News
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

While many enjoyed pre-Halloween revelry this weekend, Arlington County police were kept busy with a variety of mayhem.

Several of the notable incidents happened early Saturday morning.

Just before 1 a.m., officers responded to a carjacking in Crystal City, in which a man is alleged to have forcibly stolen a car and a phone from a woman he knows.

From today’s APCD crime report:

CARJACKING, 2023-10280018, 23rd Street S. at S. Eads Street. At approximately 12:48 a.m. on October 28, police were dispatched to the report of a dispute. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim and male suspect, who are known to each other, were inside the victim’s vehicle when they became involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect stole the victim’s phone. The suspect then threatened the victim and demanded the keys to her vehicle. The suspect took possession of the keys and the victim exited the vehicle. The suspect subsequently fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. No injuries were reported. Warrants for the suspect were obtained for Carjacking and Petit Larceny.

This is at least the 17th reported carjacking in Arlington so far this year, three more than the 2022 total of 14.

About an hour later, police responded to a bar in Clarendon for a 24-year-old D.C. woman who allegedly assaulted a bouncer.

After the bouncer declined to prosecute, the still-agitated suspect is alleged to have spit on a female officer. She was then arrested on the charge of Assault on Police.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-10280034, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 1:43 a.m. on October 28, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect was acting disorderly inside an establishment and asked to leave by security personnel. The suspect refused and allegedly assaulted the security personnel. A deputy working the Nightlife detail intervened and the suspect remained combative. Responding officers detained the suspect during which, she kicked one of them. The victim did not wish to prosecute for the assault and officers banned the suspect from the property. The suspect then reapproached an officer and spat on her. [The suspect], 24, of Washington, DC, was arrested and charged with Assault on Police.

About an hour after that, a hit-and-run dispatch led to the discovery of a man suffering a serious laceration and a car chase of the suspect in both crimes.

The suspect, a 24-year-old Arlington man, was finally taken into custody in the Columbia Forest neighborhood and now faces a slew of charges.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-10280046, 600 block of S. Carlin Springs Road. At approximately 2:52 a.m. on October 28, police were dispatched to the report of a hit and run which was later determined to have occurred in Fairfax County, VA. Upon arrival, it was determined the reporting party, who is the owner of the vehicle struck in the hit and run, followed the suspect vehicle into Arlington and observed the male suspect stop in the 600 block of S. Carlin Springs Road and remove an individual from the vehicle before fleeing the area. Responding officers located the individual, an adult male, suffering from a laceration and immediately rendered aid before being transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. A lookout for the suspect vehicle was broadcast and an officer observed the vehicle traveling in the wrong direction and initiated a traffic stop. The suspect disregarded the officer’s emergency equipment and fled the area. Following a vehicle pursuit, the suspect vehicle came to a stop in the 5100 block of 10th Place S., during which the suspect exited and fled the scene on foot. Following a foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody without incident and determined to allegedly be under the influence. The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and the known suspect were in a residence in the 1000 block of S. Frederick Street when they became involved in a verbal dispute that escalated to a physical altercation during which the victim suffered the injury. [The suspect], 24, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding, Eluding, Driving Under the Influence, Obstruction of Justice and Driving Under the Influence on a Suspended License. He was held without bond.


Feature

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza

Arlington-based VerticalApps, which uses automation technologies such as artificial intelligence to streamline how federal agencies operate, will be acquired by a Vienna-based government contractor.

MindPetal, which provides IT solutions to the government, announced earlier this month that it has “entered into a definitive agreement” to acquire VerticalApps.

Effective this Wednesday, VerticalApps will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of MindPetal, per a press release. The companies say will accelerate the modernization of federal agencies through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), predictive analytics and data science.

“Our team — including our leadership and [Intelligent Automation] experts — are excited to join forces with MindPetal to help federal agencies embrace the promise of AI/ML,” VerticalApps said on LinkedIn.

Founded in 2010, the Ballston startup develops software and data management solutions and specializes in intelligent automation, which applies automation technologies to making decisions and predictions and analyzing data. It works with top agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“We are thrilled to join forces with MindPetal,”  VerticalApps Co-Founder Will Choi said in a statement. “Our partnership will allow us to expand our team, share our expertise, and help federal leaders embrace the promise of AI to build better digital experiences.”

VerticalApps acquisition banner (via VerticalApps/LinkedIn)

This next step for the company comes after receiving some prestigious local and national recognition in recent years. This year, it was recognized this year as one of several federal government contractors “doing it right” when it comes to “corporate culture, mission support and employee focus.”

In 2020, VerticalApps was named one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Washington Business Journal and Virginia Business, which ranked it third among Virginia small businesses, according to Arlington Economic Development. That year, it also landed on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., with a growth rate of 336%.

Choi and executives Michael and Paul Grace will move into MindPetal’s leadership team. Choi will become Chief Operating Officer, Paul Grace the Chief Finance Officer and Michael will serve as Senior Vice-President for Program Delivery. MindPetal COO Michael Agrillo will become president of the combined company.

“This is an exciting moment for MindPetal and for our customers,” MindPetal CEO Sony George said in a statement. “VerticalApps brings an experienced team with deep expertise and superlative past performance that will accelerate our growth and deliver immediate value to our federal customers.”

Located in Vienna, MindPetal is ranked 17th in the Government Service Sector of the Inc. 5000 and ninth in the D.C. area and 147th in the country for small businesses.


Sponsored

As a 23-year-old voter in still-segregated 1960s Virginia, Portia Haskins was convinced she had followed all the rules in order to cast a ballot in Arlington.

Election officials disagreed, saying she had failed to pay the appropriate poll tax still required in the Old Dominion, maintained in part to disenfranchise Black voters.

Haskins took the county, and state, to court. She won, with her case ultimately being folded into the landmark 1966 Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Haskins was an unusual legal combatant, committed to seeking unity.

“I’m the type of person who wants to bring everyone together,” the Halls Hill native said at a weekend presentation sponsored by the county library system and hosted by the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.

After her efforts to vote were rejected at the local level, Haskins enlisted support from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to challenge the ruling. She traveled several times to the U.S. District Court in Richmond, then watched as the case and others like it moved to the Supreme Court.

Her reaction at the final outcome? “I was so happy,” she said.

The 6-3 ruling in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections effectively outlawed requiring poll taxes for state elections in those few states, like Virginia, that retained them. The poll-tax requirement for federal elections had been eliminated with ratification of the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1964.

Lessons from the struggle are still valuable today, said Haskins, now 83.

“Everybody has to come together and fight” when they see injustice, she said. “You have to get together.”

Historical photo of Portia Haskins (via Black Heritage Museum of Arlington)

Haskins is among the Arlingtonians profiled in the “From Barriers to Ballots,” an exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Several versions of the exhibition are on display across Northern Virginia, with one at Central Library running through Nov. 4.

The Arlington Historical Society partnered on the exhibition, and was excited about the Haskins presentation, former president David Pearson said.

“She is someone we really wanted to learn about,” he said, pointing to a renewed effort to “really get out the stories of the complete history of Arlington.”

Haskins has been a member of Mount Salvation Baptist Church near the Glebewood neighborhood since 1951, and in the community she has promoted “the spirit of community and empowerment,” said Scott Taylor, president of the Black Heritage Museum.

Haskins lamented that much of the history of the civil-rights movement is being lost in the public consciousness.

“We went through a lot, but people today don’t know,” she said. Young people in particular, she said, “don’t care because they don’t know.”

Her request to today’s youth? “Let everybody know how you feel” and use the ballot box to create change.

“Voting is important. That’s what everybody really needs to do,” Haskins said.


Around Town

An indoor dog park and bar is set to officially open its doors next month in the former home of New District Brewing.

Snouts & Stouts, located at 2709 S. Oakland Street in Green Valley, has announced it will start serving dogs and their humans on Saturday, Nov. 18.

“We believe that Snouts & Stouts is [complementary] to the existing Shirlington Dog Park and gives the community one place where they can have the best of both worlds with a massive outdoor dog park, and the option of an indoor dog park & bar,” Founder and CEO Daniel Ramos said in a press release.

The opening next month is a few months behind the initial plans Ramos announced to open this August.

The 6,000 square-foot climate-controlled dog park and bar includes a beer and wine bar, snack cafe, specialized turf, dog treat shop, dog daycare, boarding and training, according to the website.

Additionally, staff — nicknamed the “Dog Patrol” — will roam the area to ensure it stays clean and that dogs are playing well and staying hydrated.

“This way you can relax and grab a drink,” the website says.

Although it is advertised as the “only indoor dog park and bar in Northern Virginia,” there is another indoor dog park and bar in Alexandria called Barkhaus.

“While others have tried to create an indoor dog park in the area, you often see that their ‘indoor’ section is reduced to a small room where not many dogs can play off-leash,” Ramos said in the release.

While humans 18 and older can enter for free, dogs need a membership or day pass. An annual membership is $365 for the first dog and $120 for each additional dog. A monthly membership option is also available at $45 for the first dog and $13 for any additional dogs. Limited-time discounts on memberships are currently available.

Day passes run at $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends. Any additional dog is an extra $5, regardless of the day.

Before entering, dog owners must show proof of up-to-date vaccinations, and dogs older than one year must be spayed or neutered. Pups younger than 16 weeks won’t be allowed.

Dog daycare and boarding are only available during the week. Below are the hours of operation, according to the website:

  • Monday – Thursday:
    • 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM Dog Daycare & Boarding
    • 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime
  • Friday:
    • 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM Dog Daycare & Boarding
    • 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime
  • Saturday:
    • 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime
  • Sunday:
    • 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Bar & Public Playtime

Before launching Snouts & Stouts, Ramos ran a marketing consulting firm and worked in data analytics, according to his LinkedIn. In the release, Ramos said he was inspired to open a dog park after becoming frustrated at the lack of indoor spaces for his dog, Cooper, to play in the area.

“I also always hate leaving my dog at home when I want to go out and get drinks with friends, so I put those two activities together and BOOM… Snouts & Stouts was born,” he said in an Instagram post in June. “This is truly a dream come true for me and I can’t wait to share my dream with the community!”


Announcement

Are you down-sizing, decluttering, or just looking for a way to let go of silver, gold, jewelry or coins? Join us June 15, 5:30-7 P.M. for this informative discussion hosted by Dick Nathan and Cody Chance of Long & Foster. Maybe you inherited jewelry that just isn’t your style. When was the last time the silverware graced the dining room table? We are going help you know what you have and share options for selling your items of value.

What if it’s not valuable? We’ll offer suggestions for donating or giving away items. Our featured guest has been in this business for more than 40 years and is eager to share his expertise. He’s also a local buyer of these items so if you’ve got things to sell, you’ll walk away with ideas, knowledge, and contact information! If you’d like to attend, please contact Dick at 703/216-7127 or dick.nathan@LNFcom.


Events
Lighten Up Arlington gives out bike lights along Columbia Pike (courtesy of Arlington County)

(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) Cyclists and runners can snag some free safety gear in Arlington later this week.

This Wednesday through Friday, BikeArlington and WalkArlington volunteers will be handing out free bicycle lights and reflective vests from 4-6 p.m.

The giveaway days and locations are:

  • Wednesday — Along the Custis Trail in Rosslyn, at the corner of N. Lynn Street and Langston Blvd near the electronic display counting bicycle trips, or “Bikeometer.”
  • Thursday — Along the Mt. Vernon Trail in Crystal City, just behind the Crystal City Water Park.
  • Friday — At the intersection of the W&OD Trail and Columbia Pike, next to the Barcroft Shopping Center.

The goal of the event — dubbed “Lighten Up, Arlington!” — is to educate the public about cyclist and runner safety and remind people that days will shorten next week due to the end of Daylight Saving Time.

“The Bike Light Giveaway started over 10 years ago… as a way to shine a light on the importance of visibility while riding and walking during the darker months,” Arlington  Dept. of Environmental Services spokesperson Claudia Pors told ARLnow.

Volunteers will be handing out about 2,000 sets of lights, which people can attach to their bicycles, shoelaces or bags, says Mary Dallao, WalkArlington and BikeArlington’s program director.

“Staying visible after dark is so important when you’re out there biking and walking, so as we turn the clocks back and it gets darker earlier in the evening, we are happy to provide these lights to help keep people safe,” Dallao said.


Announcement

Expecting? Join “Confident Countdown” & Enjoy Your Parenthood

Meet proactive moms-to-be, laugh and nurture a confident mindset as you navigate pregnancy and prepare mentally for parenthood. Master 5 “Mom Tools” to help prevent Postpartum Depression (PPD), the most common complication of pregnancy.