Pentagon

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington to Receive 9/11 Pentagon Stone –– On Thursday, Arlington will be presented with a piece of Pentagon limestone that was damaged on Sept. 11, 2001. The 800-pound stone, brought here from Indiana in the early 1940s while the Pentagon was being built, was part of the building’s west facade when it was struck by American Airlines Flight 77. The military is presenting stones to the Arlington County Fire Department, the New York City Fire Department and the FBI Washington Field Office in advance of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. [Arlington County]

USS Arlington to be Christened — The christening of the new USS Arlington is scheduled for Saturday morning in Pascagoula, Miss. The Arlington an amphibious transport dock ship intended for use in modern expeditionary combat situations. It is the sister ship to the USS New York and the USS Somerset. County Manager Barbara Donnellan, Fire Chief James Schwartz and other Arlington officials are expected to attend the ceremony. [Sun Gazette]

Krupicka Picks Up More Alexandria Endorsements — Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka (D) has picked up more endorsements in his run for the 30th District state Senate race. Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney Randy Sengel and Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne both announced their endorsements yesterday. Previously, Krupicka picked up up the endorsements of Alexandria’s mayor and its former city manager. Meanwhile, Del. Adam Ebbin (D) officially launched his campaign for the 30th District seat on Sunday at the Alexandria Black History Museum.

Annual Water Change Underway — Don’t be surprised if your tap water tastes a bit funny. The local water authority is making its seasonal switch of disinfectants from chloramine to chlorine. [Washington Post]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

One Sign That It’s Almost Halloween — Around 5:00 yesterday evening, police were called to the ramp from northbound Washington Boulevard to Route 50 for a report of a severed human foot found in a bag in the middle of the roadway. Officers investigated and, as it turns out, the “foot” was made out of rubber. “A Halloween prank,” one officer concluded.

Pentagon Steps Up Security for Marine Corps Marathon — The Pentagon Force Protection Agency will provide more security than usual for Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon. That revelation comes in the wake of three middle-of-the-night shootings that targeted Marine Corps and military sites. USA Today reports that the beefed up security will focus on the Pentagon’s north parking lot, which serves as the pre-race staging area for MCM’s 30,000 runners.

Candidates Forum Tonight — Ten northwest Arlington civic associations are teaming up to host a non-partisan candidate’s night at Resurrection Lutheran Church (6201 N. Washington Blvd) tonight. The candidates for school board, county board and congress will debate each other and answer questions submitted by residents. The school board candidates will square off starting at 7:00 p.m., followed by the congressional candidates at 7:45 and the congressional candidates at 8:30.

Pentagon, Museum Shootings Linked; Extra Security Needed for Marathon?

By ARLnow.com

Local news outlets are reporting that the FBI has just confirmed that the same weapon was used to fire shots at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle on Oct. 17 and at the Pentagon on Oct. 19.

The FBI is also investigating a third shooting, which took place overnight at a Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Chantilly.

Each shooting is believed to have taken place at night, but one wonders whether the pattern of targeting Marine Corps-related sites could be worrisome to organizers of this weekend’s Marine Corps Marathon, which will take runners on a 26.2 mile course through Arlington and the District.

We’re awaiting comment from the Arlington County Police Department and the Marine Corps on whether extra security measures are being put into place.

Update on 10/27 — Citing law enforcement sources, ABC 7 reports that extra security will be in place at the marathon’s start and finish lines. Arlington police tell ABC 7 that they’re taking the recent shootings into consideration, and Pentagon police say they’ll deploy extra officers throughout the area.

Road Closures Near Pentagon on Sunday for Army Ten Miler

By ARLnow.com

A number of roads near the Pentagon will be closed for Sunday morning’s Army Ten Miler race. Here’s the news release from the Arlington County Police Department:

The Arlington County Police Department will close several streets near the Pentagon on Sunday, October 24, for the 26th Annual Army 10-Miler race.  The race begins at 8 a.m. on Washington Boulevard, crosses the Potomac River into the District of Columbia, and ends in the Pentagon South Parking Lot.

The following roads in Arlington will be affected:

* Washington Boulevard (Route 27), between I-395 and Memorial Bridge, will be closed in both directions at 5:30 A.M.
* Columbia Pike, east of South Joyce Street, will be closed at 5:30 A.M.
* I-395 HOV southbound lanes will be closed at 5:30 A.M.
* South Eads Street, from Army Navy Drive into the Pentagon/northbound I-395 HOV lanes, will be closed at 4:30 A.M.

All of the roads should be reopened by noon.

In addition, access to the Pentagon Reservation will be restricted to “Authorized Vehicles Only” from 4:30 A.M. to 2 P.M. Pentagon employees must park at the North Parking Lots using the Boundary Channel Drive access points.

Runners, spectators and support personnel are encouraged to use Metro, parking is limited.  The Pentagon and Pentagon City stations on the Blue and Yellow Lines are located within walking distance of the start and finish lines.

Columbia Pike Shut Down for Suspicious Package Investigation

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:12 a.m. — And just like that, the scene has been cleared. The package has been declared harmless and Columbia Pike has reopened.

Columbia Pike is being shut down near the Navy Annex as Pentagon police investigate a suspicious package at a bus stop. The bus stop is located next to a Department of Defense-run parking lot.

Arlington police will be shutting down Columbia Pike from South Joyce Street to South Orme Street. The ramps from Washington Boulevard may also be shut down.

Hazmat Investigation at Navy Exchange Gas Station

By ARLnow.com

With gunfire at Pentagon earlier today, another emergency response in the area may be startling. But this one has nothing to do with this morning’s events.

Crews from the Arlington Fire Department and from the Pentagon’s environmental response squad are on the scene of a possible hazmat situation at the Navy Exchange gas station on South Joyce Street.

Initial reports suggest that an employee smelled a strong odor of gas and detected a possible leak. Crews are now investigating.

BREAKING NEWS — Shots Fired At Pentagon, Lanes Closed

By ARLnow.com

Traffic on southbound I-395 is being diverted onto southbound Route 1, just before the Pentagon, causing big backups. We’re told Pentagon police are investigating some sort of an incident that occurred last night.

Update at 9:20 a.m. — In the comments section, FREDTERP has what is very likely the subject of the investigation: an unconfirmed report of shots fired near the Pentagon early this morning. We’re still awaiting comment from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

Update at 9:40 a.m. — Southbound I-395 has reopened, but now northbound I-395 is being diverted at Washington Boulevard.

Update at 9:55 a.m. — Traffic on northbound I-395 is backing up past Seminary Road.

Update at 10:00 a.m. — The mainline of northbound I-395 is back open.

Update at 10:25 a.m. — The northbound HOV lanes are closed. Cars in the HOV lanes before the closure are essentially trapped, although a number of vehicles are escaping the backup by going the wrong way up a ramp near Shirlington.

Update at 10:35 a.m. — NBC4 is reporting that at least two bullets hit the Pentagon this morning.

Update at 10:55 a.m. — The HOV lanes on I-395 are back open.

Update at 12:25 p.m. — “What we have is an isolated incident, so far,” a Pentagon official says at a news conference. There has been speculation about a possible connection to shots fired at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va. over the weekend.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Obama Marks 9/11 Anniversary at the Pentagon — On the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Obama visited the Pentagon and called for tolerance and strength in the face of terrorism. More from Fox 5 and a transcript of the president’s speech from CBS News.

Arlington’s Fire Chief Remembers 9/11 — WTOP talked to Arlington Fire Chief Jim Schwartz, who was incident commander at the Pentagon on that fateful September day. “Every time I look at it, it still looks the same to me as it did that morning. I can still see the visions of the gash in the building, the column of smoke, the casualties laying out on the West Lawn,” Schwartz said.

More Teacher Diversity at APS — Arlington is trying to hire teachers who better reflect the student body’s racial make-up. Still, the 190 teachers hired for this year are 73 percent while, when the student body is only 48 percent white. More from the Sun Gazette.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Photos from the World Trade Center Steel Ceremony

By ARLnow.com

Hundreds gathered outside Arlington County Fire Station 5 in Pentagon City this morning to commemorate the donation of a steel beam from the World Trade Center.

“This morning we gather to recognize the bond between Arlington, New York and Shanskville [Pa.],” said Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz.

Dozens of New York City and Arlington County firefighters were on hand for the ceremony. Music was provided by a large bagpipe corps and a youth choir from Georgia.

The steel beam — one end twisted and torn with remnants of concrete still attached — was from the North Tower of the World Trade Center, according to Paddy Concannon, president of the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation, which arranged the donation.

Following the beam’s unveiling, firefighters took turns reading the names of those who died in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.

The beam was transported from Brooklyn to Pentagon City on Saturday. It was accompanied by hundreds of motorcyclists on its journey to Arlington.

The steel will remain on display outside the fire station until a more permanent memorial is constructed.

More photos after the jump.

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Could BRAC Cause Traffic Jams in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com

WAMU’s David Schultz reports that Arlington officials are worried that the Base Realignment and Closure Act, which is costing Arlington thousands of military jobs, may also cause “crippling traffic jams.”

Arlington BRAC coordinator Andrea Morris tells WAMU that she expects that many workers who have been relocated to Alexandria will have to make trips back and forth from the Pentagon. Those trips will increase traffic on I-395 and, as I-395 becomes backed up, overflow traffic may spill onto Arlington’s residential streets, Morris suggests.

It seems that one solution to the problem — if it is, in fact, a problem — could be to increase capacity on I-395. What do you think?

Road Closures, Parking Restrictions for WTC Steel Ceremony

By ARLnow.com

On Sunday morning, Arlington County will hold a ceremony to formally accept a gift of World Trade Center steel from New York City. The ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. Arlington’s Fire Station No. 5 (1750 S. Hayes Street) in Pentagon City — which housed the first firefighters to respond to the Pentagon on 9/11.

The event should attract a large crowd. At least 500 motorcyclists are expected to escort the steel from New York City to the fire station and a middle school choir will be driving up from Georgia to participate in the ceremony.

To handle the crowds, South Hayes Street will be closed from South Fern Street to 15th Street for much of the day, and parking restrictions will be put in place in the area.

The ceremony will be held rain or shine.

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