A man was seriously injured after a hammer and knife attack in the Lyon Village neighborhood yesterday.
The Tuesday evening incident happened on the 1700 block of N. Calvert Street, a few blocks from Lyon Village Park, and involved two men who knew each other, police said.
Officers were not made aware of the attack until later that night, after the victim was treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.
More from ACPD:
MALICIOUS WOUNDING (late), 2023-10170254, 1700 block of N. Calvert Street. At approximately 9:22 p.m. on October 17, police were dispatched to INOVA Fairfax Hospital for the late report of an assault that occurred in Arlington County. The preliminary investigation indicates at approximately 4:50 p.m., the male victim and male suspect, who are known to each other, became engaged in a verbal dispute during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a hammer. A witness separated the victim and suspect and a short time later, the suspect reapproached the victim, brandished a knife and struck the victim, causing a laceration. The suspect left the scene and the victim self-reported to the hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Next month, Arlington Public Schools is set to roll out a new, electronic campus management platform at a number of middle and high schools.
The goal is to improve building security and provide better oversight of students as they come and go from classrooms.
Kenmore, Dorothy Hamm, Gunston and Thomas Jefferson middle schools, as well as Wakefield, Washington-Liberty and Yorktown high schools, will adopt the app and web-based platform Minga, says APS spokesman Frank Bellavia.
The platform provides hall passes and monitors students coming in and going out of buildings to ensure that only students are in the school, Bellavia said. Schools can limit the number of students in the halls at one time and limit the number of passes per student, per day.
This comes as APS has separately upped its budget for safety and security measures, including school safety coordinators, security cameras and other technological upgrades pertaining to safety. That comes amid reports of student drug use, for which some teachers say skipping class is partly to blame, and nearly a dozen juvenile overdoses in Arlington this year.
Students can download Minga to their smartphone or use it on their laptop or tablet. The platform issues digital IDs with scannable barcodes and digital passes, which would replace physical ID cards and paper passes.
Wakefield High School Principal Peter Balas imported Minga this year from his days leading Alexandria City High School, which has had issues around violence inside and outside of the school.
“I see it as a tool to help me get better safety and security and to help things run more safely and smoothly,” he said. “My experience is that it has been… well-accepted by staff.”
Kenmore piloted an e-pass system last year and, when Balas arrived in Arlington, principals were discussing whether to adopt such a system. That is when he suggested Minga.
Minga notifies teachers of students who are out of class and can ensure certain students are not in the hallways at the same time — if they tend to break school rules when together. It tracks trends over time, such as overall time spent out of class and passes issued or students who spent the most time not in class and where they went.
Balas would like to see students scan their IDs to enter school buildings, too, so staff know who is in the building before they take attendance. He said it also can help staff track down and follow-up with students who arrive at school but ditch class or leave mid-day.
“[But] for me, one of the most important things, from safety standpoint, is that it basically would prevent anyone who doesn’t go to school from trying to get in,” Balas said.
Earlier this year, Wakefield was placed in lockdown after reports of a trespasser, possibly armed with a gun, and a threat against a student.
“Almost every period, we have comings and goings in the school,” he continued. “It will also help us keep track of all that movement and make sure access is secure and legitimate.”
When asked how this might interfere with building-level “Away for the Day” policies — in which phones are required to be off and stored during school hours — Bellavia said students can request passes from their tablets or laptops.
Balas says he does not think this will interfere with Wakefield’s mobile phone policy.
Administrators and security staff are in the first wave of training on the new system and teachers will soon follow.
“I was purposeful not wanting to inundate [teachers] when we aren’t ready to launch yet,” Balas said. “I’m hoping in the next month or so to have it fully up and running but it is something where I have to take the temperature of everyone and make sure it doesn’t overwhelm people.”
Minga will cost around $50,000 to roll out, Bellavia said.
Address:1404 N Herndon Street Neighborhood: Lyon Village Type: 4 BR, 4 (+1 half) BA single-family detached – 3991 sq. ft. Listed: $2,575,000
Noteworthy: Stunning Lyon Village Modern Masterpiece.
Stunning modern masterpiece designed and renovated in 2016 by acclaimed Moser Architects, seamlessly blending cutting-edge design with refined comfort. Nestled in sought-after Lyon Village, this home offers a light-filled, open layout that exudes sophistication and warmth. Every detail reflects the vision of the current owner, a talented interior designer who curated the interiors with an elevated sense of style. Upon entry, soaring ceilings, white oak flooring, and Italian lighting by Artemide set the tone for contemporary elegance. The striking dining room features Schumacher wallpaper, custom cabinetry, and Scandinavian lighting by Louis Poulsen, while a stylish home office with built-ins complements the design. Along the hall, a custom mural by NYC’s Calico Wallpaper leads to the mudroom and powder room, accented by Kelly Wearstler Visual Comfort lighting and Scalamandre wallcoverings. The open-concept living area, wrapped in walls of windows, centers around state-of-the-art kitchen by Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens with Canadian Elmwood cabinetry, Dekton countertops, walk-in pantry, butler’s pantry with beverage center, and custom banquette upholstered in Christopher Farr Cloth. Upstairs, the primary suite includes two custom-designed walk-in closets and a luxurious spa-inspired bath with an oversized shower and bench seating. Three additional bedrooms, two full baths—one showcasing a Scandinavian light fixture by &Tradition—and a convenient laundry room complete the upper level. The lower level includes a recreation room with 9-foot ceilings, guest suite, full bath, second laundry, and garage access. Outside, professional landscaping and a private flagstone patio provide a serene retreat just two blocks from Clarendon Metro, shops, and dining.
A partially vacant office building in Courthouse in December 2022 (via Google Maps)
(Updated at 12 p.m. on 10/19/23) County leaders say Arlington is facing a grim future due to its rising office vacancy rate, which now stands at 21.5%.
Arlington is leading the region with its vacancy rate, which works out to 9 million square feet of empty space, according to Arlington Economic Development Director Ryan Touhill. He predicts the vacancy rate will continue climbing, as AED has determined about one-quarter of office buildings are at risk of sustained vacancies.
These conditions are set to have serious impacts on Arlington County’s future budgets, with County Board members and County Manager Mark Schwartz already predicting belt-tightening this budget cycle.
That follows several zoning changes made in the last 12 months — on a compressed community engagement timeline — to get emerging businesses into older office buildings by allowing them to operate without seeking special permissions. This includes micro-fulfillment centers, urban farms, breweries, dog boarding facilities, pickleball courts and podcast studios.
Board Chair Christian Dorsey said Arlington is facing a different challenge than it has before.
“This is a little bit different than some of the elevated rates of vacancy that we’ve experienced in the past,” Dorsey said last week.
During the Base Realignment and Closure process, for instance, the office vacancy rate peaked at 20.1% in 2015 after major Department of Defense offices decamped from the county, per the Economic Development Commission.
Arlington managed to bounce back by landing deals with Nestle, Boeing and RTX — formerly Raytheon — Amazon and Microsoft, Dorsey said.
“But this is a little bit different because this is in the midst of a paradigm shift in the commercial market,” he said, pointing to the impacts of remote work. “And then, of course, there’s a market which is in turmoil, with incredibly low valuations and commercial space, which impacts lending and trading.”
Rising office vacancy rate (via Arlington County)
With a potentially protracted dip in tax revenue from commercial properties in Arlington, residents will have to pay more for essential services, Touhill said.
“Historically, we’ve had that 50-50 split between our commercial and residential tax base,” he said. “But in recent years, we’ve seen that increase to more of a 55-45 split. And this means that our residents are carrying more of the burden to fund our essential services.”
To weather this storm, the economic development commission, AED and the Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development (CPHD) intend to streamline onerous county processes and tackle restrictive ordinances.
‘Work flows’ in the second stage of the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative (via Arlington County)
One under scrutiny will be the major and minor site plan amendment process, which developers and property owners go through to repurpose or renovate large, existing development projects.
“The site plan process’s length and variability are amongst the biggest impediments to redevelopment,” says the commission, which calls for an expedited process for these types of projects. “As these buildings already exist, all that will change is the building’s use.”
Join us in celebrating the 35th Festival Argentino, an annual day-long festival celebrating the culture of Argentina & Latin-America through Music, Food, Exhibitors and Culture in Arlington. The Festival Argentino 2022 is presented under the auspices of the Embassy of Argentina in Washington and funded in part by the Arlington Cultural Affairs Division of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Commission for the Arts. The fest has been declared an event of Cultural Interest by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Argentina.
N. Highland Street in Clarendon (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Teens Missing in Arlington — From the Arlington County Police Department: “MISSING: Anne Arundel County Police are seeking the public’s assistance locating missing juveniles who may be in Arlington County. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 410-222-4731.” [Facebook]
APS Tackles Bathroom Vaping — “Some of Arlington’s secondary schools may see vape-detection equipment placed in bathrooms to address ongoing use of nicotine and THC oil by students. ‘Bathrooms are a trouble area – other students feel unsafe,’ School Board member Mary Kadera said during a recent School Board meeting.” [Gazette Leader]
School Board Chair Wants Drug Data — “Arlington parents and the broader community might at some point in the future be able to see how the county’s various schools compare in terms of drug use and abuse. After quiet prodding apparently didn’t get the response she wanted, School Board Chairman Christina Diaz-Torres on Oct. 12 went public in her call for the school system to provide more specific information on drug cases at local schools.” [Gazette Leader]
Today: Dog Film Fest — “Join the Animal Welfare League of Arlington at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse for a special screening of the 2023 New York Dog Film Festival… Doors open at 6 PM.” [Event Calendar]
Are You Missing a Pigeon? — From the Animal Welfare League of Arlington: “Do you recognize these animals? A0054604332 – neutered male gray and white cat found on 10/16. A0054608585 – female brown dog found found on 10.17. 0054536387 – rock pigeon found on 10.5. Thank you for helping us reunite these pets with their families!” [Twitter]
Design Award Submissions Open — “Arlington County’s design awards program, DESIGNArlington, is now accepting submissions for architectural, historic preservation, landscape and public art projects. Submissions will be accepted through December 7, 2023.” [Arlington County]
Another DCA Gun Arrest — “Police arrested a Bethesda, Maryland, man on Monday after he was stopped by security officers with a loaded handgun at a checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The .40 caliber gun was loaded with 13 bullets and was packed in the man’s carry-on bag, the TSA said. It was the 30th gun that TSA officers at the airport have detected at one of the checkpoints, which ties the record at Reagan National Airport set in 2021.” [Patch]
Bottomless Brunch Horror Story — “The birthday cake was the first bad sign. Bringing your own food technically wasn’t allowed at the Arlington restaurant where Lorraine McNamara was working the bottomless-brunch shift, but she let it slide. She was already serving the entire patio by herself. Plus, the kitchen was backed up. The birthday group was pounding mimosas on empty stomachs.” [Washingtonian]
It’s Wednesday — Mostly sunny today with a high temperature near 65 degrees. For Wednesday night, expect partly cloudy skies and a low around 49 degrees. [Weather.gov]
Is home ownership a goal of yours in 2022? Now is the time to make it happen! Grab a (virtual) drink with the area’s top Real Estate experts, learn all about the home buying process and on how you can get $1,500 towards your closing costs immediately!
Did you know the average Arlington renter will spend $150K in 5 years of renting? Stop paying down someone else’s mortgage! Join us for a Rent vs. Buy Happy Hour on Wednesday, April 6 at 6 p.m. via Zoom.
