APS Transportation Director Suddenly Retires
The Arlington Public Schools Transportation Director has retired, just weeks before APS will go back in session with a new, recently-announced voucher-based busing system.
Transportation Director Gregory Sutton’s last day on the job was yesterday, Aug. 7, Assistant Superintendent Linda Erdos confirmed to ARLnow.com today. Erdos would not say whether Sutton’s retirement was announced in advance or whether it was an unexpected resignation. She did say, however, that the process to replace him will not begin until later this year.
“We do not share the private reasons that employees share when they notify us of their decisions,” Erdos said. “We have an interim team of transportation managers who will lead Transportation while we begin our personnel process to fill the position later this year.”
Sept. 4 is the first day of school in Arlington, and this school year students who take the bus will be required to present a voucher in order to board an APS school bus. The move to a voucher-based system — announced in two separate letters to parents — follows the release of a report last fall that concluded Arlington’s school bus system was under ”a great strain” and reaching a “breaking point” systemwide.
The report recommended a reorganization of management and administrative staffing at the school system’s Transportation Services department, among other steps.
Flickr pool photo by Afagen
Crime Report: Indecent Exposures
There were two incidents of men engaged in lewd activities in public last week, according to the latest Arlington County crime report.
On Thursday, Aug. 2, a man was seen masturbating between two cars in the Clarendon/Courthouse area.
INDECENT EXPOSURE, 08/02/12, 1100 block of N. Barton Street. At 11:08 pm on August 2, an unknown subject was seen masturbating between two parked cars by a female as she walked past him on the sidewalk. Police were unable to locate the subject, described as a Hispanic male, in his mid 20’s, wearing a white shirt.
On Sunday, Aug. 5, another man was seen masturbating in public, this time in an apartment building hallway.
INDECENT EXPOSURE, 08/05/12, 5100 block of S. 10th Street. At 6:14 pm on August 5, a female victim witnessed a unknown male subject masturbating in her apartment building hallway. The male subject fled from the building on foot and was located by police a short time later. Rodimiro Valenzuela Garcia, 38, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with indecent exposure and drunk in public. He was held on a $1,500 secure bond.
Also last week, police say an Arlington man attempted — but failed — to stab another man with a butcher knife. He was arrested outside the Ballston Metro station.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 08/03/12, 4200 block of N. Fairfax Drive. At midnight on August 3, a subject repeatedly attempted to stab a man with a butcher knife as he exited a store. The victim did not sustain any injuries. The subject was located by police on a bench outside the Ballston Metro Station with the knife under his shirt. Mario Lewis, 53, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding. He is being held without bond.
The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.
Arlington Food Trucks Defect to D.C., For a Day
A group of Arlington food trucks showed District of Columbia denizens what they’re missing today.
Five trucks — Doug the Food Dude, Bada Bing, Lemongrass, Hot People Food and Willie’s Po Boy — were on the docket for the so-called “Arlington Food Truck Invasion” at the Half Street Fairgrounds near Nationals Park. The free event, which also included beer, games of cornhole and a performance by the funk band Sol Roots, was held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
“We invited 5 Arlington food trucks to give them a chance to vend in D.C. as well as the customers a chance to see food trucks that they don’t see every day,” said Doug “The Food Dude” Maheu, whose wife Andrea helped to organize the event.
Electrical Accident Sends One to the Hospital
(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) Police and firefighters responded to the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Monroe Street this morning for an electrical accident.
Initial reports indicate that a worker who was digging with a small front loader struck a high-voltage line. The contact sent sparks flying through the air. The worker reportedly suffered burn injuries from the sparks and was transported to a local hospital.
The accident happened in front of a Dominion power substation.
More than a half dozen Dominion workers are now on scene, assessing the situation. State occupational safety investigators were also said to be en route.
The front loader belongs to D.A. Foster, a Northern Virginia company that “specializes in relocation and new business services of underground utilities, including gas, electric, water, sewer and telecommunications.” Earlier this week county officials told ARLnow.com that work was underway along Lee Highway for the Cherrydale Utility Undergrounding project. However, Arlington County spokeswoman Laura G. Smith says the company was contracting for Dominion at the time.
UPDATED: Police Investigating Hall’s Hill Deaths as Homicide
(Updated at 8:55 p.m.) Arlington County Police confirmed today that they’re investigating the deaths of two men in a Hall’s Hill apartment as a double homicide.
Initially classified as “suspicious deaths” yesterday, police now say that they believe Arlington resident Keefe Spriggs, 59, and Carl Moten, 31, were murdered inside the apartment on the 1900 block of N. Culpeper Street.
No weapon was found inside the apartment, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Still, police are not saying whether a killer is on the loose. Instead, Sternbeck says the crime was an “isolated incident” and that local residents should not be worried about further violence.
Spriggs was a divorced father of two who worked in a body shop, WJLA’s Jennifer Donelan reported Wednesday evening. Moten, a cook at a restaurant in Falls Church, was an acquaintance of Spriggs and was staying at his apartment.
Both Spriggs and Moten had criminal records in Arlington, including DWI and eluding police for Spriggs, assault and probation violation for Moten, and possession of cocaine for both. Spriggs’ crimes dated back to 2003, however, and Sternbeck said so far there’s no indication of any other crime taking place inside the apartment other than the two killings.
After going more than two years without a homicide, these murders are the third and fourth homicide in Arlington so far this summer.
Photo courtesy WJLA/ABC 7
George Mason Drive Accident Knocks Down Light Pole
(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) At least one northbound lane of George Mason Drive is reported to be blocked at N. Park Drive due to an accident.
No injuries were reported as a result of the two-vehicle accident, but a light pole was knocked down and fell into the roadway.
Police are on the scene. One northbound lane of George Mason Drive may be squeezing by the accident scene, according to a witness. It’s not clear how long it may take for crews to clean up the downed pole.
Photo courtesy David Hartogs
Morning Poll: Will You Be Attending the County Fair?
For many, a trip to the Arlington County Fair is a special experience — a fun, family-friendly summer evening activity that instills a sense of community and nostalgia.
For others, it’s something to be avoided — an event that’s inconvenient to get to and expensive to try to enjoy.
Depending on whether you’re a fair fan or not, the food there — fried Oreos, etc. — is either a delicious treat or unhealthy and of questionable origin.
So which end of the spectrum do you fall along? Will you be attending the fair this year? Feel free to explain why or why not in the comments.
Morning Notes
County Fair Starts Today — The Arlington County Fair officially kicks off today at 5:00 p.m. The first racing piglet competition will take place at 5:30 p.m. The fair will run through Sunday at 10:00 p.m. [Arlington County Fair]
‘Pike Hike’ Scheduled for Sunday — WalkArlington is sponsoring a new community “walkabout” timed to coincide with the county fair. Pike Hike II Junior Walkabout will take participants on a family-friendly stroll of the Columbia Pike town center area from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12. Sights along the way include the Pike farmers market and the Columbia Pike Branch Library. Participants will also get a free ticket to take the shuttle from the Arlington Career Center (816 S. Walter Reed Drive) to the fair. [CommuterPage Blog]
Libertarian Tries to Make Ballot — An independent candidate who has the support of the Libertarian Party is trying to make it on the Sept. 4 ballot for the 45th District House of Delegates seat. So far only Democrat Rob Krupicka and Republican Tim McGhee has been confirmed for the ballot in the race to succeed Del. David Englin. [Sun Gazette]
Large Crowd for BBQ Bike Ride — There was a large turnout last night for a barbeque and group ride from the Freshbikes store in Virginia Square. With the assistance of Arlington County police, the weekly ride takes cyclists from the store, up Military Road to the intersection with Glebe Road, and back. [Ode Street Tribune]
Flickr pool by Damiec
