Around Town

The one-time Arlingtonian says he moved there on something of a whim after graduating from the University of Texas, to avoid moving back in with his parents. Thompson was working for an investment firm, in fact, when he received a fateful phone call a while back, asking him to audition for a new movie about baseball. Fast forward to present day and Thompson now has a supporting role in a blockbuster movie — Moneyball, which opens in theaters today — playing the younger version of one of the biggest stars in the world, Brad Pitt.

The path from Arlington’s Country Club Hills neighborhood to the big screen might never have happened, Thompson says, if it wasn’t for one simple request from a friend that he almost turned down.


News

According to a tipster: “[Thursday] morning one lane of southbound Glebe Road, north of 34th Rd, was closed and full of about a dozen SUV’s and pickup trucks. There were a lot of people walking around wearing U.S. Marshals jackets and bulletproof vests.”

Marshals Service spokesman Jeff Carter confirmed that an operation did take place in the area, but declined to provide any other details, saying it was part of an “on-going investigation.”


Around Town

Renovate, renovate, renovate.

That’s the plan announced by real estate firm Penzance earlier this week for its 17-story office tower at 1500 Wilson Boulevard. Most of the building, minus ground-level retailers like Santa Fe Cafe and a couple of lower floors, will be vacated next year thanks to the Base Realignment and Closure Act, and Penzance is planning to spruce things up.


News

First Day of Fall, Flash Flood Watch — Today is officially the first day of fall, but it’s not going to feel like it. A storm system bringing tropical moisture to the area will provide warm temperatures and heavy rains that may produce flash flooding. [Capital Weather Gang]

Reminder: DUI Checkpoint Tonight — As part of a national DUI crackdown, Arlington County Police will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in the county tonight.