top stories

(Updated at 4 p.m.) In Arlington, 2016 was a year that was filled with local stories that were tragic, triumphant or just plain weird.

We’re counting down the top 20 most-read articles of 2016 this week.

Kicking off the list today is #16-20.

20. Creepy Clown Sighting Reported in Arlington (15,531 views)
Arlington’s version of the international “creepy clown” hysteria, which unsurprisingly died down shortly after Halloween, reached its peak when “a caller told police that her child saw a clown emerge from some woods in the Arlington Mill neighborhood.”

19. Demolition Underway at Ballston Common Mall (15,867 views)
There is apparently something satisfying about seeing an outdated shopping mall get torn to pieces. Especially when what’s taking its place looks pretty cool.

18. Washington Blvd Shut Down After Man Shoots Self in Car (16,255 views)
This story was tragic for the man and his family. Also, the way in which he chose to end his life disrupted the evening commute of thousands and traumatized first responders.

17. Hard Times Cafe in Clarendon is Closing (16,667 views)
This long-time Clarendon staple only gave customers a one-day heads up that it was closing for good. We have been unable to substantiate rumors as to the exact reason for its closing, though a combination of high rent and sluggish business seems likely. A replacement — G.O.A.T Sports Bar — was recently announced.

16. Teen Charged With Murder in Fatal Stabbing (17,181 views)
A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with murder in the fatal Friday night stabbing of a 46-year-old family member.

Look for #11-15 on the countdown tomorrow.

Happy new year, Arlington!

You’ve waited patiently for this post, and here it is, just hours before 2014 comes to a close and a new year of local developments is ushered in. (Those of you who receive our email newsletter may be seeing this on Jan. 1, in which case feel free to ignore this pointless introduction.)

You’ve already seen #11-20 and #6-10. Now, without additional fanfare, here are the most-viewed articles of 2014.

5. Woman Dies After Being Struck By Dump Truck (29,711 views) — It was a nightmare come to life, and it happened right in front of a local elementary school. On a cold February day, 39-year-old Jennifer Lawson was struck by a truck as she loaded one of her young children in her minivan, which was parked on N. Little Falls Road in front of Nottingham Elementary. Lawson died at the hospital, leaving behind a husband and three children.

A memorial fund was established for the family, and the incident helped to bring about additional safety changes on Little Falls Road. Despite those changes, nine months later another mother was struck while loading her kids into an SUV, just one block from the original accident.

4. Man Convicted of Assault on Roommate Who Drew a Penis on His Face (46,278 views) — It should come as little surprise that the follow-up to our No. 1 most-viewed article of 2013 would itself subsequently rank in the top 5. James Watson, a 30-something Lyon Village resident, was found guilty in May of the crime that earned him international attention — beating the snot out of a roommate who drew a dong on his face while he was snoozing. It was, of course, the mugshot — in which you can see the artwork — that turned this from a run-of-the-mill crime report item to an accidental internet sensation.

Watson was fined but the judge did not order any additional jail time. A quote from the prosecutor in the case suggests the time Watson served after his arrest might have been punishment enough. “He was an object of ridicule in jail that weekend because he still had the penis drawn on his face,” the prosecutor told us.

3. Police: Drunk Woman Shows Up Naked to Visit Husband in Jail (57,215 views) — Speaking of the Arlington County Detention Facility and accidental internet fame, a Reston resident became an overnight meme in March when she allegedly showed up naked at the Arlington magistrate’s office following a Clarendon bar crawl. Maura Fussell was there to visit her husband, who also had a bit too much to drink at the bar crawl and had earlier been granted a room in the jail. Why she reportedly lacked clothing is still unknown to us.

Fussell pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunk in public charge in May, paying a small fine but avoiding jail time. A separate misdemeanor trespassing charge, amended down from indecent exposure, is still pending, according to court records.

2. Bar Crawl Attendee Strips Naked, Leads Police on High Speed Chase (85,876 views) — Another Clarendon bar crawl, another high-profile arrest. This time, 22-year-old Charles Mack stripped naked during June’s “All-American Bar Crawl,” then hopped in a car and led police on a brief but exceedingly dangerous chase around the neighborhood. He finally ran into a couple of cars, then was tased and taken into custody after he hopped out of the car and tried to flee on foot — all that while still naked and in front of dozens of revelers.

In September Mack pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and felony eluding, via an Alford plea. On Dec. 12 he was sentenced to three months in prison, followed by three years of probation and a $1,500 fine.

(more…)

It’s time again for our annual list of most-read stories of the year.

Readers gravitated toward stories comical and serious, from signs that look like genitals to car crashes and elections. The year turned out to be an historic one, with unprecedented election results and massive policy shifts. It also proved that Arlington readers care just as much about local politics as they do about drunken shenanigans.

Without further ado, the first 10 stories on our countdown:

20. ART Bus Driver Charged After Seven-Vehicle Wreck (12,868 views) — An ART bus hit multiple cars, both moving and parked, on Columbia Pike, sending four people to the hospital. The bus driver had been driving in revenue service for only a month. During the accident, the bus took out several bricks from a retaining wall and destroyed trees and benches. The wreck left a trail of destruction highly uncommon, even in multiple-vehicle accidents. The accident drew dozens of spectators to the scene, who stayed for hours while police and fire crews cleaned up.

19. Fatal Crash Suspect’s Friend Died in Wreck One Block Away (12,947 views) — After another fatal car accident at the heavily trafficked Lee Highway intersections near the Key Bridge, a little digging on social media into the suspect revealed a surprising connection. The driver, who allegedly drove drunk struck a car and killed a 24-year-old man, was friends with Sami Ullah. A year earlier almost to the day, Ullah died in a car accident a block away after driving 90 mph over the Key Bridge. The connection between the two crashes was both chilling and sad.

18. Restaurant Lashes Out at County Board Over Revoked Permit (12,976 views) — A routine County Board meeting over the Pines of Italy’s live entertainment permit became a minor national story. A woman there in support of the restaurant called the County Board “c–ksuckers,” and sports gossip website Deadspin deemed it worthy of a story all its own.

17. Man Arrested After Pepper Spraying GMU Law Prof (14,149 views) — A man tried to place a law professor under citizen’s arrest, but, when the professor resisted, he received a face full of pepper spray. No students came to his aid, according to Forbes, which may have been because the professor was teaching a class on vigilantism, “so many students in the class may have believed that the assault was part of the planned lesson.”

16. Despite Ridicule from Yelp Reviewers, Ballston Cafe Keeps Phallic Sign (14,176 views) — A friend of ARLnow.com, visiting from out of town and staying at the Holiday Inn in Ballston, got the hat tip for this story. While walking back from the Metro, he spotted Market Place & Café’s phallic sign. The sign has been up for more than half a decade and had already been the subject of online mockery. Unfazed, the owner — who declined to speak to ARLnow.com for the story — has kept the sign up and stayed in business.

15. Vihstadt Wins Historic Victory (14,426 views) — After a runaway victory in April’s special election, John Vihstadt won just as decisively in the general, sending political shockwaves throughout the county and directly leading to the Columbia Pike streetcar’s cancellation. Vihstadt hosted an election night party in his home, and the mood from dozens of supporters, family and friends was jubilant. Vihstadt, in fact, was pressing those in attendance not to count the chickens before they hatched, settling them after each precinct made it clearer and clearer that he would emerge victorious.

14. New Apartments, Town Center Planned for ‘Revamped’ Ballston Mall (14,435 views) — Ballston’s big announcement of the plans for the much-maligned Ballston Common Mall came at the same time as the snafu that ended the Restaurant Challenge. The plans for the mall are still under review and have yet to be approved by the County Board. (more…)