Site of vehicle-versus-building crash at Lee Harrison Shopping Center
Site of vehicle-versus-building crash at Lee Harrison Shopping Center
Site of vehicle-versus-building crash at Lee Harrison Shopping Center
Site of vehicle-versus-building crash at Lee Harrison Shopping Center
A car crashed into the Lee Harrison Shopping Center over the weekend.
The crash happened Saturday morning in front of the Chesapeake Bagel Bakery store, which is often crowded with weekend breakfast customers around that time. A driver reportedly hopped the curb and crashed her car into the front of the bakery, though not with enough force to physically enter the store.
Tire tracks could still be seen on the sidewalk next to the store on Monday. The damage was relatively minor: a small fence surrounding a portion of sidewalk seating was smashed and wrapped in yellow “caution” tape, while a few bricks in the storefront appeared to be cracked.
Neither the driver nor anyone in or outside the store was reported to be injured in the crash, according to a fire department spokesman.
Detours available during the Custis Trail construction near Rosslyn (photo via @arlparksrec)
Entrance to the Custis Trail (photo via Google Maps)
A section of the Custis Trail running alongside I-66 near Rosslyn is set to close for the next month.
Starting today (Monday), workers will start repairing the trail as it runs between N. Adams Street and McCoy Park to make it a bit more hospitable to cyclists. Construction is set to last through Aug. 24.
Specifically, Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation and its contractors will focus on “a series of bumps, or undulations, on the trail surface near the pedestrian flyover bridge over I-66,” according to a blog post by Bike Arlington program manager Erin Potter.
“This part of the Custis Trail is too narrow (between a retaining wall and I-66) to allow repair work to happen while the trail is open,” Potter wrote.
The county plans to post signs for detours for both pedestrians and cyclists near the closed section of the trail. Walkers and runners will be redirected down N. Adams Street and then along Lee Highway to bypass the construction, while bicyclists have their choice of three different options.
Bike Arlington has full details on the detours posted on its website.
The Custis Trail was open this morning, but the N Adams-McCoy Park closure will start soon.
Man tasered by police at Peet’s Coffee in Clarendon
Man tasered by police at Peet’s Coffee in Clarendon
Man tasered by police at Peet’s Coffee in Clarendon
Man tasered by police at Peet’s Coffee in Clarendon
A man who was “making verbal threats” against customers of a Clarendon cafe was tasered by police Monday morning.
The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. at the Peet’s Coffee at 3003 Washington Blvd, but it was preceded by a police dispatch less than an hour earlier, according to an Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman.
“At approximately 9:47 a.m., police were dispatched to the 3000 block of Washington Boulevard for the report of a suspect making verbal threats to customers inside a restaurant,” ACPD’s Ashley Savage told ARLnow.com. “Upon arrival, officers made contact with the suspect and he was subsequently banned from the property.”
She continued: “At approximately 10:28 a.m., police were again dispatched to the location for the report of trespassing as the suspect had returned to the restaurant and was causing a disruption. As officers attempted to place the suspect into custody, the suspect became combative and a struggle ensued. The suspect did not obey the lawful commands of the officers and a Taser was deployed.”
The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. He is under police custody and charges are currently pending, Savage said.
Some new bike lanes and other road improvements could soon be on the way for N. Woodstock Street as it runs between Lee Highway and N. Glebe Road.
County officials are circulating some new designs for the road, which primarily runs through the Waverly Hills neighborhood, ahead of some paving work kicking off later this summer.
The county currently has a community survey open on possible designs for the retooled street, including the addition of bike lanes in each direction and some new traffic calming measures to bring down speeds on the road.
Officials also plan to add new, high-visibility crosswalks where the road meets both 20th Road N. and N. Glebe Road, as the county embarks on the wholesale replacement of brick crosswalks in favor of reflective plastic markings.
The work also calls for the removal of several “outdated medians” to help facilitate the construction of the bike lanes, without requiring any change in on-street parking or traffic patterns.
“Adding bike lane markings rather than having un-utilized pavement (previously occupied by medians) will also serve as a traffic calming measure to keep vehicle speeds low and encourage safer movements,” the county wrote in the survey.
The survey is set to close to respondents tomorrow (July 31).
Arlington Youth Soccer Team Wins Nat’l Tourney — The Arlington Soccer Association’s U16 Boys team won the US Youth Soccer National Championship in Frisco, Texas over the weekend. The big win “is the first USYS Championship in the club’s history” and “caps off Arlington’s most successful year in its almost 50-year history with the U14 Girls team also advancing to the National Championships,” according to the association. [PDF, US Youth Soccer]
Officials Prep for Decal Decision — “If County Board members in September decide to kill off Arlington tax decals that have been a fixture on local windshields for a half-century, the two elected officials who will be tasked with implementing the decision say they can make it happen. The question that still hangs in the air, though, is whether eliminating the decal will make it more likely scofflaws will get away with cheating the tax man.” [InsideNova]
Arlington Theaters: A Tourist Attraction? — Arlington’s theater scene “is bigger and better than ever,” according to Arlington’s tourism promotion agency. [Stay Arlington]
Survey: Keep ANC Open to Burials As Long As Possible — “The vast majority of respondents to a Department of Defense survey favor keeping Arlington National Cemetery operational for as long as possible, even if it means tightening up on those who are deemed eligible for burial there.” [InsideNova]
Arlington firefighters extinguished a house fire in Arlington Ridge this afternoon (Friday).
First responders were called to a home along the 1100 block of 21st Street S. over reports of a structure fire around 4 p.m.
The blaze was concentrated on the rear deck of the house, and the homeowner managed to make it out of the building without injury.
At 4:01 pm today, units were dispatched to 1100 blk of 21st S for possible structure fire. Homeowner extinguished prior to arrival. Minor damage to deck, none to home. No injuries. Fire Marshal is investigating. pic.twitter.com/LIkBvpdK1x
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) July 27, 2018
Prepare for more rain, and more flooding, the National Weather Service warns.
The NWS has issued a severe thunderstorm watch through 10 p.m. tonight, with a flash flood watch as well from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. due to the excessive amounts of rain the region’s seen recently.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening as a cold front approaches the area. Both severe weather and flash flooding will be possible in association with these storms. For additional details visit https://t.co/o2JIHfMyKQpic.twitter.com/JRDudNNHFT
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 27, 2018
Full details from the NWS:
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM EDT THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING…
The Flash Flood Watch continues for
* Portions of Maryland, The District of Columbia, and Virginia,
including the following areas, in Maryland, Anne Arundel,
Carroll, Central and Southeast Howard, Central and Southeast
Montgomery, Charles, Northern Baltimore, Northwest Harford,
Northwest Howard, Northwest Montgomery, Prince Georges,
Southeast Harford, and Southern Baltimore. The District of
Columbia. In Virginia, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria,
Eastern Loudoun, Fairfax, King George, Prince
William/Manassas/Manassas Park, and Stafford.
* From 3 PM EDT this afternoon through 11 PM EDT this evening.
* Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop late this
afternoon and evening, with heavy rainfall rates likely. Given
saturated soil from this week`s excessive rainfall, any
additional heavy rain or repetitive thunderstorms may result in
rapid rises of water in streams and low lying areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead
to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
(Updated at 4:30 pm.) Arlington police have arrested one man in connection with a string of overnight car thefts in Arlington Ridge, and another perpetrator may still be at large.
County police charged 18-year-old Sean Palmer of Washington D.C. with two counts of petit larceny involving a theft from a motor vehicle and two counts of entering or setting in motion a vehicle. He’s set for a Monday (July 30) hearing in Arlington County General District Court on the misdemeanor charges.
Spokeswoman Kirby Clark says officers arrested Palmer after receiving reports about two suspicious men in the area of S. Arlington Ridge Road and 20th Street S. late last night (Thursday). They eventually managed to locate two men matching a witness’s description, including Palmer, though one was able to flee the scene on foot.
Clark says officers determined “multiple vehicles in the area were entered and items of value stolen,” and it’s possible that other vehicles beyond the ones police found were broken into at some point.
An anonymous tipster told ARLnow that police left a variety of notes on car windshields around the 1000 block of 18th Street S. warning owners to check the vehicles to see if anything was amiss.
Police are asking anyone whose vehicle might’ve been broken into to call the department at 703-558-2222.
A daughter of one of Arlington’s “Lawyer Moms of America” preps a lemonade stand (courtesy of Natalie Roisman)
County Board member Libby Garvey attends an Alexandria rally with Arlington activists (courtesy of Natalie Roisman)
Ordinarily, it wouldn’t be big news that some kids and their parents plan to sell some lemonade around Arlington on a late-July day — but the lemonade stands popping up around the county this weekend come with a bit more of a message than most.
Activists with the group “Lawyer Moms of America” are setting up several stands in Arlington and other locations around Northern Virginia tomorrow (Saturday), as part of a national demonstration dubbed “Kids Take a Stand.” Parents and kids alike plan to use the event to raise money to hasten the reunification of families separated at the Mexican border.
While the Trump administration has managed to reunite roughly 1,400 children, from ages 5 to 17, with their families ahead of a court-imposed deadline, hundreds of other kids remain in government custody without any connection to their parents.
Though public outrage over the Trump administration’s since-reversed family separation policy has died down, Lawyer Moms of America is hoping to use Saturday’s demonstration to re-focus attention on the issue by putting their own kids in the spotlight.
“The women who founded Lawyer Moms of America heard first-hand accounts from lawyers who knew what was happening with these families at the border,” Natalie Roisman, an Arlington resident and member of the group’s national organizing team, wrote in a statement. “The immediate response was, ‘We have to do something.’ The next step was to think about how we – as lawyer moms – could uniquely contribute and do something effective. We have focused on education, advocacy and fundraising, and now we wanted to do something that would allow our kids to be directly involved.”
Roisman says the group will set up one stand at the intersection of N. Harrison Street and 8th Road N. in the Bluemont neighborhood, with another planned for Arlington Forest. She adds that stands will also be set up in the Waynewood area of Alexandria, at the Falls Church Farmers Market and in Reston, and more could pop up by the time Saturday arrives.
All proceeds of the lemonade sales will go to Project Corazon, an effort organized by the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation to provide immigrants at the border with legal services.
Northam Eyeing Fix to E-ZPass Deactivation Headaches — Currently, E-ZPass accounts can get shut down or users can be forced to switch transponders if they don’t use Virginia’s HOT lanes frequently enough. Virginia’s governor says some relief could soon be on the way. [WTOP]
Arlington’s School Board Could Soon Control Its Own Calendar — State legislators are gearing up for another fight around the so-called “King’s Dominion rule” for next year’s legislative session in Richmond. That could be good news for county parents, itching to see the school system’s post-Labor Day start change. [InsideNova]
Republican Challenging Beyer Swears Off Utility Cash — Thomas Oh says he’ll refuse any money from Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power, two state-regulated utility companies and dominant political players, as part of his long-shot challenge to Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th District). The activist group “Activate Virginia” has encouraged dozens of candidates to take such a pledge since last year, though Oh may be one of, if the not the first, Republican to accept that challenge. [Twitter]
Northwest Arlington Neighborhood Profiled for Its “Midcentury Ambiance” — Rock Spring is getting attention as a neighborhood in a “quiet suburban setting close to urban-like amenities.” [Washington Post]
Blerdcon Kicks Off in Crystal City This Weekend — The convention, dubbed as a “fully inclusive” experience for nerds of all stripes, starts today at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Organizers promise an “emphasis on inclusivity and intersectionality” in all of the convention’s events and panels. [WAMU]
N. Edison Street and N. Carlin Springs Road in Bluemont (via Arlington County)
N. Edison Street and N. Carlin Springs Road in Bluemont (via Arlington County)
N. Edison Street and N. Carlin Springs Road in Bluemont (via Arlington County)
After a man was struck by a car in the middle of a Bluemont intersection, some of his neighbors see new urgency for their years-long effort to force the county to improve conditions for pedestrians in the area.
County police say Eric Larsen was crossing N. Carlin Springs Road near its intersection with N. Edison Street early in the morning last Monday (July 16), when a car slammed into him. Larsen was taken to George Washington University hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and neighbors say he’s still recovering from some broken bones caused by the crash.
Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage says “charges are pending” against the driver, but people living in the area see the intersection’s design deficiencies as the real cause of the crash.
Lora Strine, who lives in the Arlington Forest neighborhood nearby, says her citizens’ association has pressed the county for changes in the area going back to at least 2016. She points out that Carlin Springs is a popular option for walkers looking to reach the Ballston Metro, as Larsen was at the time of the accident, or even the Safeway near the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. George Mason Drive.
Yet Strine says the area lacks clearly marked crosswalks or traffic calming measures to slow drivers, particularly on such a wide road, and she can’t understand why it’s taken the county so long to address the issue.
“This accident is not really an accident,” Strine told ARLnow. “It’s really been years in the making.”
Arlington officials point out that they’re hardly ignoring the area, however.
County transportation spokesman Eric Balliet says workers plan to install a flashing sign that can be activated by pedestrians crossing Carlin Springs near the road’s intersection with N. Harrison Street, just a few blocks from the Larsen crash. That signal should be in place as soon as next month.
Balliet added that the county is also planning some curb extensions and crosswalk improvements all along Carlin Springs, leading up to Edison Street, with work set to start in the spring of 2019 and wrap up the following year.
But Strine feels that’s far too long for the neighborhood to wait, and managed to secure a meeting with county staff and County Board member John Vihstadt to make that argument.
Vihstadt says “the jury is still out” in terms of how, exactly, the Board might be able to speed up the construction, though he certainly agrees with Strine’s assessment of the intersection. He’s spent the last year or so working with Arlington Forest residents on the issue, and he sees a need for the county to act quickly, as development in Ballston continues to ramp up and bring people to the area.
“That’s an awful long time to wait for these measures,” Vihstadt said. said. “I don’t find that acceptable at all.”
At the very least, Vihstadt hopes to see the county beef up the webpage displaying details about the road improvements to keep neighbors better informed.
But even if Vihstadt can successfully convince officials to speed up construction, Strine worries that the work won’t actually slow cars speeding along Carlin Springs. She’d much rather see an additional stop light in the area, or even a stop sign, to bring speeds down.
“They’re wasting time and money by making changes that we know aren’t going to work,” Strine said. “These are just incremental changes: another Band-Aid, as one of my neighbors said.”
While county officials are confident that their planned changes will indeed slow passing cars, Vihstadt agreed that he wants to see the county do more to take into account “context-specific considerations” raised by neighbors about local road projects.
Overall, he lamented that this latest community clash is indicative of a pattern he’s seen all around Arlington in recent years, and provides a clear example of how the county still struggles to balance traffic congestion and pedestrian safety.
“While we like to say that our public policies like ‘the car-free diet‘ are having a positive impact on Arlington traffic, and I think they are, a lot of neighborhoods don’t yet feel that way,” Vihstadt said.
