Update at 8:15 p.m. — “We traced the discoloration to an active construction site, which is the likely source,” said Arlington DES spokeswoman Jessica Baxter. “A light-colored sediment had discharged from the site and into the storm drain system.”

Why did this stretch of Four Mile Run turn yellow?

That’s a question officials with Arlington County’s Dept. of Environmental Services are trying to answer.

The Arlington County Fire Department was called to investigate a yellow substance in a portion of the stream behind The Brittany condominium complex at 4500 S Four Mile Run Drive around 2:35 p.m. this afternoon.

Though the firefighters concluded the mysterious discoloration is not hazardous, the substance has county officials scratching their heads.

“We don’t know how long it had been there,” said DES staffer Mark Wisdom. “We can’t make a determination until we can find the source.”

Wisdom said he planned to search for discarded paint cans or other substances near the creek.

Photos and additional reporting by Lindsay Smith


Virginia Senator Tim Kaine delivers a speech

Who will presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton choose as her running mate? Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D) is reportedly on the top of her resume pile.

Kaine, 58, is said to be the frontrunner among the people Clinton is considering as the Democratic National Convention nears its opening in Philadelphia next week.

So far, Kaine hasn’t given much indication as to whether Clinton might choose himbut there are signs that such a pick would make sense. Additionally, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said earlier this week that Kaine is someone President Obama would recommend for the job.

Kaine, who speaks Spanish, attended Harvard Law School and was a Catholic missionary before entering the political realm. He has served as Mayor of Richmond, Governor of Virginia and was elected to the senate in 2012.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is the other top candidate for the job, the Washington Post reported.

Clinton is expected to choose her running mate “soon,” according to Hillary for America director Adam Parkhomenko:


Car fire on I-395 SB July 22 2016, Screen shot via VDOTArlington County police and firefighters rushed to aid a car that caught fire on southbound I-395 earlier this morning.

The fire began near the Boundary Channel Drive exit on southbound I-395 just after 8:30 a.m. White smoke could be seen pouring from a black Nissan for a period of about ten minutes this morning.

Arlington County firefighters extinguished the blaze shortly after arriving on the scene. No injuries were reported in the incident, according to scanner traffic.

Screen shot via VDOT


Police car (file photo)Arlington County Police have arrested two men for using a pellet gun to shoot holes into a kiosk window outside of the East Falls Church Metro station and shatter a glass enclosure at a nearby bus stop last night.

The crime occurred at the Metro station just after 11:30 p.m. last night, police said.

Two men shot a pellet gun at a kiosk window at the Metro station, puncturing the glass three times, police said. They also allegedly fired the pellet gun at a bus stop on North Sycamore Street, breaking its glass enclosure.

Officers originally responded to a report of two suspicious men looking into vehicles on the 2200 block of N. Somerset Street. When they arrived, they heard a gunshot and located the two suspected shooters.

In addition to the pellet gun, one of the men had a loaded gun in his possession at the time of arrest, police said.

From an ACPD crime report:

POSSESSION OF CONCEALED WEAPON (Significant), 160721003, 2200 block of N. Somerset Street. At approximately 11:38 p.m. on July 20, officers responded to the report of suspicious males looking into vehicles. Arriving officers heard the discharge of a firearm and located two suspects. Nico Wilson, 32, of Fort Washington MD, was arrested and charged with possession of a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm. Carlos Parker, 18, of Temple Hills MD, was arrested and charged with destruction of property and possession of a concealed weapon.


July 19 County Board meeting screenshotThe County Board has given the go-ahead to a plan from the U.S. Department of Defense to install equipment around Arlington that could detect explosions and provide forensic data to investigators after an attack.

The board’s members voted unanimously last night to approve a license agreement between the County Board and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to install the equipment on county property.

According to a county staff report, the nature and location of the equipment will be kept secret and exempt from Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act, a fact that worried ACLU of Virginia’s executive director, Claire Guthrie Gastañaga. Speaking before the board, Gastañaga argued that it was “important that the capabilities of the equipment be public.”

“We don’t think think that… those capabilities of this kind of equipment are any real secret,” she said. Additionally, Gastañaga urged the board to ask the Defense Department to agree not to install listening devices or other active monitoring equipment.

County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac replied that the board has some of the same concerns as the ACLU, and added that its members have had an opportunity to examine the plans to assure “that the nature of the equipment is not the kind of thing that can record audio or visual activities.”

“It is dormant equipment that is only activated when an event occurs and it does not record audio or video,” MacIsaac said. “You can have a high level of confidence that the equipment they’re putting out there is not capable of doing the sorts of things that there is concern about.”

Board member John Vihstadt agreed with McIsaac and said that “the county has a high degree of control over exactly what DTRA is doing and what they’re putting out on county property.”

“I think a big distinction here is that we’re not turning over any part of our county’s infrastructure or geography or territory to DTRA, we’re simply entering into a licensing agreement to deploy the kind of sensors that they have described,” added board member Christian Dorsey. “That gives me great comfort that many of the civil liberties issues that Ms. Gastanaga have brought up are not going to be ongoing issues here.”

Furthermore, board chair Libby Garvey said the county could choose to cancel the agreement if it ever became concerned with the new equipment.

Screenshot via County Board video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm_U6uyV2E4

Metro’s fifth SafeTrack maintenance surge will cause a “severe service reduction” on portions of the Orange and Silver lines for 11 days starting tomorrow.

From Wednesday, July 20 until Sunday, July 31, Orange and Silver line trains will continuously single track between the East Falls Church and Ballston stations. This is the same area that was affected during first Metro SafeTrack surge.

On weekdays, Orange Line trains between Vienna and Ballston are expected to operate every 18 minutes. Silver Line trains will run every 18 minutes during the surge, according to Metro.

Additional Orange Line trains will operate between Ballston and New Carrollton during the maintenance period. Trains from Vienna to Ballston and Wiehle-Reston East to Ballston are likely to be extremely crowded, especially during rush-hour, Metro said.

“Customers at Ballston should consider using the additional train service that originates at Ballston and will board on the opposite platform from through-train service,” the agency advised in its latest announcement. “This may lengthen your departure time, but will give you the best opportunity to find space.”

Metro Commuters who have the ability to do so should consider alternate travel options and avoid traveling during rush hour if possible, Metro added.

An Arlington County website has the following information those affected by the latest Metro surge:

Street operations changes

Supplemental local bus service

  • Using 40-foot buses for ART 55 (East Falls Church-Lee Highway-Rosslyn) to add capacity along the affected section of the Orange/Silver line.
    • Each 40-foot bus has five more seats and room for more standees compared to the 35-foot bus normally used on this route.
  • New midday, evening and weekend service for ART 43 (Crystal City-Rosslyn-Courthouse), which started during Surge 2, continues to be available.
  • For changes to bus service operated by Metro and other jurisdictions, visit Metro’s website.

Alternate work and travel options

The County is encouraging telework/flex time, ridesharing, biking and walking – options other than driving alone:

  • Arlington Transportation Partners is reaching out to employers and building managers to urge them to encourage telework or flex schedules and provide travel option information.
  • Arlington’s Commuter Page has travel option resources for residents and businesses – for example, assistance for vanpooling and other car-free options.
  • Arlington County Commuter Services Hispanic Marketing offers comprehensive information about each surge in Spanish.
  • For teleworkers who can’t work at home, Arlington Public Libraries offer wifi, office equipment, design stations with Adobe software, and small meeting rooms.

For those who bike, these changes are continued from prior surges:

  • New Capital Bikeshare station at the East Falls Church Metrorail station, and additional capacity at Bikeshare stations at the Ballston and Rosslyn Metrorail stations.
  • Additional temporary bike parking capacity at Ballston and Rosslyn Metrorail stations.
  • Enhanced wayfinding along trails and commuter routes for bicyclists – Bike Routes – Orange/Silver Line direction
  • Custom Bike Trains arranged for County residents upon request – contact [email protected].

Video via Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority


The Arlington County Board on Saturday unanimously gave its blessing to a developer’s plan to build a new 22-story apartment building in Pentagon City.

Developer Vornado is set to break ground on a new building within the Metropolitan Park development. As planned, the new building at 1400 S. Eads St. will include 577 residential units, 9,665 square feet of retail.

The development will also include a number of community benefits. As planned, the new building will bring with it either a commissioned piece of on-site public art or a $75,000 public art contribution; 23 units of affordable housing or a cash contribution to the county’s affordable housing fund; and three open space areas including the completion of a public courtyard called Metropolitan Park Central Park.

The new building represents the sixth and final phase of the Metropolitan Park development.

“We have seen previous phases of Metropolitan Park transform this area of Pentagon City from warehouses and parking lots to a vibrant, walkable place,” County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in a statement. “We look forward to its completion with the construction of Phase 6 and are particularly excited to see the completion of its Central Park for all to enjoy.”

Trendy businesses such as Whole FoodsStarbucks and CorePower Yoga have already opened locations in nearby Metropolitan Park buildings. Likewise, Sweetgreen, Orangetheory Fitness and Commonwealth Joe all plan to open millennial-friendly outposts there.

Renderings via Arlington County


A familiar red and white converted hearse/ambulance stopped at the Clarendon Metro station earlier this afternoon.

Ride-hailing service Lyft parked the Ghostbusters’ ride of choice, Ecto-1, outside the Metro station just after 12:30 p.m. today. The driver, clad in the drab Ghostbusters jumpsuit, posed for photos with passersby.

The vehicle was there to promote a partnership between Lyft and the new “Ghostbusters” film called “ghost mode,” a feature slated to run later this week where riders can hail an original Ecto-1 or a replica.

“We have one Ecto-1 on the road and we will have four other vehicles that will be replicated to look much like this,” said Lyft’s Morgan Gunter. “There will be some fun giveaways such as Twinkies and Hi-C. It’s a fun promotion around the opening of Ghostbusters.”

Riders can use “ghost mode” across the D.C. and Arlington area this Friday and Saturday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Additional reporting and photos by Jackie Friedman


Ben Bailey, photo via Facebook : BenBaileyCashCabA comedian known for hosting a popular game show is scheduled to tell jokes at the Arlington Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) next month.

Ben Bailey, formerly the host of Discovery Channel’s “Cash Cab” and NBC’s “Who’s Still Standing,” now makes a living saying funny things onstage. Bailey has also appeared on such television shows as “30 Rock,” “Mad TV” and “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”

The host-turned-comedian is also apparently a talented impersonator:

Bailey will perform one show on Friday, July 15 and two shows on Saturday, July 16. Tickets are $25.

Photo via Facebook / Ben Bailey


Startup Monday header

Editor’s Note: Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

A growing company in Arlington is set to get even bigger with a recent acquisition.

Snagajob, an Arlington-based tech company that helps employers find hourly workers and vice versa, announced last week it acquired PeopleMatter, an HR software business that aids employers in hiring, screening and managing employees.

The joint company now has “tools for candidate sourcing, screening, tracking, hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling and performance management,” according to a press release.

Peter Harrison, CEO of Snagajob, said the acquisition makes for a “very nice synergy” between the
two companies.Photo via Snagajob

“We [ensure] workers get the kind of jobs they want and employers get the kind of candidates they want, and then PeopleMatter has this platform for managing everything beyond that,” Harrison said. “There’s a great overlap.”

Harrison added that although Snagajob has about 200,000 and PeopleMatter has about 50,000 employer clients in the retail, hotel and restaurant segment, only a small number of the two company’s clients actually use both products. Thus, the acquisition presents a “great opportunity” for collaboration.

The company’s next project — and where it sees much potential for growth — is a new mobile scheduling app called Snagashift.

With Snagashift, Harrison said he envisions a future where hourly workers can not only find jobs with large employers but also manage and swap their shifts there.

“I think this is the really interesting opportunity that PeopleMatter will enable,” Harrison said. “In the near future we’re going to have the ability to, having gathered enough information about your work history, let you pick up shifts… even if it’s a completely different franchisee.”

And that seamless approach to scheduling could lead to big growth, Harrison said. “Think of it as sort of Snapchat for shifts,” he explained.

“We got 3 million people hired last year. If only 10 percent of those people managed the sharing across employers, our business would be ten times its current size,” he added. “That on its own is a giant avenue for growth for us.”

To accommodate its growth, the company recently filled a number of offices in the new MakeOffices Clarendon co-working space. As the company grows, Harrison said he expects to  add even more workers to the company’s offices in Arlington.

“We’re already up to about 80 people and I expect we’ll be well north of 100 by the end of the year,” Harrison said. “We’re taking new space that will scale to 250 or 300 people. This is going to be our hub.”


Supreme Court building file photoArlington’s elected officials are speaking out in favor of today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion.

Rep. Don Beyer, County Board member Katie Kristol and U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine — all Democrats — today praised the Supreme Court’s 5-3 decision to strike down a Texas law that greatly restricted abortion providers there.

Beyer called the decision a victory for “common sense and justice for women” in a statement:

Common sense and justice for women and families prevailed at the Supreme Court today. This decision once again affirms our nation’s longstanding policy that women have the right to an abortion until viability, and that efforts by anti-choice forces to deny that right through lack of access imposes an undue burden. Anti-choice forces in Virginia apply the same tactics, and have also failed.  We will continue every effort to maintain and expand women’s healthcare access in Virginia.

Cristol echoed Beyer’s praise in a tweet:

Warner also released a statement praising the decision:

Today the Supreme Court sent a clear message that all women have the right to make their own reproductive health decisions, no matter where they live. This is a victory for women’s health in Texas, in Virginia, and across the country.

As did Kaine:

I applaud the Supreme Court for seeing the Texas law for what it is – an attempt to effectively ban abortion and undermine a woman’s right to make her own health care choices. This ruling is a major win for women and families across the country, as well as the fight to expand reproductive freedom for all.

The Texas law is quite similar to arbitrary and unnecessary rules that were imposed on Virginia women after I left office as Governor. I’m proud that we were able to successfully fight off such “TRAP” regulations during my time in state office. I have always believed these sort of rules are an unwarranted effort to deprive women of their constitutionally protected right to terminate a pregnancy.

File photo of Supreme Court


View More Stories