News

Virginia State Police chase ends in Arlington, results in arrest and multiple felony charges

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

A police chase ended last night in Arlington with a state trooper injured and the alleged fleeing driver in custody.

The chase started on I-395, when a Virginia State Police trooper’s automated license plate reader flagged a Cadillac that was wanted by Fairfax County police. During the chase, a trooper’s vehicle was rammed and crashed along northbound I-395 in Arlington.

The suspect then abandoned the car on the GW Parkway at Route 50, near the Roosevelt Bridge, according to state police. He was subsequently taken into custody and identified as a 31-year-old D.C. man.

More from a VSP press release today, below.

At 8:55 p.m., a Virginia State Police trooper’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) alerted to a 2006 Cadillac sedan that Fairfax County Police was looking for. The trooper activated his emergency lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop, but the Cadillac refused to pull over and sped away northbound on I-395. A pursuit was initiated.

As state police attempted to contain the vehicle to bring it to a stop, the Cadillac rammed one of the trooper’s vehicles. The impact caused the trooper’s vehicle to run off the side of the interstate and strike the Jersey wall. The Cadillac, meanwhile, kept going.

The pursuit ended when the Cadillac stopped on the George Washington Parkway near Route 50. The driver fled on foot. The driver was apprehended a short time later and taken into custody. A passenger was also taken into custody and later released. A handgun was recovered from inside the Cadillac.

State police charged the driver of the Cadillac, Nelson Bowman, 31, of Washington, D.C., with one felony malicious wounding on law enforcement, one felony assault of a law enforcement officer, one felony count of eluding police, one felony count of illegal possession of a concealed firearm, one felony count of hit and run, one felony count of destruction of property and one misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice

The trooper who struck the Jersey wall was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor injuries.

The investigation remains ongoing.

The suspect is facing a half dozen felony charges, from eluding to assault on police to a gun charge.

He has previous criminal convictions, including an Arlington home break-in for which he received prison time and was currently on probation, according to court records cited by a Twitter user who tweets about public safety incidents.

https://twitter.com/RVANOVA01/status/1623670266277646339

Maryland man pleads guilty to road rage incident on GW Parkway

By ARLnow.com
Gavel (Flickr photo by Joe Gratz)

A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to assault after he threatened and stole the keys of a dump truck driver following a crash on the GW Parkway.

The road rage incident happened on Nov. 1 along the Arlington portion of the Parkway. It was prosecuted in federal court since it happened on National Park Service land.

The 58-year-old perpetrator also smashed the window of the dump truck with a baseball bat, federal prosecutors said, leading to the assault charge. He faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty, though actual sentences are usually lower.

More from a U.S. Justice Department press release, below.

A Frederick, Maryland, man pleaded guilty yesterday to assault with a deadly weapon.

According to court documents, Juan Marcus Smith, 58, was driving on the George Washington Memorial Parkway when a motor vehicle accident occurred between his vehicle and a dump truck driven by the victim. Smith pulled in front of the dump truck and brought his vehicle to a complete stop in the righthand lane of the Parkway. He walked over to the victim’s truck, opened the driver’s side door, and brandished a knife while attempting to retrieve the keys to the victim’s dump truck. Smith then returned to his vehicle, recovered a baseball bat, and went back to the victim’s dump truck and struck the driver’s side window, shattering the window while the victim sat inside.

When officers with the United States Park Police arrived at the scene, they found Smith standing outside his vehicle holding the key to the dump truck in the air. They also recovered a folding knife from Smith’s pant pocket and a baseball bat from the back seat of Smith’s vehicle.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Stock, Acting Chief of U.S. Park Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia T. Giles accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch are prosecuting the case.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The pedestrian bridge over Wilson Blvd in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Rosslyn Station Evacuation Last Night — From Dave Statter: “@ArlingtonVaFD arriving minutes ago at Rosslyn Metro confirming haze of smoke in the station & checking for source of the problem. Passengers reported hearing a loud pop or explosion under a train. Rail traffic shut down.” [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]

Late Night Pentagon Pile Driving Irks Some — From Dave Statter: “It appears after a couple nights of this neighbors complained to @ArlingtonVaPD. It made me chuckle, as I’m sure its does you, that anyone thinks local police have even the slightest chance of getting it stopped. No matter how many decibels, that noise complaint is DOA.” [Twitter]

ACFD Honors Retirees — “ACFD Retirees Chief Fire Marshal Bill Shelton (Middle/25yrs) Asst. FM Chris Cox (L/30yrs) and Deputy FM Mike Crider (R/22yrs) were presented their shadow boxes by Chief Fire Marshal Matthew Cobb yesterday. These 3 were instrumental in the Fire Prevention Office! Congratulations!” [Twitter]

Local Farmers Markets Unionize — “Today, workers at the Washington, DC-based nonprofit FRESHFARM voted to unionize with United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400… The unionized workforce covers approximately 25 employees responsible for staffing and operating 28 local farmers markets in DC, Maryland and Virginia.” [Press Release]

Groups Push Back on Discipline Bill — “Parents and teacher groups in Northern Virginia are opposing a state education bill they contend would disproportionately affect students with disabilities, students of color and those who are low-income. HB 1461 would require the Virginia Department of Education to establish a uniform system of discipline for ‘disruptive’ behavior, removing control from local school districts and school boards.” [Patch]

Nearby: VT Campus Construction Continues — “Stepping over rough gravel near the Potomac with a giant crane swinging overhead, Ken Smith, the chief operating officer of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, said, ‘You’re actually inside the building right now — we’re in the two-story atrium space.’ It took a little imagination, but then again, Smith was leading a construction tour at the symbolic midpoint of a project poised to transform technology education in the region.” [Washington Post]

Pappy Returns to ABC Stores — “Several products from the highly collectible Van Winkle line will be available for the opportunity to purchase through the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority’s (ABC) online lotteries in February and March. The whiskey, often dubbed the hardest to find spirit due to its low production, is offered by lottery to ensure equitable distribution.” [Press Release]

It’s Thursday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 66 and low of 45. Sunrise at 7:08 am and sunset at 5:40 pm. [Weather.gov]

County Board to consider hiking fees for weeds, overgrown lawns and vegetation

By Jo DeVoe
1/7

Arlington is poised to take a proverbial weed whacker to commercial properties with overgrown lawns and all properties with obstructive vegetation.

Last month, a proposal to change the ordinance pertaining to the condition of private properties was added to the Arlington County Board’s agenda but was subsequently removed because the proposal needed additional technical work, says Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development spokeswoman Erika Moore.

The changes would strengthen the county’s ability to enforce violations such as unmaintained lawns and vegetation, per the January report, which ARLnow reviewed before it was taken down.

The measure is set to appear on the Board’s February agenda, Moore said, confirming the substance of the proposal remains the same. The Board will meet on Saturday, Feb. 18 and again on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Commercial properties would be added to a provision that previously only held residential property owners accountable for cutting grass and weeds and maintaining lawns. County Manager Mark Schwartz would then be able to take “corrective actions” when a property owner fails to trim back “obstructing vegetation,” per the report.

The January draft also proposed increasing fines for property owners who fail to do more upkeep to resolve civil citations.

“These increases are sought to provide a stronger financial deterrent, particularly in cases where private property is held by commercial ownership awaiting development,” the report said.

For example, back in 2020, some residents complained about trash in and around the vacant Wendy’s lot at 2025 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse. The fast food restaurant had been torn down in 2016 to make way for an office tower that never came and instead was used as a construction staging area for a nearby redevelopment. The property since changed hands and construction of an apartment building started last fall.

The report noted that the ability of the code enforcement division of CPHD “to abate persistent, longstanding violations has become less effective.”

“This is due to a variety of factors, including unwillingness to comply by some property owners, but also legal ambiguity concerning what specific powers and processes could be implemented in seeking corrective actions,” it said.

Moore previously told ARLnow the amendments are not related to any specific community complaints.

“The amendments… are being made because there are conflicts with other local and state ordinances, and clarity is needed,” she said last month. “Commercial properties are being added to the section on tall grass and weeds not because of conflicts but to clarify the County’s enforcement authority on these properties.”

There were 609 complaints from the community in 2022 via phone and email primarily, we’re told. Arlington’s current system that stores complaints does not categorize them, but the county is moving to a new complaint tracking system at the end of 2023 where some of these data points, like theme, will be available, she said. (more…)

Planning Commission gives thumbs up to Joyce Motors redevelopment in Clarendon

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

A developer is setting aside $25,000 for the installation of a historical marker to describe the importance of the Joyce Motors site in Clarendon.

The sum raised eyebrows among some Planning Commission members last night (Monday) during their discussion of a proposed redevelopment of the auto shop at the intersection of N. Irving Street and 10th Street N.

“I think people often complain about the cost of building things and doing things so for my own benefit, when people ask me about this, I want to drill down a little bit,” Commissioner Daniel Weir said. “When you buy a plaque to give to one of your coworkers who’s retiring after 30 years of service, it costs $40 from the guy you buy tchotchkes from. So distinguish these two things for me, please.”

Commissioners were told the $25,000 is budgeted for the hard costs of installing a sign or plaque or embedding the explanations in concrete under-foot.

Without much other discussion, commissioners unanimously approved the plans from Orr Partners to build a 241-unit apartment building with 3,600 square feet of ground-floor retail.

The project required the developer to work with nearby businesses to divy up the triangular lot bounded by Wilson Blvd, 10th Street N. and N. Irving Street lot into three parcels. Orr Partners will build an alley through the middle of the site from which residents can access underground parking.

Orr Partners will preserve another nearby property deemed historic — 1411 N. Garfield Street, which housed a barber shop — from future development using the county’s transfer of development rights tool.

The approval comes more than three years after the developer submitted its site plan application in 2019. Arlington County accepted the site plan in spring of 2020 but put it on hold for two years while staff completed an update to the Clarendon Sector Plan, which guides development of the neighborhood.

“We have made substantial changes over the past three-plus plus years as we’ve been at this,” said Andrew Painter, a land use lawyer with Walsh Colucci, representing the developer. “We’ve shown the ability to be creative by partnering with neighbors on the alley [and] the land swap, by partnering to preserve historic façades and construct a building that will be able to solve so many planning goals.”

Changes to the 2006 sector plan were prompted by several redevelopments, including Joyce Motors, as well as on the Silver Diner/The Lot and Wells Fargo/Verizon sites, and projects proposed by the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, the YMCA and George Mason University.

While the $25,000 budget for a historical marker gave some commissioners sticker shock, others thanked Orr Partners for delivering a project that provided nine on-site committed affordable units, including five family-sized ones.

“I just wanted to say thank you for including larger-sized units that can fit families,” said Commissioner Tenley Peterson.

(more…)

ACPD warns of common phone scams targeting Arlington residents

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are warning about some common scams that residents have been reporting.

The scams involve calls to victims from people impersonating law enforcement personnel, attorneys or even a victim’s family member. The goal is to induce fear and collect a payment over the phone.

“Legitimate government agencies and businesses will also not call individuals and demand immediate payment in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency or digital cash transfers,” ACPD said in a press release Tuesday. “Any unsolicited contact that puts you in fear, requests you to act quickly or states there is an emergency requiring you to provide funds or personal identifiable information is likely a scam.”

Common scams include “The Jury Duty Scam,” the “Federal Agent Impersonation Scam” and “The Injured Family Member Scam.”

“Always be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, texts or emails,” the press release notes. “Even if the information displayed on the caller ID appears the same as a law enforcement or government agency, hang up and call the agency directly to verify the caller’s legitimacy.”

The full press release is below.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Construction activity continues at Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

National Win for Local Girls — “Congratulations to the 10U Virginia Hurricanes for winning the organization’s FIFTH NFL Flag Football National Championship this weekend at the NFL Pro Bowl in Las Vegas!! Hurricanes teams have won NFL Flag National Championship titles four years in a row.” [Twitter]

County Seeking New Poet Laureate — “Arlington County is seeking its official Poet Laureate for the 2023-2025 term. With the final application deadline of March 24, 2023 by 5:00pm, the selected poet laureate’s two-year term will begin July 1, 2023. The poet selected as Arlington’s poet laureate will serve as an advocate for poetry and the literary arts and will advance Arlingtonians’ consciousness and appreciation of poetry in its written and spoken forms.” [Arlington County]

Community Police Academy Applications — “The Arlington County Police Department is now accepting applications for the 27th Community Police Academy (CPA). The CPA is an educational program designed to strengthen communication and collaboration between police and the community they serve. The goal of the CPA is to increase participant’s knowledge and understanding of how the Arlington County Police Department operates and its role in the community.” [ACPD]

Man Stabbed, Unclear Where — “500 block of S. Glebe Road. At approximately 5:45 p.m. on February 7, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim sought medical assistance at the fire station for a stab wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries. Limited details were provided regarding the events that preceded the call for service and the location of the incident could not be determined.” [ACPD]

Boeing Planning Some Layoffs — “Boeing Co expects to cut about 2,000 white-collar jobs this year in finance and human resources through a combination of attrition and layoffs, the U.S. planemaker confirmed Monday. Last month, the Arlington, Virginia-based company announced it would hire 10,000 workers in 2023 after hiring 15,000 people in 2022, but said some support positions would be cut.” [Reuters]

Prosecutor Nominated for Judge — “The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney takes great pleasure in announcing that members of our local delegation to the General Assembly have nominated Cari Steele, our Chief Deputy, for a judgeship on the General District Court. I chose Cari as my Chief because of her talent, intelligence, kindness, and dedication. In the three years she has been part of our team, she brought an abiding passion to the cause of criminal justice reform and a deep sense of integrity to the cases she was entrusted to prosecute.” [Twitter]

Amazon Store Plans Hit Snag — “Amazon.com Inc. is pausing its aggressive grocery store growth to cut back on expenses, CEO Andy Jassy said Thursday after the company posted a historically rough quarter, studded with losses. That could explain why at least eight Amazon Fresh or Go grocery stores planned for Greater Washington have yet to open… [including in] Baileys Crossroads and Potomac Yard.” [Washington Business Journal]

It’s Wednesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 44. Sunrise at 7:09 am and sunset at 5:39 pm. [Weather.gov]

NEW: Police investigate incidents at two Arlington middle schools

By ARLnow.com
Police on scene at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in June 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A pair of incidents have prompted police investigations at two Arlington middle schools to start the week.

A student at Thomas Jefferson Middle School allegedly brought a weapon to school on Monday that turned out to be an airsoft gun. Police say they confiscated the airsoft gun and juvenile charges are pending.

From today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

CARRYING AIR GUN IN PUBLIC (late), 2023-02060183, 100 block of S. Old Glebe Road. At approximately 7:03 p.m. on February 6, police were dispatched to the late report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 1:15 p.m., the juvenile suspect allegedly opened his backpack and exposed the handle of what was later determined to be an airsoft gun to several juveniles. No threats were made and the airsoft gun was not brandished during the incident. During the course of the investigation, officers identified the involved juvenile and recovered the airsoft gun. A petition is pending for violation of Arlington County Code § 13-8.

The following email was sent to Thomas Jefferson families.

Dear Jefferson Families:

This is to inform you that around 6:40 p.m. on Mon, Feb. 6, our administrative team was informed that a student had a gun during the last period of the school day. The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) was immediately made aware and confiscated an “airsoft gun” from a student. Information and support from our school community enabled us to quickly investigate and take immediate action. In addition, appropriate disciplinary action is being taken.

Students are reminded that bringing weapons of any kind into the school is against the law and will result in disciplinary action by the school 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. […]

An incident at Dorothy Hamm Middle School, meanwhile, involved a threatening note “slipped under a teacher workroom door.”

Police do not believe the threat to be credible, according to an email sent to families this morning.

Dear DHMS Staff and Families,

Dorothy Hamm Middle School was informed of a threat of violence written on a piece of paper and slipped under a teacher workroom door. The threat was non-specific and did not include any information other than that something would happen today, Feb. 7.

The Department of Safety, Security, Risk and Emergency Management (SSREM) and the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) have been contacted, and while we do not believe the threat is credible, they are investigating. The school is operating as normal at this time, and all students and staff are safe.

As a precaution, there will be increased police presence at the school today. Any staff or students who have knowledge of this are asked to contact the school or Arlington County Police Department.

Students are reminded that making threats of any kind is unacceptable and in violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action by the school as well as a referral to law enforcement.

We appreciate the staff member who brought this to our attention and ask all members of our community to report any threats they may see or hear, whether they believe they are credible or not.

We will keep you updated if we receive new information. Thank you for working together to make our school safe. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office at 703-228-2910.

Ellen Smith
Principal
Dorothy Hamm Middle School

It has been a busy couple of weeks for police at Arlington’s public schools, following a fatal suspected overdose and threats of potential gun violence at Wakefield High School last week, as well as other substance-abuse-related dispatches.

Two bills to even playing field for online local news publications fail in Richmond

By ARLnow.com
Virginia State Capitol on Feb. 1, 2023 (staff photo)

Two bills that would have given online-only local news publications like ARLnow some of the same privileges afforded legacy media outlets failed in Richmond over the past few weeks.

In the House of Delegates, HB 1920 would have included online local news publications that employ at least one full time journalist in an exemption from local Business, Professional, and Occupational License (BPOL) taxes.

Current statute exempts radio stations, television stations, newspapers, magazines, newsletters and “other publication[s] issued daily or regularly at average intervals not exceeding three months.” Online publications are not considered an “other publication” in Virginia, in part because the state exemption was originally passed in the late 1980s, before the advent of the modern commercial internet.

ARLnow’s parent company, which is based in Arlington and pays a mid-four-figure BPOL tax annually — nearly 10% of the company’s net income for 2022 — appealed the exclusion from the media outlet BPOL exemption to the Arlington Office of the Commissioner of Revenue in the fall. The office rejected the appeal, citing a 2020 Virginia Tax Commissioner ruling against a food blog that was also seeking the exemption.

Introduced by Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), the bill garnered support from other Virginia online-only local news publishers but Arlington County officials expressed concern about a loss of tax revenue. Several other online publications, including Axios, are also based in Arlington.

HB 1920 was ultimately “laid on the table” by a House finance subcommittee, with committee members expressing both interest in studying the bill’s financial impact and surprise that legacy media outlets are excluded from BPOL.

Also considered this year was SB 1237, proposed by state Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), which would have given local governments and businesses the option of placing legal notice ads in qualifying online local news publications. Currently, such notices must be placed in printed newspapers to satisfy legal requirements.

Obenshain argued that numerous online-only local news publications have as many or more readers than their print counterparts, while citing the continued closure of print newspapers across the country, including the Richmond-area Chesterfield Observer earlier this month.

Here in Arlington, residents and County Board members have at times expressed frustration with the county placing its legal notices in the relatively lightly-circulated Washington Times newspaper. Board members, however, said that doing so is the most cost-effective way to meet state notice requirements and placing notices in the Washington Post, for instance, would be considerably more expensive.

Arlington County spent more than $37,000 with the Washington Times, an unabashedly conservative daily paper owned by an offshoot of the Unification Church, between fiscal years 2018 and 2019, according to a Freedom of Information Act response to a resident’s query in 2020.

The owners of ARLnow, Page Valley News and the MadRapp Recorder were among those to testify in favor of the bill last week. It was opposed by the Virginia Press Association and the publisher of InsideNoVa on the grounds that newspapers provide a permanent physical record of such notices and Virginia newspapers publishers already post notices online.

The state Senate’s judiciary committee ultimately voted 6-9 against the bill, after expressing concerns about which publications would qualify under SB 1237 and whether notices would be lost if online publications closed.

The vote was largely along party lines, with six GOP members voting in favor. Among those voting against it were members of the Democratic delegation from Fairfax County: Sen. Jennifer Boysko, Sen. Chap Petersen, Sen. Dick Saslaw and Sen. Scott Surovell. Previous attempts to pass a similar bill on the House side by Del. Hope have also failed in committee.

Online-only local news publishers who supported the bill — there are currently more than a dozen such local sites throughout the Commonwealth — have vowed to try again to gain bipartisan support for a modified version of this year’s bill during next year’s General Assembly session.

Separately, a bill from Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington) to provide tax credits that would benefit both print and online local news publishers, also failed in a House finance subcommittee. The bill, HB 2061, had the support of the Virginia Press Association.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A colorful 7-Eleven in Rosslyn (Flickr pool photo by Jeff Vincent)

Knife Incident Along I-66 — “Scanner: Arlington and state police on scene of incident along I-66 near Rosslyn and the Key Bridge. A man reportedly came out of the woods and threatened some construction workers with a large knife.” [Twitter]

I-395 Chases Caught on Camera — From Dave Statter: “Watch: Two @VSPPIO chases into DC 50 minutes apart on I-395N. Both likely stolen vehicles that sped past troopers. This is the first. It came from the Beltway & Van Dorn about 2:40 am. Speeds up to 150 mph.” [Twitter]

Prosecutor: Duty to Not Comment on Cases  — From Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: “As your Commonwealth’s Attorney, however, I can never comment publicly on ongoing investigations — for even my comments could interfere with the investigative work by our dedicated police… even after an investigation is complete and an arrest has been made, I am still duty-bound by something called Rule 3.6 to refrain from certain public comments.” [Twitter]

School Board Opioid Work Session Tonight — “The School Board will hold a Work Session on Opioids & Substance Use in APS: Education & Prevention on 2/7 at 6:30 PM. The meeting is open to the public, but there will be no public comment. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Spanish.” [Twitter]

La Coop Coffee Opening — “Join us for the grand opening of our Arlington location on Saturday, February 11th starting at 8 AM! Located at 4807 1st St. N.” [Instagram]

Metro Boosting Service Starting Today — “Metro is boosting mid-week service for customers who use the Blue, Orange and Blue Plus lines during the morning and evening rush hour periods. As announced just over a week ago, service on the three lines will increase to every 12 minutes instead of 15 minutes from 6 – 9 a.m. and 3 – 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In the heart of the system, between Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory where the lines merge, trains will arrive at stations every four minutes.” [WMATA]

Home Hunts Heating Back Up — “Homebuyers are returning to the market in Northern Virginia in early 2023, with mortgage rates steadily declining over the past two months, according to real estate experts. The first few weeks of 2023 saw homes for sale in the region that had been sitting for a while suddenly getting multiple offers, according to Rob Traister, a Realtor and Associate Broker with RE/MAX 100.” [Patch]

It’s Tuesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 31. Sunrise at 7:10 am and sunset at 5:38 pm. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Jeff Vincent

JUST IN: Sun Gazette newspaper stops publishing, staff hired by new paper

By ARLnow.com
The most recent edition of the Arlington Sun Gazette newspaper

The Sun Gazette newspaper has not published new articles on its website since Friday and may have printed its last edition.

Several sources tell ARLnow that the free weekly paper, which has separate editions serving Arlington and parts of Fairfax County, has effectively shuttered, though no notice of a closure was published online.

Sun Gazette staffers, meanwhile, have been hired for a new local newspaper called the Gazette Leader.

Editor Scott McCaffrey, sports editor Dave Facinoli and advertising director Vicky Mashaw are among those hired for the new paper, with Mashaw assuming the title of General Manager.

Jim O’Rourke, CEO of Arizona-based O’Rourke Media Group, confirmed to ARLnow that his company had hired the Sun Gazette vets and would be launching the new local publication later this week. The goal is for the print edition to go out Thursday and a new website to launch then or shortly thereafter. Two-thirds of papers will be mailed to local addresses, the rest distributed by other means, he said.

O’Rourke declined further comment, saying that a formal announcement with more details would be published with the first edition.

An email sent by Mashaw, obtained by ARLnow, suggests that the Gazette Leader will have much of the same local news focus and coverage area as its predecessor.

“We are excited to communicate to you about the launch of the Gazetteleader.com and two new weekly print publications that will serve Arlington, Great Falls, McLean, Tysons, Oakton and Vienna,” the email said. “You can expect hyper-local community news coverage, original reporting, the most advanced local news website in the region, easy to read and access newsletters delivered directly to your inbox, an e-edition replica of the print products and so much more.”

The Sun Gazette was the successor to the daily Northern Virginia Sun, which ceased publishing in 1998. The paper is owned — at last check — by Northern Virginia Media Services, which previously owned but then sold two publications, Leesburg Today and Ashburn Today, in 2015, and sold the website InsideNoVa.com in 2018.

There’s no word yet on what might have led to the staff departure and possible closure.

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