The county issued a short statement to ARLnow.com last night confirming they’re “currently investigating reports of gastrointestinal (GI) illness at a long-term care facility.”
Citing “confidentiality rules,” a Department of Human Services spokesman refused to identify the facility. A source, however, tells us the facility is the Sunrise at Bluemont Park (5910 Wilson Blvd) senior living community.
Fire broke out in the basement of a stately Aurora Hills home just before 5:30 last night.
The family that was living in the house evacuated as the flames grew larger. Firefighters rushed to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire within 10 minutes. Some smoke and water damage was evident, but no one was hurt.
Congressman Dated Pentagon City Mall Employee — Disgraced former Congressman Christopher Lee (R-NY) had “a relationship” with a young woman who “worked at an upscale Pentagon City department store,” according to the New York Post. GOP leadership reportedly ordered Lee to “curtail his randy DC antics” after word got out he was dating the “young salesclerk.” There is a Macy’s and a Nordstrom department store at Pentagon City mall. [New York Post]
Post Editorial Slams Arlington, Again — Three days after declaring that Arlington Public Schools should investigate the explosive claims of a former middle school teacher, the Washington Post’s editorial board is on Arlington’s case again. The Post says Arlington won “a battle over HOT lanes but may lose a war.” By effectively killing the I-395 HOT lanes project and blocking the widening of I-66, Arlington’s “NIMBYism” is “frustrating the county’s populous and fast-growing neighbors” while “undercut[ting] its own economic interests.” [Washington Post]
By a vote of 55 to 4, members approved a $3.1 million renovation plan (see: Option C-2) that includes enhancements to the club’s three pools, more terrace space and a new clubhouse. The existing Victorian-style clubhouse, built in the 1890s and known as the Febrey-Kincheloe House, is expected to be torn down by the end of the year.
Association President Pat Shapiro says the clubhouse is in poor condition and it would be too expensive to try to safely restore it.
Jon Lovitz, of Saturday Night Live and The Critic fame, will be performing a total of four stand-up shows at the Drafthouse on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26. Tickets are $30.
The next week, on Friday, March 4 and Saturday March 5, the single-name comedian Gallagher will be bringing his unique brand of comedy to the Drafthouse.
The bill in the House of Delegates, HB 2191, was sponsored by Arlington’s Del. Adam Ebbin (D). It passed on Monday.
The bill in the state Senate, SB 975, was sponsored by Arlington’s Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D). It passed on Friday.
Arlington Independent Media has unveiled the schedule of spring classes for its Master of Independent Media program. The classes offer in-depth instruction for advanced media creators at a relatively low cost — between $150 and $300.
Here’s a list of the classes offered.
American Idol headed to San Francisco last night for another round of auditions. There they found 26-year-old Emily Anne Reed, a native of Arlington who moved to the west coast to, as she puts it, spread her wings.
Two young women came to Clarendon this weekend looking to have a good time at one of our local watering holes. They both chose a bar on the 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard, the long block that includes Spider Kelly’s and Clarendon Ballroom. And, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report, they both left the bar with police in tow.
ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 02/05/1, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. On February 5 at 12:45 am, an intoxicated woman assaulted several people inside a bar. Brittany Doyle, 22, of Stafford, was charged with Assault and Battery and Drunk in Public. She was held until sober.
I-395 HOT Lanes Could Be Reconsidered — Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton tells Potomac Local that should High Occupancy Toll lanes on the Beltway and I-95 prove successful, HOT lanes could still be added to I-395. On Tuesday Arlington County announced they were withdrawing their lawsuit against a planned HOT lanes project on I-395, following an announcement from VDOT that they would no longer pursue HOT lanes between Arlington and Alexandria. [Potomac Local]
DCA Baggage Handler Gets Trapped in Cargo Hold — A baggage handler at Reagan National Airport became trapped in the cargo hold of a plane after another baggage handler closed the cargo door without realizing someone was still inside. The trapped employee had to yell and pound on the ceiling to get the attention of the plane’s co-pilot. [TBD]
Speaking in front of TV cameras and about 15 audience members at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Route 50, immigrant advocates said the bills represent the kind of “divisive, partisan politics” that Virginia’s immigrant community has “always feared.”
“Now more than ever we cannot be silent, we have to act,” said Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez, an Arlington County School Board member and a board member of Northern Virginia Community College. “We have to defeat all these anti-immigrant bills.”
A House of Delegates Finance subcommittee approved Arlington’s hotel tax surcharge bill today. It’s expected to be taken up by the full committee on Monday.
The bill that was under consideration today was approved by the Democrat-controlled state Senate in January, under the leadership of Arlington’s Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple. A House version of the bill, introduced by Del. Bob Brink, failed to make it out of committee after being blocked by a key Republican.
