fraud

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Tourism Declines — Tourism revenues in Arlington County, Virginia’s top tourist destination, declined by $276 million between 2008 and 2009, according to data released in December. Arlington is currently seeking state approval to renew a hotel tax surcharge that funds its tourism promotion efforts, but county officials acknowledge that Arlington’s tourism draw is primarily its proximity to the District. [Washington Examiner]

McDonnell To Propose Transportation Spending Splurge — Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell wants to borrow $3 billion over the next three years to pay for transportation projects in the state. [Washington Post]

Arlington Lawyer Gets Year in Prison — A local lawyer convicted of defrauding the parents of special needs children has been handed a one year sentence by an Arlington County judge. [Washington Post]

Mexican Food Search Reveals Uncle Julio’s — After three years of searching for some decent Mexican food in Arlington, a couple has finally discovered Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Cafe in Ballston. [Patch]

Flickr pool photo by Paul Derby

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Petition Workers Indicted for Voter Fraud — Two individuals who worked on the unsuccessful effort to change Arlington’s form of government have been indicted for election fraud. William Cockerham and Cheryl Simmons are expected to have their trial dates set this morning. Earlier this year we exposed Simmons as a paroled felon, ineligible to collect the 2,214  petition signatures she claimed to have collected. More from the Washington Post.

ART Bus Lives Up to Its Name — Arlington’s transit agency has deemed its “Art on the ART Bus” experiment a success. The program placed artwork on an ART bus in connection with a new exhibit at the Arlington Arts Center. The arty bus launched on Dec. 11 and will continue rotating throughout the ART system for the next couple of months. More from the Arlington Transit Blog.

Court Appearance for Facebook Bomb Threats Suspect — The Arlington man who threatened via Facebook to place bombs in Georgetown and on Metro trains has been denied bail. Awais Younis, who lives in the Arlington View neighborhood, appeared in U.S. District Court yesterday. A judge ordered the 25-year-old held without bond, saying his arrest provides additional incentive for Younis to carry out his threats. More from WTOP.

Flickr pool photo by Plaszloc

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City Fit Fair Kicks Off — Crystal City is holding a “fit fair” today from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event is part health fair, part blood drive. Inova’s bloodmobile will be on hand to let donors give blood in air conditioned comfort. For the general public, Inova will be providing blood pressure screening, Dermaview facial skin screening, Body Mass Index Assessment, tobacco cessation consultation and other services. There will also be gait analysis for runners, sports movement analysis, chair massages, and a fitness class demonstration. The event is taking place on Crystal Drive between 18th Street and 20th Street.

Arlington Lawyer Faces More Fraud Charges — An Arlington lawyer accused of practicing law without a license will face three additional charges of fraud. Howard Deiner, who specialized in bringing cases against school districts on behalf of families with special needs children, was already facing two charges when the grand jury tacked on three more on Monday. A trial date is expected to be set today. More from the Washington Post.

Prosecutors Still Reviewing DNA Evidence Against Arlington Suspect — Prosecutors in Illinois are still reviewing DNA evidence that allegedly links Arlington rape suspect Jorge Torrez to an infamous double homicide outside Chicago. For the time being, Jerry Hobbs, the man who was originally accused of the crime, will remain in prison facing trial. Since the DNA match, investigators have been interviewing new witnesses in the case. More from the Chicago Tribune.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief.