Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.
The screen is currently out of service, with a large note apologizing for the problem.
“Due to the extreme temperatures, our monitor displaying bus arrivals is not operational,” the sign says. “We are working on the problem.”
Arlington and the D.C. region is currently under an excessive heat warning. The National Weather Service says it will be dangerously hot today.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…
Hot Car Mom Released from Jail — Zoraida Magali Conde Hernandez, who’s accused of fatally locking her 8-month-old son in a hot car earlier this month, was released from jail yesterday afternoon after being granted a $25,000 bond. Police say Conde Hernandez accidentally left the baby in her car for 6 hours while she went to work. NBC4 reports that she works at the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. [NBC Washington]
More Money for Paving in Virginia — More money is available for VDOT’s summer paving effort this year thanks to new transportation taxes. The planned repaving includes 90 lane miles of interstate highways and 79 miles of primary roads. Arlington is one of two Virginia counties that doesn’t rely on VDOT for maintenance of secondary roads. [Sun Gazette]
Board Ponders Affordable Housing on Pike — County Board members are still deciding how best to pay for the 6,200 units of affordable housing they have pledged to maintain on Columbia Pike. One option is to use Tax Increment Financing, using the growth of real estate values (through redevelopment on the Pike) to fund affordable housing. However, a majority of Board members remain skeptical of that plan. [Sun Gazette]
Silver Line Delayed — The initial opening of the Silver Line has been delayed by eight weeks to allow for additional safety and performance testing. It was previously expected that the first phase of the Metro line, which will run to Reston and Tysons Corner, would open in late December. [MWAA]
In May, the airport served 1.88 million passengers, breaking the previous record of 1.85 million passengers set in August 2012. The May passenger figure represented a 9 percent increase from one year prior, according to the Sun Gazette.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said the increase in passengers was “largely driven by service additions on US Airways, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines and new carriers Southwest Airlines and Virgin America beginning domestic service.”
(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) Arlington County Police are on the scene of a bank robbery in Clarendon.
The robbery occurred just before 3:45 p.m. Initial reports suggest the suspect made off with about $5,000 in cash from the TD Bank at 3101 Wilson Blvd, across from the Clarendon Metro station.
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Mathew B. Tully of Tully Rinckey PLLC.
Q. An ex-girlfriend of mine is alleging that I am the father of her child. We haven’t dated for almost a year and haven’t talked since the breakup. I doubt that the child is mine. What can I do to ensure I don’t get stuck paying for a kid that’s not mine?
Apparently the HOA president of the Westwind townhouse community near Ballston has had it up to here with dog owners not cleaning up after their pooches. After encountering a wayward turd on the sidewalk, the president, whose name was redacted, sent a letter to residents threatening action.
Specifically, the HOA president proposes installing surveillance cameras and, if that doesn’t lead to the guilty party, using DNA testing to match poops with pups.
Code Orange Air Quality — Hot and unhealthy air is in the forecast today. Code Orange air quality is expected today through Friday, meaning that pollution levels could be harmful to children, the elderly, or people with health problems. On this hazy and humid day, the heat index could reach as high as 107 degrees. [WJLA]
Arlington Girls’ Fire Camp Profiled — CBS News correspondent Chip Reid took a look at Arlington’s girls fire camp on the network’s morning show. The camp is an effort to help spark interest in the department among potential future female recruits. Percentage-wise, Arlington has more than double the national average of female firefighters. The county also hired the first paid female firefighter in the nation. [CBS News]
This article was written by Audrey Batcheller
All three Arlington high schools have recently been rebuilt, but it appears they are already over capacity. Washington-Lee has seen its enrollment rise by 30 percent in the last six years, and this increase can be partially attributed to the abundance of transfers coming to the school for the International Baccalaureate diploma program. Washington-Lee is the only high school in the county that offers this program, so many transfer students apply to participate in the competitive diploma program. Yorktown and Wakefield have also seen steady increases in their enrollment, and Wakefield students will begin studying in their new facility this coming school year.
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The restaurant will offer upscale takes on traditional bar food like burgers, wings, ribs and fries, as well as higher-end items like Maine lobster and healthier options like ceviche, a “superfoods salad” and chilled asparagus. A brunch menu is also offered.
Bracket Room is located in the former Burapa Thai space at 1210 N. Garfield Street. Among the three partners in the business are Chris Bukowski, of “Bachelorette” and “Bachelor Pad” reality show fame.
