News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Scene from the Arlington Arts Festival on Saturday in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Family Demands $10M for Gunston Incident — “The family of a Virginia eighth-grader sent Arlington Public Schools Tuesday a ‘notice of claim and demand’ after they say he was forced to play a cotton picking game in class earlier this year. They are demanding a $10 million settlement in the case. Former Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, the family’s attorney, sent the letter to APS.” [WJLA, Fox 5]

Green Valley Leaders Blast County — “Leaders of the Green Valley Civic Association have blasted county leadership for what they term as ‘offensive, arrogant and hateful’ its suggestion that they stay out of the nitty-gritty of capital project that impact their community. The comments came in an April 21 letter to County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey, complaining that the Green Valley community’s feedback on plans for an Arlington Transit (ART) operations and management facility still is not being taken seriously.” [Gazette Leader]

Man with Knife Tased — From ACPD: “At approximately 2:08 p.m. on May 1, police were dispatched to the 1100 block of S. Barton Street for a mental health call for service. Responding officers made contact with the individual who, during the course of the incident, was in possession of a knife, allegedly made threatening statements and set fire to the carpet of the home, which was quickly extinguished. An officer deployed their taser and the individual was taken into custody on an Emergency Custody Order.” [Twitter]

ART Bus Crash in Crystal City — A car collided with an ART bus at the intersection of Crystal Drive and 15th Street S. yesterday afternoon. Despite initial reports of an injury, scanner traffic later suggested that no one was hurt. [Twitter]

Gondola Now Shirt Goes International — “Beautiful gondola in Gaia, Portugal but it doesn’t cross the river to Porto. #gondolaNow @ARLnowDOTcom” [Twitter, Amazon]

AI-Written Audio News Update — ARLnow is experimenting with AI-written audio news briefs, summarizing the past day’s stories, to potentially be published as a daily podcast. Let us know what you think. [MP3]

It’s Wednesday — Overcast. Cool. High of 61 and low of 45. Sunrise at 6:08 am and sunset at 8:02 pm. [Weather.gov]

Arlington asking residents to weigh in on potential transportation upgrades in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe
1/5

Arlington County is looking to make a three-block stretch in Courthouse safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

Specifically, it is looking for ways to improve conditions along a three-block stretch of Wilson Blvd and Clarendon Blvd between N. Uhle Street and N. Adams Street.

The county says the overall project goal is to “create a safe and consistent travel experience for people walking, taking transit, biking, and driving through the Courthouse section of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor,” which has a lot of pedestrian, transit and micro-mobility activity.

Through this Sunday, the county is asking people to share their current experiences as road users and what upgrades matter to them.

When it comes to government priorities, safety is a top concern. The county says Clarendon and Wilson Blvd have seen a higher concentration of critical crashes in recent years.

They are included in a “High Injury Network,” a designation the county uses to prioritize adding transportation safety features to its least-safe roads. This is part of Arlington’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate fatal and severe-injury crashes by 2030.

Within the project’s boundaries, there was a pedestrian crash with severe injuries on Clarendon Blvd in 2015, per a dashboard of crashes with severe and fatal injuries. One block east of the intersection with N. Uhle Street, there was a fatal pedestrian crash in 2014.

Another aim is to fill a “missing link” in bicycling facilities. Clarendon and Wilson Blvd are identified as “primary bicycling corridors” in the county’s Master Transportation Plan, as is N. Veitch Street, which connects cyclists to Langston Blvd, the Custis Trail and the Arlington Blvd Trail.

The county says it aims to realize community visions for better walking, cycling and transit experiences in Courthouse with new curbs and ramps for people with disabilities and improved bus stops and facilities near the Courthouse Metro station.

To encourage (proper) use of shared e-bikes and scooters, the county will review and provide “adequate end of trip facilities.” That could look like the corrals it has installed elsewhere in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor and in Crystal City and Pentagon City.

Whatever improvements are selected would link to upcoming road resurfacing work. The county previously incorporated small upgrades when it resurfaced Clarendon Blvd from Courthouse Road and N. Scott Street and from N. Garfield Street to N. Adams Street.

The improvements would also link to street upgrades developer Greystar is delivering via its under-construction Landmark development (2050 Wilson Blvd), set to wrap up this fall, and its redevelopment on the former Wendy’s site (2025 Clarendon Blvd).

Those projects will bring about:

  • A “bike island” at the intersection of 15th Street N. and Clarendon Blvd, as well as more and wider protected and dedicated bike lanes
  • Wider sidewalks
  • Improving pedestrian crossings of Wilson Blvd and Clarendon Blvd
  • Two new “floating” bus stops
  • A pedestrian promenade along N. Uhle Street from Clarendon Blvd and 15th Street N.
  • Relocated and newly installed traffic signals

Civil rights icon Joan Mulholland honored at the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington

By Jo DeVoe
1/9

When living civil rights legend Joan Trumpauer Mulholland participated in sit-ins, she carried a Bible with her.

She kept her birth certificate inside “so that they could identify the body,” her son, Loki, said during an event on Saturday at the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington honoring his mother’s activism.

Joan piped up: “I didn’t have a driver’s license or anything like that. So I needed some way for them to know who I am.”

For protesting segregation with lunch counter sit-ins and bus trips known as Freedom Rides, Mulholland was briefly incarcerated in a maximum security prison and hunted by the Ku Klux Klan. In the intervening 60 years, her activism inspired books and documentaries and the creation of the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation, which provides anti-racist education.

During the event — just shy of the 60th anniversary of a historic sit-in in Jackson, Mississippi, in which Mulholland participated — people gathered at the Columbia Pike museum to hear from her and check out an expanded exhibit with objects from her days as a Freedom Rider.

Just under her Bible, visitors can see memorabilia from the historically Black sorority she joined, Delta Sigma Theta, to advance racial integration.

Nearby is a blue dress she wore during a sit-in at the Woolworth’s in Jackson, Mississippi on May 28, 1963, in which white people attacked her and other Tougaloo College student and faculty demonstrators.

“We want to honor her… because when I talk around and ask people to name some white, anti-racist civil rights leaders, they can’t name anybody but Abe Lincoln, but there’s a lot of them,” museum president Scott Taylor says. “If you don’t know what to do with white privilege, you can look at this right here and she’ll show you.”

Author M. J. O’Brien told attendees that seeing a photo of two demonstrators flanking her — “in all her glory, getting sugar dumped on her, as if she wasn’t sweet enough” — moved him to write a book about the impact of the Jackson Woolworth’s sit-in, “We Shall Not Be Moved.”

Reminiscing, Mulholland said that photo, taken by local newspaper photographer Fred Blackwell, “went worldwide.”

“Back in the days before color photography in the press, it was colorized on the front page above the centerfold of the Paris Match, the most widely read newspaper in Europe,” she recounted.

Mulholland called it “the most integrated picture” of a sit-in, as fellow demonstrators included Anne Moody, a Black woman, and John Hunter Gray, who was of Native American descent.

The Woolworth’s sit-in in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963, taken by photographer Fred Blackwell (via KHSU)

“We didn’t have any Asian-American students at that time in the school, but we had it pretty well-covered,” she said.

(more…)

Someone keeps masturbating near the Walter Reed pickleball courts

By ARLnow.com
Pickleball at the Walter Reed Community Center (file photo by Jay Westcott)

Police are on the lookout for a man who has been spotted masturbating multiple times near the Walter Reed pickleball courts.

Cops have been called to the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 16th Street S. at least two times in the past two weeks, each time in the late morning, according to Arlington County police crime reports.

“At approximately 10:49 a.m. on April 21, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure,” the first crime report said. “Upon arrival, it was determined approximately 30 minutes prior, the reporting party observed the unknown male suspect allegedly masturbating in a wooded area.”

“At approximately 11:42 a.m. on April 26, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure,” said the second. “Upon arrival, it was determined the reporting party observed the unknown male suspect allegedly masturbating by the courts.”

On both days — a Friday and a Wednesday — “responding officers checked the area and the suspect was not located,” ACPD said.

A tipster told ARLnow about a possible third incident, but that could not be immediately confirmed.

“This is concerning as there are many users of the park, including children,” the tipster said about the incidents.

The Walter Reed pickleball courts have recently been the source of some controversy, as some neighbors have opposed voter-approved plans to add more courts outside of the community center.

Resident concerns range from “bullying of our children by pickleball players” to “public urination on playground and sensory garden” to causing “excessive continuous noise from dawn to 10 p.m. every day,” according to a flyer that was distributed around the neighborhood.

Woman slapped, stabbed and robbed near Key Bridge in Rosslyn last night

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

A woman walking near the entrance to the Key Bridge in Rosslyn last night was assaulted, stabbed and then robbed.

Police were dispatched just before 9 p.m., after a 911 caller reported a woman being attacked near some bushes at the Arlington end of the bridge. Arriving officers reported that she had been stabbed and requested medics.

“The preliminary investigation indicates the female victim was walking in the area when the male suspect approached from behind, slapped her buttocks, knocked her to the ground and stabbed her, resulting in lacerations,” Arlington County police said this morning in a crime report.

“The suspect then stole the victim’s backpack and fled the scene on foot,” the crime report continues. “The victim was treated on scene by medics before being transported to an area hospital for injuries considered non-life threatening.”

The stab wound was described as a “superficial” injury to the upper back and shoulder, according to scanner traffic. The suspect reportedly fled down the hill in the direction of the GW Parkway, but police were unable to locate him.

“The suspect is described as a Black male in his 20’s, approximately 6’0” tall and wearing all black,” the crime report said. “A search of the area for the suspect yielded negative results. The investigation is ongoing.”

BREAKING: Katie Cristol stepping down from Arlington County Board to lead Tysons booster org

By ARLnow.com
County Board Chair Katie Cristol in 2022 (via Arlington County)

Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol is stepping down early to take a new job.

Cristol has been selected as the first permanent CEO of the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA), the organization announced this morning. TCA is the successor to the former Tysons Partnership, intended to spur the continued residential and economic growth of the Fairfax County community.

Cristol, who had previously announced that she would not be seeking reelection this year, will be stepping down on July 4 in order to take the new job, the county just announced. A new Board member will be appointed after she leaves.

Though she’ll be working to boost one of Arlington’s primary economic development competitors, Cristol says she’ll remain an Arlington resident.

From a county press release:

Board member Katie Cristol has announced that she will be stepping down from her role on the Arlington County Board, effective July 4, 2023.

“Though arriving a little sooner than anticipated, this transition is every bit the same opportunity to share my deep gratitude to the Arlington community: For the privilege to represent you and for the partnership in achieving new policies, directions, and plans for our shared future,” Cristol said. “In my nearly seven and a half years in office, I have developed an immense appreciation for the dedication of Arlington’s appointed and elected officials and its civic, neighborhood, philanthropic, and private sector leaders. Though I will miss our collaborative partnerships, I feel great optimism about the County’s future under their stewardship.”

Board member Cristol was elected to the County Board in November 2015 and served as the Board’s chair in 2018 and 2022. During that time, she led in advancing human services and sustainable regional public transit networks through partnerships such as Arlington’s Project PEACE, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, the Virginia Railway Express Operations Board, and the Virginia Municipal League. Cristol is ending her tenure early to become the Chief Executive Officer of Tysons Community Alliance, a new non-profit public-private partnership promoting equitable economic growth and community development in the Tysons area.

“My colleagues join me in thanking Katie Cristol for her tireless service and expert leadership as a Member of the County Board.” Chair Christian Dorsey said. “She has been a trusted colleague and a distinguished leader on regional bodies representing Arlington. Her contributions to our collective efforts to increase opportunities for all Arlingtonians to thrive, while dismantling and reforming systems that cause them harm, have been profound and will have a lasting impact on our community. We will miss her over the last half of this year, yet we wish her well in her upcoming leadership opportunity and are grateful for her service on behalf of us all.”

Cristol adds that, as she transitions from the County Board, “I am looking forward to continuing to serve our dynamic Northern Virginia region in my new role and to maintaining the title most important to me: Arlington resident.”

Pursuant to Virginia Code 15.2-705, the Arlington County Board must fill Board member Cristol’s vacancy by appointment within 30 days of her departure date of July 4. The Board will hold a public hearing to appoint a new member who will serve the remainder of Cristol’s term, which ends on December 31, 2023.

Cristol is in her second term on the Board, after first being elected in 2015. She previously worked as an education consultant.

In a statement released on social media, Cristol called her early departure from the Board “more than a little bittersweet.”

The Tysons Community Alliance press release is below.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A computer repair shop’s signage in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

More Victims of Teen Groper — “As a result of the ongoing investigation, the Special Victims Unit obtained six additional petitions for Assault and Battery for the juvenile suspect. The petitions stem from four incidents occurring in November and December 2022 in which the suspect approached women from behind and grabbed their buttocks. The investigation into this series of assaults is ongoing.” [ACPD]

Realtors Endorse Board Candidates — “The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) has endorsed three of the six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Arlington County Board. Maureen Coffey, J.D. Spain Sr. and Tony Weaver have won the organization’s nod, a spokesperson for the real-estate trade organization said.” [Gazette Leader]

Historical Marker’s Wording Questioned — “A proposed historical marker highlighting the contributions of a regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War merits approval but is not yet ready for prime time. That was the consensus of the Arlington government’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, which has sent verbiage proposed by county staff back for more work before a marker is constructed and placed at Fort Ethan Allen Park in the county’s northernmost reaches.” [Gazette Leader]

Big Turkey on TR Island — “Thanks to Carol for sharing this magnificent shot from Theodore Roosevelt Island.” [PoPville]

YHS Girls on a Roll — “In girls soccer, the defending Class 6 state champion Yorktown Patriots continued to have a strong season as they began the week with an 8-1 overall record, a seven-match winning streak, four shutouts and a 2-0 mark in the Liberty District. Yorktown’s most recent victories were over Herndon, 4-1, and Wakefield, 3-0, in district contests.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Tuesday — Overcast with some sprinkles. Cool. High of 54 and low of 43. Sunrise at 6:09 am and sunset at 8:01 pm. [Weather.gov]

ACPD: ART bus driver seriously hurt after being assaulted by rider

By ARLnow.com
ART bus (file photo)

An ART bus driver suffered serious injuries last night after being assaulted by a rider along Columbia Pike, police say.

The driver was reported to be bleeding from the mouth when police and medics were dispatched to the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street just after 10:45 p.m. Sunday. It’s unclear what led to the attack.

The suspect was “leaving a public transit bus when he assaulted the driver,” according to today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report. “Following the assault, the suspect exited the bus and fled the scene on foot. The bus driver sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was treated on scene by medics before being transported to an area hospital.”

Also in today’s crime report, several security guards were hurt at the Pentagon City mall Friday evening after a suspect tried to steal handbags, then fought the security guards and brandished a knife.

The incident happened on the third level of the mall near the entrance to Macy’s, according to scanner traffic.

From ACPD:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-04280202, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 6:17 p.m. on April 28, a patrol officer was flagged down by an individual reporting a fight in-progress. Upon arrival, the officer observed loss prevention attempting to detain the suspect and assisted with taking him into custody. The investigation determined the suspect entered the store and allegedly removed handbags from a display case. A loss prevention officer then confronted the suspect who pushed the loss prevention officer to the ground and physically assaulted him before fleeing the area. Two additional loss prevention officers located the suspect outside of the business and attempted to detain him, during which the suspect assaulted them and brandished a knife. Medics evaluated the loss prevention officers on scene for minor injuries. During a search incident to arrest, credit cards not belonging to the suspect were recovered. [The suspect], 30, of Washington, DC, was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Robbery, Assault and Battery (x2), Credit Card Theft (x3) and Possession of Burglarious Tools.

More than 1,000 people received homelessness services last year in Arlington

By Jo DeVoe
A sleeping bag and roll of toilet paper in an alcove of the elevated walkway in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington County says it provided assistance to 1,070 people who were experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing housing last year.

This number is five times higher than the number of people found living outside or in a shelter one night in January 2022. One night last winter, as part of the “point-in-time” count, 182 people did not have permanent, stable housing, according to a new report on homelessness in Arlington.

The recently released report says the larger figure more accurately captures the portion of the population experiencing homelessness in Arlington.

In a statement, Arlington County Dept. of Human Services Director Anita Friedman said that, without Covid-era eviction prevention efforts, the number of people who received services would have been higher.

“The total number of individuals served in FY 2022 was almost identical to pre-pandemic levels,” Friedman said. “Without strong eviction prevention efforts, we would have seen many more households upended and in crisis.”

Some $20 million in local, state and federal funding helped more than 3,400 households stave off eviction, according to the county.

The report comes as Arlington County embarks on a goal to bringing homelessness down to what it calls “functional zero” for several specific demographics. That means homelessness is “rare and brief” for a given population, such as young adults, families and survivors of domestic violence.

“For those households that do experience homelessness, it is traumatic, and we remain committed to working alongside them as they return to housing stability,” Friedman said. “We will also continue to address critical gaps, including in the areas of racial equity, immigrant and refugee households, and the aging population.”

Arlington County addresses homelessness through a network of programs and services it calls the Continuum of Care, or CoC. The report says that DHS staff and nonprofit program leaders have spent the last 10 years improving how the CoC prevents homelessness and finds permanent housing for people.

For instance, through the CoC, county and community partners work together to connect people to stable housing, jobs, childcare and emergency financial assistance, and provide behavioral health services to people living on the streets — a service that helped 65 people last year.

What homelessness looks like in Arlington

Of the 1,070 who received services through the CoC, there were:

  • 744 single adults
  • 105 families
  • 36 veterans
  • 74 young people aged 18-24
  • 192 people in “chronic homelessness,” or individuals with a documented disability who have experienced at least 12 months of homelessness in one stretch or at least four times in less than three years

Excluding people in Arlington’s shelter for people escaping domestic violence, run by the nonprofit Doorways, 305 people were served in Arlington shelters. This includes 13 veterans and 25 chronically homeless individuals. The average length of stay was three months.

Meanwhile, the county report says demand for safe housing among domestic violence survivors — including individuals and families — is increasing.

Rising need for safe housing from domestic violence is on the rise (via Arlington County)

While some 165 people received shelter at Doorways, the number of people who called its hotline was much higher: advocates counseled people on domestic and sexual violence during a total of 1,039 calls, per the report. Most of the time, people leaving these situations are women.

“Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness for families, and the leading cause of homelessness for women,” the report says.

Women are also more likely to be at the head of a family experiencing homelessness, per the report. Of the families counted one night in January, women were the adult in the family 95% of the time.

Meanwhile, 78% of homeless individuals were men and 1% identified as transgender.

Gender of people surveyed in the 2022 point-in-time count (via Arlington County)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A man walks by a rain-covered coffee shop window in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Group Wants More Long DCA Flights — “A coalition of business groups on Thursday launched a campaign to increase long-distance service at Reagan National Airport, arguing that rules limiting the number of flights and the distance they travel are outdated and are hurting consumers and the local economy.” [Washington Post]

Car Slams Into Glebe Guardrail — From Friday: “Roads are slick after all of today’s rain. Reader J.H. sends this photo of a car that just ran off N. Glebe Road on the hill approaching Chain Bridge.” [Twitter]

Teens Apprehended in Crystal City — “At approximately 11:29 p.m. on April 27, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tampering. Upon arrival, it was determined a witness observed two juvenile suspects allegedly pulling on door handles and looking into parked vehicles. Responding officers located the suspects in the area and took them into custody without incident.” [ACPD]

Video of GW Parkway Protest — “Climate activists blocked the GW Parkway… on Wednesday morning during rush hour to demand President Biden declare a ‘climate emergency’ and cancel new fossil fuel drilling. ‘I have an interview today, are you serious?’ yelled one angry driver, who said she’s unemployed. ‘That’s not fair! This is the wrong way to go about it!'” [Twitter]

Who Should Conduct Assessments? — “For much of her nearly 20 years as an elected official, Arlington Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy has believed the county government is making a mistake in allowing one of its departments, rather than her office, to oversee the annual assessment of residential and commercial properties. And as Morroy begins transitioning to the end of her last term in December, she appears more convinced of it than ever.” [Gazette Leader]

Opening for Affordable Apartments — “AHC Inc., a leading developer of affordable housing in Maryland and Virginia, today held its grand opening of The Terraces at Arlington View, a $40.8 million redevelopment of an affordable housing community located on the eastern end of Columbia Pike, at 1420 S. Rolfe Street. The Terraces includes 77 affordable apartments and more than doubles the number of homes from the previous building.” [Press Release]

Shots Fired in F.C. Jewelry Store — “City of Falls Church police are investigating an incident at a jewelry store in the 1100 block of W. Broad Street that resulted in no injuries and nothing stolen. Police responded to the business at about 8:10 p.m. on Friday, April 28. Surveillance footage shows a black Cadillac parking in front of the business. One person exited the vehicle and used a sledge hammer to break a storefront glass window. Four more people exited the vehicle and entered the business. Two shots were fired, and the suspects fled in the vehicle.” [City of Falls Church]

It’s May — A clear start to the morning, then increasing cloudiness and, later, a chance of light rain. Cool. High of 59 and low of 46. Sunrise at 6:10 am and sunset at 8:00 pm. [Weather.gov]

JUST IN: Arlington man charged with killing infant

By ARLnow.com
Jerard Hargrove mugshot (courtesy ACPD)

A 29-year-old Arlington man has been charged in the death of a three-month-old girl last fall.

Jerard Hargrove is charged with homicide and child abuse after a medical examiner this month determined that the child died from a blow to the head.

The child died in the hospital on Oct. 8, 2022, after being found unresponsive at a residence in the Columbia Forest neighborhood a month earlier, on Sept. 1. The medical examiner’s finding brings the number of homicides in Arlington last year to two.

More, below, from an Arlington County police press release.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing charges have been obtained in a 2022 infant death investigation. Jerard Hargrove, 29, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with Homicide and Child Abuse/Neglect (x2). He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

At approximately 7:22 a.m. on September 1, 2022, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street for the report of cardiac arrest involving a 3-month-old female infant. Upon arrival, Mr. Hargrove reported he was home with the infant when he located her unresponsive. Medics treated the infant on scene before transporting her to an area hospital. The infant remained hospitalized and died on October 8, 2022.

A death investigation was then initiated by the Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit. In April 2023, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide with cause being complications of blunt force injury to the head. Indictments for Mr. Hargrove were subsequently presented to and returned by a grand jury.

The identity of the deceased is being withheld in accordance with Virginia Code § 19.2-11.2 which limits Virginia law enforcement agencies from directly or indirectly identifying deceased juvenile victims of a crime.

This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.

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