Happy Birthday, Mr. President — Last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting included a special birthday tribute to President Barack Obama, who turns 50 today. ACDC members sang a rendition of “happy birthday” and then chowed down on slices of birthday cake.

Suspect Eludes Cops, Helicopter — A man suspected of an unspecified crime in another jurisdiction fled from Arlington police just after 10:00 last night. The man took off on foot during a traffic stop on the 1700 block of N. Quebec Street, just north of W-L High School. Police set up a perimeter, called in K-9 units and requested assistance from the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter, in an effort to find the man. The search was called off around 11:30, but all was not lost — police were able to nab the three other suspects in the vehicle.

Stolen iPhone Dealers Busted in Pentagon City — Two cellular phone kiosks in the Pentagon City mall have been busted by Metro Transit Police for allegedly selling stolen iPhones. The illegality was discovered while police were investigating “the theft of a large number of electronics equipment from Metro riders in early 2010.” [Washington Examiner]

Arlington’s Low Transportation Costs — Rent and real estate costs in Arlington may be high, but the average cost of transportation is relatively low. According to a new study, transportation (car and transit expenses combined) costs Arlington residents about $975 per month. The regional average is $1,246. “Transportation costs in Arlington County are significantly lower than the regional average due to high levels of transit connectivity and job access,” the report says. [Center for Neighborhood Technology, DCist]


The Animal Welfare League of Arlington says it’s the first humane society in the D.C. area to launch its own iPhone application.

AWLA’s new “Arlington Pets” app allows users to quickly browse photos and descriptions of the pets that are currently up for adoption at the shelter. The app sorts the adoption list by dogs, cats, and “others” (birds, bunnies, etc.). Once a potential adopter has found a pet they want, the app allows them to call or email the shelter.

“AWLA launched this  initiative as a way to help connect today’s technologically savvy society with animals in need,” the League said in a statement. “We are grateful to Ron Novak and his entire team at Segue Technologies, Inc., of Arlington for developing this unique application at no cost to AWLA.”

The app is free and available to iPhone and iPad users via the Apple App Store.


There were long lines outside the Clarendon Apple Store from the early morning to the late afternoon today, as the tech-obsessed made their almost yearly pilgrimage to the local branch of the Church of Steve Jobs. After conquering the queue, happy customers emerged from the store with the brand new iPhone 4, the latest iteration of the beloved smartphone.

Throughout the day, disbelieving reports from Twitter kept the socially-networked apprised of the line length.

At 5:30 a.m. one person reported there were 200 people in line. At 8:00, that swelled to 400. At 4:00 p.m., as the skies grew darker and rain seemed imminent (it only actually sprinkled for a few minutes), Apple store employees handed out umbrellas to many of the 100 people in line.

Finally, around 6:00 p.m., people started reporting that the line was dying down.

During the event, people with cameras could only get one or two shots off before being told forcefully by security guards that photography was not allowed inside or outside the store.


We’re told someone pulled a snatch-and-dash larceny earlier today at Northside Social in Clarendon. Someone apparently had their iPhone sitting out on a table when an unknown male grabbed it and ran.

Police were called. No word on whether they’ve been able to locate a suspect.

This is just another reminder to keep a watchful eye on your expensive gadgets at all times.