Falls Church

Falls Church Seeks Info on Larceny Suspect

By ARLnow.com

Falls Church larceny suspect (courtesy City of Falls Church PD)The City of Falls Church Police Department is seeking information about the suspect in a larceny that took place near the border with Arlington.

Falls Church police say the man in the surveillance images (left) stole more than $2,000 from a “money transfer store” on the 6000 block of Wilson Boulevard.

“At approximately 3:28 p.m. on Friday, January 4, an unknown male entered a store unnoticed and removed $2,324 cash from a locked drawer behind a counter,” police said. “He appeared to leave in a black Ford Fusion.”

Anyone with information about is asked to contact Detective J.M. Elliott at 703-248-5068 or [email protected].

Photo courtesy City of Falls Church Police Department

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

FCVFD Donating Ambulance to Sandy-Stricken Community — The Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department is donating its reserve ambulance to the community of Island Park, New York, which was hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy. Today, volunteer firefighters will be driving the 2002 Freightliner ambulance up to Island Park, where it will replace an ambulance lost by the Island Park Volunteer Fire Department during the storm.

County Kicks Off Rosslyn Planning Process — Arlington County has begun an effort to create a comprehensive new long-range plan for Rosslyn. Dubbed “Realize Rosslyn,” the plan will seek to “transform this 1960s car-centric area to one of our region’s great urban centers.” Through a civic engagement process, the county will create “an enhanced urban design framework,” refine and improve transportation options, recommend a new “building heights strategy” and develop “a more cohesive, functional parks and open space network.” [Arlington County]

Officials: No Plan to Sell Reeves Farm — County officials say there’s no plan to sell the historic Reeves farm, despite reports on WAMU and in the Arlington Connection newspaper suggesting it might be heading to the auction block. “The board is not interested in selling the farmhouse at this point in time,” said County Board Chair Mary Hynes. [Sun Gazette]

Board Updates Special Events Policy — The Arlington County Board on Saturday voted unanimously to update the county’s special events and demonstrations policy. The new policy “encourages such events while ensuring that the County recovers its support costs,” the county said. [Arlington County]

Arlington Dog Daycare Moving To Falls Church

By Aaron Kraut

Dog Paws ‘n Cat Claws dog daycare (940 S. George Mason Drive) is moving out of Arlington.

The move, to a bigger space at 5818 Seminary Road in Falls Church, will allow the five-year-old business to serve as a dedicated pet adoption center, says owner Ryan Folcher.

The current space, just off of Columbia Pike, allows only for standalone pet adoption events, said Folcher, who also cited concerns about Arlington County’s move away from the type of light industrial zoning his business uses.

“We want to kind of reconstruct the building. But I don’t have the money or time to do that and risk that Arlington just says, ‘No, we’re not going to approve it,'” Folcher said. “The only thing that is zoned for Arlington is high-rise apartments and condos. I was interested in staying but my business model really can’t adopt. Financially, I just need to let the business evolve and that’s not where it’s going to happen.”

Daycare manager Lisa Niel said the current space holds between 50 and 60 dogs a day. Folcher and another employee showed off the new 7,400-square-foot daycare and retail store to clients in an open house on Sunday.

“We’ve already heard feedback from clients dropping off dogs that they love the new space,” Niel said. “We think it will broaden our client base into Alexandria, Bailey’s Crossroads and Fairfax.”

Folcher also cited Arlington County signage restrictions as an issue. Last year, the county told him he could not post temporary signage advertising holiday sales.

He hopes to have the new location ready to open by late August.

Two Dead After Eden Center Shooting

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5:40 a.m.) Falls Church police are investigating a shooting at the Eden Center.

We’re told the shooting happened around 10:00 p.m. According to Falls Church police spokeswoman Susan Finarelli, one male was shot and was pronounced dead on the scene. Another male died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Eden Center is located at 6751 Wilson Boulevard.

Bomb Squad Investigates Suspicious Device

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) The Arlington County bomb squad has packed up and left the scene near Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church, where earlier they were investigating a potentially explosive device.

Crews had been assisting police and fire units from Falls Church, after a resident called about a suspicious device this morning. According to City of Falls Church Communications Director Susan Finarelli, the resident had been digging in his yard in the 200 block of N. Virginia Ave., when he found a potentially hazardous device. Arlington’s bomb squad was called in to assist.

The item in question was found to be an antique military device, and was deemed safe. The military will dispose of the item.

“Nobody was hurt, and now with the bomb squad here, nobody should be hurt,” Finarelli said earlier.

The park and streets around Cherry Hill Park were closed down for more than two hours during the investigation, and several homes were also evacuated. Everything in the area has been re-opened.

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TRAFFIC ALERT — Flooding Slows Evening Commute

By ARLnow.com

Update at 7:45 p.m. — Adding to the misery on the roads: more than 2,600 Dominion customers are without power in Arlington. Many of the outages are concentrated in the area of Route 50 and Carlin Springs Road. Several traffic lights are reported to be dark as a result.

Thanks to today’s heavy rain, and the resulting flooding in Alexandria, Fairfax County and the City of Falls Church, tonight’s commute can only be described as nightmarish.

Southbound I-395, westbound I-66 and westbound Columbia Pike are all still slow through Arlington, as of 7:00 tonight. Meanwhile, WTOP just reported that the Capital Beltway has been closed at Cameron Run in Alexandria, due to flooding across the roadway.

Due to the continued threat of flooding, local residents are being encouraged to stay off the roads if at all possible.

Bank Robbery Reported in Falls Church

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Police have been told to be on the lookout for a man who just robbed a bank in Falls Church.

The man reportedly robbed the Sun Trust bank at 603 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. According to initial reports, he displayed a large handgun and demanded money, then made a getaway on a red bicycle.

The man is described as a six-foot tall black male — which does not fit the description of the man who robbed a Wachovia bank in Clarendon yesterday morning.

This is the eighth reported bank robbery in the Arlington and Falls Church areas since the beginning of June.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Restaurant Coming to Penrose Square — Restauranteur Cathal Armstrong is reportedly planning to open a new fish-and-chips restaurant on Columbia Pike, in the new Penrose Square development. The restaurant will be the second location for Old Town Alexandria staple Eamonn’s: A Dublin Chipper. In addition to Eamonn’s, Armstrong owns Alexandria eateries The Majestic, Restaurant Eve and Virtue Feed and Grain. [Eater, Pike Wire]

Galaxy Hut Expanding to Falls Church — The owner of Clarendon’s Galaxy Hut is planning on opening a new location on W. Broad Street in Falls Church. Much like the Clarendon location, the new Galaxy Hut will be a music and entertainment venue, in addition to a bar. [Washington Post]

Moran Holds Deficit Reduction Exercise — Nearly 300 people participated in Rep. Jim Moran’s “Principles and Priorities” national debt reduction workshop on Monday. Moran said he was “shocked” by two conclusions — the group’s near-unanimous desire to freeze defense spending and to gradually eliminate the home mortgage interest deduction. [Patch]

New Signs on Meade Street — There’s a new wayfaring sign for tourists on Meade Street, near the Iwo Jima memorial. The sign lists dozens of attractions in the Rosslyn area. [Ode Street Tribune]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Bar Coming to Columbia Pike — William Jeffrey’s Tavern will be a 6,500 square foot bar and restaurant on the ground floor of the Siena Park apartment complex, across the street from Bob & Edith’s Diner. The tavern, owned by the team behind Ragtime and Rhodeside Grill, is expected to open this fall. [Pike Wire]

Arlington Funds Slugging Web Site — Each year, Arlington allots $10,000 out of its $8 million commuter services budget to fund Slug-Lines.com, a privately-run internet resource for the area’s unique, grassroots carpooling system. [Miller-McCune Magazine]

Recalling Java Shack’s Nazi Past — Of course, nobody at Clarendon’s Java Shack has any Nazi affiliation. But the cafe’s building does. TBD recalls the days when the building was the headquarters of the American Nazi Party. Another reminder of the building’s infamous past: the occasional appearance of nostalgic Nazi fliers. [TBD]

New Wakefield High Will Have Lots of Bike Parking — The new $115 million Wakefield High School will include 304 bike parking spaces, up from the old school’s 45 spaces. The Sun Gazette’s Scott McCaffrey wonders if that’s a bit optimistic of school planners. [Sun Gazette Editor’s Blog]

Falls Church (Hearts) Arlington — In an editorial, the Falls Church News-Press addresses redistricting rumors that the 31st State Senate District — which now encompasses Arlington County, Falls Church and a slice of eastern Fairfax County — will be shifted north into McLean and Great Falls, leaving tiny Falls Church to be folded into the Fairfax-centric 32nd State Senate District. That’s frowned upon by the FCNP. “Falls Church is the spiritual sister of Arlington, far more than Fairfax County,” the editorial says. [Falls Church News-Press]

Arlington to Falls Church: $2.2 Million Bill Was a Mistake

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) Arlington will be missing out on an expected revenue windfall due to a software error.

Last month Arlington sent Falls Church a notice that it could owe an additional $2.2 million for use of the Arlington County Detention Facility. At the time, the county said a “clerical error” resulted in Falls Church being undercharged for the housing of prisoners. Falls Church even admitted that it owed the money, according to the Washington Examiner.

Now, the county says “an outside contractor’s software error” resulted in an over-count of Falls Church prisoners. Falls Church only owes Arlington $123,000, the county said in a statement last night.

“Arlington County regrets the error and the difficulties that it posed for the City as it develops its FY 2012 Budget,” Arlington said. “The Arlington County Sheriff’s Department will now report monthly on Falls Church prisoners. The report and applicable prisoner data will be shared with the Falls Church Sheriff for verification.”

The county’s contract for judicial, police and fire department services is up for renewal this year. Arlington says it will renegotiate the contract “to reflect changes in technology, procedures and services that have occurred since 1989, when the City of Falls Church first contracted with Arlington County to provide the City with judicial and public safety services.”

Arlington Fire Marshals Confiscate Fireworks At Eden Center

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County fire marshals have filled a 44 gallon trash can with fireworks confiscated at today’s rowdy Chinese New Year celebration at Eden Center.

Firefighters initially responded to the Falls Church shopping center this morning for an activated fire alarm. They quickly discovered that the alarm was set off by fireworks being ignited inside the building.

Arlington fire marshals responded and, after determining the problem was more widespread than just one store, Falls Church Police and additional Arlington units were called in. Fire marshals are now conducting a sweep of the shopping center and confiscating illegal fireworks.

They’ve found enough fireworks so far to fill a 44 gallon trash can and a 18×12 box, according to fire department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl, who noted that police will be stepping up their fireworks enforcement.

“Anybody who is caught lighting fireworks inside the building will be issued summons or arrested,” he said.

Photo courtesy Arlington Fire Department

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