News

Girl Struck, Dog Killed in Apparent Hit and Run

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated on 5/31/20) Arlington County Police are investigating an apparent hit and run that claimed the life of a dog Friday.

Around 1:45 p.m. police were dispatched to the area of N. Upshur Street and N. Vermont Street, in the Donaldson Run neighborhood, for a report of a girl and a dog struck by a driver.

“Upon arrival, it was determined that the juvenile victim was crossing the street while walking her dog when they were struck by a vehicle,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The juvenile suffered minor injuries and did not require transport to the hospital. The dog died on scene.”

The deceased dog was covered in a white sheet, in the middle of the intersection, while police documented the scene and interviewed the girl, her father, and witnesses.

The driver kept going after the crash and is currently being sought by police, Savage said.

The father of the girl who was struck emailed ARLnow to share the description of the vehicle and ask for the public’s help in locating it and identifying the occupants.

“The car was a black sedan possibly with a green pinstripe, with a male driver and a female passenger, both in their 20s,” he wrote. “It had temporary tags and was in the neighborhood between 1:15 and 2 p.m. We are asking that if you live in Donaldson Run and know of anyone who drives a car with that description to contact the police.”

A video of the car, as seen on a Ring doorbell camera, was sent to ARLnow.

On Sunday, ACPD released several photos of the car via social media.

Map via Google Maps. Photo (4) via Facebook.

Police Chief: ACPD Committed to Training, Accountability

By ARLnow.com

In the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of four since-fired Minneapolis police officers, and the fiery protests that have followed, Arlington’s police chief has released a letter to the community.

The letter seeks to reassure residents that Arlington police are well-trained, use force judiciously, and are thoroughly investigated when they do.

“We take our responsibility to protect our diverse and inclusive community willingly and without reservation,” the letter from Chief M. Jay Farr says. “The officers of the Arlington County Police Department are a highly-skilled, trained, and dedicated force who show great restraint daily.”

The letter also notes that while all ACPD cruisers have in-car video cameras, officers have still not been equipped with body cams. “Due to other funding priorities, this program has not been funded,” Farr wrote.

The full letter is below.

Members of the Arlington County Community,

Above all else, the Arlington County Police Department is committed to the principle that all individuals will be treated with dignity and respect. We adhere to the protections afforded by the Constitution to assure everyone’s rights are safeguarded. It is impossible for us to achieve our mission if we lose the trust of our community. When force is used, we must hold ourselves accountable for our actions. We take our responsibility to protect our diverse and inclusive community willingly and without reservation. I wanted to share with you some of the initiatives the Arlington County Police Department has in place to assure that you have confidence that we will provide the level of service that is not only expected but reflected by this community.

The department is committed to providing our officers with exceptional training. New officers each receive approximately 800 hours of formal Academy training followed by 630 hours of field training. A review of training records over five years indicated that sworn staff had attended an average of approximately 55,000 hours of training annually (this number includes new officer training). This training covers topics such as: legal issues/review, cultural diversity, implicit bias, ethics, verbal judo, conflict communications, defensive tactics, firearms, investigations, and other topics related to the daily responsibilities of a police officer. Additionally, the department is committed to our Crisis Intervention Training program. This training is designed to equip officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal with a situation involving a person in a mental crisis. However, many of the skills learned are often used to deescalate a variety of situations, regardless of the mental status of parties involved. Currently, approximately 75% of the Patrol Section officers are CIT certified.

All patrol vehicles are equipped with in-car cameras. Body-worn cameras are not currently used by the department. Each year the Police Department meets with the County Manager’s Office to review the body-worn camera program and discuss the agency’s current operational needs. Due to other funding priorities, this program has not been funded.

To maintain community trust, the Arlington County Police Department actively investigates all allegations of officer misconduct to make sure we are holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of professional law enforcement.  There is also a process that identifies when officers have received multiple complaints in a given period, which triggers an automatic inquiry. An analysis of calls for service numbers compared to complaints against our staff shows that we receive complaints in less than one-tenth of a percent of our documented police/citizen encounters.  In addition to the regular community contacts initiated by the Community Outreach and Business Outreach Teams, I have an advisory council comprised of County residents and civic leaders who meet regularly to discuss topics of concern in Arlington.

(more…)

On Reopening Day, Cases Continue Upward Trajectory

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Arlington is starting its gradual reopening today, amid a mixed picture of local coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

The Virginia Dept. of Health reported 50 new COVID-19 cases in Arlington overnight, bringing the total to 2,098. The past seven days have added 326 new cases, the highest seven-day total since May 9.

More tests are now being conducted in Arlington, however. On May 9 the seven-day moving average of daily tests was just over 150. The latest data from VDH puts it at 251 and rising.

Hospitalizations, meanwhile, are at the lowest point in at least four weeks. VDH subtracted one from Arlington’s cumulative hospitalizations overnight, bringing the seven-day total of new hospitalizations to 26.

Disparities within Arlington’s 26 square miles are increasingly evident in the state health department data. Cases among those who are Hispanic or Latino are now 54% of the county’s total, when ethnicity is listed, up from 51% when we first reported on demographic disparities last week. Only 15% of the population is Hispanic or Latino

And Arlington’s 22204 zip code, with a preponderance of lower-income and immigrant residents, now has three times as many cases as the next-closest zip code: 22203, another area with a sizable immigrant population. (The 22204 zip code also has more than twice as many tests reported as the next-highest Arlington zip, 22207, which includes much of residential North Arlington.)

Together 22203 and 22204 also have Arlington’s highest test positivity rates — 25.6% and 27.3% respectively.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Reopening Starts Today — Arlington and Northern Virginia is starting Phase 1 of a gradual reopening of the regional economy today. You’ll be able to dine outside, get a haircut, and shop at non-essential businesses, with restrictions. Additionally, starting today, Virginia is requiring people to wear masks in indoor public spaces. Face coverings are also required in ART buses. [Arlington County, Arlington Transit]

Local Leaders Promote Mask Usage — Leaders of Northern Virginia’s local governments, including Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, star in a new video encouraging the use of masks as the region reopens. [YouTube]

Arlington Orgs Providing Food During Pandemic — “Since May 1, CHFA volunteers have delivered 6,174 meals to homebound COVID-19 positive patients and immunocompromised clients, with plans to provide an additional 14,000 meals over the next two months, in partnership with Jeffrey’s Catering. Since the state of emergency declaration on March 15, referrals to AFAC increased by 36 percent, from 3,606 individuals to 4,902 on May 10.” [Arlington County]

Marymount Holding Graduation Parade — “On Friday afternoon, members of Marymount University’s graduating class will celebrate their accomplishments through a Graduation Parade, with faculty and staff cheering them on along a four-mile route that loops between Main Campus and the Ballston Center.” [Press Release]

Local Snakes Face Sticky Situation — “Our Animal Control officers are always on hand to help animals in need, even the scaly ones! Today we got a call that 2 snakes were stuck to a glue trap. Sgt Ballena and Officer Citrone worked hard to gently un-stick the snakes and release them safely nearby.” [@AWLAArlington/Twitter]

ARLnow Receives Google Grant — ARLnow has received a modest grant from Google’s Journalism Emergency Relief Fund. The grant will allow ARLnow to host a paid intern this summer. The pandemic has negatively affected ARLnow’s business, and at the same time has also caused a shortage of internships nationwide. We’re grateful for Google helping us to offer an internship to a promising young journalist.

Arlington Hits a Few Bumps in Park Reopening Process

By Vernon Miles
1/5

With parks reopening on Saturday, some Arlingtonians were eager to walk around some of the county’s nationally ranked parklands, only to find a padlock secured across the front entrance.

At Hayes Park, the front gates were secured, keeping visitors away from the three-acre park north of Virginia Square.

https://twitter.com/BenDAvanzo/status/1264235227678982145

Arlington County Parks & Recreation said on Twitter that the park remained closed because the playground on the site could not be secured. Playgrounds across the region remain closed, with leaders in neighboring Alexandria suggesting they could remain closed until September.

Hayes Park was still locked up last night (Wednesday) but Susan Kalish, spokeswoman for the parks department, said the padlock has been removed and the park reopened this morning (Thursday).

“In our efforts to reopen park spaces for May 23, we had some bumps,” said Kalish. “The park spaces at Hayes Park are open for people to enjoy if they social distance. The playground and tennis courts, like all in Arlington, are off-limits.”

With parks back open for passive recreation and Arlington about to enter “Phase 1” of a regional reopening, county officials are hoping that locals abide by the remaining restrictions.

“Our park spaces are open and people should be able to access them now,” Kalish added. “We should have caution tape around the playgrounds and specific signage that the playground, shelter, field, court and other amenities are closed. If people are confused, they can connect with us on Twitter or Facebook or at [email protected] or 703-228-4747.”

Report Recommends Widening Mount Vernon Trail in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Portions of the Mount Vernon Trail in Arlington should be widened due to heavy use and crash risks, according to a new study.

The National Park Service this month released a report on its Mount Vernon Trail Corridor Study, which examined the condition of the trail, usage patterns and potential improvements.

The trail, which runs along the Potomac from the Rosslyn area to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, is used by more than one millions cyclists and pedestrians per year. But its 1970s-era design no longer reflects current engineering standards and the trail’s heavy usage, the report says.

“The trail is relatively narrow by modern standards, and characterized by meandering curves, timber bridges, and in some areas, dense vegetation,” says the report. “The MVT is beginning to show its age, from deteriorating pavement and bridges, to limited accessibility features, and outdated signage and striping. These attributes, combined with increasing usage and user behavior, contribute to risk exposure and considerable crash history.”

There were 225 reported bike and pedestrian crashes on the trail between 2006 and 2010, according to the study. Many of those were at crash hotspots along the trail in Arlington, including near Reagan National Airport, Gravelly Point and the 14th Street Bridge.

“Trail intersections, roadway crossings, surface transitions, and blind curves along the MVT were associated with higher crash and injury rates,” the report says. “On average, the MVT experiences one ambulance call per week related to a bicycle or pedestrian injury.”

“Collisions are more likely to involve male bicyclists (although males are typically overrepresented in the bicycling community),” the study also notes.

Reported crash injuries range include lacerations, bone fractures and head injuries, attributable to both single-person wrecks and collisions between trail users.

Among the near-term (1-4 year) improvements recommended in the report are new way-finding signs, increased trail maintenance, reduced-slip surfaces on bridges, and new “slow zones” at certain points on the trail.

“‘Slow zones,’ including the appropriate signage and pavement markings [could] be used at areas of high conflict among different trail users (e.g., at Arlington Memorial Bridge, Belle Haven Park, Gravelly Point, and other appropriate locations),” the report says.

The recommendations for medium-term changes — potentially 5-7 years away — are more drastic.

The study recommends that portions of the trail in Arlington be reconstructed and widened to at least 11 feet, in accordance with modern multi-use trail standards, compared to the current average 8-9 foot width. Another possibility: separating cyclists and pedestrians in high-traffic areas like Gravelly Point.

That’s in addition to improved trailheads at Crystal City and Gravelly Point, with “more bicycle parking, repair stations, and additional amenities.”

More from the report:

Widening the trail to meet this standard improves trail safety by providing appropriate width to minimize user conflict in high-traffic areas. Focus areas for widening and modernization include:

  • The portion of the trail located between Four Mile Run and the Theodore Roosevelt Island Bridge, pursuant to NEPA analysis. Some segments of trail in this area face widening constraints, but much of this high-use segment could be widened to better align with best practices and serve trail users.
  • Trail intersection enhancements, such as implementing trail roundabouts, at the 14th Street Bridge and Four Mile Run to better manage these conflict areas by slowing bicycle traffic and reducing conflict points.
  • Consider the use of bicycle-pedestrian separation at areas such as Gravelly Point, which have high levels of user conflict and pedestrian use. This could include a designated pedestrian path or increased separation and access control between the trail and adjacent site. A potential trail redesign in this location could also reduce motorist and trail user conflict at the trail intersection with the Gravelly Point parking lot.

A Mount Vernon Trail widening might not sit well with some local activists. A similar proposal, to widen portions of the W&OD Trail in Arlington and provide separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians is facing opposition from some who have expressed environmental concerns.

Hospitalizations in Arlington Hit Multi-Week Low

By ARLnow.com

A day before Arlington starts to reopen, hospitalizations in the county have hit a multi-week low.

Overnight, the Virginia Dept. of Health reported 51 new coronavirus cases, two new hospitalizations and no additional deaths in Arlington. That brings the total known cases above the 2,000 mark, to 2,039. Cumulative hospitalizations are now 373, while 109 people have died.

The seven-day trailing rate of new hospitalizations in Arlington is now 27, the lowest figure since at least May 1, after VDH started consistently releasing such data.

While new cases continue to rise at a weekly rate only about 10% off the peak three weeks ago, the rate of testing has also been rising. VDH data shows a big increase in testing over the past two days, presumably attributable to the county’s free testing event, at which some 1,000 tests were administered.

The latest reported test positivity rate for Arlington is 16.8%, down from more than 25% two weeks prior. The seven-day moving average of daily tests administered is 236 and rising.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Business Concerns About Mask Mandate — “Arlington County Board Member Katie Cristol says she’s heard concerns from businesses owners about enforcing the mask policy. ‘We’ve definitely heard from some grocers and some others that they don’t want to be in the business of enforcing and I think you’ve seen, nationally, examples of altercations between grocery employees and individuals who don’t want to wear masks and get belligerent about it,’ Cristol said.” [NBC 4]

More Local COVID Grants — “The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has approved $280,000 in Round 4 grants from its COVID-19 Response Fund for Northern Virginia to five organizations, including ALIVE!, Arlington Thrive, CASA de Virginia, and Northern Virginia Family Service.” [InsideNova]

Interview with Gillian Burgess — “Why hasn’t Arlington closed some streets to cars, to make more room for pedestrians and cyclists? What can be done about overcrowded trails? Should the Arlington Way move mostly online? Those are a few of the things we discussed tonight with Gillian Burgess, a local civic leader and cycling advocate.” [Facebook, Apple Podcasts]

Photo courtesy James Mahony

Neighborhood Abuzz Over Bear Sighting in East Falls Church

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) A bear was spotted near Bishop O’Connell High School this morning.

Social media posts on Reddit, Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor have residents buzzing over the bear encounter in Arlington’s East Falls Church neighborhood.

The bear was spotted in the private high school’s parking lot by a construction crew, around 6:30 a.m., as seen in the photo above. It was later spotted around 7 a.m. closer to I-66.

“All the neighbors in the area saw it,” one poster said. “The workers saw it too.”

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington confirmed to ARLnow that its animal control unit responded to the area but was unable to locate the bear.

“Arlington County Animal Control was promptly alerted as was the Arlington County Police Department, Virginia State Conservation Officers, the Arlington County Natural Resource Manager, and Fairfax County Animal Protection Police,” AWLA said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

“The bear appeared to be a yearling male… Animal Control quickly responded and monitored the area but was unable to locate the bear and there was no property damage,” the statement continued. “The bear did not approach any people, pets, or residences and quickly left the area. If a resident ever sees a bear we ask that they keep a large distance and immediately report to Animal Control at 703-931-9241. Animal Control is continuing to monitor the area to ensure the bear has moved on.”

Alonso Abugattas, Arlington County Natural Resource Manager, also released a statement.

Bears, especially young males, travel away from their families and often, as they don’t know as much as older bears, into new areas that perhaps are not ideal for them. They are shy and almost always try to get away from people, would like for you to leave them alone as well. Eventually they either find their way back to more wild settings or are helped to get there. They are almost always not a danger and just would like to be left alone. If you find one, just calmly report it. If you know they’re around you, don’t leave trash cans, pet food, and bird feeders around that may attract them. This is not an uncommon occurrence as bear numbers have really built up. For example, there are 4 bears this calendar year that have been seen in Fairfax.

A bear was spotted in the Reston area two weeks ago, our sister site Reston Now reported.

“It’s not uncommon to spot bears this time of year as they wander into residential areas in search of food,” Reston Now wrote. “County officials say that bears may be drawn into populated areas because of the smell of food. Other things that attract bears include garbage, compost piles, fruit trees, beehives and berry-producing shrubs.”

Photos courtesy Animal Welfare League of Arlington

Local Gentlemen’s Club Reopening Friday, Sans Dancers

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 2:35 p.m.) On Friday, as Northern Virginia reopens, local gentlemen’s club Crystal City Restaurant will be just what its understated name suggests: a restaurant.

CCR, as the club is known, is planning to open a new, 17’x24′ outdoor seating area recently constructed in its front parking lot. There will be six tables, 24 chairs and no dancers.

The long-time establishment along 23rd Street S., just west of Route 1, reopened for carryout on Friday, May 22, and will now — during Phase 1 of the reopening — serve its reasonably-priced prime rib, as well as beer and wine, to outdoor diners.

Owner Billy Bayne tells ARLnow that he’s eager to “get back in the groove, get my people back, try to get back to work.” CCR, he said, will as always offer “good food, good service, clean facilities.”

Bayne describes the gentlemen’s club as “a neighborhood restaurant, with dancers.” The dancers, however, will have to wait until the Commonwealth moves to a new reopening phase that allows indoor restaurant seating. Still, reopening even in a small way will help alleviate some of the pain of the shutdown.

“Everybody needs to open their doors, or they’re done,” said Bayne.

As for the potential name change to “National Landing Strip,” in honor of the area’s new identity, Bayne said that will also have to wait.

“Right now, I’m worried about survival of my business, about getting my kids through college,” he said. “I’m not worried about a name change.”

In addition to a two month closure, Crystal City Restaurant — and other nearby eateries — will be dealing with the coronavirus fallout for months to come. Crystal City is usually chock full of office workers, hotel guests and conference-goers. Now the offices are largely empty, with employees working from home, and hotels that would usually be 90% full are 20% full. Conferences have been cancelled through the end of the year and Rolling Thunder, which would have rolled into Crystal City this past weekend, was instead held virtually.

Bayne maintains his prediction that some 30% of restaurants will ultimately go out of business due to the pandemic. He said he’s grateful for the support he’s received from customers, even though business is way down.

“Restaurants are in dire straits,” he said. “We appreciate everyone out there who has come out and ordered from the local restaurants and helped us.”

As co-owner of the nearby Crystal City Sports Pub, Bayne said he’s also grateful to two individuals in particular: Freddie’s Beach Bar owner Freddie Lutz and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

During the spring, the Sports Pub would normally have been packed with nearly 500 paying customers during the NCAA basketball tournament and other high-profile sporting events. Instead, it’s doing only 10-20% of its usual revenue through takeout.

Freddie, Bayne said, helped give the pub a boost when he received a large takeout order from Amazon, for distribution to local first responders and Virginia Hospital Center, and then distributed large chunks of the order to other restaurants along 23rd Street S.

Bezos is “a class act for trying to help Crystal City… and the little local small businesses,” Bayne said, adding the Lutz is likewise to be commended for his generosity toward fellow local businesses.

County Says ‘NoWeedArlington.org’ is a Joint Campaign With a Blunt Message

By Vernon Miles

Arlington is rolling marijuana in with efforts to prevent opioid abuse, but some see the anti-weed campaign as outdated.

Nicole Merlene, a former state Senate candidate and an ARLnow columnist, noted on Twitter that Arlington is promoting a campaign called ‘NoWeedArlington.org’, which links back to a county health department page on the dangers of marijuana.

“Despite the fact that marijuana is legalized in many states, marijuana still poses many health risks including the risk for addiction,” the page says. “The surgeon general has put out a warning related to marijuana use – specifically related to the risks of marijuana use during adolescence.”

https://twitter.com/nicolemerleneva/status/1263938472995360772?s=21

Kurt Larrick, assistant director of the Arlington Department of Human Services, said the campaign is meant specifically to prevent marijuana use among children and teenagers, and is part of a larger effort to prevent opioid abuse.

“The ad is an awareness campaign against marijuana use by youth,” Larrick said. “The information conveyed in the message is directly from the current Surgeon General’s message of the negative impact of marijuana use on the adolescent developing brain. The correlation between early marijuana use and opioid abuse later in life is a commonly known fact within prevention/substance use literature.”

Larrick said the campaign was not launched in response to the impending decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia.

The movement towards decriminalizing marijuana has also taken hold at a local level, with Commonwealth Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti ousting an incumbent last year with promises to stop prosecuting marijuana cases, among other reforma. Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano was elected in Fairfax with a similar platform.

“This ad has nothing to do with ‘decriminalization’ or ‘legalization’ of marijuana,” Larrick said. “The ad was developed by [Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative] and Prevention with support/approval from DHS leadership. The ad is supported by SOR (State Opioid Response) funds and approved by the grant administrator.”

Larrick said the County’s position and its partnership with other local organizations is longstanding and also addresses other underage drug abuse issues.

“Arlington County, the Department of Human Services, Arlington Public Schools, and our community partners — including the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families, the Ready Coalition, and the Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative have long been on the same page when it comes to the harmful impact of marijuana on the teenage brain,” Larrick said. “We have also partnered on initiatives related to underage drinking, smoking, and vaping.”

While the legalization of marijuana is lighting up across the U.S., the impacts of marijuana use on brain development remains a topic of study.

Photo by Roberto Valdivia on Unsplash

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