News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
New construction on the site of the former Rouse house on Wilson Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

APS Might Let Students Carry Narcan — “Would it be wise, or even legal, for Arlington Public Schools students be able to carry medication with them that helps blunt the impact of opioid overdoses in schools? Getting a final answer appears to be a work in progress. ‘We are continuing to explore the question,’ Superintendent Francisco Durán said at the March 2 School Board meeting.” [Gazette Leader, Fox 5]

Award for Lubber Run Community Center — “The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is recognizing 16 projects with its 2023 Architecture Awards. The 2023 Architecture Award program celebrates the best contemporary architecture… [including] Lubber Run Community Center, Arlington, Virginia | VMDO Architects.” [American Institute of Architects]

Metro Response to Incident Questioned — “When @STATter911 reported @WMATA once again sent passengers towards danger during a November 7 smoke incident at Courthouse & that there was a delayed fire department response, Metro pushed back with this statement… @MetrorailSafety found those decisions weren’t so sound. WMSC confirms the train was sent towards confirmed smoke, contrary to Metro’s own procedures.” [Twitter]

Local Track Athletes Place at States — “A jumper, a thrower and a sprinter from Arlington schools recorded second-place finishes at the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 indoor state track and field championships in Virginia Beach. All three were senior boys, and they had the highest finishes of any participant from an Arlington school in the competition.” [Gazette Leader]

Fire Risk Amid Dry Weather — “Wednesday will be a carbon-copy with lots of sunshine, a brisk north wind and low humidity in the afternoon. This is the prime pattern for an increase in brush fires, though a red flag warning isn’t in effect for Tuesday or Wednesday and the D.C. area isn’t in a drought.” [WTOP]

Tornado Danger Reminder — From VDOT Northern Virginia: “Tornadoes can strike our area nearly any time of year, any time of day. Have a safety plan in place and know where to seek shelter. everal #Tornadoes impacted the #NOVA District in the past several years. In fact, 5 occurred over the past 5 years in 3 of our counties. Just because we’re not in #TornadoAlley, that doesn’t mean we’re safe.” [Twitter]

It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 49 and low of 30. Sunrise at 6:32 am and sunset at 6:09 pm. [Weather.gov]

BREAKING: Firefighters battling two-alarm house fire in Bluemont

By ARLnow.com
1/9

(Updated at 3 p.m.) Firefighters battled heavy fire at a house in the Bluemont neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

The first dispatch went out around 2 p.m., for a fire spotted by a neighbor on the 800 block of N. Kensington Street, north of Wilson Blvd. A second alarm was quickly sounded.

Initial reports suggest that the house was being renovated and that the flames are being fanned in part by today’s gusty winds. Construction personnel could be seen working on the home earlier today, neighbors told ARLnow.

The fire was declared out as of 3 p.m. and most firefighters are now packing up their gear.

The damage to the structure is likely to be significant, but no serious injuries have been reported.

NEW: State police investigating fatal crash in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Virginia State Police vehicle (photo by John Calhoun/JC Photography)

A 26-year-old man from Vienna, Va. has died after crashing his Range Rover on I-66 early Saturday morning.

The crash happened around 3:30 a.m. in the Rosslyn tunnel. Virginia State Police say the driver was not wearing his seat belt and was likely traveling at an excessive speed.

A passenger suffered minor injuries in the rollover crash.

More from a VSP spokesperson, below.

At 3:37 a.m. on Saturday (March 3), Virginia State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on westbound I-66 at the Rosslyn Tunnel.

A 2018 Range Rover was traveling west on I-66 when it ran off the right side of the road and struck a jersey wall just before the tunnel. It then traveled into the tunnel and overturned.

The driver, Talaat B. Hamooh, 26, of Vienna, Va., died during transport. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.

A passenger, Hussain A. Aljahdali, 29, of Arlington, Va., sustained minor injuries in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt.

Excessive speed is being investigated as a contributing factor in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

JUST IN: Smoke at Clarendon Metro station prompts large emergency response

By ARLnow.com
Emergency response to smoke at the Clarendon Metro station

(Updated at 8:45 a.m.) The Clarendon Metro station filled with smoke during this morning’s commute, prompting a large fire department and police response.

The initial dispatch went out around 8:15 a.m., for smoke in the station. The station was evacuated and trains were halted in the area.

Metro described the issue as “a track problem.” As of 8:30 a.m., reports suggest that the smoke is dissipating, no fire has been found so far, and the response is about to be scaled back.

Metro riders were told to expect significant delays in both directions of the Orange and Silver lines. As of 8:45 a.m., nothing hazardous had been found and trains were starting to resume normal operations. It’s still unclear what caused the smoke.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Blossoms in bloom in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Sullivan Redistricted Out of Arlington — “Del. Rip Sullivan has been saying his goodbyes to Arlington for months now, and at the March 1 Arlington County Democratic Committee, said it wasn’t his choice to be departing… Sullivan, who since 2014 has represented the 48th House District that is split between portions of McLean and Arlington, found himself after legislative redistricting/renumbering in the new 6th District, which will be centered on McLean and have no Arlington precincts.” [Gazette Leader]

Culinary Training Cafe Remodeled — “Kitchen of Purpose has remodeled its cafe in Arlington and expanded its menu in time for spring as it seeks to bring in new customers and raise awareness of its culinary programs. The Cafe by Kitchen of Purpose, at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Lincoln Street, serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. When the weather gets warmer, the cafe plans to have expanded outdoor seating.” [Patch]

Library Series Focuses on Graphic Novels — “Arlington Public Library’s long-running signature author talk program Arlington Reads turns the page to the next chapter with ‘Get Graphic.’ The year-long series features a diverse lineup of five award-winning and New York Times bestselling graphic novel authors: Alison Bechdel (Mar. 9), Jerry Craft (Apr. 27), Gene Luen Yang (May 4), Art Spiegelman (Sep. 21) and Liana Finck (Oct. 19).” [Arlington County]

It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy and a bit breezy. High of 51 and low of 37. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 6:08 pm. [Weather.gov]

UPDATED: Police say teen was not sexually assaulted along Columbia Pike, despite report

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Update on 3/28/23 — From the Arlington County Police Department today: “Detectives conducted a thorough investigation which ultimately determined a sexual assault had not occurred at Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive on the morning of March 6, 2023. The investigation into this incident has concluded and there is no ongoing threat to the community.”

Earlier: Police are investigating the sexual assault of a teen girl Sunday night along Columbia Pike.

The attack happened around 9:15 p.m., near the intersection of the Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive. The suspect grabbed the girl from behind, pulled her into the woods and sexually assaulted her while armed with a “bladed object.”

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect, who was only described by his clothing.

More from an Arlington County police press release, below.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is investigating a sexual assault on S. Four Mile Run Drive and is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect.

At approximately 12:11 a.m. on March 6, police were dispatched to the report of a sexual assault at Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 9:15 p.m. on March 5, the female victim, a juvenile in her teens, was walking in the 4900 block of Columbia Pike when the suspect began to follow her. As she turned onto S. Four Mile Run Drive, the suspect grabbed her from behind and touched her inappropriately before pulling her into a wooded area. The suspect then produced a bladed object and sexually assaulted the victim before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim was then able to walk home and seek assistance.

The suspect is described as an unknown race male wearing a black jacket and black or gray sweatpants.

This remains an active investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective R. Munizza at 703-228-4171 or [email protected] or the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line 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).

Attempted robbery of computer buyer goes wrong in Penrose

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A robbery attempt in the Penrose neighborhood did not go as planned, after the would-be victim reportedly grabbed and broke a suspect’s replica handgun.

That’s according to scanner traffic and an Arlington County Police Department crime report today.

The incident happened Sunday afternoon on the 2800 block of 8th Street S., two blocks north of the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive.

“At approximately 2:35 p.m. on March 5, police were dispatched to the report of an attempted robbery,” said the crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim and two unknown suspects arrived at this location for the prearranged sale of a computer. The suspects showed the victim the computer before brandishing what was later determined to be an air soft gun and demanding the victim’s money.”

“The victim handed the suspects cash and took control of the air soft gun,” the crime report continued. “The suspects then fled the scene on foot, dropping the money in the process. No injuries were reported.”

Scanner traffic at the time suggested that the black handgun, which looked like a Glock, broke when the victim snatched it away from the young suspect.

The suspects — described as in their teens or early 20s — showed up to the sale wearing hoodies and masks, according to ACPD. The computer in question was described as a Mac in a police dispatch.

“The investigation is ongoing,” police said.

Hat tip to Alan Henney

Man arrested for pair of buttocks slapping incidents in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car outside police headquarters (file photo)

A man is in jail after a pair of alleged sexual battery incidents in the Courthouse area Sunday evening.

Both happened along Wilson Blvd and involved the 22-year-old suspect approaching women and hitting them on the buttocks, police said.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 2023-03050171, Wilson Boulevard at N. Courthouse Road. At approximately 6:47 p.m. on March 5, police were dispatched to the police station for the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was walking her dog in the area when the male suspect approached her and allegedly hit her on the buttocks before fleeing the scene on foot. During the course of the investigation, it was determined a second female victim was approached by the suspect in the area of Wilson Boulevard and N. Troy Street, during which he hit her on the buttocks before fleeing the scene. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody without incident. [The suspect], 22, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Sexual Battery (x2). He was held without bail.

The suspect is expected in court tomorrow (Tuesday) for a bail hearing, per court records.

Langston Blvd McDonald’s makes a second pass at adding another drive-thru lane

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

The McDonald’s at 4834 Langston Blvd is once more looking to change its drive-thru to reduce backups that spill onto the busy road.

The fast food restaurant has filed a special exception use permit application to add a second ordering station and three more “standing spots” for customers. Currently, the site has one drive-thru lane and a circulating lane wrapped around it.

“The Application proposes a site layout that will improve vehicular flow and help minimize stacking onto Langston Blvd,” McGuireWoods lawyer Matthew Weinstein wrote in the application prepared on behalf of McDonald’s.

One apparent casualty, based on the rendering above: an aging and sparsely used McDonald’s PlayPlace, a free indoor playground for kids.

About three years ago, the fast food restaurant proposed a second drive-thru lane and a new recirculating lane that would have run between the restaurant and Langston Blvd. These plans fizzled, however, after county officials blasted the plans during an April 2020 meeting of the Arlington County Board.

This time, Weinstein says, the business engaged Arlington County staff to address issues they had with the 2020 application. After talking with staff, McDonald’s nixed the recirculation lane.

The April 2020 plans from McDonald’s to add a second ordering lane and a recirculation lane (file photo)

“The recirculation lane was staff’s primary concern about the 2020 application,” he wrote. “By removing the recirculation lane, the Applicant envisions a smooth traffic flow and minimal pedestrian conflicts.”

Building a second order station would result in 16 total standing spaces for cars, compared to the 13 that exist today, which “will help minimize potential vehicular stacking onto Langston Blvd,” Weinstein said.

Customers will access the drive-thru from the property’s northwest side, queue in one of two lanes, order, pick up their food and exit on the property’s northeast side.

McDonald’s also took the plans to the Langston Blvd Alliance to compare them against Plan Langston Blvd. This planning study reenvisions the corridor as denser, greener and more walkable.

McDonald’s new plans would reduce parking spots from 34 to 28 spaces but will plant more trees and shrubs to “provide a natural buffer between the restaurant and the Langston Blvd frontage,” Weinstein said.

“[This] will create an attractive setting for McDonald’s customer sand drivers passing by the restaurant on Langston Boulevard,” he said. “McDonald’s customers will also be able to enjoy an outdoor seating and dining area in the landscaped area long the Property’s Langston Boulevard frontage.”

Although the County Board has yet to adopt a final version of the Plan Langston Blvd study, Weinstein says, the plans from McDonald’s align with the preliminary concept plan, or PCP. This document envisions an enhanced streetscape with a wider-right-of-way, landscaped areas, street trees and flexible open spaces.

“The Project accommodates and will not inhibit the PCP’s enhanced streetscape recommendations,” he said.

The application is slated to be reviewed by the Arlington County Board alone, per a public notice of items up for review by the Planning Commission and the Board this month. The Board will meet on Saturday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 21.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Blossoms illuminated by the setting sun as the moon rises behind in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Planning Comm. Takes on Missing Middle — “With less than two weeks until the expected vote on a land use rule change aimed at increasing the number of affordable missing middle housing units, Arlington County neighbors will have one of their last opportunities to provide county leaders feedback… The board is expected to vote on this proposal during their March 18 meeting. The public will have one more chance before this meeting to provide feedback during Monday’s Planning Commission meeting.” [WJLA]

Fmr. Lt. Gov. Representing Gunston Family — “Weeks after an Arlington 8th grader says he was forced to pick cotton in a class game, his family is still demanding justice, and according to family attorney Justin Fairfax, they are exploring all legal options. 7News first spoke with Keisha Kirkland and her middle school son… a week after [he] first told his family a long-term sub at Gunston Middle School forced him to pick cotton during a game in French class.” [WJLA, Twitter]

Some Lee Hwy Signs Remain — “I’ve noticed green VDOT signs on I-66 near Lyon Village still show Lee’s name (as does a NOVA Parks sign on the W&OD trail). ‘There are two sign structures that need to be replaced to accommodate the new panels for the Langston Blvd signs,’ VDOT spokeswoman Ellen Kamilakis told me. ‘The contract will go out to bid in April.'” [Falls Church News-Press]

Local Health Startup Expanding — “Arlington diabetes care startup Ryse Health LLC wants to increase its headcount and patient base, break into new markets and strike partnerships with health plans and employers this year after raising $6.5 million in a Series A financing round. Armed with that fresh funding, the roughly 2-year-old company is preparing to expand its care model that it says is already driving improvements for patients with Type 2 diabetes.” [Washington Business Journal]

Car Fire On I-395 — A vehicle was engulfed in flames along northbound I-395 near the 14th Street Bridge late Saturday morning. No injuries were reported but several lanes of the highway were closed while firefighters extinguished the blaze. [Twitter]

Abortion Protests at Walgreens — Pro-life demonstrators protested against an abortion pill, mifepristone, inside at least three Walgreens stores in Arlington on Saturday, per scanner traffic. [Twitter]

Wakefield Gets New Football Coach — “Clarence Martin believes he is prepared and the right person for the job to take over as the new head football coach at Wakefield High School. Martin recently was hired as the Warriors new coach and was introduced during a Feb. 28 afternoon school ceremony in the cafeteria, with 62 potential players in attendance. He inherits a team that finished 0-10 this past fall.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Monday — Sunny, then partly cloudy throughout most of the day. High of 57 and low of 36. Sunrise at 6:35 am and sunset at 6:07 pm. [Weather.gov]

Older Arlington teens could get drug therapy from opioid settlements. Advocates say kids need more interventions.

By Jo DeVoe
Counterfeit OxyContin with fentanyl, also known as ‘blues’ (via Drug Enforcement Agency/Flickr)

Drug use intervention programs for youth are in short supply in Arlington County, according to people who help youth with substance dependencies.

The need is particularly acute for younger teens, as the onset of exposure to and abuse of drugs is trending younger, National Capital Treatment and Recovery Clinical Director Pattie Schneeman said in a recent panel.

“‘There’s nothing out there for adolescents.’ I hear it all the time,” says Schneeman, acknowledging that National Capital Treatment and Recovery, formerly Phoenix House, stopped serving children in 2015 because insurance reimbursements did not cover operating costs.

“If you have money, you can send someone to a posh program. You can pay for services,” she continued. “But if you are average, middle-class or a low socioeconomic family, you have no resources, and it is very sad and devastating to our communities.”

Arlington is seeing a rise in youth obtaining and using opioids, with an increasing number overdosing both on and off school grounds — or effectively detoxing in the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center in Alexandria. In some cases, they are prescription, but in many others, they are buying illegally manufactured pills laced with the deadly drug fentanyl, from local gangs or through social media, police say.

The death of 14-year-old student Sergio Flores after a fatal overdose at Wakefield High School has driven teachers, parents and School Board members to call for more action and support from APS and Arlington County. Conversations since then have revealed the barriers throughout the continuum of care to actually treating kids.

For instance, school-based substance abuse counselors can only educate — they cannot provide treatment, according to School Climate Coordinator Chip Bonar, while appropriate treatment options can have a months-long waitlist. The division of the Arlington County Dept. of Human Services that works with children and behavioral health has 43% of its job positions unfilled and acknowledges there are few residential substance use treatment options.

It will be at least two years before VHC Health — formerly Virginia Hospital Center — opens its planned rehab facility. Two years is a long time, however, considering that less than a month passed between the death of Flores and a near-fatal teen overdose Wednesday.

To beef up treatment options, and expand services in the nearer term, Arlington is turning to settlements with manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies it alleges have been key players in the opioid epidemic. Just last week, the Arlington County Board agreed to participate in a proposed settlement against Teva, Allergan, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and their related corporate entities.

The Board voted to approve the settlement in an unannounced vote at the end of a lengthy meeting.

“This is the latest in a series of settlements that are part of the larger National Opioid Settlement,” said county spokesman Ryan Hudson. “The total funding awarded to the County from these agreements continues to evolve as more settlements are finalized. All opioid settlement funding will be used on approved opioid abatement purposes.”

(more…)

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