News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Plane taking off as seen from Long Bridge Park on a hazy day (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Reevesland Plan Advances — “The nearly quarter-century effort to find an appropriate use for the Reevesland farmhouse in the Boulevard Manor community seems to be over. Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) members on July 17 approved a certificate of appropriateness allowing Habitat for Humanity to renovate the circa-1900 main building and add two wings.” [Gazette Leader]

Cyclist Struck Near Courthouse — From Tuesday afternoon: “ACPD on scene of a reported hit-and-run involving a cyclist at 10th Street N. and N. Wayne Street. The cyclist lost consciousness in the crash and is unable to provide a description of the striking vehicle, per scanner.” [Twitter]

Dems Plan Unity Event — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee is hoping a ‘unity’ event will aid in smoothing over any lingering hard feelings after the Democratic County Board primary. Bob Rosen and former County Board member Jay Fisette will host the Aug. 6 gathering, to which the six candidates who competed in the primary have been invited.” [Gazette Leader]

Arlington Restaurant Inspections — “Several facilities in Arlington recorded violations during recent inspections from the Arlington County Public Health department. Inspectors conducted the most recent visits between July 20 and July 25.” [Patch]

Va. Tourism Spending Rises — “Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) announced today that Virginia’s tourism industry generated $30.3 billion in visitor spending in 2022, an increase of 20.3% from 2021, exceeding 2019 levels by 4.4%. The tourism industry in Virginia directly supported 210,721 jobs in 2022, an increase of more than 25,000 jobs relative to 2021, but still down about 30,000 jobs relative to 2019.” [Press Release]

Wildfire Haze Returns — From the Capital Weather Gang: “The milky haze above DC is wildfire smoke…AGAIN. But the smoke is mostly suspended high in the sky and not affecting air quality at ground level in a big way.” [Twitter]

It’s Wednesday — Expect a pleasant and sunny day with a high temperature of about 85°F and light winds that will become southeast at around 6 mph later in the morning. By Wednesday night, the skies will become partly cloudy, and temperatures will drop to around 65°F, accompanied by south winds at about 8 mph. [Weather.gov]

VDOT seeks public feedback on possible Route 50 and Washington Blvd improvements

By James Jarvis
Two-vehicle crash on Washington Blvd ramp in May (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 8:30 p.m.) The Virginia Dept. of Transportation is exploring potential upgrades for sections of Route 50 and Washington Blvd in Arlington in response to concerns about safety and congestion.

The department is urging residents and road users to share their feedback – via an online survey through Aug. 15. Possible improvements identified by VDOT include better bike and pedestrian access, improved safety at intersections, and traffic congestion management.

The study, conducted by VDOT as part of its Project Pipeline program, will assess three-quarters of a mile of Arlington Boulevard, from Fillmore Street to N. Pershing Drive, and about a mile of Washington Boulevard, between Columbia Pike and N. Pershing Drive. The study is expected to be complete by the summer of 2024.

Any potential project solutions that come from the study may be funded through various programs, including Smart Scale (a federally funded statewide program that allocates money to states every six years for transportation projects), Revenue Sharing, and interstate funding, among others.

“The Commonwealth is partnering with Arlington County to develop targeted improvements for the Route 50 and Route 27 study that minimize community impacts and address priority needs in a cost-effective way,” VDOT said in a press release Tuesday.

The study area includes some crash-prone ramps to and from Washington Blvd and Route 50.

In addition to the online survey, comments can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Khalil Minhas, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Route 50 and Route 27 study area (via VDOT)

Community events around Arlington aim to improve safety and tackle gun violence

By Jo DeVoe
A police officer plays a game of pickup basketball with local kids in 2018 (flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

This evening, several neighborhoods and organizations are hosting events in an effort to make their communities safer.

The events from 5-8 p.m. tonight will feature food, lawn games and activities for kids. Arlington police officers, firefighters and other county personnel will participate in the “National Night Out” events, which are also happening across the U.S.

“National Night Out is a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer and improve quality of life,” a county webpage says.

“During the event, residents in neighborhoods throughout Arlington County and across the nation are asked to turn on their porch lights, lock their doors and spend the evening outside with their neighbors, police officers, firefighters and other County personnel,” the page continues.

A smattering of civic associations, community groups, affordable housing nonprofit AHC Inc., and live music venue The Renegade in Clarendon are putting on events this year, according to the website.

Organizers invited ACPD and other organizations to attend and engage with participants, says police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

She provided the following rundown of what some events will be providing.

  • Arlington Village: Lawn games and refreshments
  • Cathcart Springs Homeowners Association: Barbecue
  • Cherrydale Public Library: Food and games
  • Gates of Ballston: Bingo, kids activities and music
  • Green Valley Civic Association: Food, kids activities, games and educational tables
  • Lyon Village Citizens’ Association: Refreshments

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Green Valley Civic Association hosted another event tailored to fighting gun violence.

Around 350 people attended, including three D.C. area mothers who lost sons between the ages of 8-35, says Portia Clark, the civic association president. Some 200 participants signed pledges to keep guns out of fights.

The impetus were recent reports of shots fired, a stabbing and some fights. These and similar public safety concerns over the last year have also prompted the civic association’s Public Service Work Group to meet regularly about ways to address violence in the community.

“This event was a way to help build relationships across the community and to get the community to pledge that they would not use weapons like guns to solve any disputes,” Clark said.

Coordinated by Tekhanna Hall-Harris and Javon “Blue” Harris, the event featured live bands and entertainers from Arlington and Alexandria, speakers, a prayer and a school supplies giveaway by Kingdom Fellowship Church in Alexandria.

It was a “great, family-friendly experience” and “no violence occurred,” Clark noted.

The ‘Guns Down Stop the Violence’ event in Green Valley on Sunday (courtesy Portia Clark)

ACPD investigating Porsche crash in which driver fled with small children

By ARLnow.com
1/4

On Saturday night, as much of Arlington was cleaning up from the earlier severe storms, a driver slammed into a light pole and a stop sign in the Lyon Village neighborhood.

The driver of the Porsche SUV then got out and ran off with two small children who had been passengers in the vehicle, police and witnesses tell ARLnow. It is unclear whether any of them were injured.

It’s an incident that drew many neighbors out of their homes amid a power outage. The crash still has the affluent neighborhood near Clarendon and Courthouse talking — and concerned about the welfare of the children.

A local resident recounted what happened.

“Around 10:05 pm, a black Porsche SUV went screeching down N. Bryan St. in Lyon Village at a high speed, crashed into a light pole and took the entire pole down across N. Bryan, hit a stop sign which got attached to the undercarriage of the Porsche, then did a sharp left turn into 16th Street where the car came to a stop,” a tipster told us.

“Then I heard a little girl screaming ‘Daddy, Daddy!’ It was heartstopping,” she continued. “I ran outside at the sound of the collision and heard the girl screaming. When I got there, the car was still running, all the doors were open, but no one was in it. Neighbors were pouring out of their houses to see what had happened.”

“At least three witnesses reported that the man got out of the Porsche and told his children (apparently 2 young children) ‘Run with me,’ she said. “Then they took off running down 16th Street towards Courthouse.”

The tipster shared photos of the crash, including the navigation screen, which had Le Diplomate restaurant in D.C., Quincy Park in Arlington, and a home in Vienna, Virginia listed as recent destinations.

“The car was badly damaged with almost every window shattered and the stop sign stuck to the undercarriage — so hopefully the kids were not injured. The little girl sounded absolutely terrified, though.,” the tipster added. “It took the police and fire dept. quite a while to arrive due to all the other emergencies.”

Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage largely confirmed the sequence of events.

At approximately 10:07 p.m. on July 29, police were dispatched to the 1500 block of N. Bryan Street for the report of a single vehicle crash with unknown conditions The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the vehicle struck a stop sign and utility pole at 16th Street N. and N. Bryan Street before exiting the vehicle with the two juvenile occupants and running from the scene prior to police arrival.

Savage said the crash is being investigated as a hit and run but declined to name a suspect as no one has been charged yet.

“The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been sought at this time” said Savage.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Construction along Crystal Drive in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

APS Boundary Adjustments On Tap — “It’s a part of the job description that leads one to question the sanity of those who seek to serve on local school boards. Arlington school leaders are planning three consecutive years of boundary adjustments to accommodate significant shifts in student populations across the county.” [Gazette Leader]

Storm Damage on Ft. Myer — From Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall: “Lee Avenue is temporarily closed due to tree removal. Our hard-working DPW team is aware of the damage from recent storms and is doing the heavy lifting across the base to clean it up.” [Twitter]

Storm Damage at Cemetery — From Arlington National Cemetery: “Storm clean-up update: ANC remains closed to visitors and pass holders on Tuesday, August 1. Funerals will still be conducted as scheduled and open to attendees. Thank you for your patience as we clear each section of debris and obstruction for everyone’s safety.” [Twitter]

Power Crew Stops Wayward Walkers — From Dominion’s Peggy Fox: “People tried to walk under our caution tape… until these guys stepped in! They stopped traffic & safely escorted pedestrians around our worksite off near Ft Myer in Arlington. We appreciate & thank you!” [Twitter]

Wrong-Way Driver in Clarendon — From Dave Statter: “Individualism & charting your own path can be keys to a healthy life — except maybe on a one-way street. And especially when heading straight toward an @ArlingtonVaPD officer.” [Twitter]

Rocket Launch Viewing Tonight — “The next resupply mission to the International Space Station from commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is preparing for launch during a window that opens Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 8:31 p.m. EDT at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Many in the mid-Atlantic region may be able to see the rocket after liftoff.” [The MoCo Show]

It’s August — Sunny skies and a high temperature of around 84°F, accompanied by a light north wind at about 6 mph. For Tuesday night, expect mostly clear conditions with a low temperature of around 64°F and a gentle northeastern breeze. [Weather.gov]

Police: Man touched boy inappropriately on trail near Kenmore Middle School

By ARLnow.com
Map showing approximate location of sexual battery incident on trail (via Google Maps)

Arlington County police are looking for a man who sexually abused a boy on a local trail.

The incident happened around 9 a.m. Sunday morning, on a trail near the intersection of Route 50 and Carlin Springs Road. That’s near Kenmore Middle School, Bluemont Park and the W&OD Trail.

“At approximately 9:09 a.m. on July 30, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the juvenile victim was walking on the trail when he was approached by the unknown male suspect. The suspect engaged the victim in conversation before touching him inappropriately and fleeing the scene on foot.”

“Officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. No injuries were reported,” the crime report continues. “The suspect is described as a heavy-set Hispanic male in his 40’s with gray hair, approximately 5’7” wearing a red shirt and dark sweat pants. The investigation is ongoing.”

Map via Google Maps

Firefighters investigating smoke at Arlington sewage plant

By ARLnow.com
Fire response to sewage plant on S. Eads Street

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) Firefighters are on scene of a fire investigation at Arlington County’s Water Pollution Control Plant.

Initial reports suggest that smoke is coming from a portion of the sewage plant along the 3200 block of S. Eads Street, near Crystal City. The fire department is trying to determine the source of the smoke.

Police have been dispatched to the scene to shut down a portion of S. Eads Street.

During the investigation, a firefighter on scene suffered a medical emergency and is expected to be transported to the hospital via ambulance, according to scanner traffic.

As of 2:15 p.m., the fire department was starting to scale the operation back. The fire was reported to be the result of solid waste that caught fire within one of the plant’s systems.

Two men face sentencing after sexual battery convictions

By ARLnow.com
Jail entrance at the Arlington County Detention Facility (file photo)

Prosecutors secured felony convictions earlier this month against two men in separate sexual battery cases.

In one case, a man was convicted of secually abusing “a mentally incapacitated or physically helpless individual” in a public park in Arlington in July 2020.

In the other case, a man was found guilty of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in her Arlington home in November 2019.

More on the convictions, below, via a press release from the Arlington and Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Office.

On July 13, 2023, an Arlington County jury found Matthew Coble guilty of Aggravated Sexual Battery of a mentally incapacitated or physically helpless individual. The evidence presented at trial proved that Mr. Coble sexually abused the victim at a public park in Arlington County on July 24, 2020. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2023. The statutory range of punishment in Virginia for Aggravated Sexual Battery is a period of incarceration between one and twenty years and a fine of up to $100,000.

On July 25, 2023, an Arlington County jury found Dylan Veitch guilty of Aggravated Sexual Battery of a minor under the age of 13 years old. The evidence presented at trial proved that Mr. Veitch sexually abused the twelve-year-old victim at her home in Arlington County in November of 2019. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2023. Following the guilty verdict, a motion by the Commonwealth to revoke Mr. Veitch’s bond was granted by The Honorable Daniel S. Fiore, II. The statutory range of punishment in Virginia for Aggravated Sexual Battery is a period of incarceration between one and twenty years and a fine of up to $100,000.

Both cases were prosecuted by Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nassir Aboreden. The Commonwealth’s Attorney Office would like to thank all members of the participating juries for their thoughtful consideration of the facts, evidence, and the law in each of these cases. The verdicts in each case provide the victims with a level of closure. Our thoughts are with the victims as they embark on their healing journey.

UPDATED: Power restored to most but GW Parkway to remain closed for several days

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) The herculean effort to clean up from Saturday’s storms and restore power to tens of thousands is continuing Monday morning.

The GW Parkway remains closed to most traffic between Spout Run Parkway and the Beltway — and is expected to remain closed until later this week, as crews work to clear a large number of downed trees and branches.

The southbound lanes of Spout Run Parkway, where at least one car was damaged by a fallen tree Saturday, also remain closed.

From a press release issued Monday afternoon:

The George Washington Memorial Parkway is currently experiencing closures due to the aftermath of Saturday’s storm. Crews are diligently working to clear fallen trees from the roadway, and these closures are expected to last for the next few days.

To enhance and expedite the restoration process, George Washington Memorial Parkway has deployed a total of five crews, including its own team, assistance from the National Capital Parks-East (NACE), and three additional emergency contracting crews.

The North Parkway, from Spout Run Parkway to I-495, remains closed, except for the northbound lanes from Route 123 to I-495. Additionally, the southbound lanes of the Spout Run Parkway are also closed.

These closures are necessary to ensure the removal of hazardous trees, including those that have fallen across the roadway and broken limbs that pose a risk to travel lanes. The recovery work is estimated to be completed within three to four days.

Round-the-clock power restoration work whittled down the peak of more than 34,000 without electricity in Arlington — half that of the 2012 derecho — to 3,154 as of 11:15 a.m. Monday, according to Dominion’s website.

The remaining small outages are scattered throughout the county, though most are concentrated in north-central Arlington — between Route 50 and Langston Blvd — including the Orange Line corridor, which was particularly hard hit.

Throughout Northern Virginia, 4,732 Dominion customers remained in the dark this morning, according to the power company. Crews have been working long shifts and overnight to restore power, with much of that effort happening in Arlington.

As of 4 p.m., the outages were down to 2,029 in Arlington and 2,338 throughout Northern Virginia.

More storm stories are emerging as the cleanup continues.

In Courthouse, a heavy metal table was blown off a condo patio during the storm’s intense winds and is now stuck high in a tree, above a sidewalk.

“The tree is right across the street from the entrance of the Palatine apartment building,” a tipster told ARLnow on Sunday. By Monday morning, however, the table had been removed by a tree maintenance crew, the tipster said.

Trees came down throughout Arlington, taking down utility lines, blocking roads, and in at least eight known cases falling onto houses. One unlucky family was on their way to Walt Disney World in Orlando when a huge tree smashed into their stately brick house near Lacey Woods Park, we’re told.

For those on the go, it’s not just drivers who have to deal with fallen trees and other debris. A trail cleanup is planned for 5:30 p.m. today on the Mount Vernon Trail near Rosslyn, which “got hit particularly hard,” according to a social media post.

Additionally, numerous trees are reported to be down on the Custis Trail and at least one park is closed due to storm damage.

“Rocky Run Park is closed for maintenance due to damages caused by the July 29 storms,” said Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation. “Please do not go onto the park grounds.”

Arlington National Cemetery, meanwhile, is also closed today except for funerals amid widespread tree damage at the nation’s most hallowed ground.

More storm damage photos from social media, below.

https://twitter.com/HennaThis/status/1685784247997550592

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream trying to serve its stock of soon-to-be-melted ice cream on Saturday evening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Armed Robbery at Bluemont Safeway — “At approximately 8:45 p.m., police were dispatched to the Safeway in the 5100 block of Wilson Boulevard for the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, officers determined that a man and a woman entered the store, [placed] merchandise into a shopping cart and attempted to leave without paying. Police said an employee confronted the pair and the man then struck the employee with the shopping cart and brandished a knife.” [WJLA]

ACPD Warns of Bitcoin Scams — A large Arlington County Police Department sign next to a bitcoin ATM at the Giant store in Penrose warns of various scams that coerce the victim into putting money into the machine. [Threads]

Buses Drive Past Injured Pedestrian — From Dave Statter: “Person struck on N. Glebe Road at Randolph IFO Harris Teeter tonight. Lots of people stopped to help. Bus drivers though forged ahead. How about parking the bus to block the roadway to protect everyone until fire & EMS arrive?” [Twitter]

Local GOP in Fundraising Mode — From the Arlington GOP: “Arlington Republicans are preparing to take our message to tens of thousands of voters this year. With solid candidates and good ideas, we’re ready to take on the failed ‘Arlington Way’ in our community.” [Twitter]

Pike Restaurant Recs — “Long known to be Arlington’s most diverse corridor, Columbia Pike has a rich history as a culinary melting pot. The roughly 3-mile stretch that extends from Arlington into Fairfax County offers everything from Old Bay shrimp empanadas and plant-based Ethiopian fare to melty pupusas… Here are more than a dozen restaurants and bars to hit up and down the Pike.” [Arlington Magazine]

Pike Library Parking Changes — “As construction efforts ramp up on the Arlington Career Center parcel, parking for patrons of the Columbia Pike branch library is going to get more dicey. The library will remain open during the two years required for construction of a new Career Center along South Walter Reed Drive, but the parking lot no longer will be accessible directly from Walter Reed. Drivers should enter through South Highland Street, or consider walking, biking or using public transit, county officials said.” [Gazette Leader]

Amazon Fresh Reopens — From an Amazon spokesperson, regarding the temporarily closure of a local Amazon Fresh store: “I wanted to follow up and let you know that the Amazon Fresh in Crystal City has reopened to customers as of this week.”

Powering the Power Crews — From Dominion’s Peggy Fox: “Lovely people at Our Lady of Lourdes church in Arlington who thanked @DominionEnergy crews & W.A. Chester contractors with homemade cookies! We have a lot of nice neighbors out here!”  [Twitter]

It’s Monday — There is a 20% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, with partly sunny skies and a high near 84°F. Winds will start from the northwest at 6-8 mph and become southwest in the morning. The night will be mostly clear, with a low of 65°F and a north wind at 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

Storm cleanup: GW Parkway still closed due to downed trees, 20k still without power

By ARLnow.com
1/16

The cleanup from Saturday’s severe storms is continuing into Sunday.

As of 9 a.m., Dominion is reporting 20,394 customers still without power in Arlington. That’s down from more than 34,000 immediately after the storm. Arlington makes up about two thirds of the 31,603 outages Dominion is reporting across Northern Virginia.

Dominion says it has 170 bucket trucks deployed and is working “as safely and quickly as possible to restore service.” Due to the large volume of trees and utility lines down across the region — particularly in Arlington — Dominion has not yet been able to provide estimates for when power will be restored.

Along with power outages, readers have reported Xfinity TV and internet service outages in parts of the county. The trees that brought down power lines also brought down cable lines in many locations.

The GW Parkway remains closed in both directions between the Beltway and Spout Run in Arlington due to a large number of downed trees.

From parkway spokesman Mark Maloy:

Due to the storm that moved through the northern Virginia area on Saturday afternoon, numerous trees fell across the travel lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Currently, the northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (from Spout Run Parkway to the Capital Beltway) is closed as tree crews work to remove trees from the roadway.  This closure will remain in place on Sunday until an assessment has been completed and all hazardous trees removed.  There are numerous other trees downed in areas of the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Clara Barton Parkway and the National Park Service is continuing to assess the damage and clear trees. We encourage drivers to use caution in the area and if they encounter any downed trees on the George Washington Memorial Parkway to call US Park Police at 202-610-7500.

Among the more dramatic storm impacts was a large window that blew out of an apartment building in Clarendon amid the damaging wind gusts.

Witnesses tell ARLnow that the window came from the top of The Reserve at Clarendon building along Washington Blvd, between N. Highland and N. Garfield street.

“Windows missing from 11th floor unit at the Reserve, window frames and glass all over Washington Blvd, dented and damaged parked car [with] window frame next to it,” a reader tells ARLnow. “[The damaged] car was parked outside of Clarendon 1021, a block away. Cracked windows in the building where the Clarendon Orange Theory is (across the street from Reserve). Crazy!”

Police closed streets around the building due to the falling glass, though the roads have since reopened.

“At 7:05 p.m., police were dispatched to the 3000 block of Washington Boulevard for the report of two windowpanes that had fallen,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirmed to ARLnow. “No injuries were reported and the roads closed in the area have reopened.”

Videos posted online, below, show the intensity of the wind from Saturday’s storms.

Update at 11:20 a.m. on 7/31/23 — The number of outages in Arlington is down to 3,154. The GW Parkway remains closed.

Update at 3:45 p.m. — Outages are now down to 14,313. Arlington County, meanwhile, is warning people to stay out of Gulf Branch downstream from Military Road due to sewage in the water from a pump failure.

Update at 1:25 p.m. — The number of outages in Arlington has ticked down to 17,811, according to Dominion. The power company is hoping to have power restored to “most customers” later tonight.

Arlington County says the curbside collection of storm debris may take “weeks.”

Map via Google Maps

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