News

Advisory Firm Grant Thornton Opens Office in Rosslyn

By Tim Regan
1/5

A national business advisory firm now has a more sizable footprint in the D.C. area.

Chicago-based company Grant Thornton held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last night to celebrate the grand opening of its new Rosslyn outpost. The office is part of a $15.75 million investment that is bringing hundreds of jobs to the Arlington area.

The office, located on the 14th floor of 1000 Wilson Blvd, can hold about 1,500 staffers. Grant Thornton is moving around 1,000 of its employees to the office and will be hiring 348 additional staffers as part of the opening.

Grant Thornton CEO Mike McGuire, Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette and Rosslyn BID President Mary-Claire Burick were among those scheduled to speak during the ceremony.

McGuire stated that the workplace “enables us to connect with each other and our clients, whether they’re here in Arlington or on the other side of the world.”

The space, dubbed the “workplace of the future,” is equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, modern conference rooms and complimentary access to a fitness center, according to a press release. The office also has large windows that let in plenty of natural light and a provide a panoramic view of the District.

“We wouldn’t have let just anybody into this space,” Fisette said, referring to Grant Thornton. “You are one of the top professional services firms in the world.”

Burick said that Rosslyn was ready to welcome with open arms the company’s “best and brightest.”

“I think the staff at Grant Thornton will find connections here that will help them grow professionally,” she added.

Rosslyn is projected to have 4,000 new residents, 15,000 new jobs, 2,740 additional residential units and 200,000 additional square feet of retail space by 2030, according to the BID. Large companies like Grant Thornton are expected to help fuel that long-term growth.

Arlington County and Virginia both successfully beat out the District in a bid for Grant Thornton’s new office. Earlier this year, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe called the opening a “big win for the Commonwealth.”

“Grant Thornton is a valued leader in the business community, and it is a priority to ensure that the company continues to grow in the Commonwealth as we diversity and build the new Virginia economy,” McAuliffe said yesterday in a statement. “We are confident that Arlington County and the Rosslyn Business Improvement District will provide the infrastructure, workforce and resources necessary for the company to thrive.”

UPDATED: Police Investigate Bank Robbery in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/7

(Updated at 3:49 p.m.) Arlington County Police are on the lookout for a man suspected of robbing a bank in Ballston.

A man entered the Navy Federal Credit Union, on the 800 block of N. Randolph Street, and passed a note to a teller around 11:40 a.m., police said. He then ran off with an “undisclosed amount of money.”

Arlington County police set up a perimeter to try to search for the man but thus far no arrests have been reported. During the search nearby Washington-Lee High School was placed in “secure the school” mode as a precaution, according to scanner traffic.

The suspected robber is described as a white male who was wearing a brown jacket, a brown and cream colored winter hat and sunglasses.

This is not the first robbery at the Navy Federal in Ballston. The bank was the scene of an armed robbery in 2012. Separately, another man in a winter coat and sunglasses robbed a Navy Federal in Potomac Yard and then dumped some of the loot on S. Glebe Road in Arlington on Monday.

Despite the similar suspect descriptions, a police spokeswoman said it’s too early to determine whether the robberies are linked.

More from an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a bank robbery suspect captured on surveillance footage.

On Friday, February 10, 2017, at approximately 11:40 a.m., a male subject entered the Navy Federal Credit Union located at 875 N. Randolph Street in Arlington, Virginia and passed the teller a note, demanding money. The suspect fled the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.  The suspect did not imply or display a weapon.

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 5’8″ tall. He was wearing a brown north face jacket, a brown and cream colored winter hat and sunglasses at the time of the incident.

The Arlington County Police Department requests that anyone with information regarding this incident contact Detective R. Munizza at 703.228.4171 or [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

View of Rosslyn from Courthouse

Norovirus Outbreak at School — More than 80 students at Oakridge Elementary in south Arlington are out sick as a result of a suspected norovirus outbreak. The virus causes symptoms like “stomach aches, fever, vomiting and, in some cases, diarrhea.” [NBC Washington]

Sign Controversy at Yorktown — Some conservatives are upset that teachers at Yorktown High School are being allowed to hang “politically suggestive” signs in their classrooms. The signs read: “Patriots Know: Facts are not political. Diversity strengthens us. Science is real. Women’s rights are human rights. Justice is for all. We’re all immigrants. Kindness is everything.” [Daily Caller]

Yorktown Lacrosse Star Nears 200 Goals — Yorktown senior lacrosse star Laura Crawford is nearing the 200-goal mark for high school career. Crawford, a three-time team MVP, has committed to Penn. [Washington Post]

Female UAE Hockey Player Visits Caps — Fatima Al Ali, a hockey player and coach from United Arab Emirates, has been visiting with the Washington Capitals this week as part of the NHL’s “Hockey Is For Everyone month.” The visit has included taking the ice at the Caps practice facility in Ballston and dropping the puck at last night’s game at Verizon Center. [Fox 5, Al-Arabiya]

Levine, Favola Advance Rape Kit Bill — Updated at 9:40 a.m. — Legislation sponsored by Del. Mark Levine and state Sen. Barbara Favola, which Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol helped to craft, has passed unanimously in the Virginia House of Delegates. The bill calls for police to keep rape kits for a longer period of time even if the victim is not ready to prosecute. [WVTF]

MMA Studio Gives Parents a Night Off — A mixed martial arts gym is not a place that one would usually think of as a babysitting venue, but that’s precisely what Pentagon MMA on Columbia Pike will be Saturday night. The business is hosting a “parents’ night out” event for Valentine’s Day, letting mom or dad “enjoy a worry-free evening with your special someone this Valentine’s Day while your child enjoys a night of structured activities in a supervised environment.” [Pentagon MMA]

Police Investigate Three-Car Crash Along Route 50

By Tim Regan
1/5

(Updated at 10:30 p.m.) Police and firefighters responded to a serious three-vehicle crash on Arlington Blvd (Route 50) Thursday afternoon.

The collision happened on Route 50 near Glebe Road sometime after 4 p.m. One person was trapped and knocked unconscious in the crash, according to scanner traffic.

Rescuers freed the victim from the car and transported him or her to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital. It was not immediately clear how extensive that person’s injuries were.

Authorities shut down a portion of Route 50 shortly after the crash.

https://twitter.com/LincolnACFD/status/829804424394579968

https://twitter.com/LincolnACFD/status/829801730313433093

Arlington Man Sentenced for Wife’s Murder

By ARLnow.com

David Black (photo courtesy ACPD)David Black, who was convicted in November of murdering his estranged wife in her home near Pentagon City, will serve two consecutive life sentences in prison.

The sentence, which was recommended by the jury, was confirmed by an Arlington Circuit Court judge Wednesday afternoon.

Black lived just blocks away from his wife, Bonnie Delgado Black, in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood. Prosecutors say he broke into her home on April 17, 2015 and stabbed her to death.

The murder scene was discovered after neighbors found Black’s two young children wandering around outside the home that morning.

More from an Arlington County Police Department press release:

David Black, 45, of Arlington, VA was sentenced on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 in the Arlington County Circuit Court to two consecutive life terms in prison for the 2015 murder of Bonnie Black.

Theophani K. Stamos, Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney and M. Jay Farr, Arlington County’s Chief of Police made the announcement following the court appearance.

On April 17, 2015, officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of 18th Street S. after two concerned citizens located the Black children alone outside their residence and called police for assistance. Arriving officers located Bonnie Black deceased from an apparent stabbing inside the residence. Detectives began an intensive investigation revealing that Bonnie Black was the victim of domestic violence.

David Black, the estranged husband of Bonnie Black, was taken into custody in October 2015 pursuant to an indictment issued by a special investigative grand jury. The indictment and subsequent bench warrant charged him with one count of first degree murder and one count of burglary while armed with the intent to commit a felony. On November 8, 2016, a jury returned a unanimous verdict finding David Black guilty on both counts.

Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Theophani K. Stamos said, “The imposition of two life sentences for the murder of Bonnie Black speaks volumes about our community’s views when it comes to domestic violence.  We’re grateful to Judge Newman and the jury for their hard work, deep consideration and attention throughout a very difficult trial.”

Arlington County Deputy Chief Daniel J. Murray, Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division said, “This horrific murder personalized the investigation for the entire Criminal Investigations Section, many of whom had children themselves. They worked relentlessly for the cause of justice. The complex investigation, prosecution and ultimate conviction were possible because of a strong partnership between the Homicide/Robbery Unit and the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Unfortunately nothing can bring Bonnie Black back to her loving family colleagues and friends but it is our fervent hope that we have been able to provide them with some closure.”

UPDATED: Police Investigating Death in Costco Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Arlington County Police are investigating a death in the Costco parking lot in Pentagon City.

A body was found this afternoon in the front of an SUV parked in the store’s surface parking lot, next to the new parking garage.

“Police were called to the 1200 block of S. Fern Street for the report of an unresponsive male in a vehicle,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Medics responded to the area and the male has been pronounced deceased.”

“The police department is conducting and active death investigation but at this time, the death does not appear suspicious,” Savage continued. “There is no threat to the public.”

Update at 11:15 a.m. — The man’s death was related to a medical condition, according to Friday’s ACPD crime report.

(MEDICAL) DOA, 2017-02090172, 1200 block of S. Fern Street. At approximately 1:23 p.m. on February 9, officers were dispatched for the report of an unresponsive male inside a vehicle. Medics arrived on scene and the 70-year-old male was pronounced deceased. The death is not considered suspicious and there is no threat to the public. The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine cause of death.

ACPD Investigating More Than a Dozen Car Break-Ins

By ARLnow.com

Map showing location of car break-insArlington County Police are investigating a series of more than a dozen car break-ins in the Old Glebe neighborhood of north Arlington.

The break-ins were reported this morning in the area of the 4600 block of 41st Street N.

“Overnight approximately 15 unsecure vehicles were entered and rummaged through for valuables,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “At this point in the investigation, no significant items have been reported missing. Police remain on scene investigating and are canvassing the area.”

“If anyone has additional information regarding this investigation, they are asked to call the non-emergency number at 703-558-2222,” Savage added.

Photo via Google Maps

Hundreds Without Power in North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Power outage 2/9/17

Nearly 600 Dominion customers are without power in the Donaldson Run, Maywood and Riverwood neighborhoods of north Arlington.

Initial reports suggest Dominion crews shut down power to the grid after a tree or a large branch fell on a power line, which started arcing. Those crews are currently working on the lines on the 2600 block of Military Road, according to scanner traffic.

Power crews are keeping busy due to the high winds today. Nearly 2,500 Dominion customers are without power throughout Northern Virginia, though so far no other outages have been reported in Arlington.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Government helicopter against a gray sky (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

New Clarendon Cafe Has ‘Oatmeal Program’ — Baba, the new Balkan-themed cafe in the basement of Ambar in Clarendon, has an “oatmeal program,” says its owner. Baba will serve La Colombe coffee, two types of “fancy oatmeal,” as well as oatmeal packages for takeout. [Washingtonian]

School Board Wants to Lift Pay Cap — It’s unclear why the Virginia General Assembly capped the pay of Arlington School Board members at $25,000, but the School Board is hopeful that a measure making its way through the legislature will pass, allowing members to raise their salaries in 2021. [InsideNova]

Accenture Acquires Part of Endgame — Consulting and professional services firm Accenture has acquired the federal government services business of Arlington-based startup Endgame for an undisclosed sum. [WTOP]

Longtime Arlington Teacher Dies — Margaret (Peggy) Huddleston, a Washington-Lee grad and longtime W-L teacher and guidance counselor, has died at the age of 92. [Falls Church News-Press]

Delays Likely at DCA — Between high winds in the D.C. area, and flight cancellations and delays due to the snowstorm in the Northeast, there may be significant impacts on flights at Reagan National Airport today. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Metro’s Next SafeTrack ‘Surge’ Will Temporarily Halt Blue Line Service

By Tim Regan

Arlington Cemetery Metro station in the rain (Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin)

Metro’s next SafeTrack “surge” will include a temporary shutdown of the entire Blue Line, starting Saturday.

Blue Line trains will not run at all between Feb. 11-28, according to Metro. Instead, Yellow Line “Rush Plus” trains will run all day between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt. Those trains will run in addition to regular Yellow Line trains between Huntingdon and Mount Vernon Square.

The Arlington Cemetery station will be closed and will be served by buses from the Pentagon during the latest round of maintenance work.

During rush hour, trains are scheduled to arrive every four minutes at stations normally served by both Blue and Yellow Line trains, Metro said. Orange and Silver Line trains will not be affected by the latest track maintenance effort.

Metro originally planned to only run Blue Line trains between the Franconia-Springfield and Reagan National Airport stops. But the transit agency updated that plan on Jan. 27 after concluding the original one wasn’t necessarily “in the interest of minimizing customer impact.”

“The new service plan means that riders from Virginia will experience less crowding and will be able to ride into D.C. without changing trains,” the agency said in a release.

Next month, track work will primarily affect riders heading to and from Alexandria. From March 4-26, Metro trains will share a single track on the Blue and Yellow lines between the Braddock Road and Huntington/Van Dorn Street stations. Blue Line trains will run every 24 minutes during that time, while the Yellow Line between National Airport and Mt. Vernon Square will run every 6-12 minutes, according to Metro.

From March 26 through April 2, only Blue Line Trains will share a single track. Then, from April 3-9, Yellow Line trains are slated for single-tracking.

Later this year, likely around May and June, a portion of the Orange Line between the Minnesota Avenue and New Carrollton stops is also scheduled to undergo maintenance and single tracking. The SafeTrack program is currently slated to wrap up in late June, though the final dates haven’t yet been announced.

Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin

Crime Report: Woman Deliberately Strikes Man With Car

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)After an argument Sunday evening on Columbia Pike, a woman deliberately struck a man with her car.

That’s according to Arlington County Police Department crime report.  The incident happened just before 7 p.m. in the area of the Arlington Mill Community Center and the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center.

The woman and man knew each other, police said. He was hurt by the collision but is expected to be okay. Warrants were issued for the driver’s arrest.

From ACPD:

UNLAWFUL WOUNDING, 2017-02050199, 5000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 6:50 p.m. on February 5, officers responded to the report of an assault and battery. Upon arrival it was determined that a male victim was standing outside a vehicle while talking to an occupant of that vehicle. Following a verbal dispute between two known individuals, the female driver accelerated causing the male victim to fall backwards and suffer non-life threatening injuries. The male victim was transported to Fairfax Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Warrants have been obtained. The investigation is ongoing.

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

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