News

ACPD: Teen arrested after fleeing traffic stop for reckless driving

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 2 p.m.) An Arlington teen of the same name as an 18-year-old convicted in a recent high-profile case has been arrested after allegedly fleeing from police.

Arlington County police say Kenan Owens, 18, was arrested Wednesday in Chesterfield County — near Richmond — on warrants for reckless driving and eluding.

The charges stem from an incident early Tuesday morning in which, according to police, an officer tried to pull over a vehicle seen driving well over the speed limit near the Columbia Pike and Washington Blvd ramps.

The driver allegedly fled the traffic stop and abandoned the car a few blocks away, in the Arlington View neighborhood.

More from ACPD:

RECKLESS DRIVING, 2023-09190035, Washington Boulevard at Columbia Pike. At approximately 6:10 a.m. on September 19, an officer initiated a traffic stop for reckless driving after observing the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed over the posted speed limit. The driver disregarded the officer’s emergency equipment and fled the area. The officer last observed the vehicle turning from Columbia Pike and subsequently located the abandoned vehicle in the 1400 block of S. Rolfe Street. After further investigation, officers determined the identity of the driver and obtained warrants for Kenan Owens, 18, of Arlington, VA for Reckless Driving and Eluding. He was located and taken into custody in Chesterfield County, VA on September 20.

Earlier this year, an 18-year-old Arlington resident named Kenan Owens was arrested by a SWAT team after triggering a lockdown at Wakefield High School. Police said at the time that he “was known to carry a firearm” and “had an ongoing dispute with” a student at the school.

Owens was charged with trespassing, stalking, having a loaded gun around children, altering a gun’s serial number and conspiring to distribute marijuana.

All but the trespassing and one of four gun charges was dropped. In June he was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months on both charges, with the entire sentence suspended on the gun charge and all but two months suspended on the trespassing charge, according to court records.

Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage was unable to confirm to ARLnow whether the 18-year-old Kenan Owens arrested this week was the same Kenan Owens — who will turn 19 in December — charged in the high-profile Wakefield incident. State law prevents the department from revealing details of a suspect’s prior criminal history in that manner, Savage said.

The charges from this week are not yet visible in the state court records system and Owens is not expected to be booked into Arlington’s jail, Savage said, after being released on a court summons in Chesterfield County.

News

Amid shutdown fears, Rep. Don Beyer emotional letters from government workers

By James Jarvis
U.S. Capitol (photo by Hallie LeTendre)

Amid fears of a government shutdown, Rep. Don Beyer (D) is urging colleagues to remember the federal workers who would lose their paychecks if no spending plan is passed.

Yesterday, House Republicans recessed for a week after failing to pass a bill to stave off a shutdown. That could happen if lawmakers on Capitol Hill do not reach a deal before the federal government runs out of money next Saturday, Sept. 30 at midnight.

If that happens, essential workers — including military personnel, federal law enforcement and air traffic controllers — would continue working, possibly without pay.

Some 2.2 million permanent, civilian, non-postal employees could also miss their paychecks, Beyer said in a statement Wednesday. This includes more than 140,000 in Virginia, according to federal workforce data.

The last time this happened, in 2018, Beyer received letters from Virginia federal workers describing how they and their families were hurt by lost wages and benefits. He shared snippets of these letters this week.

“I am a single mother to three small children. My ability to provide for my children stops the moment the government goes into shutdown,” wrote one constituent in a 2018.

Another federal worker underscored the uncertainty a shutdown causes.

“It is the undefined length of this shutdown, the not knowing, that is the worst part,” the letter said. “Nevertheless, we continue to go to work each day without pay and without knowing what the future holds.”

Millions of government contractors also stand to lose their pay and benefits. Beyer shared a 2019 letter describing the lengths to which one owner of a small federal contracting business went to keep paying staff.

“I have expended out available cash and have taken loans against my home to keep paying our employees,” wrote the business owner and disabled veteran. “I am now at a decision point. Do I borrow more money, or do I lay off my hardworking employees?”

Unlike federal employees, contractors are not guaranteed back pay from missed wages. Around 10,000 companies with government contracts were affected by the 2018-19 shutdown, the Washington Post reported.

With the funding deadline looming, Beyer says his colleagues should remember these 2018 shutdown testimonies and consider most Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

“Many are caught up in palace intrigue and legislative drama right now, but I urge my colleagues to remember that there are a lot of real people out there who will be hurt if there is a government shutdown,” he said. “These letters and emails show how shutdowns are a disaster for my constituents, our region, and millions of Americans across the country.”

The shutdown may also affect everyday Americans who do not rely on a paycheck from the federal government, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D) says.

Kaine emphasized in a press release that the 2018 shutdown led to delays in everything from flights to tax refunds and mortgage approvals due to the absence of thousands of furloughed employees, including air traffic controllers and IRS agents.

“While I will continue working with my colleagues to prevent a shutdown, we should never be in this position to begin with,” Kaine said.

Earlier this month Kaine and Beyer introduced the End Shutdowns Act, which would have initiated an automatic continuing resolution on Oct. 1 if no appropriations bill was passed by that time. Additionally, the will would have”stop[ped] the Senate from moving forward with any other legislation, outside of an emergency scenario, until Congress reached an agreement on a long-term spending deal.”

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By Sponsor

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News

Glebe Road ditch eroded by major water main break set for repairs

By ARLnow.com
1/4

A severely eroded ditch along N. Glebe Road near Chain Bridge is set for some restoration work.

The Arlington County Board this weekend is expected to approve a contract of up to $1.2 million. At least part of that will be reimbursed by VDOT, which maintains the road.

The work follows a major water main break in November 2019, which damaged both the road and the roadside ditch.

More from a county staff report:

This project includes the restoration of the existing ditch located along the south side of North Glebe Road (Route 120) that was severely eroded following the 36” transmission water main break in November 2019. Arlington County Department of Environmental Services (DES,) Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the National Park Service (NPS) have partnered to implement this improvement and restoration project. The restoration includes 500 feet of the ditch downstream of the water main break and stabilization improvements for 1,000 feet of the ditch upstream of the break to be improved with Class II riprap, as well as new guardrail installation to replace a previous guardrail and temporary jersey wall and restoration of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, which crosses this ditch in the downstream segment underneath George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The work also includes tree removal and planting/seeding, erosion and sediment control, and all other related incidental work described and required in the contract documents. Most of the work is planned to be performed at night utilizing an overnight road closure of North Glebe Road as outlined in the VDOT approved Temporary Traffic Control Plan. VDOT is reimbursing the County for the construction costs of the improvements located upstream of the water main break.

The report goes on to note that the county hired a consultant, Wetland Studies and Solutions Inc., to develop the repair plan.

Additionally, the report says the accepted bid — from Fairfax-based Bright Construction Group — is 13% higher than an engineer’s estimate, likely owing to complications caused by the rugged terrain and the work area being on both National Park Service and VDOT property.

…it is believed that the bidders perceived more risk and challenges in these bid items, which we consider fair given the unique challenges of this project area, where the contractor will be working on an actively flowing stream channel on NPS Lands, as well as within the narrow shoulder of a two-lane undivided VDOT-owned arterial roadway, North Glebe Road (US Route 120), that carries approximately 11,000 vehicles per day. For the work on Federal Lands and in VDOT right-of-way, the contractor will have to comply with restrictive NPS and VDOT permit requirements and perform all restoration as per each agency’s specifications.

The Board is scheduled to vote on the contract during its meeting this Saturday.

Announcement

Weekend Oil and Painting Workshops at Art House 7

By Art House 7

Art House 7 has weekend workshops for oil and watercolor painters in November and January — all levels are welcome. Teresa Oaxaca (pictured above as she paints) is a master artist whose works can be seen in collections and galleries throughout the U.S. and internationally.

On November 6 and 7, Teresa will be teaching students to paint a still-life theme of an outdoor banquet. Michael Holter, teaching January 7, 8 and 9, is also an award-winning artist. His workshop will focus on creating impressionist landscapes and cityscapes with watercolors. Don’t miss these special events!

Go to Weekend Oil and Painting Workshops at Art House 7 Read more
News

Tropical storm to bring heavy rain and wind to Arlington this weekend

By ARLnow.com
Expected tropical storm track (via National Weather Service)

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) Enjoy the dry weather while it lasts — Saturday is set to be exceptionally wet and windy.

Tropical Storm Ophelia is brewing off the southeast U.S. and is set to make its way up the coast and right over the D.C. area. It will bring with it heavy rain and strong winds.

The rain is expected to start late tonight but the storm will be at its peak Saturday afternoon and evening.

Here in Arlington, flooding along the coastline is expected Saturday, and local streams may also top their banks due to several inches of rain.

“Widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected, with localized amounts up to 5 inches possible,” the National Weather Service said in an advisory today. “This may result in isolated instances of flooding, especially for low lying and flood prone areas. The heaviest rain is most likely to occur Saturday into Saturday night.”

Those planning to attend outdoor events this weekend should keep an eye on the weather and monitor for possible cancellations.

The wind, meanwhile, could cause some power outage.

Expected tropical storm force winds (via National Weather Service)

NWS issued a Wind Advisory this afternoon for Arlington and other parts of the area, starting Saturday.

…WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY…

* WHAT…Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. Gusts up to 50 mph are likely along the immediate shore of the Chesapeake Bay and Tidal Potomac.

* WHERE…Portions of central, northeast and southern Maryland, The District of Columbia and central and northern Virginia.

* WHEN…From 8 AM to 8 PM EDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS…Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The combination of a long period of gusty winds and increasingly saturated grounds from rain will result in a higher likelihood for downed trees across the area.

NWS also previously issued Coastal Flood watches and advisories.

District of Columbia-Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria-
850 AM EDT Fri Sep 22 2023

…COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 AM EDT SATURDAY…
…COASTAL FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT…

* WHAT…For the Coastal Flood Advisory, up to one half foot of inundation above ground level expected in low lying areas due to tidal flooding. For the Coastal Flood Watch, up to one foot of inundation above ground level possible in low lying areas due to tidal flooding.

* WHERE…Shoreline in the District of Columbia, Arlington County, and the City of Alexandria.

* WHEN…For the Coastal Flood Advisory, from midnight tonight to 6 AM EDT Saturday, especially around the time of high tide. For the Coastal Flood Watch, from Saturday morning through late Saturday night, especially around the time of high tide.

* IMPACTS…Shoreline inundation is expected along portions of the seawall adjacent to Ohio Drive and the Hains Point Loop Road and near the Tidal Basin. Water is expected to approach the curb near the intersection of King Street and Strand Street in Alexandria.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Tides one and a half to two feet above normal. The next high tide at Alexandria is at 1:59 PM and 2:19 AM. The next high tide at Washington Channel is at 1:41 PM and 2:01 AM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

If travel is required, allow extra time as some roads may be closed. Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth. Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property.

While areas to the east are expected to see more significant impacts, local chapters of the American Red Cross said this morning that they’re gearing up for a disaster response.

More, below, via a press release.

(more…)

Announcement

Second Saturday Online Divorce Workshop — Register Now!

By Argent Bridge Advisors

Second Saturday Divorce workshops are designed to equip you with the legal, financial and emotional resources you need to make the right decision for your marriage and your life. This is a supportive and understanding space focused on encouraging peaceful, empowered decisions about divorce — from the comfort of your home or office.

At a Second Saturday Workshop, you’ll hear from local divorce professionals including family law attorneys, financial advisors, therapists, and more who will offer professional, unbiased support, prudent information, and assist with your questions and concerns regarding the divorce process. All Second Saturday workshops value privacy and we will never release personal information or specifically identify any registrants or attendees.

Go to Second Saturday Online Divorce Workshop — Register Now! Read more
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