Army

“Arlington Idol” Competition to be Held Thursday

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools will hold its third annual televised singing competition Thursday night.

Four high school students will vie for the title of “Arlington Idol.” The finalists — as voted by their classmates — are Mary Shields of H-B Woodlawn, Danyele Greenfield of Wakefield HS, Abir Haronni of Washington-Lee HS and Kate Mountain of Yorktown HS. They will be joined on stage by the U.S. Army Band “Downrange,” the pop/rock contingent of the military’s music corps, who have assisted with the competition since its inception.

Four runners-up from each county high school will perform as the band’s back-up singers this year. The runners-up are: Kyra Klontz of H-B Woodlawn, Tigist Worku of Wakefield HS, Mallory McKenzie of Washington-Lee HS and Rachel Gromberg of Yorktown HS.

The show will start at 7:30 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School (200 S. Carlin Springs Road). Admission is free and open to the public, but Arlington residents can also watch a live broadcast on Comcast channel 72 and vote for their favorite vocalists via text message.

The 2009 Arlington Idol winner was Sophia Delmar of Washington-Lee. See a video of the 2009 winner’s performance after the jump.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ballston Sweetgreen Opens Today — Ballston’s new froyo and salad destination is expected to open its doors today. Sweetgreen, located at 4075 Wilson Blvd, will give away free reusable salad bowls to the first 200 people who order a salad. More from We Love DC.

Arlington Couple Pledges $1 Million to Army Museum — An Arlington couple has become the first individual million dollar donors to the planned National Museum of the United States Army. Preston and Jeanne Caruthers say they’re proud to support the Army and honor its commitment to our country. More from the Sun Gazette.

You Better Watch Out, Ballston — “The enormous Christmas tree is now erect in the food court of the Ballston Common Mall,” reports Patch.

Man Arrested in Arlington Was Former Top Army Soldier

By ARLnow.com

A man who investigators say purposely struck a person with his car in Pentagon City last week was formerly the top enlisted member of the U.S. Army.

Police say Manassas resident Gene C. McKinney, 59, had picked up commuters from a slug line and was driving north toward Washington when the commuters demanded to be let out of the car because, they claimed, McKinney was driving fast and erratically.

After McKinney let them out on the 1100 block of South Eads Street, one man took out a camera and tried to snap a photo of McKinney’s license plate. That’s when McKinney hit the gas and struck the man with his car, according to police. He was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding.

McKinney, who’s now out on bond, was the 10th Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army, serving from 1995 to 1997. As the top non-commissioned member of the Army, McKinney was responsible for advising the chief of staff and acting as a liaison between soldiers and Army leadership. He was the first and remains the only African American to hold the post.

McKinney’s tenure as Sergeant Major was marred by numerous accusations of sexual harassment, although he was eventually acquitted of all harassment charges.

McKinney faces a preliminary hearing on December 6.

Board Recognizes Yorktown Grad Killed in Iraq

By ARLnow.com

A moment of silence was observed in the Arlington County board room yesterday in recognition of a fallen native son.

Capt. Michael Cassidy, a married father of two young girls, died last month in Mosul, Iraq. Cassidy, 41, was on his second tour of duty. He served the Army as a medic and a physician’s assistant.

“By all accounts he was a sweet and sensitive soul who demonstrated unbelievable and serious determination in his quest to serve his fellow veterans,” Board Chairman Jay Fisette said.

Cassidy was born in Wheaton but attended Yorktown High School, where he played in the both the band and the orchestra. He was the co-valedictorian of his graduating class of 1986, according to the Washington Post.

His parents, Henry and Susan, still live in Arlington.

Cassidy, who was assigned to Fort Stewart in Georgia, died in a non-combat related incident, according to the Department of Defense.

Photo via WSPA-TV.