News

Arlington County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for its multimodal improvement project in Pentagon City.

The two-year, $9 million project resulted in improved sidewalks, road crossings, bike lanes, street trees, drainage and landscaping along S. Hayes Street in front of Pentagon City mall. The project was completed nearly 6 percent under budget, with the state and federal government paying 80 percent of the final cost, according to the county.


Weather

A flash flood watch has been issued for Arlington County and the surrounding D.C. metro area.

Forecasters expect 3-5 inches of rain to fall between now and Thursday as a storm system soaks the region for much of the week. The deluge may cause local creeks, streams and low-lying areas to flood. From the National Weather Service:


Traffic

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Arlington police and firefighters are on the scene of a rollover accident at the intersection of Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street in Pentagon City.

Initial reports suggest an SUV overturned as a result of a two-vehicle crash. The driver of the overturned SUV was able to get out of the vehicle and did not appear to be seriously hurt.


News

Update at 2:45 p.m. — The package has been determined to be safe and the scene is being cleared.

Police, firefighters and the Arlington County bomb squad are staging at the corner of N. Courthouse Road and 13th Street in response to a suspicious package.


Around Town

A Dunkin’ Donuts location appears on its way to Ballston in the former Quiznos storefront in the National Science Foundation building.

The storefront, at 4201 Wilson Blvd — but located at the corner of N. Stuart and 9th Streets — is covered in brown paper but a sign on the window states Dunkin’ Donuts applied for a building permit on April 3.


Feature

Editor’s Note: Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

Today, those interests and hobbies have spawned Bloompop, an e-commerce platform that lets customers browse and purchase flowers from some of the best local florists in their city. Miller said she was tired of seeing local florists struggling while national flower delivery companies delivered inferior products.


Events

The Cinco de Mayo-themed “Cinco de MEGA-Crawl” will be held from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, according to organizer GoCity Events. Tickets are available online for $15.

GoCity, which also organizes the annual Shamrock Fest in D.C., says participating bars include Clarendon Grill, Velocity 5, Mad Rose Tavern, Greene Turtle, Hunan One, Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill, Mister Days, Wilson Tavern, Hard Times and “more to be added.” The crawl will feature “exclusive drink and food specials at each stop” and “Cinco de Mayo festivities, entertainment, music & fun.”


Around Town

The fast food restaurant, known for its falafel sandwiches and fries, is currently hiring managers for a new Clarendon location. The job posting notes that a manager is also needed for a late night shift.

Amsterdam Falafelshop’s original location is on 18th Street NW in Adam’s Morgan. It has been expanding, with locations opening in Boston, Annapolis and on 14th Street NW in D.C.


News

Death Sentence Recommended for Torrez — A federal jury on Thursday recommended that former Marine Jorge Torrez be put to death for the 2009 murder of Navy Petty Officer Amanda Jean Snell on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. A judge is scheduled to formally sentence Torrez on May 30. [Washington Post]

Van Doren Picks Up Endorsements — Arlington School Board candidate Nancy Van Doren announced over the weekend that she has picked up the endorsements of the Arlington Education Association PAC, which represents Arlington teachers, and of current School Board member Emma Violand-Sanchez.