The lights were installed a couple of months ago, but have remained covered up. Concerned about pedestrian safety, some residents have been emailing ARLnow.com to ask when the lights would begin functioning. One reader compared crossing the intersection to maneuvering through a video game.
“Too many people play ‘Frogger’ at night trying to go to and from the Gold’s Gym,” the reader wrote.
Last month, a pair of Arlington County Circuit Court juries found McKinley C. Joyner guilty on two counts of forcible sodomy, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one count of abduction with the intent to defile. He also entered an Alford plea on charges of rape, forcible sodomy and abduction.
Prosecutors say Joyner victimized three female escorts in two separate incidents between 5:00 and 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2010. The women, who Joyner found via the web site Backpage.com, were each forced to engage in sexual activity at gunpoint at Joyner’s Crystal City apartment, according to prosecutors.
The training center is connected to Verve Health & Fitness near the Rosslyn metro. Verve Co-owner Michael Lin explained that part of the existing facility was partitioned off to add CrossFit. Lin believes offering both CrossFit style workouts and more traditional exercise options benefits customers.
“I believe the balance is very important to keep a person as healthy and capable as physically possible,” said Lin.
This morning, on Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil was rudely awoken from his slumber and asked to predict the weather.
Phil saw his shadow — meaning that, according to tradition, there will be six more weeks of winter. Given the mild winter so far, would you mind six weeks of cold, wintry weather before the start of spring?
Obama to Appear in Arlington on Friday — President Obama will deliver a speech about the economy at Arlington’s Fire Station 5 on Friday. The fire station is located on S. Hayes Street in Aurora Highlands, a couple of blocks from Pentagon City mall. [Washington Post]
Three Candidates Running for School Board — There are now three Democratic candidates running for two open Arlington County School Board seats: Emma Violand-Sanchez (incumbent), Noah Simon and Larry Fishtahler. Arlington Democrats will endorse two candidates at a May caucus. [Sun Gazette]
This week’s Arlington County crime report contained several incidents of frightening crimes against women. Among them:
RAPE, 01/25/12, 3000 block of Columbia Pike. Between 2 and 3 pm on January 25, a female victim was raped by a known suspect in a hotel room. The suspect is in custody.
In July, we reported about resident concerns over an additional 1,200 workers flooding the Barcroft neighborhood due to the Base Realignment and Closure Act. People living in the area were concerned about workers parking on the streets and dangerous traffic congestion on George Mason Drive. They appealed to Rep. Jim Moran for help.
Moran asked that the plan for shuttle buses between Arlington Hall and the Pentagon Center be expedited to ease the traffic burden, and shuttles started running on September 6. Now, residents report this action has helped improve traffic conditions and safety over the past few months.
Arlington County Registrar Linda Lindberg explained that registration deadlines are 21 days before all primaries and general elections, but 13 days before special elections. That means anyone who wishes to vote in the Republican Presidential Primary on March 6 must be registered by Monday, February 13. The deadline is Monday, March 12 for those who want to register to vote in the special election for Arlington County Board on March 27.
Voters who have previously registered in Virginia and have not changed addresses do not have to re-register. Anyone who has moved since last voting must update their information. Voters may not register at the polls.
The sporadic 50 and 60 degree days have some bulbs sprouting early and have even prompted a pollen update today. The Capital Weather Gang reports that January broke our string of three colder than average winters. The average temperature of 40.8 was only 4.8 degrees warmer than the normal of 36, but brought us the 17th warmest January on record since 1871.
So with the early sprouting and continued mild weather, is it OK to start gardening yet? Not so fast. According to Manager Carey Fortnoff at Bill’s True Value Garden Center (4756 Lee Hwy), it all depends on what you’re going to plant. Small ground plants could still die if another cold snap occurs. Frost would harm the roots and kill the entire plant. Fortnoff says it’s best to wait until mid-March when the threat of frost has passed.
(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) A parking attendant was found dead in Rosslyn this morning.
A security guard found the man without a pulse and not breathing at the entrance to a garage at the Waterview Building (1919 N. Lynn Street). Police were called around 5:45 a.m.
(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) The Arlington County Fire Department has cleared the scene at Reagan National Airport, where it had been assisting Airport Police with a suspicious package.
The bomb squad took x-rays of the package to determine its contents, but nothing dangerous was found.
The suspect has been known to find his victims through contact on internet sites and online advertisements. He is described as a black male, 35-45 years old, 5’7″-5’9″ and 160-180 pounds.
An incident two weeks ago is the latest in what may be a string of crimes by the same suspect. The victim told police she had been hired by the suspect from an online advertisement to perform sexual acts in a Crystal City hotel room. When the suspect arrived at the room, the victim asked him to leave. The victim was forced to stay in the room against her will and perform unwanted sexual acts. She was able to escape and immediately went to the police.
