News

Biker in Black Burglarizes Ballston Booze Business

By ARLnow.com

A motorcycle-riding burglar, dressed in all black, smashed the glass front door of the Virginia ABC store in Ballston early this morning.

The burglary happened around 3:30 a.m. Monday, on the 800 block of N. Quincy Street. Arlington County police say the man “stole items of value” from the liquor store before fleeing on a motorcycle.

More from the Arlington County Police Department:

BURGLARY, 2020-11090026, 800 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 3:38 a.m. on November 9, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the unknown suspect forced entry to a business by shattering part of the glass door. The suspect stole items of value before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle. The suspect is described as a male, wearing a black jacket, black pants, a black ski mask, black gloves and carrying a backpack. The investigation is ongoing.

A resident photographed the aftermath of the glass-shattering crime:

Also in Monday’s ACPD crime report are a pair of violent incidents from over the weekend.

Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, on the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street in Pentagon City, police say an 18-year-old man brandished a knife at the employee of a business and swung a glass bottle at security personnel.

More from the crime report, with the suspect’s name omitted:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2020-11070179, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 7:03 p.m. on November 7, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect approached a kiosk and began picking up items. When the employee engaged the suspect in conversation, the suspect pulled a folded knife from their pocket and put it back multiple times while continuing to walk around the kiosk. Security then escorted the suspect out of the area. The suspect returned shortly after, allegedly brandished the open knife and began to chase the employee. Security intervened and the suspect picked up a glass bottle and attempted to strike the security personnel who was able to knock the bottle from the suspect’s hand. The suspect left the scene on foot prior to police arrival but was located by responding officers with the assistance of security. [The 18-year-old suspect], of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Assault and Disorderly Conduct and was held without bond.

Early Sunday morning, in Clarendon, a man was attacked by a group of 7-8 people after two groups got into a fight. From ACPD:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING BY MOB, 2020-11080031, 3100 block of 10th Street N. At approximately 2:03 a.m. on November 8, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, officers located the male victim on the ground in need of medical attention. He was transported to an area hospital with injuries that are considered non-life threatening. The investigation determined that two groups had gotten into a fight in the 3200 block of 10th Street N. The groups separated and left in different directions. The victim was walking alone in the area of  N. Hudson Street and 10th Street when approximately 7 – 8 individuals, believed to be involved in the earlier fight, exited a vehicle and began to chase after him. The suspects knocked the victim to the ground before assaulting him. The suspects fled the scene prior to police arrival. The investigation is ongoing.

File photo

Two Schools, One Gathering: COVID Cases Also Take St. Thomas More Cathedral School Online

By Jo DeVoe

The same gathering on Oct. 31 that took Bishop O’Connell High School online until December has forced St. Thomas More Cathedral School to do the same.

Two St. Thomas More employees tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a Halloween gathering also attended by Bishop O’Connell students who tested positive and prompted the school to cancel in-person classes.

The parochial PreK-8 school in Buckingham told students and staff school would be virtual through next Monday, with in-person instruction set to resume on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

According to the school’s calendar, confirmation, which was set for Monday night, has been postponed and will be rescheduled.

“When Bishop O’Connell closed… my employees went to be tested,” Principal Cathy Davis told ARLnow on Monday morning. “The minute we heard about the positive tests, we looked at our protocols.”

The children and staff of the parochial school are divided into cohorts so that one or two classrooms can isolate if a case appears. But her team decided that the smartest thing to do was to revert to virtual, she said, adding that the transition was easy since the prep work had already been done distributing devices and setting up Google Classrooms.

Davis said administrative staff will be drafting on a report after this series of events and will see what lessons can be learned, such as whether employees have to sign certain COVID-19 commitments. Currently, the school operates on the honor system, with a pledge to prioritizing student safety.

Unlike Bishop O’Connell students, whose return is scheduled for Dec. 1, St. Thomas More students and staff, including the two who tested positive, are slated to return prior to the Thanksgiving break.

“In terms of Pre-K and second-grade children, the better way is in-person,” Davis said. “Our goal is to be in-person.”

When Davis broke the news to parents, she said she “expected unrest,” since 83% of population are dual-working parents.

“Even I have been amazed at how positive everyone is,” she said.

She predicted the school will transition right back to in-person classes.

“Certainly I wish this didn’t happen, but if it has to happen, it’s nice to know we have a strong community who gets this is our new normal,” Davis said.

In October, officials from the Arlington Public Health Division repeatedly warned against celebrating Halloween with trick-or-treating, nightlife and indoor gatherings. Cases in the county, meanwhile, are on an upswing and just reached a fresh peak since the initial spring wave.

JUST IN: Coronavirus Cases Surging in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) After a brief pause in its upward trajectory, the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in Arlington is continuing to surge.

In what might be called a third wave of the virus — after the initial explosion of cases in the spring and a more modest summer wave that peaked in August — the seven-day infection average in the county crossed the 40 cases-per-day mark today.

There have been 282 new cases over the past week, or 40.3 per day, the highest point in Arlington since May 30. On Sunday the cumulative number of cases in Arlington crossed the 5,000 mark and, as of today, stands at 5,060.

Meanwhile, as of Sunday, “the number of new COVID-19 cases in Northern Virginia has topped 400 for three successive days, a rate not seen since late May,” according to InsideNova. Statewide, Virginia’s seven-day daily case average reached 1,437 today, a fresh record.

There is some good news, however. For one, newly-released vaccine trial data shows highly promising results, renewing hopes for an end to the pandemic in 2021 while sending the stock market soaring.

In Arlington, the surge of new cases has not yet resulted in a corresponding surge in hospitalizations. The Virginia Dept. of Health has only reported six new hospitalizations here over the past week. One new COVID-related death — the first since Oct. 24 — was reported over the weekend.

At the same time, demographically the growth in new cases has continued to be skewed toward younger people, who are less likely to get seriously ill with coronavirus complication than those who are older.

In the past roughly three months, more than ten times as many people in the 20-29 age range have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Arlington as compared to those in the 70-79 range.

In terms of hospitalizations, the national picture is more concerning.

“In an unprecedented weekend of Covid-19 infections, nearly all of the US is seeing cases rise as the national total teeters near 10 million,” CNN reported today. “There were 105,927 new coronavirus cases reported on Sunday, marking the 5th day in a row that cases topped 100,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.”

“The Covid Tracking Project said the US could see a record number of hospitalizations in just a few days,” the article adds.

Twenty-three U.S. states set single-day coronavirus case records last week, Axios reported.

Virginia State Police Trooper Seriously Injured in Arlington Crash

By ARLnow.com

A Virginia State Police trooper was seriously injured after a driver plowed into the back of her cruiser on I-66 in Arlington.

The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. Friday, on eastbound I-66 near East Falls Church and the Sycamore Street exit, in a work zone.

“A 2014 Volkswagen traveling east on I-66 through a mobile Work Zone changed lanes and crashed into the rear of a Virginia State Police patrol car,” VSP said in a press release. “Both the female driver and the male passenger fled the scene on foot.”

Arlington County police assisted VSP in apprehending the passenger, who’s being charged with being drunk in public and obstructing justice. The driver remains at large.

VSP said the trooper was seriously injured but after a hospital stay she is now at home recovering.

Late last year six highway workers were injured after being struck by an alleged DUI driver along I-66 in Arlington. In June a man was struck and killed while reportedly walking in an eastbound lane of I-66 after midnight.

More from a press release:

Virginia State Police is reminding motorists to make safety a priority when traveling through active Highway Work Zones after a trooper was struck in Northern Virginia Friday night (Nov. 6). Trooper M. Hart was seated inside her patrol car when it was struck. Trooper Hart was transported to Fairfax Inova Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening, injuries. She was released later Saturday morning and is recovering at home.

At approximately 11:27 p.m. Friday, a 2014 Volkswagen traveling east on I-66 through a mobile Work Zone changed lanes and crashed into the rear of a Virginia State Police patrol car. The crash occurred just prior to Exit 69 in Arlington County. Both the female driver and the male passenger fled the scene on foot.

With the assistance of Arlington County Police, state police located and apprehended the passenger, Christopher G. Rush, 37, of Woodbridge, Va. Rush refused to assist state police with identifying the driver. Rush was arrested for being drunk in public and obstruction of justice. He was transported to Arlington County Detention Center.

The female driver was not located and state police is still investigating to identify her. The crash remains under investigation.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington, MoCo Hire Consultant — “Montgomery and Arlington counties have hired a consultant to develop alternatives to the flight paths at Reagan National Airport that have led to dramatic increases in noise complaints from residents across the region. ‘This will be a game changer,; said Ken Hartman… Montgomery County’s point person on the airplane noise issue.” [Washington Post]

Biden Breaks 100K Mark in Arlington — “It likely won’t be the highlight of his political career, but Joe Biden will go down in history as the first presidential candidate to win more than 100,000 votes in Arlington. Biden garnered 102,510 of them, according to unofficial tallies reported immediately after the election… Trump’s performance, both in total votes and in percentage of the vote, slightly outperformed his 2016 tally in Arlington.” [InsideNova]

What the School Bond Will Fund — “The $52.65 million will be used for the following projects: $24.3 million for planning and design to meet 10-year projected capacity needs at all school levels; $15.4 million for major infrastructure projects such as HVAC replacement for schools; $7.65 million for building refreshes and kitchen renovations at ATS, Key and McKinley; $5.30 million for security entrances at Taylor, Gunston, Jefferson, Williamsburg, Wakefield.” [Arlington Public Schools, InsideNova]

Firefighter Follows in Fallen Father’s Footsteps — “The son of a Washington, D.C. fallen firefighter is following in his dad’s footsteps. When Anthony Phillips Jr.’s father died in the line of duty on May 30, 1999, he never thought he would do that work that took the life of his father 21 years ago. But, never say never… Phillips just graduated from the Arlington Fire Academy Recruit Class 78.” [WJLA]

Some Fog This Morning — Updated at 8:55 a.m. — From a National Weather Service tweet last night: “Some patchy dense #fog is developing over portions of central and northern Virginia. Remain alert if traveling overnight, as visibility could quickly fall to a quarter mile or less.” A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect until 10 a.m. [Twitter, Twitter]

Nearby: Downtown D.C. in Trouble — “Now,empty streets are the norm. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the District’s once-thriving downtown area into a ghost town over the past nearly eight months… Downtown D.C.s’ economy has been crushed by the pandemic, though it has made a slight recovery since the BID issued its last report in July.” [DCist]

Delays on 14th Street Bridge Due to Road Closures as Biden Named President-Elect

By ARLnow.com
1/2

With former Vice President Joe Biden being named president-elect this morning by the Associated Press and others, celebrations in D.C. area leading to traffic on the 14th Street Bridge.

“Expect traffic delays around [northbound I-395] at the 14th Street Bridge due to street closures in DC around the White House,” said an Arlington Alert. The closures were prompted by impromptu celebrations around D.C., including large gatherings outside the White House.

Around Arlington — which voted for the Biden/Harris ticket over Trump/Pence by a margin of 81%-17% — horns honked and people cheered after the race was called.

https://twitter.com/trilly__vanilly/status/1325116257063084032

https://twitter.com/HannahFoll/status/1325128920056950786

A number of local officials have released statements about Biden’s presumptive electoral victory.

From Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.):

I extend my warmest congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on their massive victory in the presidential election. Though it is taking time to count, they are on track for major wins in every region of the country, with more votes than any candidate in history. When he is sworn as Commander in Chief in on January 20th, 2021, Joe Biden will have a strong governing mandate.

I recognize that this election has shown we are a divided nation, but we also have grave challenges that require immediate action. The time has come for President Trump to accept his defeat, pass the torch, and ensure an orderly transition of government for the Biden Administration. He has a unique power in this situation to promote national unity and to spare the country further dangerous civil strife by following the example of every American President, beginning with George Washington: the peaceful transfer of power.

We have been bitterly divided, but what unites us – including love of country, the Constitution, and our democratic ideals – must be stronger. Inflammatory rhetoric which undermines Americans’ faith in their national elections threatens lasting harm to our society, and it must stop. The country must come first.

“Our nation faces serious threats, including the pandemic and the stalling economic recovery. At this time of crisis, all leaders regardless of party must come together to support the President-Elect. He must be given the support he needs to take the helm of government, including swift consideration and confirmation of his team, so that he can take the country forward. We have no time to lose – there is serious work to be done.”

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New Traffic Garden Teaches Kids the Rules of the Road, in Miniature

By Jo DeVoe

Without in-person school, play dates and activities, many kids have lost their primary sources of social interaction and exercise due to COVID-19.

But volunteers in Arlington say a new traffic garden, a space where kids can play and learn how to travel roads safely, could restore some of the lost opportunities for play.

“It was clear we needed new stuff for kids to do,” said Fionnuala Quinn, who makes and consults on traffic gardens. “This is a friendly, happy place for them at a time when a lot has been taken away from them.”

After getting approval from the Women’s Club of Arlington (700 S. Buchanan Street) in Barcroft to use their parking lot, a group of 10 bicycling enthusiasts, community members and engineers grabbed some chalk paint and duct tape and got to work. Three-and-a-half hours later, the parking lot was transformed into space with railroad crossings, crosswalks, streets and roundabouts that kids can walk, bike or skateboard along.

“It’s a bright spot in a tough time,” said Gillian Burgess, a cycling and walking advocate and former chair of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee, who helped with the effort.

Families seem to enjoy it and kids find it intuitive, she said.

“It’s funny, parents will ask us how to use it, but kids just do it naturally,” she said.

The crew in Arlington is one of about 30 nationwide that have repurposed parking lots and constructed these temporary traffic gardens since the start of the pandemic, Quinn said.

“Once you start looking and thinking about this, you realize there is asphalt lying neglected everywhere,” she said. “As soon as you do it, small children appear.”

The original traffic gardens were built in the 1950s in Denmark and the Netherlands. They resembled miniature cities, with tiny buildings and kid-sized roads and traffic signs.

The trend made its way to the U.S., with a large concentration of them in Ohio, where they are called safety towns, Quinn said. She has catalogued about 300 installations in the U.S.

Quinn, who lives in Reston, left her engineering job to engineer and consult on traffic gardens full-time. She said the 50s-era gardens ertr amazing, but expensive to maintain and most kids only ended up going once during their childhood.

Her job is to make these gardens easier and cheaper to build and maintain so that they can be replicated on a smaller scale, more locally, and be more accessible to all kids.

She has helped with permanent installations at two Washington, D.C. schools, and spearheaded two in Alexandria and one in Fauquier County. They required months or years of planning and work.

But temporary pop-ups, including the one in Arlington, use little resources and take less time. Once people see how much kids love them, the pop-ups also advance the community conversation toward permanent versions, she said.

https://twitter.com/TrafficGardens/status/1323693002754314240

The Barcroft traffic garden will be in place for a few months. Burgess is working on getting the message out through schools and neighborhood email lists and has started looking for other locations in the county. She aims to add more gardens by this spring.

The group is working with the Arlington Safe Routes to School coordinator to apply for grants to fund permanent traffic gardens at Arlington schools.

With kids learning remotely, Safe Routes to School grants are going toward different educational initiatives, including traffic gardens, Burgess said. In the meantime, she and Safe Routes are also working with the school system to make walking and biking routes to school safer.

Photos courtesy Gillian Burgess 

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Video Highlights Contact Tracing — A video recently released by the county discusses the contact tracing process that Arlington’s health department uses to “control and prevent the spread of COVID-19.” [YouTube]

Woman, 62, Accused of Fighting Police — “Upon arrival, the parties involved in the physical altercation had been separated, however, when officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, she walked away and disregarded lawful commands to stop. The officer attempted to gain control of the suspect and detain her, however, she freed herself from their grasp and swung her arm at them. With the assistance of additional officers arriving on scene, the suspect was taken into custody.” [ACPD]

Nearby: Update on Seven Corners Fire — “On Friday, October 30, at approximately 9:23 p.m., units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Arlington County Fire Department were dispatched for a townhouse fire in the 3000 block of Federal Hill Drive located in the Seven Corners area of Fairfax County… The cause of the fire was an electrical event involving the household wiring within the attic space.” [Fairfax County Fire]

Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick

BREAKING: Police Investigating Razor Blades Taped to Political Sign

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are investigating a case of razor blades taped to the bottom of a political sign.

A victim was cut after she removed a sign from along George Mason Drive on Wednesday afternoon, suffering minor injuries, police said today. A photo released by police show several razor blades attached to the bottom of the sign.

“The Arlington County Police Department is investigating… and is urging the public to take caution when removing these items,” police said in a press release. The department is also asking for members of the public to come forward with tips.

Police did not speculate about a motive for the razor-laden sign, but this year’s fall election cycle in Arlington was marred by widespread removal and destruction of political signs. So far, no other incidents of this nature have been reported, police said.

The full ACPD press release is below.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating the report of razor blades located on the bottom of a political sign and is urging the public to take caution when removing these items.

Between noon and 3 p.m. on November 4, the victim was removing political signage located in the median of George Mason Drive between Yorktown Boulevard and Four Mile Run Drive. Upon bringing these items back to a family member’s home, the victim was separating the signage from the metal base when she was cut by razor blades taped to the bottom of the sign. The victim suffered minor injuries which did not require medical treatment. At this time, no other reports of similar incidents have been reported in Arlington County.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or ACPDTipline @arlingtonva.us. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

The Arlington County Police Department encourages community members to inspect signage before and after they are removed from the public right-of-way and private property. If you observe signs of tampering, report for investigation by calling the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Aurora Highlands Playing Hardball in Push Against Softball Fields

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 9:45 p.m.) A neighborhood group’s years-long battle against softball fields at Virginia Highlands Park in the Pentagon City area is continuing.

The Aurora Highlands Civic Association doesn’t have anything against the sport itself, but asserts that the permit-priority fields on the west side of the park at 1600 S. Hayes Street could be better used as unprogrammed open space.

To prove the point, the association last week sent a letter — and a produced video — to the Arlington County Board highlighting community use of one field during the pandemic, after organized sports activities were cancelled.

“Cancellation of organized sports in the spring allowed community members to put Livability concepts into action over the summer, transforming one of VHP’s softball field spaces into a continuously used public space for art installations, social distancing meetups, and varied casual uses from kite flying, exercising, and families playing with their kids,” wrote AHCA President Scott Miles.

“Events and performances like Zumba classes and Music and Picnic in the Park on Saturdays have gathered over 80 people at a time, all safely distanced, even while other casual uses continue alongside,” he added.

Four years ago, the association released a proposal calling for the removal of the softball fields in favor of space that was open to all.

“The fields are significantly underused relative to other facilities and especially to open space,” the proposal said. “Each field is used for approximately 600 hours per year out of a potential of 4,380 hours (12 hours a day), a total of less than 14% of the time.”

Miles wrote last week that the recent community experience proves the point that the fields are underused when designated primarily for softball.

“With greater casual use access over the past five months supported by [the Dept. of Parks and Recreation] and local stakeholders, the space has been used more heavily and continuously than ever before, helping support local restaurants, build a sense of shared community, and provide diverse and equitable access to all area residents,” he wrote.

Other initiatives are in the works for the park. A new, temporary community garden has been added, and a proposed temporary dog park near the softball fields has received financial backing from Amazon.

The letter to the County Board — with some links added — is below, along with a video produced by the local group Livability 22202.

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AWLA Offering Festive Portraits of Pets on Porches

By Jo DeVoe

Even COVID-19 could not stop an opportunity for adorable pet photos around the holidays.

During two weekends in November, local pet owners can get family portraits ready for seasons-greetings cards with the holiday edition of Porch Portraits, a pandemic-proof fundraiser by the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

“Have a holiday pajama party, bring out your favorite party looks, deck your pet in their holiday gear, any holiday fun you’d like to capture,” the announcement from AWLA said.

The organization has hosted holiday “Pet Pawtrait” sessions before, but this year will look different: The event will span three days and will be socially distanced. Sessions will take about 10 minutes, with a minimum donation of $100, and participants will receive at least three professional digital images within 10 days.

As holidays approach and the pandemic continues, AWLA is focused on supporting the community as people cope with job losses, including via its pet pantry and veterinary support, AWLA Events Coordinator Hollie Dickman said.

“We never want food or resources to stand in the way of people keeping their pet,” she said. “We want to keep pets with the people who love them as much as we can, especially during holidays and COVID-19.”

Sessions are open for Nov. 14, 21 and 22 and participants must be residents of Arlington or Alexandria. Registration for sessions on Nov. 14 end Sunday, while registration for the weekend of Nov. 21-22 ends next Sunday, Nov. 15.

Participants select the date, but AWLA will coordinate times so photographers can do back-to-back sessions in the same neighborhood. Times may range from 8 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

Those who want to notify AWLA of times that do not work for them are asked to contact Dickman at [email protected].

Participants must have a porch in front of their house or an outdoor area, such as a park, in front of their condo or apartment complex where pictures can be taken.

All portraits will be taken from a 6-foot distance with no direct contact between the photographer and the household, the announcement said.

Local photographers Mike Leonard, Jeremy Robin and Erinn Shirley will be taking the portraits.

This is the second socially-distant porch portrait session AWLA has run to raise funds this year. The first occurred in May, two months into mandated restrictions due to COVID-19.

Leonard had been doing porch portraits during the pandemic and asked to donate his services to AWLA as a fundraiser, Dickman said. The impromptu fundraiser generated $3,000 from 25 participating families.

“I thought that was a great success,” she said. “We are anticipating a similar turnout, we hope to see that $3,000 raised again.”

Family portraits courtesy of Hollie Dickman. Christmas dog (top) via AWLA/Facebook.

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