Waverly Hills Man Accused of Running International Drug Ring
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) An Arlington man has been arrested and accused of running an international drug ring.
Federal prosecutors say Yonis M. Ishak of Arlington was the leader of a criminal conspiracy that imported millions of grams of the illegal African drug Khat into the United States from England, Holland and Canada. Public records show that Ishak lived in an apartment on the 2000 block of N. Vermont Street in Waverly Hills.
Authorities say Ishak, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia, used couriers and the postal system to distribute nearly 10,000 pounds of Khat to at least 15 states, including California, Washington, Tennessee, New York and the D.C. metro area. Ishak was arrested yesterday along with 17 alleged co-conspirators. Ten of the individuals arrested were from Northern Virginia, although Ishak was the only one from Arlington.
Khat leaves contain the drug cathinone, an addictive amphetamine-like stimulant. The leaves are chewed by users, a common practice in parts of Africa and the Middle East. The charge of conspiring to distribute the drug carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. See more information on the case here.
New Remy Video Pokes Fun at the TSA
‘Arlington Rap’ guy Remy Munasifi has teamed up with the libertarians at Reason Magazine to produce a new parody video about the much-maligned Transportation Security Administration.
The video, “Do the TSA Pokey Pokey,” makes fun of the TSA’s intrusive airport body scans and pat-downs. It also satirizes recent controversies involving pat-downs of young children.
“We touch you kid like that / We grope your kid like this / We touch them up and down because they might be terrorists,” Remy sings, dressed as a mustachioed TSA agent. “We do the pokey pokey because we somehow are allowed, that’s what it’s all about.”
Sustainable Art Exhibit Opening at Artisphere
It’s Artisphere’s biggest exhibit yet, and it follows a theme near and dear to the hearts of many in Arlington County.
Tonight is the public opening for “Contain, Maintain, Sustain,” a gallery of contemporary art inspired by sustainability. Among the pieces in the exhibit are beautiful gas cans, inspiring rubbish receptacles, a free-floating trash bag, magazines made into mountains and a box-laden bicycle.
The exhibit — a partnership between Artisphere, the Washington Project for the Arts and the Washington Sculptors Group — features the work of 24 international and locally-based artists.
Tonight’s opening reception is open to the public from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through July 17. More photos after the jump.
Bike to Work Day Approaches
Arlington is going all-out for National Bike to Work Day tomorrow.
From 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., the county will be playing host to three Bike to Work Day “pit stops” — each with music, speakers, bike giveaways, local exhibitors and free food and drinks:
- Gateway Park in Rosslyn (1300 Lee Highway)
- Conte’s Bike Shop in Ballston (3924 Wilson Blvd)
- Crystal City Water Park (1750 Crystal Drive)
The first 8,500 people who register for the event will be able to pick up a free t-shirt.
The Crystal City pit stop will also serve breakfast and provide bicycle repairs and complementary showers. The Rosslyn pit stop will feature a performance by mountain bike stunt rider Mike Steidley and a Capital Bikeshare drop-off station. In addition, the Rosslyn pit stop is where the county will announce the winner of its Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge, which was the subject of a Washington Post feature earlier this week.
Disclosure: The Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge is an ARLnow.com advertiser.
Columbia Pike Documentary Video Earns Emmy Nod
A county-produced video about the Columbia Pike Documentary Project has received a regional Emmy nomination.
The video was produced by Arlington Virginia Network producer/photographer/editor Roger Munter. It’s nominated in the Historical/Cultural category along with video segments from the Washington Post, Baltimore’s Fox 45 television station and others.
Munter’s video follows a group of residents that has been documenting life on Columbia Pike through photographs and oral histories.
Crime Report: Exposure Arrests
Two men were arrested on exposure charges in this week’s Arlington County crime report.
EXPOSURE-ARREST, 05/11/11, 1700 block of S. 14th Street. On May 11 at 5 pm, police received a call regarding a disorderly intoxicated subject. When they located the suspect, he repeatedly exposed himself to the officers through a glass door. Samuel Crews, 27, of Arlington, was charged with Indecent Exposure. He was held on a $2,500 bond.
EXPOSURE-ARREST,05/14/11, 1800 block of Wilson Boulevard. On May 14 at 1:30 pm, a man was seen exposing himself while driving a vehicle. Terry Von Hurtt, 57, of Woodbridge, was charged with Masturbating in Public. He was held on a $1,000 bond.
The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.
Morning Notes
New Massage Business on the Pike — A new massage parlor on Columbia Pike is advertising its services in the ‘Adult Entertainment’ section of Backpage.com. “Friendly and well trained sweet Asian staff are waiting for you!” the ad says. [Pike Wire]
Was the Internet Really Invented in Arlington? – County officials have been touting the role of the Arlington-based Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the creation of the internet, but does DARPA — and Arlington — really deserve credit as the birthplace of the internet? In an article entitled “Mythbusting,” We Love DC’s Tom Bridge says that he’s skeptical. [We Love DC]
Couric a No-Show at Pentagon City Book Signing – Arlington native and outgoing CBS Evening News Anchor Katie Couric was a no-show at a scheduled book signing at the Costco in Pentagon City. What forced her to cancel the event? Her Twitter account offers few clues. [Glittarazzi]
Shirlington Dog Park May Ban Kids — Arlington County is reportedly planning on banning all children under 8 and unaccompanied children between the ages of 8 and 14 from the Shirlington dog park. [Examiner]
Courthouse Apartment Building Sets Record — The Palatine apartment complex in Courthouse just sold for $142 million, making it the most expensive per-unit luxury apartment project in the D.C. area, ever. [Washington Business Journal]
(H/t to Janet of Shirlington Village Blog)
