News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

State Budget With Medicaid Expansion Passes — “After months of inaction, Virginia’s General Assembly passed a budget Wednesday that expands Medicaid to around 300,000 low-income Virginians. The House voted 67-31 Wednesday night to send the two-year budget bill to the governor, and 68-30 to send the ‘caboose’ bill to the governor that the Senate approved earlier in the day.” [WTOP, Richmond Times-Dispatch]

County Auditor Gearing Up for New Projects — “Arlington County Board members and the general public soon will be able to see what topics the government’s internal auditor plans to study over the coming year.” [InsideNova]

Citizen’s Police Academy Accepting Applications — “The Arlington County Police Department is now accepting applications for the fall Citizen’s Police Academy. The 22nd Citizen’s Police Academy will begin on Thursday, September 6, 2018. The Academy will consist of 12 sessions that meet on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at police headquarters located at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington, Virginia.” [Arlington County]

Journalist Death Hoax Has Arlington Tie — The staged death of journalist and Vladimir Putin foe Arkady Babchenko has a local connection, revolving around a photo that supposedly showed Babchenko shot to death in his Ukraine apartment: “Yevhen Lauer, the reporter who published the photo… has worked for various Ukrainian media outlets in the past [and] more recently been affiliated with Trident Group LLC… based in the Washington suburb of Arlington.” [RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Twitter (Caution: Graphic and NSFW)]

Nearby: Unique Show at State Theatre — The State Theatre in Falls Church is hosting a Joss Whedon-themed burlesque show Friday. It will feature a puppet playing the role of Whedon, a writer and director of cult TV shows and films, as well as burlesque performers from as far away as Dallas. [State Theatre, Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler

Crime Report: Gropings in Pentagon City and Along Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Two women were groped in separate incidents over the weekend.

On Friday evening, a woman was allegedly touched inappropriately in a store at the Pentagon City mall, leading to the arrest of a 24-year-old Alexandria man.

On Saturday afternoon, a man hugged a woman without her permission and also touched her breasts. That groping happened in an elevator of an apartment building near Columbia Pike.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 2018-05250226, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 5:42 p.m. on May 25, security at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City requested the assistance of police. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female victim was inside a store when the male suspect brushed against her and touched her inappropriately. The suspect fled prior to police arrival, but was located returning to the store while units were still on scene. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect was also wanted out of Fairfax County. Sterling Flowers, 24, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested and charged with Sexual Battery. He was held on no bond.

SEXUAL BATTERY (late), 2018-05260118, 1300 block of S. Scott Street. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on May 26, police were dispatched to the late report of a sexual assault. Upon arrival, it was determined that on May 15 at approximately 1:15 a.m., when the victim was entering an elevator in a residential building, the male suspect approached her and asked if he could hug her. Before the victim could respond, the suspect hugged the victim tightly and touched her breasts. The victim was able to push the suspect away and exit the elevator. The suspect is described as an olive skinned male, approximately 5’8″, with short, straight, dark black hair and an average build. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including one that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

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Workers with Disabilities at Army National Guard Center Go On Strike, Demand Ability to Unionize

By Alex Koma
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A group of workers with disabilities at the Army National Guard Readiness Center on S. George Mason Drive has gone on strike, pushing for the right to unionize and a reduction in healthcare costs.

A dozen employees with Didlake, a Manassas nonprofit that contracts with the National Guard to provide maintenance and custodial services at the center, walked off the job on this past Friday. They’ve been hoping for more than a year now to organize with the help of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, commonly known as LiUNA, but Didlake has repeatedly refused to recognize their efforts and negotiate with the workers.

The employees and union organizers claim that their Didlake supervisors have treated them poorly and done nothing to tamp down skyrocketing healthcare costs, a particularly troublesome development for workers who need to visit the doctor frequently to manage chronic health conditions. Didlake’s attorneys argue that the nonprofit only employs these workers through a federal program designed to help disabled people find work and therefore they don’t have the same ability to unionize as other employees.

The dispute has found its way to the National Labor Relations Board, but Didlake employees at the site said they decided to go on strike to force more attention to the issue.

“They don’t treat us equally,” Samantha Ulloa, a Didlake employee for the last five years who lives with epilepsy, told ARLnow. “They say they treat us better than regular people with no disabilities. But if we sit down for a few minutes, they say ‘No,’ and have us get up right away and work nonstop… We have nobody to support us right now.”

A spokeswoman for Didlake didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But, in NLRB filings, the nonprofit’s attorneys argue that Didlake has a “primarily rehabilitative relationship” with these employees as part of the federal “AbilityOne” program, and injecting a union into the arrangement could hurt the company’s ability to offer services to its workers.

“The fabric of Didlake’s rehabilitative program and the supports and services received by the participants are jeopardized and could be damaged” if the employees proceed with collective bargaining, Didlake attorneys wrote in a June 2017 NLRB filing.

Yet Ulloa argues that Didlake’s response to the workers’ complaints shows that the nonprofit isn’t truly listening to their concerns. While she appreciates the job coaching services the company offers, she noted that she and her husband currently pay about $800 a month just to afford health insurance — a cost that’s barely manageable on her minimum wage salary.

“The union could help us by getting us better benefits, supporting us and standing up for us,” Ulloa said.

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Volunteers Wanted as Metro Plans ‘Full-Scale’ Emergency Exercise Sunday

By Alex Koma

WMATA is gearing up to test how first responders would handle a major Metro emergency in Arlington, and officials are looking for some help.

Metro is planning a “full-scale exercise” at the Crystal City Metro station (1750 S. Bell Street) on Sunday, June 3, and is looking for volunteers to make the event feel more real for participants. Check in for the event begins at 6:30 a.m., and it’s set to wrap up by 1 p.m, according to an event listing.

Volunteers will get the chance to “act out the role of a Metro rider who is on the train at the time of the emergency and will be able to see first-hand how regional emergency responders handle the situation.”

Metro is offering up free parking and light refreshments for anyone looking to participate; WMATA is also willing to provide documentation or certification for anyone who needs it after participating, “including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and other service organizations.”

More details on the event from the listing, after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

More Water Infrastructure Repairs — Work to replace a collapsed 18-inch stormwater pipe on Arlington Ridge Road is expected to continue through the weekend, prompting detours on Arlington Ridge between 23rd Street S. and S. Glebe Road. Also today, crews from the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services are working to fix a broken water main, affecting 50-100 water customers, on the 1600 block of N. Jackson Street in Lyon Village. [Twitter, Twitter]

History of the Namesake of Hall’s Hill — The historically African-American neighborhood of Hall’s Hill in Arlington is named after an “infamous” 19th century slaveowner named Basil Hall who once shot a slave in a fit of “bravado.” In 1866 his land was sold to form the neighborhood. Hall had a sister, a downtown brothel keeper named Mary Ann, whose land in Arlington later became Marymount University. [Falls Church News-Press]

Local Kids Pen Hamilton Book — Just in time for Hamilton, the wildly popular musical, to arrive at the Kennedy Center, two Arlington kids (and their dad) have self-published a 50-page book “about the Washington-area sites related to Alexander Hamilton, his wife Eliza, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and other Founding Fathers.” [Amazon]

Photo courtesy John Sonderman

Police Investigate Armed Robbery at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

Two men, armed with a gun and a taser, robbed a business at the Pentagon City mall early Saturday morning, according to police.

Officers were dispatched to the mall shortly after 2 a.m.

Police say the men entered the back room of the business, pistol whipped an employee in the face, and stole cash and other items before fleeing.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 2018-05270026, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 2:21 a.m. on May 27, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was in a back room of the business when two unknown male suspects entered the room. One suspect brandished a firearm, hit the victim in the face with it, and demanded cash, while second suspect, brandishing a taser, stole cash and items of value. Both suspects fled the scene on foot prior to police arrival. The victim did not require medical treatment. Suspect One is described as a black male, in his 40’s or 50’s, approximately 6’3″, with a thin build, wearing a dark hat and dark pants. Suspect Two is described as a black male, in his late 30’s or 40’s, with an athletic or stocky build, wearing a dark hoodie with the hood up, a mask and gloves. The investigation is ongoing.

ACPD to Enforce New Clarendon Drop-off Points

By ARLnow.com

New nighttime drop-off and pick-up zones are coming to Clarendon in an effort to stop double parking, blocking of crosswalks and other bad driver behavior.

The zones, created in response to drivers clogging roads and creating dangerous situations for pedestrians during peak bar-going times, are being placed throughout the neighborhood.

The county is specifically working with Lyft, Uber and Red Top Cab to make sure the new traffic patterns are followed by those driving nightlife patrons to and from Clarendon.

Arlington County Police will conduct a three-week “warning” period before starting to “strictly enforce the new regulations.”

More from an ACPD press release:

The initiative also aims to curb illegal practices, such as double parking and stopping in travel lanes, bus stops, bike lanes and crosswalks, to load and unload passengers.

The designated drop-off and pick-up zones in Clarendon will be enforced between Thursdayand Sunday nights from the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Zone areas are:

  1. Wilson Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard between North Highland Street and North Irving Street
  2. North Highland Street between Wilson Boulevard and 11th Street North
  3. North Fillmore Street between Wilson Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard

Motorists should be on the lookout for ‘No Parking Except 5 Minute Passenger Pick Up and Drop Off’ signs. The Arlington County Police Department will strictly enforce the new regulations, however; a three week warning period is planned to help bring public awareness to the changes and encourage compliance through the issuance of verbal and written warnings for observed infractions.  The warning period will also give drivers and riders an opportunity to become familiar with the newly designated pick-up and drop-off zones.

Violators will be issued citations at the completion of the warning period.

This is a joint safety project between Arlington County’s Department of Environmental Services (DES) and the Arlington County Police Department.

“With the popularity of Clarendon, safety of all people in the public right-of-way is a top concern for us” says Dennis Leach, director of transportation. “We believe the zones will benefit everyone – customers, businesses and neighborhood residents – by providing a safer flow of traffic and reduced conflicts between motorists and pedestrians in one of the County’s busiest neighborhoods.”

“The Arlington County Police Department is committed to maintaining Clarendon as a safe destination for nightlife and entertainment” says M. Jay Farr, Chief of Police. “The officers assigned to Clarendon on Friday and Saturday evenings continue to monitor the area to reduce alcohol related harm and address public safety concerns. The new zones are one additional layer to ensuring the overall safety of customers, businesses and neighborhood residents.”

Photos via ACPD

Arlington County Launches ‘New Online Resource for Consumers’

By ARLnow.com

There’s a new way for Arlington residents to complain about things.

Arlington County has launched a new “Consumer Protection Clearinghouse” website, with consumer-oriented information about everything from towing to cable TV service to food trucks. The site is a one-stop shop that puts local, state and federal resources in one place.

The new site was announced at last week’s Arlington County Board meeting.

The site also includes a “submit a complaint” feature, focused mostly on towing, cable and taxi-related issues. Submissions will be reviewed by county staff.

The site will allow the county to “better address the needs of consumers” and help facilitate a “fair marketplace,” said Jeanine Finch, who serves as the county’s Business Ombudsman and lead for consumer affairs.

County Board Chair Katie Cristol said the Board is “quite enthusiastic” about the new site.

More information from a press release:

A new Consumer Protection Clearinghouse site aims to help consumers and businesses in Arlington County by providing educational resources and a way to submit concerns.

This new site centralizes existing consumer resources from across County government, and consolidates and incorporates a variety of state and federal resources as well. It also enhances access to public information on a range of topics regulated by the County government, including:

  • Towing
  • Cable TV
  • Taxis
  • Pawn Shops
  • Food Trucks
  • Solicitation

The page also includes an easy-to-use “submit a complaint” button that appears on each page in the site.

The new resource was announced at the May 22, 2018, County Board Meeting by County Manager Mark Schwartz.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Work Begins to Replace Collapsed Pipe — A collapsed 18-inch stormwater pipe is being replaced on Arlington Ridge. The work is necessitating a detour for Arlington Ridge Road traffic between 23rd Street and S. Glebe Road. The stretch has been the site of numerous water main issues over the past few years. [Twitter]

Big Turnout for Caps Sendoff — Thousands of fans reportedly flocked to the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston on Saturday to give the Caps a Stanley Cup sendoff as they traveled to Las Vegas for Game 1 of the finals. [WUSA 9]

Manager Warns Against Additional Debt — “[Don’t] do it. That’s Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz’s advice to County Board members, urging them to resist any temptation to disregard the government’s self-imposed, and for the most part sacrosanct, debt guidelines. The guidelines, long in place to help the county government retain AAA bond ratings, call for the cost of servicing municipal debt to remain less than 10 percent of the total overall county-government budget in any given year.” [InsideNova]

ACFD Lends a Hand in Ellicott City — Arlington County Fire Department units are helping out the flood recovery efforts in Ellicott City, Md. The catastrophic flooding in Ellicott City over the weekend prompted a regional disaster aid response. [Twitter]

DJO Wins State Softball Crown — The Bishop O’Connell Knights girls high school softball team won the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I tournament last week, capturing the state championship title for the seventh year in a row. [InsideNova]

Photo courtesy @thelastfc

Motorcyclist Injured in Crash on Shirlington Circle

By ARLnow.com

Police and firefighters are on scene of a motorcycle crash on Shirlington Circle over I-395.

A motorcycling “wiped out” while driving around the circle, according to scanner traffic, and suffered a number of injuries. The injuries are believed to include broken bones but are not life-threatening.

One lane of Shirlington Circle traffic is squeezing by the crash scene; it is unclear if any ramps are blocked.

The crash comes as thousands of bikers descend on the area for the annual Memorial Day weekend Rolling Thunder rally.

Major Power Outage in Del Ray, Part of Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Nearly 5,000 Dominion customers are without power this afternoon due to a major outage centered around Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood.

The outage extends as far south as King Street and as far north as Arlington’s water treatment treatment plant and the nearby residential neighborhood along S. Glebe Road. The traffic signal at the busy intersection of Glebe and Route 1 is also reported to be dark.

Dominion’s website says the cause of the outage is a “circuit out” and estimates that power will be restored between 6-11 p.m.

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