The new USS Arlington (LPD 24) was commissioned in Norfolk on Saturday, before a crowd of more than 5,000 people.
The ship was named in honor of the 184 victims of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. Military brass and members of the ship’s crew were joined at the ceremony by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, Rep. Jim Moran, state legislators, all five Arlington County Board members, Arlington law enforcement officers and firefighters who responded on 9/11, and family members of 9/11 victims.
The new background is part of a site-wide promotion for Ballston Green, a new luxury townhome community near Ballston. The new background will be in place for the rest of the week, after which time we’ll revert to the old background.
ARLnow.com might host similar marketing campaigns in the future, but we wanted to give readers a heads up on this one to answer any questions the changes might have prompted.
Traffic is flowing again through the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Glebe Road in Ballston, following a water main break that closed the busy intersection and a nearby ramp from I-66.
The water main break was reported around 9:00 Saturday night. According to a county spokeswoman, a 12-inch water main burst and flooded the intersection. Pavement bucked in several spots as a result of the break, we’re told by witnesses.
A large fight was reported in the area of N. Glebe Road and Henderson Road just past midnight. Police arrived on scene and took three suspects into custody. One additional suspect tried to flee the scene and was apprehended a short distance away, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
Police then found a man who had been stabbed, who had fled from the scene earlier but collapsed in front of Union Jack’s (671 N. Glebe Road). The man was stabbed seven times in the torso, upper body, groin and thigh area, Sternbeck said. Staff from the restaurant came out with towels to try to put pressure on his wounds.
A new green home, once the subject of a neighborhood controversy, is now up for sale.
The home at 2617 N. Nottingham Street, in the Leeway neighborhood, was built on a so-called pipestem lot — a parcel carved from the back of a larger lot, connected to the street only by a narrow “pipestem” driveway.
This warm April weekend, check out some of these open houses in Arlington and find a new home, just in time for May flowers.
See our real estate section for a full listing of open houses. Here are a few highlights:
Update at 3:15 p.m.: All lanes are now reported to be back open.
Arlington police are preparing to close Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1) at the Reagan National Airport overpass, near Crystal City, due to a report of a downed power line.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the police department has issued a press release (after the jump) highlighting the need to pay attention while at the wheel, especially as more pedestrians and bicyclists hit the streets during the warmer weather months.
The press release also mentions impending state legislation that makes texting while driving a primary offense. Currently, a driver can only be charged for texting if pulled over for another violation — and the penalty is a piddly $20 fine for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. The new legislation would allow police to pull over a motorist only for texting, and would significantly increase the penalty.
Little City Gourmet, a new restaurant and coffee shop in the East Falls Church neighborhood, is slated to hold its Grand Opening on April 15.
Located in The Crescent building at 2121 N. Westmoreland Street, three blocks from the East Falls Church Metro station and a block from the W&OD Trail, the cafe will fill a void in the neighborhood left by the closing of Bear Rock Cafe.
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
Last week about 6,400 beer professionals converged in Washington for the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference. The CBC is a yearly event organized by the Brewers Association, the trade association that represents the interest of craft breweries in America. The CBC is usually held in San Diego but with BA’s other signature event SAVOR being held in New York instead of D.C. this year, we got to host the Conference instead. The whole week featured speeches, lectures, exhibitions, and some awfully cool events at local bars, breweries, and restaurants…and I missed them all. That’s life in retail for you.
Today and every Friday in April, roads in Crystal City will close for the annual Crystal City 5K Fridays race series.
The race will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on April 5 (today), 12, 19 and 26. In a press release, Arlington County Police said they will close the following lanes and streets from about 6:15 to 7:45 p.m.
USS Arlington To Be Commissioned — The USS Arlington will be commissioned in Norfolk on Saturday. Fundraising for a 9/11 tribute room on the ship is continuing, as supporters have only raised $362,000 of the hope-for $500,000. [Washington Post, Patch]
Police Seek Wallet Thief — Arlington County Police are looking for a man who stole a victim’s wallet while at a bar/restaurant in Ballston. The man then used the victim’s credit cards at a store on the 200 block of S. Glebe Road. [Arlington County]
