News

Arlington gets to work installing sensors, drawing parking spots for future ‘performance parking’ pilot

By Jo DeVoe
Installing sensors and marking bumper-to-bumper boundaries for the County’s upcoming Performance Parking pilot (via Dept. of Environmental Services/Twitter)

While road repaving season has kicked off in Arlington, crews are working on local roads for another reason.

They are installing traffic sensors in and marking some 4,500 parking spots in the Rosslyn-Ballston and Pentagon City-Crystal City corridors.

The spots and hardware are the foundation for a three-year, $5.4 million state-funded pilot project testing out a new way to manage parking availability and pricing, dubbed “performance parking,” which kicked off earlier this year.

Currently, parking is at a fixed rate and people have to find spots once they arrive at their destination, which can lead to double-parking or going somewhere else to, for instance, grab a meal.

Using existing meters and keeping the Parkmobile payment platform, the pilot intends to smooth out competition for convenient spots by directing people to cheaper options farther away. Prices would also vary based on time of day.

Arlington County will have a phone-friendly website with real-time availability and pricing data, which may also be accessible from some third-party apps. This information could help people plan where to park ahead of time, decreasing cruising time.

The pilot “is data-driven, using technology to better understand existing park utilization,” Melissa McMahon, the parking and curb space manager for Arlington County, told the Planning Commission this week. “We are actively managing parking supply to make parking more convenient and to reduce the negative impacts of hard-to-find parking.”

To get started, the county has to understand how people use on-street parking right now. Crews are delineating discrete spaces where, currently, it is a free-for-all between two signs, and installing one sensor per space.

Later this year, these wireless, battery-operated, in-ground sensors will start sensing when and for how long a car occupies a space. They will communicate that to “wireless gateways” located on traffic signal poles, which will relay that data to a central network server. That data is converted into a dashboard that county staff will use to make parking decisions.

Once it has enough “existing conditions” data this fall, the Dept. of Environmental Services will pick a range of prices, which it aims to bring to the Arlington County Board for approval this December. After that, for the next two years of the pilot, DES will request permission to change prices once per quarter to see the impact on driver behavior.

“This project does not create dynamically or fast-changing metered pricing,” McMahon said. “It won’t be uncertain on a day to day basis. If you’re going into a neighborhood routinely you’ll have a sense of where the lower price spots are and where the higher priced spots are.”

She said the goal is not to increase overall meter revenue, and blocks with lower rates may cancel out those with higher rates.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Jamming in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Beyer Calls for Clarence Thomas to Resign — From Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.): “If true, the reported existence of a hidden financial relationship between a conservative donor and a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is inexcusable and unacceptable. Justice Thomas should resign.” [Twitter]

Ferguson Running for Another Reelection — “He waited until the coast was clear – no intra-party challenges having materialized by the filing deadline – and on April 12, Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson announced his bid for a third eight-year term serving Arlington and Falls Church.” [GazetteLeader]

Primary Ballot Order Chosen — “If the political theory that it’s better to be listed at the top of the pack on the election ballot than at the bottom, Natalie Roy and Maureen Coffey perhaps are singing ‘hallelujahs.’ The two were chosen to occupy the first and second positions in the six-candidate field for Arlington County Board in the June 20 primary.” [GazetteLeader]

Amazon Files for Incentive Payments — “Amazon.com Inc. is seeking its first HQ2-related incentive payment from Virginia, asking the commonwealth for nearly $153 million in exchange for its Arlington job creation thus far. The company said in its application for its first incentive payment, submitted April 1, that 6,939 HQ2 employees — out of the roughly 8,000 that Amazon has hired so far — qualify for incentives as of Dec. 31, 2022, per its agreement with Virginia.” [Washington Business Journal]

Drug Take-Back Day Approaching — “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) spring National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will be held on Saturday, April 22. The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) offers four permanent drug take-back boxes where community members can anonymously dispose of unused, unwanted and potentially dangerous prescription drugs for free, with no questions asked.” [Arlington County]

Bike to Work Day Registration Open — “Bike to Work Day (BTWD) is rolling full speed ahead, as warm weather, a sense of community, and a chance to win a free bicycle will attract thousands of commuters to participate in metropolitan Washington’s regional event on Friday, May 19. Registration for the free, fun, and eco-friendly event is now open.” [MWCOG]

GW Parkway Work Starting Soon — “A $161 million project to rebuild the northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway will prompt a major shift, starting Saturday, in the way commuters drive the scenic route for more than 2.5 years.All traffic, northbound and southbound, will be squeezed onto one side of the divided parkway, giving workers the space to overhaul the road, barriers, bridges and overlooks… [The project] will run through the end of 2025.” [Washington Post]

Suspicious Bus in Fairfax Co. — A private bus of unknown origin reportedly tried to pick up school children in Reston yesterday morning. Arlington police were notified about the suspicious incident via a radio dispatch. [FFXnow]

It’s Friday — Overcast and warm with possible light rain. High of 82 and low of 60. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 7:44 pm. [Weather.gov]

Student found with ammo at Gunston Middle School

By ARLnow.com
Gunston Middle School (file photo)

A student at Gunston Middle School was found in possession of two bullets today.

The Thursday morning discovery prompted a call to police amid concern for student safety. However, an investigation ultimately found “no imminent threat to the safety of the school community.”

Gunston was locked down last month after administrators “located a message written inside a restroom stall referencing gun violence.”

More, below, from an email sent to Gunston families by the middle school’s principal.

Dear Gunston Families,

I am writing to inform you that the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) was onsite at Gunston today to assist with an investigation. In the search of a student for tobacco paraphernalia, we found the student in possession of two bullets.

The ACPD was immediately contacted, and the items were confiscated and removed from school grounds. We conducted a threat assessment, determining no imminent threat to the safety of the school community. In addition, appropriate disciplinary action is being taken, in accordance with our policies.

Students are reminded that bringing any form of ammunition or weapons of any kind into the school is against the law and will result in disciplinary action as well as a referral to ACPD. Again, please be assured that we always take these incidents seriously. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority.

Please remind your students that if they hear or see something that concerns them, they should let me, or a member of our Gunston staff know immediately.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me directly.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lori Wiggins

Police investigating break-in and sexual battery in Courthouse apartment building

By ARLnow.com
File photo

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) Someone broke into a woman’s apartment in Courthouse, went into her bedroom and touched her inappropriately, according to Arlington County police.

The incident happened in the early morning hours of Wednesday, police said. A resident tells ARLnow that it happened at the Courthouse Plaza Apartments, at 2250 Clarendon Blvd.

“Police swept every apartment guns drawn around 6 a.m., looking for someone,” the resident told us yesterday evening. “People woke up with their doors wide open. Break in happened around two weeks after management installed ‘smart locks’ on everyone’s door. You control them with a sketchy app. Whole thing is fishy.”

Spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow that no other break-ins were reported Wednesday, but a number of opened or unlocked doors were found that morning and a previous break-in was reported to police

“During the search of the building, officers located unsecured units, made contact with individuals inside and a late unlawful entry was reported,” Savage said. “No other incidents were reported.”

Police say they’re investigating whether Wednesday’s sexual battery is linked to a break-in and sexual assault at a Virginia Square apartment building ten days prior.

More from an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is investigating a residential burglary with sexual battery which occurred in the Clarendon-Courthouse neighborhood.

At approximately 4:47 a.m. on April 12, police were dispatched to the 2200 block of Clarendon Boulevard for the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect gained entry into the female victim’s residence, entered her bedroom and touched her inappropriately. The victim screamed and the suspect fled from the residence on foot. The suspect is described as a Black male with an average build and approximately 5’8” – 5’10” tall.

Detectives are investigating the incident as possibly linked to an incident which occurred on April 2 in the Ballston-Virginia Square neighborhood. This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective C. Oesterling (703-228-4241 or [email protected]). Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

The reported previous break-in happened last month.

“On April 12, police received a late report of a breaking and entering,” ACPD said about the earlier incident. “The investigation determined that in the early morning hours of March 25, the suspect opened the door to the victim’s residence and fled the scene on foot after the victim yelled out to the suspect. No items were reported stolen or damaged. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.”

Arlington sheriff candidates renounce solitary confinement, emphasize healthcare and oversight

By Jo DeVoe
Candidates for Arlington County Sheriff during a recent forum hosted by Offender Aid and Restoration (via Offender Aid and Restoration/Facebook)

All three candidates looking to replace Sheriff Beth Arthur, who retired at the end of last year, say they want to end solitary confinement.

This unifying policy position surfaced during a forum hosted by the nonprofit Offender Aid and Restoration last Thursday.

Arlington County police officer James Herring, retired sheriff lieutenant Wanda Younger and Acting Sheriff Jose Quiroz are seeking the nomination of the Arlington County Democratic Committee in the June primary.

Although unified on running a “safe and progressive” jail, including by ending solitary confinement, they had different plans for improving the physical safety and mental well-being of staff and inmates.

“We’re definitely going to remove [solitary confinement],” said Quiroz, the son of Honduran immigrants who grew up in Arlington and joined the Sheriff’s Office 21 years ago after a stint in the Marine Corps. “We’re already reviewing this. It’s not helpful, it’s not healthy and it’s not rehabilitative. It needs to go.”

Herring, a graduate of Arlington Public Schools who was a police officer in D.C.’s Ward 8 before joining the Arlington County Police Department in 2019, said there are better alternatives to the practice.

“There are going to be people who will have to be separated from others because they just will not work well for whatever reason — they might have to be separated for safety reasons — but we absolutely cannot put people in holes and forget about them,” he said. “We need to connect them to mental and medical health care and keep them connected with family.”

Younger, who retired from the Sheriff’s Office after 31 years of service, said solitary confinement exacerbates mental health issues rather than contributing to an individual’s rehabilitation.

“What we need to do is focus on programs to help identify the root causes of why people act in certain ways,” she said, calling for training in trauma-informed care and in understanding common triggers of negative behaviors.

They articulated positions ARLnow previously reported on, regarding well-being in the jail, which saw seven men die while in jail. Six of the inmates were Black, which led the Arlington branch of the NAACP to push for greater transparency from the office and changes to jail operations.

Quiroz says he is bringing in biometric sensors that allow staff to respond to medical emergencies “where seconds and minutes count” and interested in the county assuming control of medical care.

ACSO ditched its former contracted medical care provider in response to a growing number of deaths in the jail, and one inmate has died since the new provider took over.

Herring argued for adding in-house psychiatrists to the existing ranks of therapists and clinicians.

“We still have to ship people across the state to actually see a psychiatrist who does not know them, their community, where they’re from or what their issue is,” he said. “Oftentimes they just load them up with meds and send them back here until they’re tranquilized enough… to carry on, and the cycle repeats.”

(more…)

Plans for Bluemont Park focus on tennis facilities and natural flood prevention

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) Upgraded tennis facilities and greater flood prevention are two focal points in proposed upgrades to the upper area of Bluemont Park.

Last month, Arlington County released new designs revealing its plans for the public park, informed by public engagement over the last three years.

It is soliciting feedback on the newest draft through next Thursday, April 20. Respondents are asked how satisfied they are with the concept, on a scale of 1 to 10, and to share any additional feedback.

The upper section of Bluemont Park is set to get new tennis courts and other amenities for players and spectators, as well as a building with restrooms, picnic furnishings, a resurfaced parking lot and more native shrubs and trees.

“Our project team focused on three key areas: improved recreational amenities, improved access and safety for vehicles and pedestrians, as well as, of course, protecting and enhancing natural resources,” said Adam Segel-Moss, a communications specialist with the parks department, in a video explaining the project.

Upper Bluemont Park renovation plans (via Arlington County)

The number of tennis courts will stay the same, at nine, but they will be spread farther apart and raised about a foot so they do not flood. There will be shaded areas for players and coaches, a stand-alone brick practice wall and more places for spectators.

Three courts intended for special events will be wider than the others, with two dedicated shade areas and fencing separating them from other courts.

Several residents in previous public engagement sessions requested less paved area and more trees to mitigate flooding that has impacted the area, such as the flash flooding in July 2019.

In response, a county presentation highlights an overall decrease in paved surfaces of about 12% and a net increase of 91 trees. A new “reforestation area” between the courts and Four Mile Run, where native shrubs and trees will be planted, will see a 52% decrease in paved surface.

To decrease runoff from the parking lot, the county is also exploring the use of planting beds for pavement runoff and permeable paving, says Segel-Moss. Site-wide, plans call for more stormwater management and drainage, something that the “reforestation area” will naturally help with.

“Reforestation will assist with filtering pollutants and reduce volume of stormwater runoff and prevent erosion and perform other important biological and ecological functions such as carbon sequestration,” Segel-Moss said.

Other upgrades include moving the parking lot entrance farther south on N. Manchester Street to improve safety and circulation. The current entrance is close to the intersection of N. Manchester Street and Wilson Blvd, causing a “pinch point,” according to the plans.

While the number of parking spaces will remain the same, at 68, the spaces will be repainted at a 90-degree angle, which Segel-Moss said is “much more efficient” than the current angling of the spaces.

The reforestation area, meanwhile, will also get new picnic tables and seating areas “to ensure this amenity can be enjoyed by every park visitor whether they play tennis or not,” he said.

The design process is set to wrap up at the end of 2023 with construction beginning in the later half of 2024 and wrapping up a little more than a year after that, per a project webpage.

Some have supported multi-use courts permitting play of the increasingly popular — and contentious — sport of pickleball. While the county is preparing to stripe more tennis courts for this sport, Bluemont Park is not in the running.

County staff told the Bluemont Civic Association last fall that the courts “are meant to be Arlington’s premier tennis facility,” but they would talk to Bluemont residents about possibly adding pickleball uses at the Bon Air Park tennis court across the street, per a civic association newsletter.

Project timeline for Bluemont Park renovations (via Arlington County)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Reading a book near Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

14th Street Bridge Overhaul — Updated at 7:55 a.m. — “Vice President Harris is scheduled to appear at D.C.’s 14th Street Bridge on Thursday to announce a $72 million grant to overhaul one of its aging spans over the Potomac River, part of nearly $300 million in new federal bridge spending directed to urban and rural communities. The 73-year-old northbound bridge carrying Interstate 395 from Arlington handles more than 88,000 vehicles a day, despite its poor condition, according to federal and local officials.” [Washington Post]

More on Bank Robbery Response — “Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn and Arlington County Sheriff Jose Quiroz spoke to 7News for the first time since the incident — praising the work of their staff. ‘Our staff willingly ran toward this and did everything to bring this to a successful resolution,’ Penn said. Chief Penn said the first units arrived in under a minute.” [WJLA]

Local Civic Figure Dies — “Mark Reuel Antell, a long time Rosslyn resident, community greenspace activist, and hemophilia treatment organizer, died on March 29, 2023 after falling while taking a walk. He was 76… A memorial will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Lyon Park Community Center, 414 N Fillmore Street.” [Dignity Memorial]

Another Pedestrian Struck — “A woman was struck by a driver at the intersection, near the Clarendon Metro entrance. She was found in the roadway but was reported to be alert and conscious.” [Twitter]

Winning Scratcher Sold in Pentagon City — “A Washington, D.C., man, who bought a Virginia Lottery ticket at a Harris Teeter grocery store in Arlington, won the Livin’ Lucky with Luke Combs game’s top prize of $200,000. ‘I thought I was going to have a heart attack,’ Kevin Pullins told Virginia Lottery officials as he claimed his prize. ‘I wanted to make sure it was real.'” [Patch]

W-L Runner Wins Race at Nat’l Meet — “Washington-Liberty High School senior track and field standout Ian Naff recent participated in the Adidas Indoor Nationals high-school championships in Virginia Beach. At that competition, Naff won the 400-meter race in 49.63 seconds in the Elite Boys Division. Also, he finished fourth in the 200 in 22.27.” [GazetteLeader]

Rosslyn Beer Garden Back Open — From the Rosslyn BID: “With warm weather making its way back into the daily forecast, the Continental Beer Garden, on the corner of Moore St/19th St, is officially open for the season!” [Instagram]

More Metro Trains Returning to Service — “Metro today announced concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WSMC) that allows Metro to move to the final phase of its 7000-series Return-to-Service Plan. Under the new plan details, the operations team will implement a 15-day manual measurement interval with a path to progress to a longer measurement period in the future… [this] will make more trains available to meet the May 7 service schedule, which coincides with the return of the Yellow Line.” [WMATA]

It’s Thursday — Sunny. Pleasantly warm. High of 85 and low of 59. Sunrise at 6:35 am and sunset at 7:43 pm. [Weather.gov]

Planners say region needs to add services and housing as population ages

By Jo DeVoe
Brookdale Senior Living in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Over the next 25 years, the D.C. area will need to invest more in housing and services tailored toward a rapidly graying population.

That is one of the takeaways from a presentation of job, population and household growth forecasts presented to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments today (Wednesday).

Overall, the region is set to gain one million jobs, 1.5 million people and 700,000 new households by 2050.

Job growth may not be as robust as previously projected, with new forecasts projecting 200,000 fewer total jobs for each forecast year, due to the lingering effects of the pandemic and a “dampening” caused by an aging population, COG Community Planning and Services Director Paul DesJardin said.

These forecasts are intended to help local and regional agencies gauge the demand for public infrastructure and transportation. They can also use it to develop policies tackling regional issues — including an aging population.

In 2020, the region had 757,000 people over the age of 65 and, by 2050, this population is projected to swell to 1.2 million, a growth rate of 64%, per the presentation. At the other end of the age spectrum, school-aged children will remain fairly steady, growing from just over 1 million in 2020 to 1.1 million in 2050.

“This is a national and a local trend,” said DesJardin. “Our economic competitiveness is imperative on our ability to attract and maintain talent. Then, there’s the concomitant challenges of the human services an aging population will need. We still have a growing and steady workforce population but we are aging.”

Later, DesJardin said the aging population may also require the construction of more dwellings accessible to those with physical challenges, from single-family detached homes to apartments. That would be part of a continued push to increase housing overall.

“We still do need to do more to address our housing challenge. We need to do more for production, and certainly affordability,” he said.

Arlington County Planning Director Anthony Fusarelli says the county has been preparing for this population shift.

“We in Arlington over the past several years have been focused increasingly more so on the needs of that older population,” he said. “The County Board has approved zoning ordinance amendments to make it easier and provide more flexibility for things such as assisted living and senior living facilities.”

County staff are studying homeownership and will be looking at housing options for seniors. Fusarelli also mentioned the recent adoption of “Missing Middle” zoning changes allowing the by-right construction of 2-6 unit buildings in areas previously reserved for single-family detached homes.

“One of the benefits we see as a community in allowing duplexes or small apartment buildings across much of Arlington that currently isn’t permitted, or hasn’t been permitted historically, is it does provide the opportunity for that aging demographic to expand their property or find another housing unit in the neighborhood they’ve been in for some time that otherwise wouldn’t be there today,” he said.

Overall, he says, the COG forecast plays an important role “in really grounding our community conversations about planning for growth over the next 20-30 years.”

“It’ll account for changes in the ramp-up of Amazon’s headquarters, the Pentagon City Sector Plan — which our County Board adopted more than one year ago, which can potentially double the amount of development in that Metro station area — as well as other studies for our Shirlington area and others as well.”

Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey says this information helps the county explain to constituents why it is always working on a planning project.

“I know it helps us in Arlington address one of the fundamental questions we get in the community. ‘All this stuff you’re planning and doing, what are you solving for?'” Dorsey said. “This really gives us a ‘for’ that we’re trying to solve, and it’s based, really, on the broadest possible set of data for our entire interconnected region.”

NEW: Pedestrian struck by driver in front of Ballston Quarter

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) A pedestrian was struck by a driver in front of Ballston Quarter mall this morning.

The victim, said to be a man in his 50s, could be seen lying motionless in the roadway while bystanders directed traffic around the crash scene, prior to the arrival of police and fire personnel. A fire department dispatch noted that the 911 call center received multiple calls about the crash, which happened around 10 a.m., directly in front of Ted’s Bulletin restaurant.

After a few minutes of being tended to by medics, the victim was placed on a stretcher, brought to a waiting ambulance and transported to the hospital.

“The pedestrian, an adult male, was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The driver of the striking vehicle [remained] on scene. Police remain on scene investigating.”

Planning Commission OKs Americana Hotel redevelopment despite affordability concerns

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

Plans to redevelop the Americana Hotel in Crystal City cleared their penultimate hurdle despite criticism that the project does not provide on-site affordable housing.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve plans from JBG Smith to redevelop the former motel at 1460 Richmond Hwy.

To get here, the developer has overcome sloping terrain and maneuvered future development plans for neighboring sites and Route 1, which the Virginia Department of Transportation plans to lower. The company also attended to lingering transportation and sustainability concerns.

JBG Smith proposes a 19-story apartment building with about 3,885 square feet of ground-floor retail. Of the 639 units, 33 will have three bedrooms. It’s across the street from Amazon’s under-construction HQ2, the first phase of which is expected to open this summer.

There will be two levels of underground parking, with 188 residential and visitor parking spaces, and 206 off-site parking at the Bartlett Apartments. JBG Smith proposes a 2,800 square-foot green space area with a small, private outdoor amenity area and a small dog run.

As for affordable housing, JBG Smith is making a baseline contribution to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) of $2.1 million and making an additional $7.53 million contribution to leverage about 80 committed affordable units (CAFs) at the Crystal House Apartments at 1900 S. Eads Street, about one-third of a mile away.

There, two developers will oversee the construction of 655 CAFs and 189 market-rate units. Amazon helped a nonprofit purchase the 16-acre site and stabilize rent for the 828 existing units and build new units, later donating the land and development rights to Arlington County.

Some Planning Commission members, however, were emphatic that all future projects need some on-site affordable units.

“Every project needs to have on-site affordable housing. Period. Every single project,” Chair Devanshi Patel said.

Currently, developers seeking a large-scale redevelopment can offset that with an AHIF contribution or the provision of on-site or off-site units. In exchange, they can build taller buildings and, in the case of apartments, add more units. Most developers will make a cash contribution and it is rarer to see on-site units, though some recent projects have included setting aside existing units off-site for affordable housing.

“If we hold ourselves out to be a ‘welcoming, thriving, inclusive community,'” — and here she changed voices, suggesting air quotes or skepticism — “then we need to stand by that and that means we need to have affordable housing at every project,” Patel said.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Patrons at Don Tito’s imbibe while watching a bank robbery unfold in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Stabbing in Virginia Square — “900 block of N. Pollard Street. At approximately 11:16 p.m. on April 10, police were dispatched to the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim and suspect, who are known to each other, entered into a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a knife, causing a puncture wound. Medics treated and released the victim on scene.” [ACPD]

Limited Initial Impact from Missing Middle — “While a couple-hundred units per year isn’t something to sneeze at, especially cumulatively over time, neither would that level of production represent a tectonic shift in housing supply-demand dynamics. A single multifamily building easily could produce our estimated annual maximum possible under Arlington’s missing middle cap — albeit probably smaller units geared toward younger singles and couples rather than larger family households.” [Washington Business Journal]

Local Home Prices Still Rising — “The typical Arlington single-family home that sold in March brought in about $1.37 million, up 4.1 percent from a year before, according to new data. A total of 71 single-family homes went to closing last month, according to data reported today.” [GazetteLeader]

It’s Wednesday — Morning clouds. Pleasantly warm. High of 82 and low of 56. Sunrise at 6:36 am and sunset at 7:42 pm. [Weather.gov]

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