A trio of catalytic converter theft suspects, all from Chicago, were arrested early this morning.

Arlington police say they were able to track down all three suspects after they tried to speed off in a car, which they then crashed in the Penrose neighborhood. They were later arrested in the northern portion of the neighborhood, near Sequoia Plaza and Butler Holmes Park.

The arrests, which come amid a rash of thefts of the valuable car part across Arlington, ultimately happened thanks to an alert resident who reported a vehicle break-in along 13th Road S., near the Arlington Village condos, around 2 a.m.

More from an Arlington County police crime report:

VEHICLE TAMPERING, 2022-08310022, 2700 block of 13th Road S. At approximately 1:55 a.m. on August 31, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tapering in progress. Responding officers located a parked vehicle on Walter Reed Drive at S. Randolph Street matching the description provided by the reporting party and observed three male suspects enter the vehicle. Officers activated their emergency equipment and attempted a traffic stop but the driver fled from the scene at a high rate of speed. Additional officers responded to the scene and located the unoccupied suspect vehicle crashed in the 2600 block of 2nd Street S. Officers established a perimeter and located one suspect at 1st Place S. and S. Barton and the other two suspects were located in the 100 block of S. Wise Street and taken into custody. A search of the suspect vehicle resulted in the recovery of two catalytic converters and power tools.

The three suspects, who range in age from 29 to 34, are facing a number of charges, including Eluding, Tampering with Auto, Larceny with Intent to Sell, Possession of Burglarious Tools and, in the case of one suspect, Hit and Run.

Asked by ARLnow about whether the suspects were previously known to ACPD or suspected in other catalytic converter thefts, police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said the investigation is still underway.

“Detectives will continue to investigate to determine if the suspects are linked to any other reported thefts,” she said, adding that “Virginia law prohibits the disclosure of someone’s prior criminal history.”

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The end of August today means the end of summer and start of fall is upon us.

With the season change coming, we have compiled 14 fall events coming up in Arlington and around Northern Virginia.

1. Corn Maze and Apple Harvest (Sept. 1-30)

Great Country Farms (34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont)

September may mean back to school for many, but at Great Country, it means back to the farm for freshly pressed cider and apple picking. Celebrate everything apple with apple picking, their award-winning apple cider doughnuts, and a romp in their 12-acre play area. On Saturdays and Sundays, they add live music, marshmallow roasting, pig races, and cider demonstrations. 

2. Bands, Brews, and Barbecue Festival (11 a.m-5 p.m. on Sept. 10)

Manassas Museum Lawn (9101 Prince William St., Manassas)

Historic downtown Manassas will hold its 11th Annual Bands, Brews, and Barbecue Festival, complete with a chance to ride a mechanical bull and try your hand at some ax throwing. Put those tossing skills to work and participate in a fun corn hole competition with a chance to win a trophy. Of course, there will be plenty of food and drinks, with live bands playing throughout the event.

3. Rosslyn Jazz Fest 2022 (1-7 p.m. on Sept. 10)

Gateway Park (1300 Langston Blvd, Arlington)

Jazz is back in Rosslyn. Beginning at 1 p.m., Rosslyn is bringing a diverse lineup of four acts to the stage: Cimafunk, Mwenso & The Shakes, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and Groove Orchestra. Jazz Fest is FREE, and registration is not required but strongly encouraged (capacity limits are in place).

4. Dulles Day Plane Pull (11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sept. 17)

Dulles International Airport (1 Saarinen Circle, Dulles)

The Dulles Day Festival & Plane Pull (presented by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and United Airlines) is back on the ropes on September 17 at Dulles Airport. There will be a wide variety of food options available, as well as to further support Special Olympics Virginia.

5. Green Valley Day (noon-6 p.m. on Sept. 17)

Drew Elementary and John Robinson Jr. Town Square (2406 Shirlington Rd., Arlington)

“It’s a new day, in Green Valley!” The Green Valley Civic Association will be hosting Green Valley Day fun for the entire family. It will feature a community talent showcase, games and activities, live music, food, and much more. 

Read More

This article was written by Arlington Economic Development.

Inc. magazine named 25 Arlington companies to its annual list of the nation’s 5,000 fastest-growing companies, the Inc. 5000.

Piedmont Global Language Solutions tops the list of Arlington companies with an impressive 1,353% growth rate. MarginsEdge, HUNGRY, Sweatworks and Hyperion Technologies are the top five Arlington companies.

“We are honored to have made it onto the Inc 5000 list for 2022,” said Bo Davis, CEO of MarginEdge. “This is no doubt thanks to the diligence and dedication of our team and support from clients who believe in us and our product. Our growth over the last year is a testament to this and we are thrilled our team is getting the recognition it deserves for those accomplishments.”

Several Arlington companies have made the Inc. 5000 list more than five times. Fors Marsh Group has been named to the list an impressive nine times. Changeis and 540.co have been recognized six times, and Enterprise Knowledge has earned their spot five times.

“We’re thrilled to be included among the Inc5000,” said Ben Garthwaite, CEO of Fors Marsh Group. “This is our 9th time on the list, reinforcing the notion that operating our business to be a force for good, is also good for business. Community has always been essential to our growth and we are incredibly grateful to be part of the local community in Arlington as well as the international community of Certified B Corps.”

To qualify for the Inc. 5000, companies must show the past three calendar years of sales to prove their revenue. Additionally, they must be U.S.-based, privately held and independent — not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies. Revenue in the initial year must have been at least $100,000, and revenue in the most recent year must have been at least $2 million.

See the complete list of Arlington companies that made the cut and their ranking:

461.  PGLS  (Piedmont Global Language Solutions)
1051. MarginEdge
1218. HUNGRY
1219. SweatWorks
1294. Hyperion Technologies LLC
1321. Grey Market Labs
1486. Kamsa
1544. C3 Integrated Solutions
1651. DonorBureau
1879. Blake Willson Group, LLC
2148. Competitive Innovations, LLC
2227. Axios
2294. ITC Defense Corp.
2296. Fors Marsh Group
2450. PhoenixTeam
3092. iTech AG
3094. Association Analytics
3292. Web Development Group
3364. Ostendio
3422. Nuvitek
3541. Changeis, Inc.
4020. 540.co
4199. Quantum Search Partners
4353. DWBH, LLC
4898. Enterprise Knowledge, LLC

Clarendon’s newest open-air hangout is aiming to start partying by October.

“Tropical glam” bar Coco B’s, the latest venture from local restaurateurs Christal and Mike Bramson, is looking to open on the roof of Whitlow’s former home at 2854 Wilson Blvd this fall, a restaurant spokesperson told ARLnow.

The hope is to start serving in late September or early October. The initial plan was to start serving by late July or early August, but the opening has been pushed by about two months.

The bottom floor of 2854 Wilson Blvd is now the live music venue and restaurant B Live, also owned by the Bramsons.

Back in June, the couple shared with ARLnow what locals can expect from Coco B’s.

“I’d describe [the look and feel of Coco B’s] as ‘tropical glam.’ If you think of B Live as the male version of the two of us, then Coco B’s is the female version… the his and hers,” said Christal Bramson. “It’s definitely going to be more female-focused. There’s going to be a lot of pinks, velvets, feathers, and it’s going to attract the softer side of Arlington.”

The menu, while not yet set, will have “tropical-inspired” drinks. The plan was to do “some cosmetic changes” to the rooftop, open it this season, and do a more complete overhaul over the winter. Whitlow’s originally opened the rooftop deck in 2010, with a tiki bar theme and the name “Wilson’s on Whitlow’s,” a reference to Tom Hanks’ favorite volleyball in the movie Castaway.

Coco B’s will occupy the rooftop of the Wilson Blvd building while B Live, which opened in May, takes over the rest of the space that once housed Whitlow’s on Wilson. That one-time Arlington landmark has since moved to the District.

The Bramsons also own several other Clarendon food and drink destinations, including The Lot and Pamplona. ARLnow also reported yesterday that the couple has taken over management of the revamped Clarendon Ballroom from owner Michael Darby.

When Coco B’s opens later this year, the Bramsons will be operating five Clarendon businesses all within a half mile of each other.

A county program has led to a large increase in solar panels being installed on homes over the last year.

The Arlington 2022 Solar and EV Charger Co-op is a seven-year-old partnership between the county and the non-profit Solar United Neighbors to purchase solar systems in bulk. The co-op, in turn, sells the systems to the customers at about a 20% discount, the program coordinator and a planner with the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE) Helen Reinecke-Wilt explained to ARLnow.

The annual deadline to become a member is today (Aug. 31).

While the co-op is open to residents in Arlington, the City of Falls Church, and other surrounding Virginia localities, Arlingtonians comprise the majority of the membership.

And, since 2021, that has led to a substantial increase in solar panel systems being installed on Arlington homes.

Last year, 90 solar systems were installed in the county through the co-op. Add 17 from other localities, that’s 107 in total. That nearly doubled previous years’ numbers, Reinecke-Wilt said.

Last year’s record-breaking number will likely be exceeded in 2022 as well, the data suggests.

Reinecke-Wilt believes the reason for the uptick is that locals are looking to become more environmentally friendly as the county continues to tout its plan to be carbon neutral by 2050.

“I think it’s just a bigger awareness about climate action and the need to take action with more people thinking that they should be involved,” she said.

Locals are also recognizing the potential future savings due to being less dependent on the electrical grid. It’s estimated that households with solar panels save $600 to $1,100 a year on electrical costs, per the table on the co-op’s website.

While there are solar power systems being installed outside of the co-op, most installations in Arlington are through the co-op, we’re told. There are about 620 solar home systems in Arlington with 388 installed through the co-op, per data provided to ARLnow by the county’s Department of Environmental Services.

With nearly 120,000 residences in the county, that remains a small percentage. But the hope is that number will continue to increase due to the program’s growing popularity and the 30% tax credit now available thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act being signed earlier this month.

“The bump from 26% to 30% is [a big deal]. We are seeing a lot more members sign up in the past month and, certainly, I think it’s a reaction to that increase,” Reinecke-Wilt said.

There are reasons why most Arlington homes haven’t gone solar, including upfront costs — sometimes as much as $16,000 even with the tax credits. A roof’s lifespan is also a factor, with most vendors advising homeowners not to install solar panels on a roof older than seven years.

There’s also the still-vibrant (if slowly thinning) Arlington tree canopy, which shades many homes and can prevent sunshine from poking through to generate power. But that’s a good thing, Reinecke-Wilt said, since “it’s always better to have shade than solar because it provides natural cooling and helps the planet in other ways.”

Some residents also may not like the aesthetics of solar panels or hold the misguided belief that they bring down the value of the home.

But the sun seems to be rising on solar panels in Arlington.

At least by the metric of how many have signed up for the co-op, Arlington is outpacing nearly every other neighboring locality including those in D.C. and Maryland in terms of interest, Reinecke-Wilt said. She fully expects that more houses in Arlington will opt to go solar, prompted by the need to help with the climate crisis, federal incentives, and neighbor envy.

“I think it’s just getting to the point where people are starting to really notice it on a lot of homes and are asking their neighbors, ‘Why did you go solar? How did you do?'” said Reinecke-Wilt. “I think it will just continue to grow.”

A 24-year-old Texas woman was arrested after police say she stabbed someone she knew in Courthouse.

The incident happened Monday evening near county government headquarters, on the 2100 block of Clarendon Blvd, and followed a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical struggle.

The suspect has also been charged with robbery after allegedly taking the male victim’s phone and wallet.

From an Arlington County police crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-08290201, 2100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:00 p.m. on August 29, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with weapon. The investigation determined that the known parties became involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect allegedly stole the male victim’s phone and wallet. A struggle ensued and the suspect stabbed the victim. The suspect fled the scene on foot and was later stopped in her vehicle by police. The suspect was taken into custody without incident. The suspect and victim were transported to area hospitals for injuries considered non-life threatening. [The suspect], 24, of Austin, TX was arrested and charged Malicious Wounding and Robbery. She was held without bond.

More DCA Work Arriving Soon — “The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, fresh off the opening of a new concourse and security checkpoint screening area, is preparing to launch a multiyear effort to rehabilitate two of National’s three runways and their associated taxiways… Scheduled to last as long as 850 days and cost up to $110 million, the work will include new centerline and touchdown zone lighting systems, runway edge light fixtures and the installation of a temporary asphalt batch plant.” [Washington Business Journal]

Slight N. Va. Real Estate Price Dip — “The median sales price for homes that sold in Northern Virginia in July stood at $580,000, according to figures reported by the Virginia Realtors trade group. While higher by nearly 5 percent than the $553,000 recorded in July 2021, the $580,000 figure trails the median sales price of $583,000 for the first seven months of 2022.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Officially Pumpkin Spice Season — “Starbucks’ annual announcement that you can now, if you wish, buy this drink typically prompts a bunch of crankiness on the internet. Personally, I welcome the PSL’s arrival, as well as the appearance of pumpkin beer in shops for one reason… For me the PSL’s seasonal emergence means one important thing: the end of the godawful and relentless Washington, DC, summer is finally in sight.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:38 am and sunset at 7:42 pm. [Weather.gov]