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Morning Notes

Published March 27, 2017 at 10:15AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 10:56AM

Metro to Raise Fares, Reduce Service — In order to plug a budget gap, Metro will be raising rail and bus fares and cutting service starting in July. [WTOP, NBC Washington]

Pupatella Expanding to Richmond — Beloved Bluemont pizzeria Pupatella is expanding via franchising. One of the first places getting new Pupatellas: Richmond, where a local franchisee is opening four new locations. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

McAuliffe to Talk Self-Driving Cars in Arlington — On Thursday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe will be in Arlington to “give remarks at [a] workshop hosted by the Secretary of Transportation on autonomous vehicles,” according to the governor’s public schedule. The workshop is taking place at 1776 in Crystal City (2231 Crystal Drive).

People Are Increasingly Leaving the D.C. Region — All of the D.C. region’s population growth in the latest U.S. Census estimates were from births and international immigration. The region’s domestic migration is negative and increasingly so, with more people moving from D.C. than to D.C. Writes the WBJ: “The challenge for Greater Washington is there are other metro areas that offer jobs and high quality of life, and are also far less expensive — driving people away for what they see as greener pastures.” [Washington Business Journal]

Does Our Site Seem Faster? — We were working Saturday, moving ARLnow and our sister site Reston Now to a powerful cloud-based server from a traditional dedicated server. Things should be faster today, but if you notice any glitches please let us know. [Twitter]

Photo courtesy Erinn Shirley

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 24, 2017 at 9:15AM | Updated March 24, 2017 at 9:34AM

Arlington Population Continues to Rise — The latest Census Bureau estimate of Arlington’s population is 230,050, a 0.9 percent rise over the previous year. [InsideNova]

LaHood to Review WMATA — Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been tapped by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to conduct an independent review of Metro’s “operating, governance, and financial conditions.” The review will “develop recommendations for potential WMATA reforms, including mitigating growth in annual operating costs and sustainable funding.” [Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Washington Post]

Private Investigators Set Up Shop in Arlington — A group of private investigators is trying to solve the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich last July. The group, which does not have the support of Rich’s family, is working out of a “war room” in Arlington as it tries to piece together clues about the fatal shooting in D.C.’s Bloomingdale neighborhood. [DCist, WJLA]

County Board Hears Complaint About Poo — A resident’s complaint at a County Board meeting, about a homeless man “appropriating” a bus stop in Rosslyn, led to the following sentence in the Sun Gazette: “County-government spokesman Mary Curtius said it was ‘exceedingly rare’ to find human waste at bus stops.” [InsideNova]

Schaeffer’s Favorite Arlington Things — Eric Schaeffer, co-founder and artistic director of Shirlington’s Signature Theatre, recently shared some of his favorite local spots. Among them: French store Le Marche and Irish pub Samuel Beckett’s, both in Shirlington, along with Pupatella pizzeria in Bluemont and P.F. Chang’s in Ballston. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok

Arlington Population Continues to Rise in Latest Census Data

By ARLnow.com

Published September 19, 2016 at 2:00PM | Updated September 19, 2016 at 2:24PM

(Updated at 2:20 p.m) The U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimate for Arlington is 229,164 for 2015, up from 226,908 for 2014.

That’s according to census data released earlier this summer. The population estimate is higher than that cited by Arlington County — 220,400 — in its 2016 county profile.

The estimated percentage of the population ages 25-34 was 26.4 percent in 2015, compared to 28.5 percent in 2012

Meanwhile, a set of just-released census data from the American Community Survey has shed some light on other vital statistics for Arlington.

The data shows the percentage of Arlington residents with health insurance rising, following a national trend attributed to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Here are some notable stats for Arlington included in the most recent census data:

The median household income in Arlington was $106,768 in 2015, while the mean income was $137,484. Median income was down but mean income up compared to 2014.
An estimated 94.0 percent of Arlington residents had health insurance in 2015, compared to 88.4 percent in 2012.
The top three largest employment sectors in Arlington: professional, scientific, management and administrative (27.9 percent); public administration (17.6 percent); educational, healthcare and social services (15.1 percent).
Total estimated housing units in Arlington was 112,517 in 2015, compared to 106,720 in 2011.
Estimated number of women who have given birth within the past year: 3,626 in 2015 compared to 3,190 in 2012.
Estimated percentage of those 18 and over with an income below the poverty level: 7.4 percent in 2015, compared to 9.3 percent in 2012.

Arlington Population Grows, Jobs Shrink

By ARLnow.com

Published April 20, 2016 at 11:00AM

Arlington’s population continues to grow as the number of jobs in the county shrinks, according to new data.

Arlington County just released its 2016 Profile, which includes vital statistics like population, employment and demographics.

According to the county, Arlington’s estimated population on Jan. 1, 2016 was 220,400, up from 216,700 on Jan. 1, 2015 and up 6.1 percent compared to 2010.

Arlington’s population is projected to reach 283,000 by 2040. That projection is unchanged from last year.

The number of jobs in Arlington County, meanwhile, declined over the past year.

There were 211,000 employees working in Arlington on Jan. 1, compared to 221,700 in 2015. Much of that can be attributed to a shrinking government workforce in Arlington — 23 percent of the jobs in Arlington were government employees on Jan. 1, compared to 24.2 percent of the labor force last year. That’s a loss of more than 5,100 government jobs.

Still, the projected number of jobs in Arlington in 2040 remains steady at just over 300,000. The profile presents a picture of a county that remains a major employment center and a sought-after place to live.

“Arlington has more private office space than the downtowns of Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver,
Seattle, or Atlanta,” it says. “Arlington continues to grow with the addition of new development. In 2015,
2,161 residential units were completed.”

Photo courtesy James Mahony

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 20, 2015 at 9:20AM | Updated April 20, 2015 at 9:40AM

Record No. of Arlington Runners in Boston — An “all-time record” of 116 Arlington runners are registered to participate in the 2015 Boston Marathon today. [InsideNova]

Vehicle Overturns in Ashton Heights — A vehicle “pinballed off two parked cars” and overturned near the intersection of 6th Street and N. Lincoln Street in Ashton Heights Sunday morning. [Twitter]

H-B No. 1 in Challenge Index — Three Arlington high schools have made the top 10 of the Washington Post’s 2015 Challenge Index of local public high schools. The H-B Woodlawn secondary program ranked No. 1, Yorktown ranked No. 6 and Washington-Lee ranked No. 10. [Washington Post]

Complaints Against Towing Co., Questions About Video — While ESPN reporter Britt McHenry serves out her suspension for berating an Advanced Towing employee in Arlington, there’s some push back against the towing company and the video it produced of McHenry’s mean-spirited remarks. NBC 4 notes that there have been 155 complaints to police against Advanced from 2012 to 2014. Us Weekly, meanwhile, gossips that “a source close to the situation” says the video was edited “to make it look like Britt has gone on a one-way tirade as opposed to being in a two-way verbal spat with someone.” [NBC Washington, Us Weekly]

Net Migration Negative for Arlington in 2014 — More people moved out of Arlington than moved in last year, according to new census estimates. Arlington’s net migration in 2014 was -1,520, compared to +2,004 in 2013. That follows a broader trend of slowing growth in the D.C. region, which is still growing thanks mostly to births. [Washington Post]

County Board to Pay School Delays Costs — The Arlington County Board, which in January put the brakes on a plan to build a new elementary school in South Arlington, pledged last week to “take the financial hit” for the project’s delay, which is expected to cost up to $2.1 million. The County Board rejected the plan to build a new elementary school next to Thomas Jefferson Middle School after residents raised concerns about traffic and the school’s impact on a nearby park. [InsideNova]

‘Enhanced Risk’ of Severe Weather Today — The National Weather Service says there’s an enhanced risk of severe weather in the D.C. area this afternoon, including a 1-in-3 chance of damaging wind gusts and hail. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Notes

By Ethan Rothstein

Published April 13, 2015 at 9:30AM | Updated April 13, 2015 at 11:56AM

DCA’s Growth Hurting Dulles — Arlington’s Reagan National Airport is growing fast — it set a new record for passengers on March 27, with 39,073. Congress has widened DCA’s flight perimeter three times and more and more airlines are scheduling flights. In the meantime, Dulles is more expensive to fly out of and won’t have a Metro line until 2018 at the earliest. Reagan now has more daily passengers than Dulles, and Dulles’ consumer base is shrinking. [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Teacher Selected For Cuba Trip — Yorktown social studies teacher Tom Lenihan is raising funds to participate in Tulane University’s Cuban Culture & Society Teacher Institute. To ensure his place in Havana, Lenihan, also an adjunct professor at Marymount University, must raise $3,000. Lenihan says he will bring back knowledge and experience to share with fellow educators and his World Affairs class. He has set up a GoFundMe page to raise the money. The program is from June 20-July 4.

D.C. Area to Grow By 1.6 Million People? — The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments projects the D.C. area, including the outer suburbs, will grow from 5.05 people in 2010 to 6.62 million people in 2040. The core area, made up of D.C., Arlington and Alexandria, is projected to have a growth rate north of 40 percent. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 2, 2015 at 9:05AM

Arlington’s Population to Decline? — Contrary to the conventional wisdom that Arlington’s population will continue to rise over time, one University of Virginia forecast predicts that Arlington’s population will fall — from 229,302 people today to 197,065 by 2040 — as millenials grow up, have families and seek refuge from urban life and affordable single family homes in the exurbs. The forecast predicts a 56.8 percent increase in population for Loudoun County and a 141.4 percent increase in population for Stafford County. [Washingtonian]

DCA Name Disputes Continue –Many locals still cannot agree on what to call what Congress has named Ronald Reagan National Airport. Some people, particularly Democrats, prefer just to call it “National.” The name change happened 17 years ago. President Clinton didn’t veto the change, his press secretary recalls, in part because “in February 1998 we were rather occupied at the White House with a young lady named Monica.” [Washington Post]

Japanese Artist at DCA — As part of the National Cherry Blossom festival, local artist Yoshiko Oishi Weick will demonstrate the art of Japanese ink painting from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. today at Reagan National Airport’s B/C terminal.

Tenant At Last for National Gateway — The German discount grocer Lidl, which has its sights on the U.S. market, has purchased 217,500 square feet of office space in the National Gateway I building at 3500 S. Clark Street for $56.6 million. The office building, near Potomac Yard, has lacked an office tenant since it was built seven years ago. [Washington Business Journal]

Low-Key School Board Debate — The two candidates seeking the Democratic endorsement for School Board faced off at last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. Reid Goldstein and Sharon Dorsey both said they would raise teacher salaries, but would not commit to specifics. They also both voiced support for additional art education. [InsideNova]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 4, 2015 at 9:00AM

Arlington’s Population Rises — The latest population estimate for Arlington is 229,302, an increase of 21,675 residents in just four years. [InsideNova]

ACPD Detective Profiled — ABC 7 recently profiled Arlington police Sgt. Angela Comer as part of its Working Woman segment. The detective, who has been with ACPD for 17 years, decided to follow her father’s footsteps into law enforcement, leaving an early career in banking and business. [WJLA]

New Police Badges — The Arlington County Police Department has a new badge, in honor of its 75th anniversary this year. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Top Home Cities, States of Arlington Transplants

By ARLnow.com

Published June 23, 2014 at 10:45AM

While Arlington County has many long-time residents, it’s also home to many transplants who have moved here from other parts of the country within the past 15 years or so.

Spokeo, an online white pages service, has released a list quantifying where Arlington transplants originally came from. It has done so by taking a look at out-of-town cell phone numbers associated with Arlington addresses.

According to Spokeo, the following are the top home cities for Arlington transplants — excluding locales around the D.C. and Baltimore metro area:

Chicago
San Francisco
San Diego
Los Angeles
Houston
Dallas
Austin
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
New York
Atlanta
Denver
Seattle

The following are the top home states for Arlington transplants, excluding Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Colorado (4.0%)
Pennsylvania (3.6%)
Delaware (3.5%)
Massachusetts (3.3%)
Rhode Island (3.2%)
New Jersey (3.0%)
Connecticut (3.0%)
Florida (2.9%)
Georgia (2.5%)
North Carolina (2.5%)
Illinois (2.4%)
New York (2.4%)
California (2.3%)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 28, 2014 at 9:25AM

Opinions Split at Tax Hearing — The Arlington County Board’s public tax hearing last night was relatively short, about 30 minutes. Among the fewer than 10 speakers, opinions were split between those who want taxes to remain the same and those who want the tax rate to be lowered. [InsideNoVa]

GMU Pepper Spray Suspect Identified — The man who pepper sprayed a George Mason University law professor at the school’s Arlington campus on Wednesday has been identified as 31-year-old Jonathan Pendleton of Alexandria. The professor has been identified as economist and blogger Tyler Cowen. Pendleton left threatening comments on Cowen’s blog before the attack. [Huffington Post]

Arlington’s Population Grows — New U.S. Census figures indicate that Arlington’s population increased 3,631 last fiscal year. The county’s population, according to the Census Bureau, stands at 224,906 as of July 1, 2013. The Washington region as a whole ranked fifth for population growth among U.S. metropolitan regions. [Washington Post]

James Schlesinger Dies — Former defense and energy secretary James Schlesinger has died at the age of 85. Schlesinger was an Arlington resident. [Bloomberg]

Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 31, 2014 at 9:00AM | Updated January 31, 2014 at 2:13PM

Arlington Population Still Growing — A University of Virginia estimate suggests Arlington’s population was 227,146 as of July 1, 2013. That’s a 9.4 percent increase over the county’s 207,627 population figure from the 2010 census. [Washington Post]

Moran to Speak at Health Care Forum — Rep. Jim Moran (D) will speak at a forum on the Affordable Care Act on Saturday morning at the Lomax A.M.E. Zion Church in Nauck. The event is open to the public. [Sun Gazette]

Spy Books and Movies at the Library — Arlington Public Library has compiled a list of books and movies about spies, the CIA and the Cold War. “Come in from the Cold with a good book!” the library quipped on its blog. [Arlington Public Library]

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann