May, 2013 | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published May 23, 2013 at 9:00AM

Man Shot By Arlington Sheriff Worked for TV Show — Julian Dawkins, the 22-year-old man shot and killed by an off-duty Arlington deputy sheriff in Alexandria early Wednesday, worked as a shuttle bus driver for the PBS Newshour in Shirlington. He was also the cousin of Washington Mystics player Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. [NBC Washington]

Chamber’s ‘Best Business’ Awards — The Arlington Chamber of Commerce has handed out its 2013 Arlington’s Best Business awards. The winners were: John Marshall Bank (Business of the Year), Dante Consulting (Business of the Year), InfoLock Technologies (Technology Small Business of the Year), Minuteman Press Crystal City (Service Small Business of the Year), House of Steep (Retail Small Business of the Year), AHC Inc. (Non-Profit Small Business of the Year), BbG Fitness (Home-Based Business of the Year Award). [Sun Gazette]

Traffic

Traffic Alert: Emergency Repair Will Close Arlington Ridge Road

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 4:30PM

Arlington Ridge Road will be closed from 9:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m. Southbound traffic coming from I-395 will be re-routed east and west to 20th Street S. in both directions, and around to 23rd Street. Northbound traffic coming from Glebe Road will be re-routed east and west to 23rd Street S., and around to 20th Street.

The emergency water repair is necessary because an irrigation contractor working in the 2100 block of Arlington Ridge Road accidentally caused a leak. Water service needs to be replaced at that location, from the water main in the street to the meter box in the sidewalk.

Around Town

Kite Runner Cafe Opens in Cherrydale

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 3:50PM

Signs went up at 3800 Lee Highway last year announcing the arrival of Kite Runner Cafe and now the restaurant is celebrating its first full week in business.

The restaurant began serving food over the weekend for both its soft opening and grand opening. Owner Homayon Karimy is originally from Afghanistan and has lived in Pakistan, but Arlington is where is heart is.

News

Board Approves Bailout for Signature Theatre

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 2:35PM

The Board discussed the matter in a closed session before unanimously approving it. According to County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac, it is standard procedure for the Board to discuss a grant behind closed doors. The grant agreement will be made public once the county attorney finalizes it.

County Manager Barbara Donnellan said the grant will help bring the theater current with real estate taxes owed to the county. Funding for the grant was provided from budget savings identified at the end of Fiscal Year 2012.

Feature

Arlington Pet of the Week: Zoe

By ARLnow.com

Published May 22, 2013 at 1:30PM

Meet Zoe, a lovable but sometimes mischievousness rescue dog, and this week’s Arlington Pet of the Week.

Here’s what Zoe’s owners had to say about her:

News

Dog Park Reopening Delayed Until Summer

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 11:45AM

Construction issues will delay the anticipated “late spring” reopening of Clarendon’s James Hunter Park until summer.

According to Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish, a number of unforeseen conditions turned up during construction at the dog park site on the corner of N. Herndon Street and N. 13th Street. Some of the problems include difficult soils, grading issues and the discovery of “buried structures.” Kalish said although such issues are not unheard of, they will push the expected park completion date into July.

Around Town

Office Depot Closing Courthouse Store

By ARLnow.com

Published May 22, 2013 at 10:45AM

The Office Depot at 1515 N. Courthouse Road is closing next month.

Signs and flyers inside the Courthouse store say it will close its doors on June 29. Customers are being encouraged to instead shop at the Alexandria store at 6211 N. Kings Highway or the Falls Church store at 3536 S. Jefferson Drive.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 9:30AM | Updated May 22, 2013 at 9:55AM

Ground Floor Retail Exemption Granted — At its meeting yesterday (May 21), the County Board granted an exemption to the policy of requiring ground floor retail space, for the office building at 3701 N. Fairfax Drive. The building formerly housed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which had received a retail exemption due to security concerns. The Board granted the exemption this time due to the space’s lack of access and visibility from the street. [Sun Gazette]

AIRE Goal Exceeded — Arlington County has exceeded its 2007 Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE) goal of a 10 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from government operations by 2012. The county has reduced its emissions by 11.7 percent since 2000. “This is an important milestone in Arlington’s efforts to build a more sustainable future for all our residents and businesses,” said Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada. “The County has made great strides in improving the energy efficiency of our buildings and of our fleet and services, and we will continue to look for ways to reduce emissions and reduce spending on energy.” [Arlington County]

News

UPDATED: Arlington Deputy Sheriff Involved in Alexandria Shooting

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 8:35AM | Updated May 30, 2013 at 11:17PM

An Arlington County deputy sheriff is being interviewed by detectives regarding a shooting death in Alexandria overnight.

Around 12:45 a.m., Alexandria Police responded to reports of a person being shot in the 100 block of Lynhaven Drive, just south of Arlington and a block away from Potomac Yard.

News

Fire Raises Resident Concerns About 911 System

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 3:50PM

Some callers reported hearing a recorded message while they were put on hold for several minutes, according to an ARLnow.com tipster. OEM Director Jack Brown confirmed that there were callers who heard a message asking them to stay on the line while the system was flooded with calls. Anyone who hung up was then called back to verify that they were safe and to check if they still needed emergency assistance, exactly like any other 911 hang up.

“It’s not an overburden for us, it’s just very busy in the initial stages of an emergency,” said Emergency Communications Center Commander John Crawford. “The system was working and the people were working. The only issue we get is when lots of people call all at once.”

Feature

NOVA Legal Beat: Spousal Support for Ex-Husband?

By ARLnow.com

Published May 21, 2013 at 2:45PM | Updated May 21, 2013 at 3:08PM

Editor’s Note: This new sponsored Q&A column is written by Mathew B. Tully of Tully Rinckey PLLC.

Question: My soon-to-be-ex-husband makes less than I do. Does that mean I have to pay spousal support after we divorce?

News

Annual Seat Belt Enforcement Effort Underway

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 1:55PM | Updated May 21, 2013 at 2:17PM

The Arlington County Police Department says motorists should always wear seat belts, and those who refuse to will be targeted. ACPD is joining other local and state law enforcement officers, as well as those across the country, who are focusing on seat belt laws during this time period.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ Safety Office, preliminary statistics show that last year 305 of Virginia’s 774 fatalities were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics from 2011 indicate 272 Virginians lived through accidents due to wearing a seat belt.