An Arlington County Grand Jury indicted James Sylvester Caroline on capital murder and weapons charges for the murder of Tommy Kin Mo Wong.
Caroline is accused of killing Wong during a robbery of the Capital Jewelers store at 3219 Columbia Pike on the afternoon of July 27. Caroline was arrested just days after the murder during a traffic stop on the Arlington/Alexandria border.
Silver Line Could Shift Economic Development — As Metro’s Silver Line nears completion, there’s speculation it could prompt an economic development competition between Arlington and Fairfax County. Fairfax officials are already crediting the new line with bringing in at least one new business — Intelsat, an international satellite system provider. Gerald Gordon, the head of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said the transformation of Tysons Corner will put it on a level playing field with the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor as far as attracting businesses. [Sun Gazette]
Polar Bear Sports Registration — United Social Sports is expanding its typical offerings of “bar sports” — such as cornhole, shuffleboard and skeeball — to include Polar Bear soccer leagues this winter. The leagues are for die hard players who wish to continue playing outdoors throughout the winter on a soccer field at Long Bridge Park. Registration is available online for the league, which offers weekly games on Sundays or Tuesdays. Games start the week of January 13. [United Social Sports]
Columbia Pike is closed in both directions between S. Thomas Street and Wakefield Street due to a water main break.
The closure will last throughout the morning rush hour, according to Arlington Alerts, and drivers are asked to seek alternate routes. The closure is also apparently having an impact on bus service — long lines at bus stops have been observed on eastbound Columbia Pike.
Nearly a dozen Arlington-based organizations have been recognized as “2012 Top-Rated Nonprofits” by the review website GreatNonprofits.
The nonprofits made the list by accumulating positive reviews from volunteers, donors and clients. A total of 1,386 U.S. nonprofits were listed this year. Among those based in Arlington:
Noted American statesman Ben Franklin stopped by to give a short speech before County Board member Libby Garvey’s swearing-in ceremony on Friday evening.
The incident happened around 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12. According to police, a man and a woman were observed entering the restaurant and sitting by the front window. At one point the woman reportedly got up and started talking on a cell phone, at which time another man arrived.
The woman and the second man got into an SUV, drove to the back of the restaurant, and engaged in sexual activity after exchanging $20, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The vehicle was described as a Pontiac Aztek, and police say it was owned by the first man, who remained inside the restaurant. Police say they observed the sexual activity and arrested all three suspects.
Joanna Wallace (left) matched five numbers but didn’t match the Powerball, which would given her a share of the $587 million jackpot. She was one of four $1 million winners in Virginia from the record-setting jackpot drawing.
Wallace purchased her ticket at the 7-Eleven store at 5267 Lee Highway, using the Easy Pick option to randomly select the numbers on her ticket, according to the Virginia Lottery. The store received a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
The Washington Wizards, Mystics and Capitals hosted a holiday party for underprivileged D.C. area families at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston over the weekend.
The holiday party, held from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Sunday, is a tradition for team owner Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
The incident started earlier in the evening as a minor altercation between two students who lived in the same dormitory building. According to police, the suspect in the case — a 20-year-old student — confronted the victim in another student’s dorm room following the altercation.
At one point the suspect shoved the victim, and the victim responded by punching the suspect in the face, possibly breaking his nose, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The suspect then took out a small folding knife and cut the victim across the lower area of the stomach, from the front of his body to his back, exposing his intestines and cutting his pancreas, Sternbeck said.
Wreath Laying at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery — Some 20,000 volunteers placed more than 110,000 wreaths on graves at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday. It was the 21st annual wreath-laying event at the cemetery, and the largest number of wreaths ever delivered for the event. [Stars and Stripes, Wreaths Across America]
Donations for Secret Santa Due Tomorrow — Those who want to donate gift cards to the Arlington Department of Human Services’ “Secret Santa” program are asked to do so by tomorrow. The program provides a bit of holiday joy to children in foster care, people with disabilities, low income seniors and needy families. [Arlington County]
If you’re looking for new home, it’s your lucky weekend. There are plenty of open houses to choose from in Arlington on this, the last autumn weekend of 2012.
See our real estate section for a full listing of open houses. Here are a few highlights:
Individual schools have been sending emails to parents throughout the day, says Assistant Superintendent for School and Community Relations Linda Erdos. Schools drill regularly for a range of emergencies, Erdos said, adding that several Arlington schools conducted a pre-planned lockdown drill this morning.
“All of our plans and preparations are developed in coordination with Arlington public safety officials,” she said. “Our schools all throughout the county regularly schedule lockdown drills. We do those all the time, just like tornado drills and fire drills. We do a lot of drills with our students so they know what steps are to be taken in an emergency.”
