More APS Tech Issues Reported — Several people contacted ARLnow yesterday to report more technology issues involving remote learning. While Wakefield High School’s principal posted a possible fix on social media, APS spokesman Frank Bellavia said that any remaining problems were isolated: “At last check this morning, there were 25,273 APS-provided student devices active on our network. There are some issues at the secondary level, but we are working directly with those students to reset their devices.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Sept. 11 Commemoration Tomorrow — “Arlington County will commemorate the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and express gratitude to all those who responded that day with a virtual event. To ensure everyone’s safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public will view the event online or on the County’s cable channels.” [Arlington County]

State Grant to Boost COVID Testing — “The Virginia Department of Health has provided the Department of Human Services with $320,287 to increase COVID-19 testing capacity. The grant award covers the period August 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020. Grant funds will support operations and logistics at testing sites.” [Arlington County]

Amazon Holding Virtual Career Day — “Amazon is looking to build on the success of last year’s Career Day events across six U.S. cities that hosted 17,000 job seekers with over 200,000 people who applied for jobs in the week leading up to the event. The new completely virtual event will open Amazon Career Day 2020 to everyone, regardless of their location. Some of the new employees will be placed at Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia, which is continuing to expand following its opening last year.” [Good Morning America, Amazon, WTOP]

Progress on DCA Expansion — “Project Journey is well on its way. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority this week offered an update on its two-pronged, roughly $650 million modernization program at Reagan National Airport. The final product will deliver a new north concourse, replacing the oft-maligned Gate 35X, and new security checkpoints. The former is expected to open in July 2021, and the latter by the fourth quarter of 2021.” [Washington Business Journal, NBC 4, InsideNova]

Wide Pedestrian Bridge Proposed — “The final EIS for Long Bridge recommended building 14′ wide pedestrian and bike bridge connecting Long Bridge, the MVT and East Potomac Park. Governor Northam committed to funding pre-COVID. This will be huge for regional trail connectivity.” [Twitter, Friends of the Mt. Vernon Trail]


Arlington Rooftop Bar Reopens — After being shut down by county building inspectors, Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill in Courthouse reopened Tuesday evening, just in time to watch the Nationals sweep the Cardinals in Game 4 of the NLDS, to advance to the first World Series in D.C. since 1933. [Twitter]

Housing Still Hot Near HQ2 — “The median sale price for all home types in the 22202 [zip code, which includes the Pentagon City and Crystal City area] jumped nearly 40% in September compared with the same time last year, reaching $685,000… That makes it nine straight months of home price appreciation for the 22202 area. Arlington County as a whole saw a modest 12% year-to-date increase, $590,000 for all home types.” [Washington Business Journal]

Retail Job Fair Next Week — “Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, Washington D.C.’s international shopping destination, invites job seekers to attend its Retailer Job Fair on Tuesday, October 22. From 11 a.m.-7 p.m., candidates can visit the Metro and First Levels to pick up applications, meet with store representatives and apply onsite.” [Press Release]

DCA Fee to Help Pay for Expansion Project — “Project Journey, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s $1 billion capital improvement effort well underway at Reagan National Airport, will be paid for in part by airline passengers. At its meeting Wednesday, the MWAA board will be asked to approve the submission of a new Passenger Facility Charge application… The $4.50 fee is collected by airlines as part of their airfare and remitted to the airport of origin.” [Washington Business Journal]

Caps Dogs Star in Arlington Photoshoot — “In the 2020 Capitals Canine Calendar, you will see 12 months of Washington ice hockey players posing with dogs of all sizes, ages and bark levels… There was plenty of four-legged mischief during the October shoot at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Nearby: New Restaurant in Arlandria — “The new Taqueria Senora Lola is now open at 3901 Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria. Owner Oswaldo Salinas said the restaurant — adjacent to Salinas’ other eatery, Lilian’s Restaurant, opened two weeks ago and had a grand opening event this past Saturday.” [ALXnow]


New Restaurant Opening Soon in Ballston — “Zoup! Eatery, the fast casual restaurant known for its award-winning soups and made-to-order sandwiches and salads, is set to open its first Arlington location on Monday, Oct. 21.” [Press Release]

School Library Lending Down Slightly — “Who says print is dead? Circulation of print materials at Arlington’s public-school libraries held relatively steady during the 2018-19 school year at about 980,000 items – or about 36 items per student. The total figure… was down about 1.5 percent from a year before.” [InsideNova]

Notable Tree Nominations Open — “Since 1987, Arlington has identified and registered its most notable trees, as well as the residents who care for them.” Nominations for 2020 notable trees nominees are now open, with a Dec.  1 deadline. [Arlington County]

Job Fair for Local Census Workers — “Interested in a job with the U.S. Census for 2020? @ArlEmploymentCt is hosting recruitment events this month. The first two sessions are Tuesday, Oct. 8.” [Eventbrite, Twitter]

‘Cautionary Tale’ for Gondola Plans — “Several years after closing the gondola that served the Alemão favela, the state of Rio de Janeiro has kept up hope that it would restart service. In May, the state said it would reopen the line by the end of the year. But with three months left in 2019, there’s little sign of action.” [Wired, Twitter]

Nearby: Bearer of Bad News for Hire — “Want a divorce? Have to quit your job? Need to tell your family you crashed your car into the side of the Van Dorn Station Shopping Center? Sometimes there’s no easy way to break bad news, so don’t. An Alexandrian is offering his services via Craigslist to break the bad news for you.” [ALXnow]


(Updated at 5:25 p.m) Amazon drew an overflow crowd to its Crystal City career fair this morning as people vied for the 30,000 jobs Amazon recently announced it’s hiring nationwide, including at its new HQ2 in Arlington.

At last minute, the company tacked on extra hours to the event, which was one of six job fairs Amazon held as it looks to fill 30,000 jobs nationally — including 1,600 jobs in Virginia and 400 in Arlington. The fair was held at The Grounds at S. Eads Street and 12th Street S. today (Tuesday), leading applicants toting resumes to line up along 12th Street almost to the Route 1 overpass.

“I would say that we are incredibly pleased, and humbled, by the response from the community, ” said Amazon’s Vice President of People Operations, Ardine Williams. “I’m not sure what we expected but it’s what we hoped for. This is just amazing.”

Around noon Williams offered tips about interviewing for the company’s jobs (show leadership), writing resumes (be specific), and what the company culture was like (permits failure) in an on-stage conversation with Linda Thomas, a former Seattle journalist who now leads in-house content creation for Amazon.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about what we’re doing to ensure that there is a pipeline of talent. We came to Arlington because of the talent,” Williams said.

The head of hiring noted that the D.C. area’s universities were a big part of that pool and the company’s strategy for thinking of the 25,000 people it plans to hire for its new headquarters over the course of the next 10 years.

Thomas touted promotional videos throughout the event, which showcased Amazon’s decision to raise its minimum hourly wage to $15 last year for all workers, after facing criticism for the conditions in its warehouses.

Some job seekers at the Crystal City fair today wore fitted suits with ties knotted four in hand, while others chose more casual attire — with one job seeker wearing cargo shorts and a Nirvana t-shirt.

(more…)


Thousands Expected at Today’s Amazon Event — “Thousands of job-seekers are expected to swarm the site of Amazon’s future headquarters at a ‘career day‘ in Crystal City on Tuesday, as the online retail giant begins to accelerate its hiring and presence in Northern Virginia.” The opening time has been pushed up to 8 a.m. [Washington Post, Twitter]

Suspect Chomps on Cop Along Lee Highway — “The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with Suspect One, when he observed Suspect Two attempt to flee on foot. With the assistance of additional officers arriving on scene, Suspect Two was stopped. While officers attempted to remove Suspect One from the vehicle and detain him, he actively resisted and bit an officer.” [Arlington County]

Race No Longer Required on Marriage LicensesUpdated at 8:45 a.m. — “Virginia will no longer require couples to identify by race on their marriage licenses, the state’s attorney general announced this week. Under a new policy — which Attorney General Mark Herring detailed in emails to court clerks and members of the media late Friday — people getting married will be able to select ‘Declined to Answer’ in a box asking about race.” [Washington Post]


Arlington is one of six locations where Amazon is holding an “Amazon Career Day” next week.

The tech and retail giant is seeking to fill some 30,000 open positions — including around 75 at Amazon’s growing second headquarters in Arlington.

The company noted on the page for its Arlington jobs event that it already had a sizable presence in the Commonwealth prior to HQ2.

“In Virginia, Amazon has created more than 10,000 full-time jobs and we’re excited to create even more,” the page says. “Arlington is the new home of our second headquarters and we have plans to create 25,000 new jobs here over the next 12 years. We also have over two dozen customer fulfillment facilities, wind farms and retail locations throughout the state, and tens of thousands of authors, small and medium sized businesses, and developers growing their businesses using Amazon products and services.”

Previously, a company spokesperson said Amazon was on track to hire 400 HQ2 employees by the end of the year.

The career fair is scheduled to take place at The Grounds in Crystal City, at 1102 S. Eads Street, from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17. It will include talks from Amazon leaders and information about working at the company.

Any interested member of the public is invited to attend. Amazon says recruiters will be on hand but they will not be conducting interviews or taking applications at the event.

More from a press release, after the jump.

(more…)


County Holding Job Fair for Older Workers — “During the month of September, the Arlington Public Library, the Arlington Employment Center and the Alexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Council are hosting an employment and financial literacy series focused on experienced workers, culminating in a job fair for workers aged 50+ at Central Library on Mon., Sept. 23.” [Arlington County]

Open Houses for New Permitting System — Arlington County is holding a series of three open houses, starting Thursday, to provide information on its new online permitting system for residents and businesses. The first phase of the new system launches on Monday, Sept. 9. [Arlington County]

Nearby: Eden Center Store Sells Winning Lottery Ticket — A Falls Church deli sold a $2 million lottery ticket in May. Alexandria resident Calvin Kim went to the Saigon Bakery & Deli (6773 Wilson Blvd) in the Eden Center to buy a sandwich for his wife and ended up getting the winning Mega Millions ticket. [Tysons Reporter]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf


Heartland Dental logoPlease join the Heartland Dental NOVA Team for an Open House Career Fair.

The career fair is taking place on Wednesday, July 20 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Residence Inn, National Harbor located at 192 Waterfront Street in National Harbor, Maryland.

We have immediate openings for Dental Assistants, Front Office and Dental Hygienists across the Northern Virginia area in Alexandria, Lorton, Springfield, Dale City, Dumfries, Manassas, Fairfax, Herndon and Ashburn.

Why join Heartland Dental? It is the largest Dental Support Organization in the U.S. and is a career-focused company looking for the perfect fit to assist with the growth and development of our supported practices. Heartland provides a wide range of continuing education, benefits and competitive pay. RSVPs are welcome but not required! Please show up with your resume and be ready to express why you feel you’d be a great addition to Heartland’s growing team!

RSVPs should email [email protected] and please visit our website for more information at www.heartland.com.

The preceding post was written and sponsored by Heartland Dental.


Heartland DentalThe following is a promoted post from Heartland Dental, which is holding a job fair for positions around the D.C. area.

We are looking for Business Assistants, Dental Assistants and Hygienists in Northern Virginia.

Positions with Heartland are more than just a job, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow with a terrific dental team. We’re dedicated to offering proficient, trustworthy dental services and care, and the Dental Assistant’s, Business Assistants and Dental Hygienist position will play a large role in that. If this sounds a like a good fit, we would love to hear from you.

Our job fair will be held Friday, February 26 at the Hampton Inn & Suites, located at 117 Fort Evans Road NE in Leesburg, Virginia.

Interviews will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Please bring your resume and certificates in preparation for an on-site interview

We understand that you work hard, which is why each supported location provides an excellent compensation and benefits package. Additionally, Heartland Dental’s extensive training and continuing education opportunities are unparalleled and exceed industry norms. Additional benefits include health and vision insurance, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, 6 paid holidays off and the potential for 2 weeks’ vacation.

For any questions, please contact Cyndi Baggarly, Regional Recruiter at [email protected].

Apply at www.heartland.com/careers.


(Updated Aug. 11 at 2 p.m.) The TargetExpress store coming to 1500 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn is now hiring.

Earlier this summer Target confirmed that a 23,000-square-foot store would be coming to Rosslyn, and the company now says the store will open this October.

In addition to a sign outside the new location that announces the company is now hiring, Target will hold a job fair this week from Aug. 13-15 at Hyatt Arlington (1325 Wilson Blvd).

The job fair will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. Target says they are looking to hire roughly 60 new employees.

The store is slated to include an in-house Starbucks and a pharmacy, and will also carry groceries, prepared foods and clothing.


Arlington fall job fairThe Arlington Employment Center will host its third fall career fair Tuesday, Oct. 8, at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus.

The event, in Room 126 of Founder’s Hall, 3351 Fairfax Drive, will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The job fair is free, but registration is required.

Those planning to attend are encouraged to bring résumés, but AEC says some employers may be directing attendees to apply online.

Among the employers that have signed up to participate are Virginia Hospital Center, AT&T, General Dynamics and Starbucks, as well as several federal agencies and Arlington County departments. In all, more than 50 employers have committed to participating in the career fair.

Photo courtesy of the Arlington Employment Center


View More Stories