News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pike Lane Closures Prompt Apology — “Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz has apologized that residents, business owners, and commuters weren’t informed how their lives would be temporarily affected by a road construction project on Columbia Pike, near the Fairfax County border,” per WTOP. County officials will be holding a press briefing about the lane closures on the Pike this morning. [WTOP, Arlington County]

Park Near HQ2 May Have Security Features — “Amazon.com Inc. is weighing methods for securing its second headquarters and appears to be looking across the pond for ideas. The U.S. embassy in London… avoids fences in favor of a number of ‘defense strategies’ disguised as a ‘welcoming landscape that is experienced as a public park,’ an Amazon representative told Arlington County officials.” [Washington Business Journal]

Ballroom Closing Is a Changing of the Bro Guards — “The millennials who do end up in Arlington are being drawn to a new generation of bars and nightspots, many of which are run by chef Mike Cordero and partner Scott Parker, including the bustling three-level tequila/tacos restaurant Don Tito… Clarendon may always have a place for the venerable Whitlow’s on Wilson, where the combination of a roof deck and cover bands makes it the most likely refuge for those missing the Ballroom… But it’s clear that Clarendon — at least, its bro-centric archetype — will never be the same.” [Washington Post]

Alabama Man Busted With Loaded Gun at DCA — “An Alabama man started the new year on a sour note when he brought his loaded handgun to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on the first day of the new year.” [Transportation Security Administration]

New Slate of County Board Meetings Set — “Arlington County Board members will hold 11 monthly meetings (Saturdays and the subsequent Tuesdays) in 2020, along with several hearings on the proposed fiscal 2021 budget and capital-improvement projects. Regular meetings will be held on Jan. 25, Feb. 22, March 21, April 18, May 16, June 13, July 18, Sept. 12, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 and, in each case, the following Tuesdays.” [InsideNova]

‘National Gateway’ Building Sold — “An affiliate of The Meridian Group has sold part of its National Gateway campus in Arlington County, one of a handful of office properties poised to benefit from an expected surge in demand tied to Amazon.com Inc.’s second headquarters. The Bethesda developer sold National Gateway II, a roughly 238,031-square-foot building at 3550 S. Clark St., for nearly $60 million.” [Washington Business Journal]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bill Would Allow Open Containers in More Places — “A bill introduced in the Virginia General Assembly would let more shopping center developments offer open-container access under the state’s liquor laws. Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, introduced the measure… The change could theoretically benefit at least a couple of developments in Favola’s backyard,” including the Village at Shirlington and Market Common Clarendon. [Washington Business Journal]

County Board Organizational Meeting Tonight — “The Arlington County Board will elect its 2020 County Board chair and vice-chair at its Organizational Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at 6 p.m. in the County Board Room, Room 307 in the Ellen M. Bozman Government Center. The Board also will adopt procedures for 2020 and name Board members to represent Arlington on regional bodies.” [Arlington County]

Bank Robbery Suspect Also Faces Charges in Bethesda — “One of three suspects who stole $60,000 worth of jewelry from a Bethesda, Maryland, shop in mid December was arrested Monday after robbing a bank in Arlington, Virginia, police say. Derrick Lamont Graham, 42, walked into the BB&T bank at 2200 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon on Friday and gave a note to an employee that implied he had a weapon, Arlington County police said.” [NBC 4, WTOP]

New Year’s Eve Problems — From a local Nextdoor user: “Hi everyone I lost the keys to my apartment last night somewhere in Clarendon. If anyone has found a key chain with 1 single key, a fob, and a white “tile,” please contact me!” [Twitter]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Christmas Tree Collection Underway — “Trees collected by the County the first two full weeks after Christmas are turned into mulch available from County facilities. From Dec. 30 through Jan. 10, place trees at curb no later than 6 a.m. on your regular trash collection day after removing ALL decorations, nails, stands. Do not place trees in plastic bags.” [Arlington County, Twitter]

Amazon Continuing to Hire for HQ2 — “By the end of 2020, Amazon plans to reach nearly 1,600 employees at the Arlington headquarters, and by December 2021 it expects more than 3,500 workers. The hiring will accelerate further in 2023 and beyond.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlingtonians Drop Off Tons of Glass — “Cheers to a successful start to Arlington’s glass recycling drop-off program. The County is closing out 2019 with more than 1 million pounds (500 tons) of collected glass for recycling in less than nine months. That’s equivalent to the weight of 27 ART buses.” [Arlington County]

Courthouse Apartments Trade Hands — “Bell Partners Inc., based in Greensboro, has acquired Vista on Courthouse, a 220-unit multifamily complex in Arlington, Virginia. The property will be renamed Bell at Courthouse and will be managed by Bell Partners. The acquisition from Equity Residential is Bell Partners’ second this year in Arlington.” [Triad Business Journal]

Reminder: NYE Events in Arlington — For procrastinators, here’s ARLnow’s listing of notable New Year’s Eve events in Arlington. [ARLnow]

Photo courtesy Dave Statter

Top 20 Arlington Stories of 2019: No. 6-10

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Our annual countdown of the most-read stories of the year is continuing today as we enter the top 10.

Here are top stories #6-10:

10. Trees, Wires Down and Power Out After Tornado Warning (35,114 views)

A brief but powerful storm produced damaging winds that knocked down trees and power lines across a wide swath of Arlington. Shortly after the storm, Arlington’s 911 system was said to be “slammed” with calls and more than 35,000 Dominion customers were reported to be without power. N. Glebe Road was blocked near Ballston due to multiple large trees and utility poles down.

9. Amazon Holding ‘Career Day’ in Crystal City (36,241 views)

There was significant interest in our article about Amazon’s big “career day” in Crystal City, presumably due to significant interest in high-paying jobs with one of the world’s biggest tech companies. Arlington’s Amazon Career Day was one of six the company held, in an effort to fill some 30,000 open positions worldwide. As of the end of 2019, Amazon had only hired about 400 people for its growing HQ2 presence in Arlington.

8. Shooting Outside Pentagon City Mall (38,289 views)

A masked, would-be robber was shot and killed in the Pentagon City mall parking garage, according to police. Early reports of a shooting outside the perpetually-crowded mall might have initially prompted fears of an active shooter-type incident just days before the Fourth of July, but that was not the case as the shooting turned out to be an isolated incident.

7. Clarendon Ballroom Is Closing (39,717 views)

There is perhaps no closer sentimental attachment to a local business than that of one’s favorite watering hole from their young-and-single days. For thousands of people, that’s Clarendon Ballroom, which is closing after one last New Year’s Eve bash tomorrow. While we would have liked to do a retrospective about the Ballroom and its two decade run, a co-owner declined to share a reason for the closing and declined ARLnow’s request for interviews about the history of the venue.

6. Arlington Police, FBI Arrest 9 After Prostitution Bust (40,678 views)

There are still some questions around this story about nine people being arrested in a sex trafficking sting. For instance, why did a joint ACPD-FBI child sex trafficking investigation not turn up any children who were being sex trafficked? Why most were most of the people arrested from at least an hour away? Why did the police department decide to put out a press release when it doesn’t include misdemeanor prostitution charges in its normal crime reports? And why did this story get more than 40,000 views?

ARLnow’s countdown will continue tomorrow with No. 1-5.

BREAKING: Bank Robbed in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 11:25 p.m.) Arlington County Police responded to a bank robbery in the Courthouse neighborhood, just blocks from police headquarters, Monday morning.

The robbery was reported around 11:15 a.m. at the BB&T Bank at 2200 Clarendon Blvd.

The suspect reportedly fled the bank with cash and ran west on Clarendon Blvd. Soon after arriving on scene, officers took suspect in custody at the Courthouse Metro station, according to scanner traffic.

ACPD Investigating Shooting Near Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are investigating a weekend shooting in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood, near Pentagon City.

The shooting happened early Sunday morning — around 3:45 a.m. — on the 1600 block of S. Joyce Street, near the RiverHouse apartment complex. Police say a man was shot and rushed to a hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators believe the shooting followed a dispute with someone he knows. Thus far, police say they haven’t sought charges against anyone.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, this is an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the community,” police said.

More from a press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a shooting that took place in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood in the early morning hours of December 29, 2019.

At approximately 3:45 a.m., police were dispatched to the 1600 block of S. Joyce Street for the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, officers located a male subject suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began performing emergency first aid until medics arrived. The subject was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation determined that a dispute between known parties preceded the shooting. All parties involved have been identified. This remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation and charges have not yet been sought. Based on the preliminary investigation, this is an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the community.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective G. Seibert of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4199 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS(8477).

Map via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Amazon ‘Excited’ for HQ2 Construction — “As we look ahead to 2020, we’re excited to start construction on our first buildings and hear more from our neighbors on how our investments can benefit the entire community — and continue to hire… Today we have more than 400 employees working from our leased office space on Crystal Drive, 18th Street S and South Bell Street in Arlington.” [Amazon]

Nearly 400 Amazon Job Openings in Arlington — Amazon currently lists just shy of 400 open positions in Arlington, from systems engineers to advertising account executives to event managers. [Amazon]

APS May Bring Back Paper Report Cards — “The effort by Arlington Public Schools to go high-tech with the distribution of student report cards appears to have hit a major snag. Two School Board members on Dec. 19 expressed significant concerns, and a third offered a milder form of disquiet, with the school system’s decision to scrap printed report cards in favor of online reporting.” [InsideNova]

Yorktown Boys Basketball Still Undefeated — Yorktown High School’s boys basketball team has extended its winning ways by winning the annual Bulldog Bash holiday tournament. The team’s 10-0 run included a 24-point comeback win on Dec. 20. [InsideNova, InsideNova, Twitter]

Q&A With New Economic Development Director — Incoming Arlington Economic Development Director Telly Tucker, in a Q&A: “I really want to first start with listening and learning about priorities and interests from all of those different entities to figure out a way to massage them into working toward common goals.” [Arlington Magazine]

Charitable Clothing Store Opens in Arlington — “There is a new option in Arlington that’s already helping hundreds of kids in need… Clothesline for Arlington Kids isn’t exactly a store. There are no price tags, and no money is exchanged. Instead, low-income children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches can come here for clothing, free of charge.” [WJLA]

Top 20 Arlington Stories of 2019: No. 11-15

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Yesterday we kicked off our annual retrospective of the most-read stories of the year.

Today the list is continuing with No. 11-15.

15. Officials Warn of Foodborne Illness Outbreak in Arlington and N. Va. (25,093 views)

An outbreak gastrointestinal illness called Cyclosporiasis sickened dozens in Northern Virginia, including in Arlington. The outbreak involved “two large businesses.”

14. ‘Best of Nextdoor’ Highlights Lee Highway Taco Bell Drama (27,819 views)

The terrific Twitter account Best of Nextdoor, which highlights funny and weird posts from the neighborhood social networking website, shined its spotlight on Arlington in November. The account posted a screenshot of a Nextdoor post complaining about the Taco Bell on Lee Highway and an incident in which a woman was reprimanded for taking “15-20 sauce packets.”

13. Boil Water Advisory In Effect After Large Water Main Break (29,128 views)

A massive water main break closed a portion of N. Glebe Road and prompted a large portion of the county to be placed under a boil water advisory for much of the day. A heroic effort by Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services crews resulted in water service being quickly restored and the road reopening by the weekend.

12. Arlington Man Causes a Stir As Max Scherzer Doppelganger (29,478 views)

Amid Nationals World Series elation, Arlington and the D.C. sports world was captivated by the tale of Arlington resident Kevin Kramer, who bears such an uncanny resemblance to pitcher Max Scherzer that he needed a police escort during the Nats World Series parade.

11. Arlington Man Survived on Coca-Cola for Five Days After Falling at Home (34,389 views)

ARLnow’s Vernon Miles broke the story, which subsequently received considerable national attention, of a local man who fell at home and survived only on Coca-Cola for five days until help arrived.

The top stories countdown continues Monday

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Man Dies in Pa. Ski Accident — “A skiing accident at an eastern Pennsylvania resort claimed the life of a Virginia man, authorities said. Matthew Rosenstein, 23, of Arlington, Virginia died Monday of multiple blunt force injuries, the Lehigh County coroner’s office said Wednesday.” [NBC 4]

Fairlington Among Most Competitive for Homebuyers — “Two locales in Greater Washington have cracked Redfin’s list of the most competitive neighborhoods for homebuyers in 2019 — one in Arlington and one in the District.” [Washington Business Journal, Redfin]

Free Drinks Today at a Local Starbucks — The Starbucks store at Market Common Clarendon (2690 Clarendon Blvd) will be giving away free tall espresso drinks from 1-2 p.m. today. [WUSA 9]

ACPD Makes Arrest in Christmas Day Mall Robbery

By ARLnow.com

A D.C. man has been arrested after police say he pepper sprayed an employee while trying to steal from a store in Ballston on Christmas Day.

The alleged crime happened on the 4200 block of Wilson Blvd — Ballston Quarter mall — around 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Arlington County Police say a man who was trying to conceal merchandise was confronted by an employee, who he subsequently sprayed with a caustic substance. Undeterred, the employee “tackled the suspect and detained him until police arrived on scene.”

More from an ACPD crime report:

ROBBERY, 2019-12250074, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 6:00 p.m. on December 25, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect was observed allegedly concealing merchandise from a business. When approached by an employee of the business, the suspect produced a bottle of pepper spray and sprayed the employee. The employee tackled the suspect and detained him until police arrived on scene. Patrick Riley, 54, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Robbery and Malicious Wounding by Caustic Agent. He is being held without bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Lee Highway Merchants Profiled — “Oscar and Evelyn Bunoan are well known in the community for the amazing food they serve at their modest grocery store in Arlington, Va. – the Philippine Oriental Market & Deli. From the time it opened 42 years ago, the place is constantly busy. These days, it’s just the two of them running the store. There are long lines at lunchtime. And they get frequent calls for catered meals or large orders for birthday parties.” [Manila Mail]

APS Wants to Hire Superintendent By Spring — “Arlington School Board members say they hope to have a permanent superintendent announced by April, and will lay out steps for the community to become involved in the process in coming weeks. A series of community meetings to gather input will be held the week of Jan. 20, and an online survey also will be made available, in order to create an ‘in-depth profile’ of the qualities and skills being sought in a new education chief.” [InsideNova]

Police: Woman Threw Knife at Man — “At approximately 3:18 p.m. on December 20, police were dispatched to the report of a stabbing [on the 3100 block of 9th Road N.]. Upon arrival, it was determined that known individuals were involved in a verbal dispute when the female suspect threw a knife at the male victim, causing injury. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. The victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries at an area hospital. Warrants were obtained for Malicious Wounding.” [Arlington County]

View More Stories