helicopter

Police Arrest Suspect After Foot Pursuit Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:10 a.m.) A U.S. Park Police helicopter helped Arlington County police search for a suspect near Ballston tonight.

Police were investigating a possible attempted sexual assault just before midnight when a man took off running. After police lost track of him, the helicopter and a K-9 unit were called in to help search a neighborhood just west of Ballston Common Mall.

Around 12:50 a.m., police located the suspect, who took off running again. Officers were able to catch up with him and take him into custody outside the church at N. Carlin Springs Road and N. Thomas Street.

Photo courtesy @navidsm

Auto Theft Suspect Eludes Police Near Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

While most people were asleep early this morning, police were trying to track down a grand theft auto suspect.

Just before 3:30 a.m., an officer radioed to dispatch that he was chasing a suspect on foot in the area of Shirlington Road and South Four Mile Run Drive. The suspect ran into an area of thick brush near Champion Billiards, where the officer apparently lost sight of him.

Police dogs and the U.S. Park Police Eagle helicopter were called in to look for the suspect. After about half an hour of combing the area, the search was called off.

Officers recovered a suspected stolen vehicle from the scene.

Hynes to Host Helicopter Forum Wednesday

By ARLnow.com

Mary Hynes is a busy lady.

Hynes, the current vice-chair of the Arlington County Board, serves on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, recently joined the Metro Board of Directors, and is the Aviation Policy Liaison to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. On any given day, Hynes might be dealing with transportation issues below ground, above ground and in the sky.

On Wednesday, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., the multi-talented Hynes will host a community forum about helicopter noise. It’s a follow-up to meetings Hynes hosted in September and November, during which a number of residents voiced concerns about the noise generated by low-flying government helicopters.

Tomorrow’s meeting will discuss a proposed system for allowing more community input into helicopter issues.

Along with Hynes, the forum will include representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, a representative from the Eastern Region Helicopter Association and a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

The meeting will be held in the Arlington County board room, on the third floor of 2100 Clarendon Boulevard.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

McDonnell Gives State of the Commonwealth Address — Speaking to a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly last night, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) urged state lawmakers to put aside their partisan differences to help solves the state’s challenges, particularly roads and transportation. He also spoke of job creation and the rapid rise of college tuition. The speech was so polished that one state delegate from our area tweeted that he thinks McDonnell “is running for president.” Despite the overall bipartisan tone, McDonnell took the time to lavish praise on Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s pending lawsuit against the Democrat-backed federal health care reform bill. [Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post]

Arlington Cop Helps Nab Jersey Bank Robbery Suspect — While driving on westbound I-66 early Tuesday morning, an alert Arlington police officer got a hit on a vehicle belonging to a suspected bank robber out of New Jersey. The officer stayed with the car as it exited the county. Backup — in the form of Fairfax County and Virginia State Police — eventually caught up and helped arrest the suspect after he pulled off the highway in Fairfax. [Bergen Record]

Hynes to Speak About Helicopter Noise — County Board Vice-chairman Mary Hynes will discuss helicopter noise before the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments today. Noise from helicopters is a persistent source of resident complaints in Arlington. Hynes is expected to talk about what’s being done to mitigate the noise. [WTOP]

County Releases Revised EFC Area Plan — The county has released the latest version of its controversial plan to urbanize the area around the East Falls Church Metro station. [TBD]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bayou Bakery Opening Set — Cookbook author David Guas is hoping to open his Bayou Bakery coffee bar and eatery concept by November 1. The restaurant, which is taking over the old Camille’s space at 1515 North Courthouse Road, will feature Louisiana-style pastries, sweets, sausages, and other savory selections.

Rosslyn CVS To Renovate — The CVS at 1100 Wilson Boulevard will be getting a major facelift. The 26-year-old, nearly 10,000 square foot pharmacy will get a new layout, new window displays and new finishes throughout the store. No timeline was given for the construction. More from the Washington Business Journal.

Residents Vent About Helicopters — Wow. One Fairlington man who attended last night’s forum on helicopter regulations has filed more than 350 helicopter noise complaints since 2007. The forum, hosted by Arlington County Board Member Mary Hynes, featured a number of local military and air traffic control officials. The result of the forum: a pledge to hold more meetings. More from TBD.

GOP Votes to Oppose Bonds — The Arlington County Republican Committee voted last night to oppose three out of four bond referendums on the November ballot. The local GOP is saying no to bonds for Metro, parks, and community infrastructure, but yes to the $103 million school bond that will fund a new Wakefield High School. If history is any indication, however, all the bond measures are expected to easily pass. More from the Sun Gazette.

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Mary Hynes to Lead Helicopter Forum

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County board member Mary Hynes will lead a panel discussion about helicopters and local helicopter regulations Wednesday night at the Arlington County Board Room (2100 Clarendon Blvd, third floor).

Hynes, who chairs the Aviation Policy Committee for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, says there has been a noticeable uptick in complaints about helicopter noise in the past couple of years. She says Wednesday’s forum will allow residents to learn more about the rules that govern helicopter flights in the national capital region.

Hynes says she hopes the forum will also lead to the development of a better system for handling citizen complaint about helicopters, especially military helicopters, which are the most prevalent over Arlington.

“The focus is to have a good conversation about the impacts of the helicopter traffic on the residents, and see if there’s some way we can work with the military to lessen that impact,” she said.

Military helicopters usually fly defined routes from the Pentagon to other military installations. The flight paths are typically major highways like I-395 or waterways like the Potomac River. Even if the helicopters pilots stick to the path, however, they sometimes fly lower than they’re supposed to, irking residents.

Homeland Security and local law enforcement flights are also fairly common around Arlington, Hynes noted. News helicopters typically don’t fly over Arlington because the county is within a no-fly zone around Reagan National Airport, put into place after 9/11.

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