Good morning, Arlington. Jo here. It’s Thursday, August 19: National Potato Day and Bill Clinton’s 75th birthday.

Morning Status

• Today’s Weather: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms possible after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
• Tomorrow’s Weather: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy and cooler, with a high near 81
• Sunrise: 6:25 a.m.
• Sunset : 7:50 p.m.

What We’re Covering Today

The following are preview of stories we’re planning to cover later today.

Morning Notes

• Some Automatic Ped Signals Ending [Arlington County, Twitter]
• Mostly Back to Usual for School Buses [Arlington Public Schools]
• Armed Robbery of Phone in Penrose [ACPD]
• AWLA Caring for Cat Hit By Car [Twitter]
• County Mulls Joining Sports Event Consortium [Sun Gazette]
• Free Cuts for Kids at Local Barbershop [Fox 5]
• Segment Draws Customer from a Distance [Twitter]

Poll: How About a Gondola Now? D.C. is buying the old Key Bridge Exxon site, the property that has long been envisioned as the ideal Georgetown-Rosslyn gondola landing spot. Although the project has a long road ahead of it, this is a big milestone. We’ll ask a gondola-related poll question this morning to see if Arlingtonians are still interested in the project. And if you are, don’t forget to show your support by buying our gondola-themed merch.

Investigation Into Jail Cell Death Still Ongoing: It’s been 10 months since the death of Darryl Becton while he was in the Arlington County Detention Facility, and Arlington County Police Department is still conducting a criminal investigation. He is the fifth to die in the facility in five years. The local branch of the NAACP is pushing for a clear answer for why he died, and whether — given the four other deaths — there is a pattern.

Marymount Adds Green Space: After two decades, the green space in front of Marymount University’s main building is back. A two week-long construction project restored the university’s front-lawn, which was paved in May of 2000 to make way for a parking lot.

Note that some stories may be pushed back, depending on the day’s news. 

Reporter’s Notepad

Today, you’ll get an update on an investigation into the death of a D.C. man who was found unconscious in his cell in the Arlington County Detention Facility on Oct. 1, 2020. Although Darryl Becton died more than 10 months ago, a criminal investigation by Arlington County Police Department is still ongoing, and there’s a long road to closure with the community.

The next steps are an administrative review by the Sheriff’s office, followed by an independent review of the completed investigation by the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Top of mind for me is whether 10 months is a long time, and if it is, what is causing the hold up. Unfortunately, that’s the one question no one can answer. ACPD only said it’s an ongoing investigation, and Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, the Commonwealth’s Attorney, said she cannot comment as the completed investigation has not come across her desk.

The local NAACP — which has been following this issue since October — suspects that there’s more going on in this case, and you’ll hear more of the organization’s thoughts in the story. I also learned from the NAACP that Becton’s family was not told how he died. They do have a death certificate outlining where he was buried, with the autopsy marked as “pending.” I don’t know when the autopsy was concluded, but when I asked the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the cause of death on Wednesday, I got an answer in five minutes.

Becton died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease (brought on by high blood pressure) complicated by opiate withdrawal, and the manner of death was described as “natural,” the office said.

One of the most striking things, for me, is how this piece of the puzzle was public information but not readily disseminated to the family. I’m committed to following this case as it winds through ACPD, ASCO and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.