News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Arlington resident Eimad Saab does pushups as the sun sets in Rosslyn’s Gateway Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

FLOTUS to Mark 9/11 in Arlington — “[President] Biden will not participate in any of the observances at 9/11 memorial sites in New York City, Virginia or Pennsylvania. Instead, the president will stop in Alaska for a Sept. 11 observance at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson… First lady Jill Biden will lay a wreath at the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon.” [Associated Press]

Arlington Has Star Power — “Arlington may contain but 5 percent of Virginia’s population, but a new ranking says 60 percent of the top five living celebrities from the Old Dominion have roots in the county… Topping the list from Virginia was actress/producer Sandra Bullock, a graduate of what then was Washington-Lee High School.” [Gazette Leader]

New ‘Flagship’ Office in Rosslyn — “Genetec Inc., a Canadian security and technology company, is expanding to Greater Washington. The Montreal-based firm has signed a lease for part of the 25th floor of 1000 Wilson Blvd. in Rosslyn, where it is opening an office and showroom for its technology and security products.” [Washington Business Journal]

Program for Pooped Parents — “Need a night out without the kids? The TMAD Club (Teens Making A Difference) is hosting Parent’s Night Out where you can drop off your kids ages 5-10 for an evening of fun and games. The program is held twice monthly on Fridays through May, alternating locations between Lubber Run and Walter Reed Centers and costs $25 per participant.” [Arlington County]

Recycling Reminder — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Curbside recycling in Arlington: the CliffsNotes.” [Twitter]

YHS Kicks Off Season With Win — “The host Yorktown Patriots began their high-school season with a victory, topping the W.T. Woodson Cavaliers, 21-14, Aug. 25 in non-district action. Yorktown rallied from a 7-0 first-quarter deficit to take a 21-7 lead, then hung on for the win.” [Gazette Leader]

American Airlines Fined — “The U.S. Department of Transportation fined American Airlines Group Inc. $4.1 million on Monday for violating federal rules by keeping passengers stranded on airport tarmacs for hours at a time in recent years — including incidents that occurred at Reagan National Airport.” [Washington Business Journal]

It’s Wednesday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms before 11am today, followed by partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 85°F. There is a 30% chance of precipitation, with a northwest wind between 6 to 11 mph. Tonight, it will be partly cloudy in the early evening, then cloudier later on, with a low temperature around 62°F. A north wind of 11 mph is anticipated, with gusts of up to 18 mph. [Weather.gov]

Eight people have died in the Arlington jail in eight years. Five were homeless.

By Jo DeVoe
Jail entrance at the Arlington County Detention Facility (file photo)
Jail entrance at the Arlington County Detention Facility (file photo)

Of the eight people who have died in the Arlington County jail in eight years, five appear to have been homeless, according to court records. 

Most recently, Abonesh Woldegeorges, a 73-year-old Black woman with no fixed address, died in the detention center on Sunday morning.

She was found at Dulles International Airport four times between 2019 and 2023 and then, this month, at Reagan National Airport, where she was arrested by airport police and sent to Arlington’s jail, the Washington Post reported. Although eventually granted bond, Woldegeorges remained in jail so she could be taken to Loudoun County for a hearing related to her Dulles charges.

Her case is not unique. Her death, however, returns the jail to the spotlight after previous inmate deaths generated a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit and a civil rights investigation by the Dept. of Justice, as well as a slate of changes by the Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the lockup.

Over the past year and a half it changed medical providers, purchased biometric sensors for select inmates and made other protocol changes. All of this occurred amid changing leadership: Beth Arthur retired before the end of her term and appointed as interim sheriff her Chief Deputy, Jose Quiroz.

Quiroz campaigned on improving inmate well-being and, after winning the Democratic primary, is the sole candidate for Sheriff on the November ballot. 

“Clearly, changing to a new medical contractor didn’t change anything,” says Michael Hemminger, president of the Arlington NAACP branch, which requested the federal inquiry he says is ongoing. “What level of care do these human beings deserve? Is it okay to continue outsourcing to a for-profit provider?”  

A holding place for people without homes and with mental disorders

Court records indicate three other deceased inmates, dating back to 2015, had no address listed or their housing situation was fluid, with an address that varied by the year of their offense. A fourth the Washington Post reported was homeless and suffering from alcoholism.

Of this group, Paul Thompson (died 2022), Clyde Spencer (died 2021) and Edward Straughn (died 2015) were in jail on trespassing or public intoxication charges. Anthony Gordon (died 2015) had been convicted of assault and battery of a family member and was sentenced to five years.

The remaining inmates who have died were listed as D.C. or Maryland residents. This includes D.C. resident Darryl Becton, whose family sued Arlington County for wrongful death for $10 million and were awarded $1.3 million about three weeks ago, according to Hemminger. 

That a majority of deceased inmates did not have stable housing comes as no surprise to Chief Public Defender Brad Haywood. He says the vast majority of inmates are indigent and his office has about a dozen clients right now with airport trespassing charges, specifically. 

“People who have homes to go to never have to trespass. People who have money almost never steal. People who are urinating in public — everyone I know would rather have a place to go inside,” he said. 

He added that more than half of jail inmates are also taking mental health medication. Statistics from the 2023 fiscal year indicate that psychotropic drugs were prescribed 1,582 times across 2,764 total commitments at Arlington’s jail. Other signs of elevated mental health issues inside the jail include the 1,102 inmates assigned a mental health alert.  

Jail statistics for the 2023 fiscal year (via Arlington County)

That the jail has a large population of unhoused inmates with mental health disorders is both a funding issue and the result of a disconnect among the people and agencies reporting and arresting people for trespassing, he said.  

“People don’t think about the social conditions that lead to this,” Haywood said. “It’s just a combination of a lot of issues that no one really wants to confront because they’re complicated and require a lot of resources.” 

(more…)

ACPD: Two seriously hurt in separate weekend attacks

By ARLnow.com

Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

ACPD is investigating a pair of incidents this past weekend that left two people with serious injuries.

The first happened around 11 p.m. Friday on the 3500 block of Wilson Blvd in Virginia Square. That’s the same block as a 7-Eleven and a tobacco store.

According to police, a man trying to shoplift was confronted by an employee, who he then assaulted, causing serious injuries. A suspect was later located nearby and arrested.

More from an ACPD crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-08250310, 3500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:01 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, collected merchandise and attempted to leave the business without payment when he was confronted by an employee. The suspect returned the merchandise and began to leave the store when he allegedly assaulted the employee, resulting in lacerations, and caused property damage to the business. The employee was able to move away from the suspect who then fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital. During the course of the investigation, the suspect was located in the area and taken into custody. During a search of his person, the suspect became combative and resisted officers. [The suspect], 33, of Burtonsville, Md. was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding, Destruction of Property, Obstruction of Justice and Shoplifting.

On Saturday night, near the Arlington Mill Community Center along Columbia Pike, police say two male suspects beat up a victim while making threatening statements.

The victim was seriously hurt and the suspects fled the area, police said. The reason for the attack is unclear.

From ACPD:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-08260296, 900 block of S. Dinwiddie Street. At approximately 10:47 p.m. on August 26, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, officers met with the reporting party who observed two unknown male suspects kick and strike the victim while making threatening statements. The reporting party then confronted the suspects who fled the scene on foot. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital. Officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results

Starting in 2024, Arlington County will tax your impervious surfaces

By Jo DeVoe

1/4

Last week, residents may have received a postcard outlining a new tax they can expect next year: a stormwater utility fee.

Like electric, gas, or water utility bills, this fee effective Jan. 1, 2024, would charge properties a fee based on use of and impact on Arlington County’s stormwater system. The new fee will replace an existing sanitary district tax calculated based on property assessments.

Residents of properties with more hard surfaces that do not let rain soak into the ground — such as roofs and driveways — can expect to pay larger fees than those with fewer such surfaces. Property owners can receive credits for steps they take to reduce stormwater runoff.

Revenue from the fee will fund stormwater capital projects — to the tune of $331 million over the next decade. To mitigate flooding, Arlington is also buying properties in flood-prone areas, adding stormwater detention vaults and making small drainage improvements, among other projects.

“The County is making this change now because the rise in severe flooding in recent years requires us to increase investments in our stormwater system, and a utility is a fairer way to distribute the cost,” per the county website. “These investments will help maintain, upgrade, and scale our stormwater infrastructure to better protect Arlington from future severe rainstorms.”

The Arlington County Board approved the fee with the 2024 budget earlier this year. It comes on the heels of a 2020 study by a consultant that recommended the switch and further study by staff.

The new model is fairer, says Arlington County, because it found property assessments were “weakly correlated” to impervious surface and these impermeable areas are “a better estimate of usage of the stormwater assessment.”

Before, the sanitary tax amounted to $0.017 per $100 of assessed value, or $136 a year for a home assessed at $800,000. Now, single-family homes could see a similar starting point for the stormwater utility fee, of $138 for homes under 1,600 square feet, with fees increasing as square footage increases.

Apartment and condo dwellers could see a flat rate of around $45.

This fee is based on a unit of measure Arlington County devised, called an “Equivalent Residential Unit.” The county calculated this by finding the average impervious coverage for single-family detached properties, which is 2,400 square feet.

Currently, one ERU is roughly $230-250, according to the county, though the final rate for 2024 will be set this fall and annually thereafter. Property owners would be charged based on how many ERUs compose their property. They can estimate that fee using a tool the county created.

The rate structure for the stormwater utility (via Arlington County)

People looking for some relief can apply for a credit program that rewards voluntary actions such as adding rain gardens. From Nov. 1 through Jan. 15, all property owners can apply for voluntary credits to offset up to 35% of their bill, or about $80 per ERU.

“The credit program is not a bill assistance program, but rather a thank you to customers for doing the right thing for the environment,” the county website says.

(more…)

Three nabbed during early morning high school burglary

By ARLnow.com

Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

A few kids got an early start to the school year by allegedly burglarizing Yorktown High School.

A burglar alarm alerted police to the break-in early Monday morning, just after midnight, ahead of the first day of the school year.

“Upon arrival, it was determined three juvenile suspects entered the building and were possibly still located inside,” said the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.

“Officers established a perimeter during which two suspects exited the building,” the crime report continued. “During the course of the investigation, officers were able to make phone contact with the third suspect who subsequently exited the building. The suspects were searched and stolen property was recovered. The juvenile suspects were referred to a deferral program.”

The burglary followed another bout of back-to-school teen shenanigans last week, when a group of kids tried to abscond with Ronald McDonald from the McDonald’s at 4834 Langston Blvd. Police also arrived promptly and foiled that alleged theft attempt.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Looking south along the path above Gateway Park in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Amazon Pushes Return to Office — “Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told company employees who defy his edict to return to the office for at least three days a week that ‘it’s probably not going to work out for you.’ Jassy made the comments during a meeting earlier this month during which he expressed frustration over the fact that some employees were not taking the return-to-office mandate seriously, according to the news site Insider, which obtained a recording of the CEO’s comments.” [New York Post]

ACPD K-9 Retires — “Please join ACPD in wishing K9 Astor a happy retirement as he finished his final tour of duty today. For over 10 years, he faithfully served the Arlington community and his fellow officers by making numerous criminal apprehensions, locating evidence, and protecting his handler. We are thankful for his years of service and wish him a happy and relaxing retirement!” [Facebook]

Campaign Season Kicking Off — “September kicks off a two-month sprint to Election Day, with a number of civic and advocacy groups announcing plans for candidate forums in coming weeks. The Arlington County Civic Federation will hold its annual candidates’ forum on Tuesday, Sept. 5.” [Gazette Leader]

County, Civ Fed Finding Way Forward — “The Arlington County Civic Federation and the Arlington County government… have seen friction in recent years, culminating in the adoption by Civic Federation delegates in March of a resolution highly critical of government transparency. Since then, it looks – from the outside at least – as if both sides are making an effort to bring comity back into the relationship.” [Gazette Leader]

Housing Debate in Fairfax County — “Several candidates running for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in November favor taking steps to make housing more affordable in the county, but no candidate has expressed support for duplicating Arlington County’s Missing Middle Housing plan that went into effect July 1.” [Patch]

W-L Dominates Opener — “The visiting Washington-Liberty Generals scored early and often against the host Edison Eagles on Aug. 25 in their 45-13 opening-game blowout victory in non-district high-school football action on Friday Aug. 25.” [Gazette Leader]

DJO Wins in Squeaker — “In the end, O’Connell held on to defeat the Virginia Academy Patriots of Ashburn, 10-7, Aug. 27 in non-conference high-school football action. The season-opening victory was the Knights’ first since the 2014 campaign” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Tuesday — A 50% chance of showers, otherwise mostly cloudy skies and a high of 83°F, with light northeast winds shifting east. Tuesday night, showers and possible thunderstorms are possible, with a low of 69°F and a 70% chance of precipitation. Expect light southeast winds and potential rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. [Weather.gov]

Marine from Arlington among three killed in Osprey crash

By ARLnow.com

Spencer Collart (photo via U.S. Marine Corps)

A 21-year-old man from Arlington was among three Marines killed in Australia over the weekend.

Cpl. Spencer Collart died after the MV-22B Osprey aircraft he was on crashed and caught fire on Melville Island, off the coast of Australia’s Northern Territory. It happened during a military training exercise involving forces from the United States, Australia, the Philippines, East Timor and Indonesia, news outlets reported.

Twenty Marines survived the crash, though three remained hospitalized as of Monday.

“The cause of the crash remains under investigation,” the Marine Corps said today in a press release that identified those killed, including Collart, the Osprey’s crew chief; pilot Capt. Eleanor LeBeau; and executive officer Maj. Tobin Lewis.

Collart “enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 26, 2020, and was promoted to the rank of Corporal on February 1, 2023,” according to the press release. “He served in Pensacola, FL, and Jacksonville, NC, before arriving at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, HI. Cpl Collart, an MV-22B crew chief, received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”

On Sunday night, President Biden offered his condolences to the families of the Marines killed.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Looking up in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Reminder: Back to School Today — From an Arlington County Police Department spokesperson: “Our Special Operations Section will be conducting traffic education and enforcement efforts in and around school zones to remind everyone of safe practices as they travel to and from their destinations during Back to School.” [ARLnow]

Senior Facility Plan Revised — “McLean-based Artis Senior Living, the assemblage’s owner and contract seller, planned to raze the site to make way for a six-story, roughly 163,000-square-foot 175-unit assisted living facility with a partially below-grade parking garage. McCaffery’s application proposes increasing the building size by about 6,400 square feet and adding an independent living component to the assisted living and memory care uses previously approved.” [Washington Business Journal]

Bike Advocates Looking to 2024 — “Bicycle advocates in Arlington are hoping they come away with more from the 2024 General Assembly session than they garnered in 2023. ‘We didn’t get anything accomplished last year,’ said Gillian Burgess, a member of the county’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, speaking at an Aug. 21 meeting.” [Gazette Leader]

Boston is Top DCA Destination — “Boston is now surpassing [Atlanta] as the No. 1 destination of travelers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to updated federal data. For the 12-month period ending May 31, about 812,000 passengers traveled from Reagan National to Boston’s Logan Airport.” [Gazette Leader]

WETA Host Dies — “We are heartbroken to announce that If You Lived Here co-host and our beloved WETA colleague John Begeny passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning, with his dog Charlie by his side, after a brief but valiant battle with cancer.” [Facebook]

School Board Pay Process — “Arlington School Board members are starting the process of considering potential changes to their compensation and benefits. Staff are ‘beginning the revision process,’ according to an Aug. 18 memo from Superintendent Francisco Durán to School Board members. The matter will be discussed at the Aug. 30 meeting of the School Board’s policy subcommittee.” [Gazette Leader]

Crash Caught on Camera — From Dave Statter: “A crash yesterday afternoon on Langston Boulevard at the intersection with Kirkwood & Spout Run. @ArlingtonVaFD & @ArlingtonVaPD handled.” [Twitter]

ICYMI: Friday Storm Photos — A vivid double rainbow could be seen after a brief but potent bout of heavy rain and wind whipped through Arlington Friday evening. [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]

It’s Monday — There is a 40% chance of showers, mostly in the afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature near 78°F. For Monday night, expect a 50% chance of showers, mostly cloudy skies, a low around 69°F, and an east wind of 5-7 mph. [Weather.gov]

NEW: Another inmate has died at the Arlington County jail

By ARLnow.com

Jail entrance at the Arlington County Detention Facility (file photo)

A 73-year-old woman died this morning at the Arlington County jail.

Abonesh Woldegeorges was found unresponsive in her cell around 7 a.m. and, despite resuscitation efforts, later pronounced dead, according to Arlington County police.

Per scanner traffic, she was found bleeding on the floor of the cell, potentially after falling out of bed.

Woldegeorges was in jail after being arrested for trespassing by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police on Aug. 13. She “was being held at the Arlington County Detention Center awaiting transport to Loudoun County, Virginia for a Failure to Appear charge in relation to a prior Trespassing incident with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office,” ACPD said.

“Ms. Woldegeorges’ family was notified of her passing,” said a police press release. “Our condolences go out to her family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

“The Arlington County Police Department is conducting a death investigation and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death,” the press release said. “Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).”

Woldegeorges is the eighth person to die in the Arlington County jail over the past eight years. Her death comes despite heightened attention on jail deaths and efforts to update health check protocols at the county lockup.

Prior to today, the last death at the jail happened on Feb. 1, 2022. Including Woldegeorges, all but one of the people to die at the jail over the past eight years have been Black.

Last year the Arlington branch of the NAACP called for a federal investigation into the ongoing series of deaths. In a statement Sunday night, the organization renewed its call for an investigation.

The Arlington Branch of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, responds to the news of a Black woman detained at the Arlington County Detention Center.

We are devastated and saddened to learn that another loss of life has occurred at our county jail and we send our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones. In recent years, 8 people have lost their lives at the county detention center. All of them have been people of color. It is well-established that Black people are policed and arrested at significantly higher rates than their peers in Arlington, Virginia.

While Arlington is only 9% Black, the jail population on any given day is over 65% Black. “It’s unimaginable that a 73-year-old woman being held on trespassing charges would ultimately lose her life while in custody. Unfortunately, we have seen a pattern and practice of blatant disregard for basic care at the Arlington county jail and it is leading to deaths at an alarming rate,” said Michael Hemminger, President of the NAACP Arlington Branch.

After the seventh death in seven years, a $10M wrongful death suit was filed in Arlington County and the NAACP Arlington Branch called for a Department of Justice Investigation into the detention center. The Branch has reached out to government officials to discuss this incident and is currently awaiting a response. “Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and other county leaders have, again, failed to properly address the root problem, and another person has tragically lost her life,” said Hemminger. The NAACP will ensure a thorough and proper investigation is completed, and the organization will ensure that any civil rights violations are met with due accountability and justice.

The jail has been under new leadership since January, when long-time Arlington County Sheriff Beth Arthur stepped down and Chief Deputy Sheriff Jose Quiroz became the interim Sheriff. Quiroz won the Democratic primary for Sheriff in June, after running on a pledge of improving inmate well-being, and will be the sole candidate on the ballot in November.

UPDATED: Large group of bikers swarm Arlington roads

By ARLnow.com

Group of bikers in the Rosslyn area (photo courtesy Corey Inganamort)

(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) A large group of motorcycle and dirt bike riders cruised through Arlington tonight.

Police first started tracking the group on Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn just before 7:30 p.m. At least 50-100 riders were “recklessly driving all over the road,” in the words of one officer.

Police followed the group as they made their way over to Ballston and then down to the Pentagon City and Crystal City area before exiting Arlington.

As the group made their way south to the Beltway, gunshots rang out and multiple people were wounded at a pair of gas stations near Old Town Alexandria.

Fifty Arlingtonians become U.S. citizens in first in-person naturalization ceremony since 2019

By James Jarvis

1/7

With mini American flags in hand and camera phones at the ready, friends and family gathered at Arlington Central Library on Thursday to witness loved ones take the final step in their years-long journey to becoming U.S. citizens.

For the first time since 2019, Arlington Public Library hosted an in-person U.S. citizen induction ceremony at Central Library in Virginia Square. Fifty former green card holders from 29 different countries recited the Oath of Allegiance, marking the completion of their naturalization process.

“Many of you embarked on a journey from somewhere else. You left behind families and friends, cities and villages, farms and businesses, happy times, and challenging times, making sacrifices to begin your minds a new in this great country of ours,” Diane Kresh, director of Arlington Public Library, told candidates before they took their oaths.

For many candidates, the ceremony was a milestone they had waited over a decade to achieve.

Aparna, who asked ARLnow not to use her last name, said she immigrated to the United States from India in 2007 on a student visa. She eventually received a work visa and married her husband Piyush — who was naturalized in 2011 in Wisconsin before he met Aparna — in 2012. Although eligible for citizenship years ago, Aparna waited to apply, noting it was not an easy decision.

“It was an emotional change,” she said. “You can still be Indian, but you owe your allegiance to the United States.”

Loren Aka said she immigrated from the Ivory Coast to the U.S. in 2017 on a student visa to pursue higher education at George Mason University in Fairfax County.

Now married with a child, Aka told ARLnow she applied for citizenship this year after she received her green card, adding that it was a “smooth” process.

“I applied in January for the citizenship… And a couple of months later, they called me for an interview. I was interviewed in July. One month later, when I passed the interview. I was called here for the naturalization,” she said.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, eligibility for naturalization requires an individual to be at least 18 years old and to read, write and speak basic English. Candidates must also reside continuously in the United States for at least five years, or three if married to a U.S. citizen, and maintain “good moral character.”

After having their biometrics taken and being interviewed by a USCIS officer, the final step for the candidates was reciting the oath. USCIS Washington District Director Ron Rosenberg administered Aka and Aparna’s oath.

“I’m feeling good because I’ve started to be a part of the community of country since I’ve been in the United States. So, I feel like I want to keep going with what I was doing and I feel a part of the country,” Aka said.

(more…)

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