Someone distributed anti-Semitic flyers around the Lyon Village neighborhood near Courthouse this week.
The flyers rant about Jews controlling the weather, call for war to be declared on Israel and urge the government to “prepare caves” to save citizens from a coming cataclysm.
A resident tells ARLnow.com that he first spotted the pamphlets Thursday evening and thought they were “disturbing and seemingly threatening nature.”
“I found [the flyer] yesterday evening on the 1700 block of N. Adams Street,” the resident said. “I saw others tucked into residents’ fences and along the street yesterday on the same block and some others this morning along the sidewalk of the 1700 block of N. Wayne Street.”
“I just sent in a suspicious information report to the ACPD to keep them aware and also wanted to share with you,” he added.
(Updated at 9:05 a.m.) Arlington County Police are actively searching for a stabbing suspect in the Westover area.
Initial reports suggest that a woman stabbed a man in the shoulder in an apartment building on the 5700 block of Washington Blvd. His injuries are not reported to be life-threatening.
As of 8:45 a.m. Friday, Washington Blvd was closed between Patrick Henry Drive and N. Kenilworth Street due to the emergency response.
The suspect was described over police radio as a white female with red hair, between 5’5″ and 5’8″ and 130 lbs. She was wearing gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt at the time. Officers and a K-9 unit are canvassing the area looking for her.
POLICE ACTIVITY: ACPD is responding to the report of a stabbing between known individuals in the 5700 block of Washington Blvd. Suspect is still outstanding, one victim transported to the hospital. This is an ongoing investigation and police remain onscene.
Few members of Congress have been as outspoken against Scott Pruitt and his scandal-plagued tenure as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency as has local Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).
Now, with Pruitt’s resignation today (Thursday), Beyer is taking a victory lap.
“Finally,” the Congressman said in a single-word first sentence of an otherwise adjective-filled statement celebrating the resignation.
The congressman’s office, along with the Safe Climate Caucus he co-chairs, has sent out at least 32 press releases mentioning Pruitt since his nomination to the EPA’s top position was announced in December 2016.
“We urge President Trump to mark Earth Day by firing Scott Pruitt and replacing him with someone who will return the Environmental Protection Agency to its core mission, rather than using their position for perks and schemes at Americans’ expense,” said one such press release, sent this past April.
Today’s full statement from Beyer is below.
Finally.
Scott Pruitt was able to keep his position for so long — despite astonishing megalomania and unethical behavior – only because of Donald Trump’s historic embrace of corruption. Pruitt acknowledged behavior in Congressional hearings and televised interviews that violated federal regulations and spoke to extreme levels of wasteful spending and abuse of public office. He committed dozens of offenses which would have led to immediate dismissal in any previous administration.
Pruitt now joins the growing ranks of ex-Trump officials, a testament to President Trump’s chaotic management style and poor judgment. Sadly, some of those who remain may be nearly as corrupt, as antithetical to the purposes of the agencies they lead, and as willing to besmirch their public offices with dishonest and unethical behavior.
Scott Pruitt stood out, even in Donald Trump’s uniquely corrupt administration, for his willingness to cede direct influence and control over EPA policy to industries and special interests which harm public health. His scandals were inextricably linked to his antipathy to environmental protection, and to his close association with those who value profit over clean air and water.
The only way to really turn the page on the Pruitt era will be for Trump to appoint an EPA Administrator who is committed to environmental stewardship, and willing to clean house and wrest control of the EPA back from polluters and lobbyists.
A woman tried to stop a quartet of bike thieves from leaving her apartment building, but they shoved her out of the way and fled the scene before police arrived.
The incident happened this past Sunday evening on the 1200 block of S. Courthouse Road, just south of Columbia Pike.
The four suspects stole a bike from the building’s storage area despite being discovered by the resident.
More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ROBBERY, 2018-07010172, 1200 block of S. Courthouse Road. At approximately 6:55 p.m. on July 1, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was attempting to retrieve her property from the secure storage area of a building when she encountered four suspects attempting to steal bicycles from the storage area. The victim attempted to prevent the suspects from exiting, however, she was pushed away. The suspects fled in possession of one of the bicycles from the storage area. The victim did not require medical treatment. Suspect One is described as a black male, approximately 20 years old, six feet tall, 185 lbs., with a heavy build, a faded high top haircut and a goatee, wearing red shorts and a white t-shirt. Suspect Two is described as a light skinned Hispanic or Middle Eastern male, approximately 20 years old, 5’8″, 130 lbs., with a skinny build and thin mustache, wearing a gray t-shirt, dark blue jeans, white socks and sandals. Suspect Three is described as a black male, approximately 20 years old, six feet tall, 140 lbs., with a thin build, wearing glasses, a gray and red t-shirt, dark sweat pants, white socks and sandals. Suspect Four is described as a black male, approximately 20 years old, 5’10”, 140 lbs., with a thin build, wearing a black t-shirt and navy pants. The investigation is ongoing.
The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including one that we’ve already reported, after the jump.
A malfunctioning county bucket truck in the Shirlington Dog Park
A malfunctioning county bucket truck in the Shirlington Dog Park
A malfunctioning county bucket truck in the Shirlington Dog Park
Firefighters attempt to reach a malfunctioning county bucket truck in the Shirlington dog park
First responders on the scene for a malfunctioning county bucket truck in the Shirlington dog park
Firefighters were called out to a rescue a county parks and recreation worker from a malfunctioning bucket truck in the Shirlington dog park this morning (Thursday).
The man was stuck in the bucket after the arm of the truck stranded him near a tree at the park’s entrance at S. Four Mile Run Drive and S. Oxford Street.
First responders at the scene said the worker was not injured and brought down without incident.
Signs near the park said the area would be closed for tree trimming today.
The rescue effort briefly involved the closure of that section of the park, but it’s since reopened.
A concept drawing for a new East Falls Church Metro entrance (via WMATA)
Arlington likely won’t be able to add a second entrance at the East Falls Church Metro station until sometime in the 2030s, as county officials re-examine their funding priorities for the next decade.
The county has hoped for years to build a western entrance to improve pedestrian access to the station, particularly with plans to someday re-develop the parking lot and properties surrounding the station.
But the project’s roughly $96 million price tag makes it difficult to afford as officials grapple with a tight revenue picture. County Manager Mark Schwartz is proposing delaying any funding for the second entrance until at least fiscal year 2028 in his new ten-year Capital Improvement Plan.
“Given the pipeline of existing, high-priority stations, it really made sense to move this out,” county transportation director Dennis Leach told the County Board during a work session last Tuesday (June 26).
Schwartz is calling for the county to dedicate $8.8 million in state and regional transportation dollars for design work at the station starting in 2028, pushing back any construction spending indefinitely. The Board’s last CIP, approved in 2016, called for the planning process to start in fiscal year 2022, and construction to start in 2024.
As Leach mentioned, the county is eyeing second entrances at both the Crystal City and Ballston Metro stations as well, and officials are also struggling to fund those efforts as the county copes with increased Metro spending to provide the service with dedicated annual funding.
Complicating matters further is that the county was hoping the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, a group that hands out money for transportation improvements around the region, would be able to fund the bulk of the construction of all three projects. But the same dedicated funding deal for Metro involved pulling away about $80 million from the NVTA each year, meaning the group is scaling back how much money it can offer all but the most large-scale projects.
New Leader of Leadership Center — “Leadership Center for Excellence (LCE) announces the addition of Karen Coltrane as its President & CEO… With 27 years of nonprofit work in her professional career, Coltrane most recently served as the President & CEO of EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia, South Carolina.” [Leadership Center for Excellence, The State]
VRE to Review Community Feedback on Station — “Virginia Railway Express officials will spend coming weeks sifting through public comments on plans to upgrade station facilities at Crystal City. July 1 was the deadline for comments on the proposal to relocate and expand VRE facilities in Crystal City, which is the destination of about 18 percent of riders coming in from the west and south.” [InsideNova]
Another Hot Day — Heat index values today are expected to again climb above 100 degrees, though a cold front should cool things off on Friday. There is a slight chance of rain and storms today. [Twitter]
#Update: Fire is out, no extension. Confined to the balcony on the 7th floor. Continue to avoid the area as fire personnel will be cleaning up and working on smoke removal. pic.twitter.com/NqwYYCP1pz
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) July 3, 2018
Arlington Transit is prepping 13 new buses to start picking up riders in the coming months.
County transportation spokesman Eric Balliet told ARLnow the bus service received the new vehicles a few months back, and hopes to have three making the rounds before the month is out.
He expects the rest will hit the road as the county continues to beef up bus service in the coming months, likely “later this summer/early fall,” as part of the Transit Development Plan the County Board approved in 2016. That plan is designed to bridge gaps in bus service around the county, particularly along Columbia Pike, where ART and Metrobus just started teaming up to offer enhanced service last month.
ART has also dealt with a series of mechanical issues recently, particularly on some of its older buses, but Balliet says the county is still being cautious in putting these new buses in the field.
The 40-foot-long, natural gas-powered vehicles are the first buses the county has purchased from New Flyer of America, the same company that provides vehicles to WMATA for much of its Metrobus service. Accordingly, Balliet says ART’s service contractor “has been in the process of reviewing the buses for acceptance and training operators and technicians” since the agency got its hands on the buses earlier this year.
In all, the county’s Transit Development Plan calls for ART to expand its fleet “by over 20 vehicles” in total through 2026.
The county projects that these additions and service changes will help it boost ridership by 24 percent over the same time period, though ART’s ridership figures have flagged in recent months, similar to other bus services nationwide.
A boy under the age of 18 has been arrested and charged with brandishing a gun and trying to rob a man along Columbia Pike.
The incident happened in broad daylight, just after noon this past Friday, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.
Police say a man was walking down the street near the intersection of the Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive when two suspects approached and tried to rob him. He yelled for help and the suspects ran off, but police apprehended two people matching their description.
More from an ACPD crime report:
BRANDISHING, 2018-06290101, S. Four Mile Run Drive at Columbia Pike. At approximately 12:21 p.m. on June 29, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was walking in the area when he approached two suspects on foot. During the verbal exchange, one of the suspects brandished a firearm and demanded the victim’s property. The victim yelled for help and the suspects fled on foot. The victim was not injured and nothing was reported stolen. A lookout was broadcast for the two suspects based upon the description provided by a witness and arriving units located the two suspects nearby. Petitions for Possession of a Handgun by a Juvenile, Brandishing a Firearm, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Possession of Marijuana were obtained for the juvenile suspect. The investigation into the involvement of the second suspect is ongoing.
Another Heat Advisory Today — “Heat Advisory again for… Tuesday from noon to 8 p.m. due to the continuous heat. Remember to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities, and wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.” [Twitter]
New School Board Chair — At its meeting last night, the Arlington School Board elected Reid Goldstein as chair and Tannia Talento as vice chair for the 2018-2019. [Twitter]
State Department Employee Guilty of Child Porn Production — An Alexandria man who worked for the U.S. State Department in Arlington has pleaded guilty to “producing child pornography, in part by using his work-issued cellphone.” Skydance MacMahon “worked with a woman in Canada to shoot explicit photos and videos of five children inside her home, federal prosecutors say.” [NBC Washington]
Vets Hiking to Arlington National Cemetery — Despite blistering heat, two veterans are hiking 150 miles from the gravesite of legendary Marine Chesty Puller, in Middlesex County, Virginia, to the gravesite of decorated World War II soldier Audie Murphy at Arlington National Cemetery. [WUSA 9]
Arlington Remembers World War I — “Veterans of six U.S. military conflicts were on hand June 28 as the Arlington Historical Society paid homage to county residents who fought, and died, in what was termed – ultimately incorrectly – the war to end all wars.” [InsideNova]
