Good Monday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 18, 2024.
- 9:45 am: Local street sweeping starts this week in Arlington | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:45 am: Local high school student recognized with ‘Military Child of The Year’ award | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:45 am: Charcuterie board franchise opens new outpost inside Rosslyn hotel | 🗣️ Comments
- 12:45 pm: Most and least expensive townhouses sold in Arlington (February 2024) | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: Inspired by his kids, single dad opens new play area in Ballston Quarter mall | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:55 pm: Bike theft suspect charged with assaulting victim and police | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Tuesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 12:00 pm: Innovation Station: Tuesdays
- 3:00 pm: Anti-Procrastination Cafe: Tuesdays
- 3:00 pm: Anti-Procrastination Cafe: Tuesdays
- 5:30 pm: March Movement: Pop-Up Fitness Series
- 6:00 pm: Borders and Beyond: The Future of American Border Security
- 6:00 pm: Rep & Revive with SPENGA
🌤️ Tuesday’s forecast
Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching around 55 degrees and west winds blowing at 10-14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. The night will be partly cloudy and the temperature will dip to 40 degrees, while southwest winds will be around 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Every artist was first an amateur.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
An 18-year-old Arlington woman is facing a litany of charges after an reported bike theft led to violence.
The incident happened Sunday evening near the intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and S. Glebe Road.
Police say they were called after a woman entered a home and stole a bike. Confronted by a victim a couple of blocks away, the woman allegedly “assaulted him, attempted to steal his jewelry, damaged a watch and struck him with a bottle.”
The suspect is also accused of kicking two of the police officers who subsequently took her into custody.
More, below, from the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.
ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2024-03170214, 1700 block of S. Walter Reed Drive. At approximately 7:15 p.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect allegedly entered the victims’ home and was verbally confronted by Victim One. The suspect then stole a bicycle, exited the home and fled the scene. Victim Two located the suspect with the stolen bicycle at 18th Street S. and S. Monroe Street and approached her. The suspect subsequently assaulted him, attempted to steal his jewelry, damaged a watch and struck him with a bottle. The suspect then assaulted a witness who attempted to intervene. As responding officers were detaining the suspect, she kicked two of the officers. Victim Two reported minor injuries and did not require medical treatment. [The suspect], 18, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police (x2), Assault and Battery (x2), Malicious Wounding, Burglary, Destruction of Property and Attempted Robbery. She was held without bond.
Another notable burglary incident happened early Sunday morning in the Cherrydale area. A man tried to force entry into four homes before police were called and a 38-year-old suspect was taken into custody, according to ACPD.
ATTEMPTED BURGLARY (Series) , 2024-03170063/2024-03170064/2024-03170087, 4000 block of Vacation Lane/3900 block of Lorcom Lane/3700 block of Lorcom Lane. At approximately 3:20 a.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was inside her residence when she heard loud banging and observed the male suspect allegedly attempting to force entry into her home by kicking a door. The suspect then left the scene and a short time later, three additional victims in the area reported an individual matching the description of the suspect attempt to force entry into their homes before fleeing the scene. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers canvassed the area and located the suspect. The suspect ran from officers and was subsequently located in the 2400 block of N. Lincoln Street and taken into custody. [The suspect], 38, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Attempted Burglary (x4).
Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive townhouses sold last month (February 2024).
Most expensive townhouses sold
- 1122 N Stuart St — Ballston — $1,535,000 (4 beds | 4.5 baths | 2,907 sq. ft.)
- 1110 A N Stafford St N — Ballston — $1,305,000 (3 beds | 3.5 baths | 2,002 sq. ft.)
- 2136 S Nelson St — Green Valley — $1,060,000 (5 beds | 4.5 baths | 3,200 sq. ft.)
Least expensive townhouses sold*
- 1021 S Barton St Unit 126 — Arlington Village — $327,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 800 sq. ft.)
- 2601 16th St S Unit 617 — Arlington Village — $350,000 (1 beds | 1 baths | 800 sq. ft.)
- 2601 16th St S Unit 609 — Arlington Village — $460,000 (2 beds | 1 baths | 994 sq. ft.)
*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.
Written by Kate Kimberlin
A charcuterie board franchise officially opened its doors in Rosslyn earlier this month.
The second Virginia location of Graze Craze is located within the Le Méridien Arlington hotel at 1121 19th Street N.
The business was two years in the making, according to franchisee Amaan Bhanji. He was in high school when he got started on this venture, making him the youngest Graze Craze franchisee, per a press release.
“I’m so excited to serve the community and create relationships with the many amazing people I meet on my entrepreneurial journey with Graze Craze,” Bhanji said.
Bhanji started working in food service when he in high school. While he originally planned to pursue college, those early work experiences, along with visits to several Graze Craze locations, led him down the path of entrepreneurship.
“I immediately fell in love with the concept, the fresh ingredients, and the creativity that goes into creating stunning charcuterie. I knew opening my own Graze Craze location would be the perfect venture to kick off my entrepreneurial journey,” Bhanji said.
The business offers a menu of different “grazing” boards and boxes curated to fit different flavor and dietary preferences. The boards can also be made for one person or as many as 10. Customers can meet with a “charcuterie expert” who will help customize boards for anything from small gatherings to large events.
Menu offerings are made fresh daily, with a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits and dips that are made in-house. The menu also offers occasional seasonal boards, such as a “Game Day Board,” as listed on the website.
Bhanji said the business will debut a new “Springtime Spread” board tomorrow (Tuesday), with watermelon radish, Italian prosciutto, dried apricots and merlot cheese.
The franchise, founded in 2018 by an Oklahoma Air Force veteran, was launched amid the rising popularity of charcuterie boards. Now with over 40 locations in 18 states, it is considered a top franchise in the “grazing food” category.
Bhanji said the first week of business has been a success and he looks forward to continuing to win new customers.
“It’s thrilling to be part of this young brand that will help bring joy to our community. I love the fact that I will be able to cater events and help relieve stress from our customers while doing something I truly enjoy,” he said.
New Italian Restaurant Opening — “Northern Virginia restaurateur Mike Cordero wants you to really rave about the food at his forthcoming restaurant. No offense to his other concepts, like Bronson Bier Hall, Don Tito or Taco Rock, but when was the last time you walked away from one of those spots and told someone: You really have got to try this dish from there? Cordero Hospitality is slated on Monday to open Carbonara, a classic Italian restaurant that’s been in the works for nearly two years.” [Washington Business Journal]
Seeking Street Improvement Feedback — From the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services: “Hey N Oakland between Pershing and 6th Road N: Could be some sweet Neighborhood Complete Streets improvements headed your way too. But yeah, we need just a bit of that excellent feedback.” [Twitter]
Food Donation Record — “On Saturday, March 9th, 205 Arlington households donated food and toiletries to help students attending the Arlington Career Center, Gunston MS, Kenmore MS, Arlington Community HS, Wakefield HS, and Washington-Liberty HS. The generous donors were part of over 2,000 contributing community members–a record Food For Neighbors (FFN) collection that yielded over 26,500 pounds of donations for hungry students attending 47 partnering schools in Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties.” [Patch]
Friday Morning Car Fire — From the Arlington County Fire Department: “Units are on the scene of vehicle fire involving a pickup truck and trailer in the area of SB GW Parkway prior to Key Bridge. Expect delays and seek an alternate route.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Arlington Continues Richmond Lease — “Arlington may at times punch above its weight class in Virginia governance, but there remains a decided pecking order – with Fairfax County as the 800-pound gorilla. To underscore that fact, the Arlington government has decided to continue leasing modest office space from its counterparts in Fairfax down in Richmond.” [Gazette Leader]
Gov. Keeps Pushing for Arena — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin seems poised to make changes to the state’s budget bill to include funding for a new $2 billion sports arena and entertainment complex in Alexandria — with or without input from the state Senate. The Republican governor said in a radio interview Thursday that while his preference is for the Senate to follow the House and include arena-related funding in its budget proposal, he has the ability to amend the budget before signing it into law.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 51, accompanied by a west wind blowing between 9 and 14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. In the evening, the sky remains mostly clear with a low temperature around 34. A northwest wind of 11 to 13 mph will continue, gusting as high as 22 mph. [Weather.gov]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by coworking provider Industrious. ARLnow has been based in an Industrious office for a few years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked with paper. Industrious has several Metro-accessible Arlington locations to choose from.
Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 15, 2024.
- 9:30 am: Rooftop Bar & Grill in Courthouse closes permanently as landlord looks for new tenant | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:30 am: Photos: Cherry blossoms are blooming around Arlington | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:30 am: Utility work for HQ2’s stalled second phase set to start next week | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:30 pm: Arlington considers buying house to boost safety at Columbia Pike intersection | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:30 pm: Ballston beer hall to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend with dog adoption event | 🗣️ Comments
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
- School placed on lockdown after gun confiscated from student (23621 views)
- NEW: Body found in Potomac near Key Bridge (13851 views)
- BREAKING: Southbound I-395 blocked by serious motorcycle crash (8137 views)
- Clarendon’s The Lot to reopen soon as Arlington Beer Garden as redevelopment stalls (7878 views)
- Arlington woman arrested after Clarendon bank robbery (6657 views)
- JUST IN: Local acupuncturist’s December death ruled a homicide (6268 views)
- Arlington’s Axios HQ says internal comms for many U.S. companies is in dire straits (5689 views)
- JUST IN: Man convicted of throwing woman out of moving SUV near Ballston (5593 views)
- Trader Joe’s continues to make progress on likely Crystal City store (5063 views)
- New restaurant and bar coming soon to former Rebellion on the Pike space (4971 views)
- NEW: Two hospitalized after car crashes into parked trailer (4785 views)
- Mediterranean restaurant planned at former Bar Ivy in Clarendon (4435 views)
- Video: Off-duty officer jumps into action to help detain combative theft suspect (4255 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 8:00 am: YULA Invite – Ultimate Frisbee March 16-17th
- 9:00 am: Tossed & Found
- 9:00 am: Tossed & Found
- 9:30 am: Free Shredding Event
- 10:00 am: Drawing the Portrait in Charcoal 2-Day Workshop with Teresa Oaxaca at Art House
- 10:00 am: Art House 7 Workshop: Drawing the Portrait in Charcoal with Teresa Oaxaca
- 10:00 am: We’re Expecting!
- 10:00 am: We’re Expecting!
- 11:00 am: St. Patty’s Palooza at Punch Bowl Social
- 2:00 pm: The Spruce Quartet
- 4:00 pm: Meet and Greet
- 4:00 pm: Meet and Greet
- 5:00 pm: The Stranger – Concert
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
- 12:00 pm: Daylight DC Presents Brunch To The Beat @ Art WHINO
- 2:00 pm: Talkin’ Bout Turtles
- 👉 2:00 pm: Science Meets Judaism: Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Biases
☀️ Saturday’s forecast
Expect sunshine and a high of 65 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at 7-9 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon. Saturday night will be partly cloudy, with a low temperature near 50 degrees and a south wind at approximately 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”
– Charles Kettering
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
Address: 6316 17th Strett N.
Neighborhood: East Falls Church
Type: 4 BR, 3 BA single-family detached — 2,004 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,075,000
Noteworthy: Less than 5 minute walk to EFC Metro from expanded renovated 1940s Cape Cod
Inspired by the principles of Sarah Susanka’s “Not So Big House Book,” the sellers have lovingly expanded and renovated the home and gardens with local architects and landscape designers. The four bedroom, three bath home now offers an appealing home with inviting three season room and outdoor spaces.
Inviting front porch leads to living room with bay window and seat; kitchen featuring light wood cabinets, center island, granite tops, built in banquette with storage beneath; two bedrooms and renovated baths; relaxing three season room with Ipe flooring vaulted Douglas Fir ceiling with skylights, and interchangeable screens and windows for nearly year round use.
Upstairs is given over to the primary suite with sunny bedroom, spot for a desk or reading chair, walk-in closet, cubbies for storage, and a bathroom with heated jets in the tub, double vanity, and large shower. The lower level has the fourth bedroom, bathroom, rec room with gas fireplace, and a flex room for workouts, hobbies, or office.
Perennials and shrubs are beginning to bloom and will continue into the fall. Minutes to soccer fields, dog park, Benjamin Banneker Park, Madison Manor Park and bike path. Tuckahoe, Swanson, York town schools.
A home with character and light in a most desirable location.
Listed by:
Betsy Twigg — McEnearney Associates
(703) 967-4391
Some early utility work in anticipation of the second phase of Amazon’s HQ2 is scheduled to start next week.
The first phase of the massive office complex in Pentagon City opened last summer. The second phase, located across 12th Street S. from the first phase and known as “PenPlace,” is delayed indefinitely.
Despite work-from-home trends and the company cutting jobs, Amazon has said that it still plans to eventually move forward with PenPlace. The utility work is the first tangible sign of that commitment since the delay announcement.
“Planned construction at PenPlace consists of installing utilities around the site and within the street right-of-way to support the future development and in coordination with Arlington County’s Street Improvement projects,” said an email to the community from Clark Construction.
“Utility work will begin on March 18, 2024 along S. Fern Street, S. Eads Street, and 12th Street S. Traffic realignment on 12th Street S between S. Fern Street and S. Eads Street will be one of the first activities to occur in order to facilitate this work, at which time the sidewalk on the north side of 12th Street S will be closed,” noted the email, sent earlier this week.
Clark says work will take place “within the County’s permitted work hours of 7 AM to 9 PM (Mon-Fri) and 9 AM to 9 PM (Sat, Sun, and holidays).”
The Washington Business Journal first reported on the planned utility work. Amazon told the paper that it has “made ‘no changes’ to its hiring or construction plans.”
PenPlace is slated to include the distinctive, spiral “Helix” tower and a permanent location for Arlington Community High School.
Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said last year that the Board was told the delay in starting the PenPlace project would likely be about a year.
Garvey told ARLnow last night that, at this point, remains the expectation.
“We are not hearing anything new from Amazon about Phase II,” she wrote. “The expectation still is that they will move forward with Phase II this year. I believe they are evaluating how office space is being used post-pandemic to inform what they ultimately build.”
“In other words, as far as we know, nothing has changed,” she said.
Arlington Casino Floated — “Nick Clemente, son of the developer seeking to build a casino on the Silver Line in Fairfax County, posted on a Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce blog that future legislation should also consider stations in Arlington, Falls Church and Dulles as possible locations for a casino.” [Patch]
Lightning Siren Testing Today — From Arlington Public Schools: “Emergency weather siren testing will occur tomorrow, Fri, March 15, at Wakefield (2 p.m.), Yorktown (2:30 p.m.), and Washington-Liberty (3 p.m.) high school athletic fields. Loud horn and strobe lights. Please do not be alarmed, this is a test.” [Twitter]
Odd Unwanted Food Deliveries — “For five days, two Arlington roommates say they’ve been getting Uber Eats deliveries that they never ordered. Even more bizarre were the orders themselves. ‘The first three days looked exactly like this a McDonald’s bag with a single child’s milk inside it,’ said Mo Sullivan, adding ‘The last two days it has been Taco Bell cheesy roll-ups inside them.'” [WUSA 9]
Free Counseling at Marymount — “In a new initiative to address the growing mental health needs of the wider community, Marymount University has introduced a free counseling clinic that is open to the general public and the University community in collaboration with Marymount’s Student Counseling Services.” [Press Release]
First St. Paddy’s Since Crash — “‘It can’t come quick enough,’ said Dave Cahill, the managing partner of Ireland’s Four Courts in Arlington. It’s the first St. Patrick’s Day they’ve been able to celebrate since a tragic crash in 2022. ‘We’re gonna make up for last year. We’ve got 12 bands booked, a tent out the back, Irish dancers, Irish food, Irish music, what more can you ask for,’ said Cahill.” [WUSA 9]
Superintendent: Stay in School — “‘This is the time of the year we see a lot more increase in absences, especially as we get closer to spring break,’ Durán told School Board members. ‘I want to continue to emphasize how important attendance is to the success of our students.'” [Gazette Leader]
ACFD Fights Outside Fire — Firefighters doused a smoky mulch fire in the median of Route 1 in the Crystal City area yesterday evening. [Twitter]
Officer Shaves Head for Good Cause — “An officer with the Arlington County Police Department was able to raise money for a good cause by having her head shaved at an event on Sunday… Patrol – Delta Squad attended the St. Baldrick’s Foundation Conquer Kids’ Cancer event which was hosted at Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub in Shirlington.” [WUSA 9, Twitter]
High Tree Pollen Levels — “Amid all the fantastic aspects of spring, tree pollen is the microscopic bully that often makes life miserable for allergy sufferers. This year, abnormally warm weather has boosted average tree pollen counts to near-record levels in the D.C. area.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Friday — Expect showers with a possible thunderstorm after 2pm, a high around 74°F, and southwest winds at 7-9 mph. An 80% chance of precipitation with less than a tenth of an inch of rain expected, though higher amounts could occur during thunderstorms. On Friday night, anticipate showers and potentially a thunderstorm before 8pm, followed by a slight chance of showers between 8pm and 2am. Nighttime lows will be around 48°F, with north winds at 9-11 mph and some rain chances. [Weather.gov]
A Maryland man faces up to life in prison after being convicted of severely injuring a young woman who mistook him for a rideshare driver.
An Arlington jury on Thursday convicted Willie James Clements Jr. of aggravated malicious wounding and hit and run for the May 15, 2022 incident.
Clements was driving a black SUV when Maryna Kapovska, then 25, tried to get in, mistaking it for her ride home from a night out in D.C. Clements drove Kapovska around the city, then to her house in Arlington, but kept driving and shoved her out of the moving vehicle onto Wilson Blvd, prosecutors say.
Kapovska, who is originally from Ukraine, suffered “severe head trauma” and is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury. A GoFundMe campaign raised just over $50,000 for her medical care.
Clements was arrested a few months later, after a dogged police investigation. The 61-year-old could face up to life in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for May 3, according to prosecutors.
No motive for the crime was given in the press release, below, from the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Today, following four days of trial, Willie James Clements Jr., was convicted by a jury of aggravated malicious wounding and hit and run for throwing Maryna Kapovska from a moving car.
On May 15, 2022, around 2:30 a.m., Mr. Clements picked up Ms. Kapovska from a night out in Washington, D.C. All she wanted was to come home to Arlington, and called a ride share to pick her up. She tried the back door of Mr. Clements’ car, thinking it was her ride share, but the door was locked. Mr. Clements unlocked the front seat and welcomed her in. Instead of telling her she had the wrong car – that he was not there to pick her up – he drove around DC, then to her house, then away from her house, and onto Wilson Blvd., where he pushed her out of his moving car. She tumbled to the ground, and sustained severe head trauma. He drove away, without slowing down.
Witnesses had seen her being pushed out of a car, came to her aid, and called the police immediately. But police had no leads. Dogged and innovative investigative work – chasing down every possible lead and using every available technology – on the part of the Arlington County Police Department solved the mystery of who had done this.
The prosecution team, Nassir Aboreden and Abhi Mehta, handled novel issues of law and brought the pieces of the investigation together to tell a story that, because of her severe injuries, Ms. Kapovska could not remember.
Our victim witness advocates, led by Lydia Hatcher, stood by her side for nearly two years, including sitting on either side of her throughout the trial.
“Ms. Kapovska’s survival was nothing short of miraculous, and she continues to recover with the support of her family – and of course, she will always have the support of our team,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti. She has demonstrated strength and courage throughout her recovery and this case. We hope today’s verdict helps her on the path to healing. As always, regardless of what the verdict is, I am grateful to the jury for their service to the community.”
Sentencing is scheduled for May 3, 2024. Mr. Clements faces up to a life sentence for the aggravated malicious wounding and ten years for the hit and run.
Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 14, 2024.
- 9:30 am: New restaurant and bar coming soon to former Rebellion on the Pike space | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:30 am: Arlington is No. 2 most ‘climate resilient’ in nation, according to USA Today | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:30 am: Neighbors split over approval of more affordable housing at Crystal House complex | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:30 pm: Arlington woman arrested after Clarendon bank robbery | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:30 pm: Colada Shop in Clarendon to hold grand opening next week | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: Arlington Independent Media in ‘crisis’ amid audit, board turnover and delayed move | 🗣️ Comments
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
- 5:30 pm: Zumba Power Hour
- 6:00 pm: Stern Army March Pinball Tournament 3/15/24
- 7:00 pm: The Innocents Punch Party with Maria Gaspar
- 9:00 pm: Country Night @ Quincy Hall
⛈️ Friday’s forecast
There is a slight chance of showers, with a potential thunderstorm after 2pm, reaching a high of 73°F. Southwest winds will be at 8-10 mph, and with 80% precipitation chance, there could be a tenth to a quarter inch of rainfall, with higher amounts during thunderstorms. On Friday night, showers are mainly expected before 8pm, with a low around 48°F. North winds will be at 9-11 mph, and there is an 80% chance of precipitation, with less than a tenth of an inch of new rainfall possible. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.”
– Plato
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.