating new affordable homes each year.

“Amazon’s arrival has focused our community energy on protecting our middle class from being priced out permanently,” Cristol said. “We can’t squander the opportunity to tackle this hard and important zoning reform work in the year ahead.”

De Ferranti agreed that the county should be fighting for a “significant public and private investment in affordable homeownership and rental housing” as it finalizes its incentive package to bring Amazon to Arlington.

But he and Gutshall also emphasized that a commitment to environmental equity should guide the county’s negotiations with Amazon, arguing that officials should work with the tech company to ensure its new campus in Crystal City and Pentagon City is “net-zero energy,” meaning that Amazon’s buildings generate as much energy as they consume. Gutshall even went a step further, proposing that the county join the growing calls for a “Green New Deal” from some of the newest Democrats heading to Congress, arguing that the “trade-off between the environment or the economy is a false one.”

Yet Board members pledged to keep a more local focus as well, particularly when it comes to Amazon’s impacts on the county’s already crowded classrooms.

Officials are hopeful that county schools will able to handle the gradual arrival of Amazon employees and their families, but Gutshall and Cristol both called for renewed long-range planning efforts for new school buildings.

De Ferranti was even more specific, saying the Board should build future budgets to “put the county in a position to fund the building of another high school” — the School Board is currently in the midst of hashing out plans for new high school seats at the Arlington Career Center, but whether or not that facility will provide the equivalent of a fourth comprehensive high school for county students remains an open question.

Through all of these difficult discussions, however, Garvey urged everyone — from local officials to activists — to strike embrace “civility.” The year-long debate over Amazon has already promoted plenty of tense meetings and raised voices, and the new vice chair argued that “Arlington Way has gotten rather frayed around the edges” in recent months.

“People sometimes jump to the assumption that intent is nefarious, or are all too quick to take offense when no offense was intended,” Garvey said. “We have to set some basic standards, and then follow through by not allowing people to violate those standards and stay in the discussion, or at least not to dominate the discussion so that everyone else decides to leave.”


A local kabob chain appears to be opening a new location in the base of a Ballston apartment building.

Signs posted at the space at 933 N. Quincy Street indicate that “Food Corner Kabob House” will soon open its doors in the area.

Banners promise both gyros and “famous Afghan kabobs” will be offered at the new eatery. Food Corner also operates locations in Annandale, Centreville, Vienna, Springfield and Dupont Circle, according to its website.

The space, located on the ground floor of the Quincy Plaza Apartment building, hasn’t been especially kind to restaurants over the last few years.

The Lebanese restaurant Badaro shuttered there in November after roughly a year in business. A NKD Pizza location there also closed in May 2017.


(Updated at 7:10 p.m.) Arlington police have arrested a woman in connection with a fatal stabbing in the Arlington Mill neighborhood on New Year’s Day.

Police announced tonight (Wednesday) that they’ve charged 60-year-old Linda Marie Snow with second degree murder, after she allegedly stabbed another woman along the 5100 block of 8th Road S. around 10 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday).

Investigators believe Snow began fighting with the victim, identified as 64-year-old Alice Carter of Arlington, inside a home in the area, leading to the stabbing.

Carter was rushed to an area hospital, where she soon died.

Snow is being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Center. She’s set for a hearing in Arlington General District Court on March 28.

Photo courtesy of Arlington County Police Department


(Updated on 8/30/19 following dismissal of charges against suspect mentioned below)

An Arlington man is now facing charges after police say he threatened one of his neighbors with a gun in the midst of an argument over noise.

County police say they were called to a Columbia Heights apartment complex along the 1200 block of S. Courthouse Road to respond to the dispute around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 22.

When officers arrived, they heard that 26-year-old Jason [Redacted] walked over to one of his neighbors’ apartments and was “irate that the victim was making noise inside his residence,” police said.

[Redacted] continued yelling for a while, but eventually returned to his own home. A short time later, “when the victim went to the suspect’s residence to apologize, the suspect opened the door and allegedly brandished a firearm at the victim.”

Police subsequently arrested [Redacted] and charged him with one count of brandishing a firearm. He’ll face a hearing on that charge on Feb. 19 in Arlington General District Court.

Full details from a county crime report:

BRANDISHING, 2018-12220100, 1200 block of S. Courthouse Road. At approximately 10:23 a.m. on December 22, police responded to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was inside of his residence when he heard someone knocking on the door. The victim opened the door and encountered the suspect, who was irate that the victim was making noise inside his residence. The suspect continued to yell at the victim, but eventually returned to his residence. Shortly later, when the victim went to the suspect’s residence to apologize, the suspect opened the door and allegedly brandished a firearm at the victim. Jason [Redacted], 26, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Brandishing a Firearm.

And here are other highlights from the past two weeks of crime reports, including some we’ve already reported:

ROBBERY,  2018-12210017, 3000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 1:31 a.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the report of two shoplifters in custody. Upon arrival, it was determined that two males entered a business and began selecting merchandise. One male allegedly exited the store in possession of merchandise without paying. An employee then challenged the second suspect and became engaged in a physical altercation. The second suspect returned to the business and became engaged in the struggle, in which the employee was assaulted, resulting in minor injury. A bystander intervened and assisted with controlling the suspects until police arrival. Bernart Rivas, 19, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Robbery. Petitions for Robbery were sought for the juvenile suspect.

ROBBERY, 2018-12210291, 300 block of S. Taylor Street. At approximately 9:49 p.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim, who was working as a delivery driver at the time of the incident, exited his vehicle to make a delivery and was approached by a male suspect who brandished a firearm and demanded cash. The victim gave him an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. The victim was not injured. A K9 track was initiated, but yielded negative results. The suspect is described as a black male wearing dark clothing.

CARJACKING, 2018-12220035, 2600 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 2:19 a.m. on December 22, police responded to the report of an armed carjacking just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was idling in his vehicle when a vehicle occupied four times pulled up behind him. Two male suspects exited the vehicle and approached the victim. One suspect brandished a firearm and one suspect brandished a knife and ordered the victim out of his car. The suspects fled in the victim’s vehicle prior to police arrival. Suspect One is described as a black male, approximately 5’5″-5’7″, with a thin build and short, black hair, wearing all black clothing. Suspect Two is described as a black male, approximately 5’5″-5’7″ and slightly taller than Suspect One, with a thin build and short, black hair, wearing all black clothing.

ROBBERY (late), 2018-12210224, 2100 block of 15th Street N. At approximately 5:45 p.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 5:00 p.m., an unknown male suspect entered a business and began to select merchandise and conceal it in a backpack. The employee confronted the suspect and instructed him to pay for the merchandise. The suspect attempted to force his way past the employee and a brief struggle ensued over the suspect’s backpack. The suspect brandished a knife and fled the store with the backpack of merchandise prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 22-25 years old, wearing a gray hat, a black jacket with a gray hood, a blue shirt, black shoes and black pants, carrying a black backpack. The investigation is ongoing.

BURGLARY (late), 2018-12210044, 900 block of N. Kenmore Street. At approximately 4:50 a.m. on December 21, police were dispatched to the late report of a burglary. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 12:15 a.m. and 2:50 a.m., an unknown suspect(s) forced entry to a business, causing damage, and stole an undisclosed amount of cash. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

ROBBERY, 2018-12230139, 1600 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 5:02 p.m. on December 23, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered a business and opened the cash register, taking an undisclosed amount of cash. An employee attempted to stop the suspect, but was pushed out of the way. The suspect fled on foot, prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’10”-6’0″, 220-230 lbs., with short curly red or orange hair, wearing white earbuds, light colored ripped jeans, and brown and white shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

BURGLARY, 2018-12230212, 4700 block of Dittmar Road. At approximately 9:59 p.m. on December 23, police were dispatched to the report of a possible trespasser. Upon arrival, it was determined that friends of the victim arrived at the victim’s residence while the victim was out of town and allegedly observed a large number of people inside the residence. A known suspect then exited the residence and left the scene, along with numerous other unknown subjects, prior to police arrival. Upon entry to the residence and further investigation, trash and a large mess inside were located inside, items of value were determined to be missing, numerous items were tampered with and the victim’s vehicles had been removed from the garage. With the assistance of the victim, officers on scene were able to make contact with the known suspect and he later returned to the residence. One of the victim’s vehicles was subsequently located nearby and a second vehicle was determined to be stolen. Devonta Corbet, 19, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Burglary, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Grand Larceny: Motor Vehicle Theft.

BURGLARY, 2018-12260012, 1300 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 5:30 a.m. on December 26, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just discovered. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 3:31 a.m. and 4:45 a.m., an unknown suspect forced entry to a business, causing damage and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and items of value. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT 2018-12200073, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 10:13 a.m. on December 20, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly female. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female suspect was yelling and acting disorderly inside the mall. As the officer approached the suspect, she grabbed the officer by the arm to pull him towards her, punched him with a closed fist and kicked him multiple times before she was taken into custody. The officer was not injured. The suspect refused to provide her personal information on-scene and while in booking. She was booked under the assumed name Jane Doe and charged with Assault & Battery on Police, and Failure to ID. She was held on no bond.

ROBBERY, 2018-12170009, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 1:05 a.m. on December 17, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined that the two victims were walking in the area when a known male suspect began following them. When the victims arrived at their destination, they asked the suspect to leave, however, the suspect threatened the victims and stole one victim’s cell phone before fleeing on foot prior to police arrival. A warrant for robbery was obtained for the suspect.


The owners of the recently shuttered A-Town Bar and Grill in Ballston now say they’re transforming the restaurant into a German food hall.

The space at 4100 Fairfax Drive will soon become “Bronson,” offering up craft beer and traditional German fare, co-owner and chef Mike Cordero announced in a news release today (Wednesday).

Cordero and his partners opted to shut down A-Town late last year, after opening its doors back in 2012. Co-owner Scott Parker chalked the change up to the fact that the bar’s lease was set to expire when 2019 rolled around and the building’s landlord was interested in giving the location a bit of a refresh.

The swap will involve the full renovation of the space, including the addition of “large communal tables” and expansion of its seating capacity to hold about 250 people in all.

“We’ve had seven great years at A-Town Bar and Grill but it’s time for a change,” Cordero said in a statement. “We look forward to the new year with introducing the new Bronson business model, innovative design and fun atmosphere and serving the Arlington community.”

Bronson “will offer German-American casual cuisine, specialty cocktails and craft draft beer, which can be served at the restaurant or for sale as a take away in traditional German growlers,” the release said. The bar will also include “popular taproom games, including foosball, cornhole, darts, bocce and shuffleboard.”

Cordero said that construction on the new eatery is kicking off right away, and he hopes to have it open by “early April.”

Parker and Cordero are partners on a whole host of other popular Arlington night life spots, from The GOAT and Don Tito in Clarendon to Barley Mac in Rosslyn.

Photo courtesy of Mike Cordero


Transportation planners are sketching out a vision to build out a fully connected regional bike trail network by 2045, linking a “Bike Beltway” around D.C. to the rest of the suburbs surrounding the capital.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Transportation Planning Board voted late last month to endorse a vision for a “National Capital Regional Trail Network,” expanding its long-range plans for cycling infrastructure throughout the region. Though the actual funding and construction of the trails involved remains up to the individual localities, the map represents a potential path forward for the D.C. area’s elected officials to follow in the coming years.

The newly adopted trail network includes the 842 miles of bike paths identified by the Capital Trails Coalition, a group of both local government transportation agencies and a host of advocacy organizations, as ones that regional leaders should pursue to make cycling around the area a bit easier.

The group has been pushing the idea of a more interconnected region for years now, particularly the “Bike Beltway” circling the city. Former Arlington County Board member Jay Fisette was a key backer of the concept, envisioning a loop of trails from the county’s border with D.C. down to Alexandria, then running around the city into its Maryland suburbs.

But with that trail nearly finished, this latest move envisions connecting that “Beltway” with trails in more far-flung jurisdictions, like Prince William and Loudoun counties.

“The Capital Trails Coalition is pleased to see the coalition’s two years of research and mapping make its way into this important regional transportation plan,” Coalition Chair Jack Koczela wrote in a statement.

The National Park Service has embraced the plan as well, and regional planners hope this latest move can help all the jurisdictions involved in crafting the trail network secure funding to make it a reality.

“There has been great interest among the region’s jurisdictions, agencies, and advocacy groups to build on the National Capital Trail, as endorsed by the TPB and adopted by the NPS,” the Transportation Planning Board’s staff wrote in a blog post.

Arlington officials are currently working on their own update of the county’s guiding documents for future cycling infrastructure improvements, set to wrap up in the coming months. The county’s budget squeeze, however, will make it a challenge for the Board to find finding for many bike projects, at least in the near term.

Photo courtesy of the Capital Trails Coalition


A Clarendon gym owner will now spend years behind bars, after admitting that he tried to buy large quantities of cocaine from undercover police officers.

Pascal Laporte, the owner of Clarendon Fitness, has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges alleging that he tried to buy and then distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Laporte will now face anywhere between five and 40 years in prison, according to documents filed in federal court.

Federal prosecutors first charged Laporte back in late August, claiming that he unwittingly spoke with a police informant for close to a year as he looked to find a supplier to sell him hundreds of kilograms of cocaine on an ongoing basis.

The informant eventually arranged a drug deal with Laporte in the parking lot of the Arlington Traditional School in fall 2017, and he subsequently mentioned that he hoped to provide associates in Florida and South Carolina with drugs for distribution. He was arrested in a Tysons-area hotel, when he attempted to exchange $45,000 for drugs in a deal with two police officers posing as Mexican gang members.

Laporte founded the Clarendon gym, located at 2907 Wilson Blvd, back in 2010.

The terms of his plea agreement stipulate he’ll have to hand over the $45,000 in cash he brought to his meeting with police officers to the federal government, in addition to a 2011 Jeep Wrangler he used to conduct these drug transactions.

Laporte is set to be sentenced on Jan. 25 in federal court.

Meanwhile, a video featuring Laporte is still displayed prominently on the Clarendon Fitness website.


Metro will now start allowing riders to bring bicycles on trains all day long, ending the rail service’s long-standing prohibition on bikes during rush hour.

WMATA announced today (Wednesday) that it will no longer prohibit cyclists from using its trains from 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. each weekday. The change will officially go into effect on Monday (Jan. 7).

Metro said in a news release that it was making the change in a bid to boost ridership, an increasingly challenging feat for the transit service these days, particularly for people hoping to commute via a combination of Metro and local bike trails.

“We believe this change supports ridership growth by Metro a commuting option for those who want to have a bike with them,” Metro Chief Operating Officer Joe Leader wrote in a statement.

Officials added that they expect they’ll be able to make the change “without significant negative effects” on conditions for rush-hour riders. That’s because many trains at rush hour are eight cars long, the longest offering in the Metro fleet, and because the “new 7000-series trains provide more open space.”

Local cycling advocates have long sought such a change, dating back to when Metro first instituted the current rush-hour bike ban in 2001. WMATA initially banned all bikes on its trains, before instituting a permit system in 1982. Those were eliminated in 1998.

“Bicycling extends the reach of Metrorail for customers at the beginning and end of their trip. Members of the community have long wanted the option to bring a bicycle along with them on their rush hour trips, especially reverse commuters,” Greg Billing, the executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, wrote in a statement. “I have to say that we’re pleasantly surprised with how flexible and accommodating Metro has been in responding quickly to this request.”

Of course, early reaction to the policy change has been anything but unanimously positive, over fears that the move will exacerbate crowded conditions on trains for commuters.

https://twitter.com/VOBOE/status/1080485397845757954

Metro added in the release that officials plan to “monitor implementation of the new policy to determine whether any modifications are necessary,” and it could still ban bikes during “major events drawing high ridership” like Independence Day or Inauguration Day.

WMATA estimates that just .8 percent of its customers arrived at stations by bike as of 2016, and its governing Board of Directors is aiming to increase that figure to 2.1 percent by 2020.


Longtime Rosslyn pizzeria Piola has now shut its doors.

The restaurant, located at 1550 Wilson Blvd, announced the move on its social media channels last Wednesday (Dec. 26). Piola had operated out of the space for the last 12 years.

“To our many regular customers and social media fans, we are very grateful for the support you gave us,” staff wrote in a Facebook post. “This day would have come much sooner if it wasn’t for you! We apologize for not informing you sooner, but hope you understand that the cards were not in our favor.”

Piola was known for its pizza-heavy brunches, beer specials and large World Cup watch parties every few years.

It’s now the second long-tenured restaurant on the block to close down in recent years; Cafe Asia shut down next door back in 2016. The Bash Boxing gym and South Block smoothie shop have since moved into that space.

Piola’s former home also sits across from a massive redevelopment project that will someday become bring three new residential towers, a new fire station and an improved Rosslyn Highlands Park to the area.

The pizza chain also seems to have shuttered its D.C. location, according to its website. Piola is a Miami-based company, with several South Florida locations, and a few in Texas and North Carolina as well.

Photo 1 via Facebook


It may be dreary and cold today, but the final weekend of 2018 should prove to be a pretty one.

The forecast is calling for a sunny Saturday and Sunday, with some slightly warmer temperatures than we’ve seen the last few weeks.

And things should generally remain nice for your New Year’s plans — check out our event calendar if you’re looking for any big ideas.

You can always catch up on our most popular stories of the past week too (or even take a dive into our top stories of 2018 before the year ends):

  1. Columbia Pike’s Twisted Vines, BrickHaus Both Set to Close Next Week
  2. Feral Cats Abound in Arlington
  3. School Board Names New Middle School for Dorothy Hamm, Ditches Any Reference to Stratford School
  4. School Board Mulls New Names for Washington-Lee High School, As Final Vote Draws Near
  5. County Creates New Dockless Scooter ‘Corrals’ to Encourage More Orderly Storage

Head down to the comments to discuss these stories, your NYE plans, or anything else local.

ARLnow will once again be publishing on a reduced schedule through Wednesday to account for the holiday. See you in 2019!

Flickr pool photo via Tom Mockler


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