News
Pedestrians crossing in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Fox 5 Visits Shirlington — Fox 5 took a “Zip Trip” to the Shirlington neighborhood and highlighted a number of local things, including the Arlington Soccer Association and Osteria da Nino restaurant. [Fox 5, Fox 5]

Motorcycle Crash on Camera — From Dave Statter: “#motorcycle down yesterday morning in I-395N express lanes Eads Street exit at the Pentagon. Looks like a lot of people helped. @VSPPIO & @ArlingtonVaFD handled.” [Twitter]

Toxic Worm in Arlington — “The hammerhead worm immediately stops you in your tracks. The striped flatworm slithers like a snake and resembles a piece of whole-wheat spaghetti, led by its mushroom-shaped head. And it also secretes tetrodotoxin, the same debilitating neurotoxin found in puffer fish… According to the iNaturalist app, Arlington has 43 instances of the worms, D.C. has 16, Virginia has 248 and Maryland has 91 over the past 15 years.” [Washington Post]

Teen Baseball Team Wins State Tourney — “Their strategy went as planned for the Arlington Senior Babe Ruth age 13 all-stars. And by sticking to that approach, the squad won the recent District 6 baseball tournament with a 2-0 record, then captured the state-tourney crown with a 4-0 mark. Arlington defeated Vienna in both district games, 11-1 in the first, then 6-1 in the title contest.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Monday — There is a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, with patchy fog clearing by 10am. Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of around 84°F, along with light south winds shifting to southeast in the morning. Rainfall may accumulate between a quarter and half an inch. Monday night brings a 30% chance of showers before 8pm, with patchy fog reappearing after 4am. Skies will transition from mostly clear to mostly cloudy, and the low will be around 69°F. Southeast winds will die down in the evening. [Weather.gov]


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

Update on 7/24/23 — A suspect has been arrested in the case, Arlington County police say.

Earlier: Arlington County police are investigating a sexual assault and slashing in Crystal City last night.

Police and medics were dispatched to the 1900 block of Richmond Highway on Saturday just before 8:30 p.m., for a report of a woman who was slashed with a box cutter and robbed of her phone. Later it was reported that she was also sexually assaulted.

A source told ARLnow that the attack happened in an underground portion of Crystal City’s network of shops and tunnels.

This is at least the second sexual assault in Arlington this week. On Monday night a man was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a woman in the Courthouse Metro station.

Arlington County police issued the following press release about Saturday’s sexual assault early Sunday afternoon, confirming some of the details in our earlier reporting.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a sexual assault and robbery which occurred in the 1900 block of S. Bell Street on the evening of July 22.

At approximately 8:24 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of an assault with a weapon. The preliminary investigation indicates the female victim was walking in the Crystal City Shops when the male suspect approached, produced a box cutter, demanded money and stole her cell phone. The suspect then took the victim to a secluded area where he sexually assaulted her and struck her with the box cutter, resulting in a laceration. The victim was able to exit the area and seek assistance from individuals in the 1900 block of Richmond Highway who contacted emergency services. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment of physical injuries considered non-life threatening.

Responding officers established a perimeter and canvassed the area for the suspect which concluded with negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male in his mid-20’s with dark hair and a beard. He was wearing a gray t-shirt, black shorts with gray leggings underneath and carrying a green duffle bag.

This remains an active criminal investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Detective Maldonado at 703-228-4194 or [email protected].  Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.


News

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Around Town

After a multi-year hiatus, ARLnow’s podcast is returning this fall. Our first test episode recording turned out pretty well, so we decided to let you listen to it.

It starts with a discussion of some local news of the week, then transitions to a discussion about local news reporting and journalism as a career. The episode features ARLnow founder Scott Brodbeck, reporter/editor Jo DeVoe, incoming reporter/editor James Jarvis, and Peter Berlizov, a local high school student who showed up for a tour of our office and got roped into interviewing ARLnow’s staff for the podcast.

Let us know what you think of this format in the comments.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SpotifyStitcher or TuneIn.


Obituary

Douglas Louis Rowan (Age 70)
Memorial service info

‘Birds sing out of tune and rain clouds hide the moon.’

Douglas “Doug” Louis Rowan, passed away suddenly on July 15, 2023, while visiting family on the New Jersey shore. Doug was born in Washington, D.C on January 26, 1953, to Edward and Nancy Rowan who preceded him in death.

Doug grew up in Arlington, VA and attended Ashlawn Elementary, Kenmore Junior and Washington and Lee High schools. He graduated from the College of William and Mary with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned a Master’s degree in Education. He then returned to Arlington where he began teaching social studies to high school students with special needs for the Fairfax County Public Schools.

As a boy, outside of school, Doug was either riding his bike, listening to music, swimming at Powhatan Springs pool or playing tennis. He went on to play varsity tennis in high school. Behind his easy-going demeanor Doug was a fierce competitor on the court. In his fifties he contracted a partially disabling disease that ended his tennis playing, but not his swimming which he did just about every day. Doug loved music, the beach, watching the sunset, biking, old movies, Bon Air rose garden, seeing fireworks, going to see the cherry blossoms and reading the newspapers he called a history book.

Doug was a great conversationalist and could regale friends or strangers for hours. His relentless off-the-wall sense of humor would leave people laughing so hard they could hardly breathe. With his magnetic personality he made friends easily and with his true-blue loyalty he cultivated lifelong friendships. He made the lives of people he met along life’s journey better for having met him. He played the guitar and somehow managed to win free concert tickets from radio contests knowing the lyrics to all genres. Like many, Doug had his challenges. He spent months beating stage four cancer, but you’d never know it. Doug was always optimistic and living in the brighter side of life.

Doug is survived by his life partner Kathy Burke McKeon, brother George Rowan, M.D., sister in-law Kathy Rowan, sister, Nancy Milam, nephews Thomas Rowan and Doug Milam, his extended family, Jim, Mary Jean, Katie, Patrick and Amanda Burke, and numerous friends.

Doug was a passionate liberal and proud union member (AFT) and the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, a proud member of Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, and a proud lifelong Arlingtonian. He enjoyed traveling the world with Kathy—and winter visits to Florida to swim. Doug will be sorely and greatly missed by everyone who was lucky enough to call him friend.

Funeral Arrangements by Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 22203

Visitation: Sunday, July 23, 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM

Celebration of Life: Westover Baptist Church Monday, July 24, 11-12 PM

Burial: National Memorial Park Monday, July 24, 1-2 PM

Submitted by Murphy Funeral Home Arlington