Weekend News Roundup
Arlington Police Make Arrest in Abduction Case — A Marine based at Fort Myer’s Henderson Hall has been arrested and charged with abduction and robbery. Jorge “George” Torrez, 21, is accused of robbing and trying to abduct a woman from the 1700 block of N. Quincy Street on February 10. Torrez is also a suspect in the abduction of a woman from the 600 block of N. Wakefield St. in Ballston early Saturday morning, according to Arlington police. The woman was found raped and left for dead in Prince William County after an extensive search by several law enforcement agencies. More from the Washington Post.
Planes Clip Wings at Reagan National Airport — Two US Airways were involved in a minor collision while on the tarmac at Reagan National Saturday morning. Nobody was injured, but both planes were taken out of service and passengers were booked on other flights. More from ABC7.
Arlington Spent $5 Million on Snow Removal — Arlington County spent $5 million on snow removal this winter, five times the normal snow removal budget. No word yet on how much of the budget went to the contractors who helped keep streets passable during February’s big snow storms. More from the Sun Gazette.
Route 50 Lane Closure Starts Monday
The left lane of westbound Route 50 between Courthouse Road and 10th Street (see graphic) will be closed until July.
The closure, for a utility relocation project, is the first step of an effort to improve the notorious Route 50-Courthouse Road interchange.
VDOT may put additional temporary lane closures in place as needed. Drivers advised to expect delays in the area.
Meanwhile, Arlington County has released a video showing just how dangerous the Courthouse Road interchange is, apparently in an attempt to drum up federal stimulus dollars.
Team USA Loses, Arlingtonians Mug For TV Camera
NBC4′s Darcy Spencer reported live from an unnamed Arlington bar on Team USA’s heartbreaking overtime loss against Canada.
We learned that most people were really bummed, minus the one Canadian fan at the bar and the drunk guy waving an American flag in the background.
Where to Find Girl Scout Cookies This Weekend
If you still haven’t gone out and bought your yearly ration of Girl Scout cookies, good news: there are plenty of sales planned around Arlington this weekend. You won’t be able to buy Lemon Chalet Cremes, but seriously, who likes those anyhow?
Here’s where to get your Samoa, Tagalong, Do-Si-Do, etc. fix.
Saturday:
- 8:30 a.m. to noon — Arlington Farmer’s Market (Courthouse Parking Lot)
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Qunicy Street)
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Fort Myer Commissary and Fort Myer Post Exchange
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Giant stores (2901 South Glebe Road, 3450 Washington Blvd, 3115 Lee Highway)
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Safeway stores (5101 Wilson Boulevard, 3713 Lee Highway, 2500 Harrison Street)
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Westover Market (5863 Washington Blvd.)
- 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Road, Suite 800)
- 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. — Meridian at Ballston Common (900 N. Stuart Street)
- 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. — Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (1201 S. Hayes Street)
- 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. — Market Common Clarendon (2690 Clarendon Blvd.)
- 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Windsor Shirlington Village Apartments (3000 S. Randolph Street)
- 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. — Io Piazza Apartments (2727 S. Quincy Street)
- 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Goodwill Industries (10 South Glebe Road)
Sunday:
- 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. — Giant stores(2901 South Glebe Road, 3450 Washington Blvd, 3115 Lee Highway)
- 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. — Safeway stores (5101 Wilson Boulevard, 3713 Lee Highway, 2500 Harrison Street)
- 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (1201 S. Hayes Street)
- 12:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Qunicy Street)
- 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Fort Myer Commissary and Fort Myer Post Exchange
- 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Safeway Rosslyn (1525 Wilson Boulevard)
- 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Road, Suite 800)
Police Cruiser Hit By Suspected Drunk Driver
An Arlington police officer was sent to the hospital after his parked cruiser was struck by a suspected drunk driver.
The officer was on a traffic detail on the 1700 block of N. Glebe Road at 2:00 a.m. this morning when a car slammed into his cruiser. Luis Alonso Argueta-Amaya, 23, of Woodbridge was arrested a few blocks away and charged with DWI and Felony Hit and Run.
The officer is expected to make a full recovery, according to NBC4.
Arlington’s Tree Carnage, In Photos
Throughout Arlington, today’s wicked winds claimed numerous trees, power lines and — in at least two cases — cars.
Among areas where large trees were uprooted were N. Manchester Street at 9th Road, near McKinley Elementary School, and the 1200 block of Harrison St., off of Washington Blvd.
Death Investigation in Roosevelt Island Parking Lot
U.S. Park Police have cordoned off the section of the Mt. Vernon Trail that runs through the Roosevelt Island parking lot due to a death investigation.
Preliminary reports suggest the victim committed suicide with a firearm. Right now it’s unclear whether anybody who was on the busy stretch of trail at the time witnessed the shooting.
The deceased individual’s identity has not been released.
Dangerous Power Line Situation in Westover
We’re hearing of a large tree and live power lines down on N. Harrison St. in the Westover section of Arlington, near the intersection with N. Washington St.
Police and fire have the area blocked off and are asking residents on the 1200 block of N. Harrison (near Virginia Hospital Center) to stay in their homes.
We’ve heard at least 10 other wind-related calls (branches, trees and wires down, etc.) since 11:00 a.m.
Currently, just 286 Dominion customers in Arlington are without power, compared to the 7,323 outages in Northern Virginia as a whole.
To Do This Weekend: Olympic Events
The Vancouver Olympics are coming to a close on Sunday, which, if you’ve been watching regularly, may feel like an old friend is going on two-year, extended vacation.
But don’t worry, there are still some opportunities to show your Olympic spirit this weekend.
If the U.S. men’s hockey team beats Finland today (on NBC4 at 3:00 p.m.), Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse will screen the gold metal game live on the big screen Sunday afternoon.
Also on Sunday, Evening Star Cafe in Alexandria is hosting on Olympic block party (as seen on our Events page) and oyster roast from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. The gold metal hockey game will also be shown. From the event posting:
“Expect a day’s worth of good food, fine wine, craft beers, good friends and neighbors and plenty of fun. There’s no fee to attend – Oysters, Red Apron Hot Dogs, Beer, Wine, Coffee and much more will all be priced individually anywhere from $3 to $12.”
Power Outage Update
High winds continue to whip across the region. As of 9:45 a.m., there were 863 Dominion customers in Arlington without power.
Arlington GOP, Green Party, Unions Join Forces
A coalition of unlikely allies is pushing for a major change in the structure of Arlington’s government. On Wednesday, the Arlington Republican Party voted to join the Green Party, the police union, and the firefighters and paramedics union, in petitioning for changes to county leadership.
The proposed change would shift power away from the (unelected) county manager. Instead, more responsibility would lie with the county board, which would be elected by districts rather than at-large. Republicans hope this might result in the first Republican board member in more than 10 years. The Greens see a similar glimmer of hope for reversing electoral futility.
More on how this coalition of competing interested formed, from the Sun Gazette.
The Mother of All Potholes in Ballston
It would swallow up a truck tire — maybe even a small motorcycle — if given a chance. This monster pothole, near Ballston Common Mall, is more than two feet deep, perhaps big enough to be classified as a sinkhole.
The pothole, which apparently extends into some sort of sewer line, is located in the turning lane of N. Carlin Springs Rd at the intersection with N. Glebe Rd.
An Arlington public works truck was on the scene earlier this afternoon, apparently waiting for some heavier machinery to arrive.
There are plenty of other potholes around Arlington, but this is probably the biggest. If there’s a suspension-twisting, tire-flattening pothole that you want to see patched, fill out this form on the county’s web site, or call 703-228-6570.
A county spokesperson says their crews are trying to take care of potholes within 72 hours but, due to the large number of potholes this year, meeting the 72 hour goal may be difficult.
Strong Winds Knocking Down Branches, Power Lines
Strong, gusty winds are knocking down tree branches large and small around Arlington.
Broken branches have been falling on roadways and on power lines, keeping police and power company crews busy all afternoon. As of 3:00 p.m., there were between 250 and 1,000 Dominion customers without power in Arlington, according to the company’s web site.
On S. Lincoln Street, near the Wendy’s on Columbia Pike, a large tree limb fell across the road, bringing a live power line with it.
On N. Carlin Springs Road, near the intersection with Route 50, a tree branch fell on power lines and caught on fire. The southbound lanes of N. Carlin Springs were shut down while police and fire personnel waited more than an hour for a Dominion crew to arrive.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch. Winds are expected to pick up tonight and into tomorrow, gusting as high as 60 miles per hour.
To Do Tonight: Wine Tasting in Shirlington
Support a local business and try some great wines tonight at the Curious Grape at 4056 Campbell Dr in Shirlington.
The free tasting includes “a diverse lineup of red, white, and sparkling… from top winemakers in Italy, Spain, and California and including a Prosecco and a splashy red from Rioja.”
The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 tonight.
Clarendon To Hold St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Today the Clarendon Alliance announced that in lieu of this year’s Mardi Gras parade, which was canceled due to snow, Clarendon will host a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The parade is being held on Tuesday, March 16, the night before St. Paddy’s Day. It will kick off at 8:00 p.m. on Wilson Blvd at N. Barton St. The parade will then head up Wilson Blvd to the Clarendon Metro.
The official details are yet to be announced, but we’re told to expect homegrown floats, people in costumes, and marchers from various local organizations. We’re also told that this may turn into an annual event, if it proves to be successful.
