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 young bear has more recently been spotted in the Donaldson Run and Cherrydale neighborhoods. Photos and video shared with ARLnow Monday morning show the bear exploring driveways and and a park along N. Quebec Street, near Langston Blvd.
American flag and a north Arlington sunset (staff photo)
Boil Water Advisory Lifted — “Residents and businesses in south Arlington can resume using water from the tap for all purposes. A series of rigorous tests have determined that the system is safe following a significant water main break early Friday, June 7, at S Walter Reed Drive and S Four Mile Run Drive.” [Arlington County]
Traffic Cam Controversy — “While monitoring the situation using the county’s street camera system, FOX 5 observed one camera diverting its focus away from the emergency repairs to a woman standing near the scene. The woman was identified as a reporter for WDVM. The camera operator was seen focusing the lens on her for several minutes, scanning her body from head to toe.” [Fox 5, DC News Now]
Chamber Holds Candidate Forum — “Arlington Chamber of Commerce hosted Thursday’s forum, which was sponsored by the Arlington Land Use Group. As such, the questions had a business focus, touching on topics ranging from improving the county’s permitting office to the missing middle and Chamber President and CEO Kate Bates acted as the moderator.” [Patch]
Popeyes Now Open at Mall — Popeyes has reopened at the Pentagon City mall food court after one-year hiatus. It appears to have opened in the same stall as its previous location. [Facebook]
Gun Buyback Ends Early — “The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD)’s first-ever gun buyback event on Saturday was so successful that it had to end early. The event was scheduled for June 8 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Arlington Assembly of God parking lot. However, ACPD announced the event had ended by 9:30, as more people than anticipated arrived and the police were out of gift cards.” [WJLA, Twitter]
Robbery in Courthouse — “2200 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:20 a.m. on June 6, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male suspect entered the business and engaged an employee in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect threw merchandise at the employee, striking him. The suspect then allegedly concealed various merchandise into a bag and fled the scene on foot.” [ACPD]
Salary Street Interviews in Arlington — “How much does an #AirTrafficController make?📍Arlington, VA #salarytransparentstreet” [MSN]
It’s Monday — Expect increasing clouds and a high near 78 accompanied by a northwest wind at 6 to 9 mph. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 59 and a northwest wind at about 7 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for 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. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Bear seen in residential neighborhood near Potomac Overlook Regional Park, in June 2024 (staff photo)
Update on 6/10/24 — There have been more bear sightings in the Donaldson Run and Cherrydale neighborhoods.
Update at 7 p.m. — It appears that the bear — or, at least, a bear — is making its way south. An ARLnow reader sent photos of the bear from the 2200 block of N. Pollard Street, about three blocks from Dorothy Hamm Middle School.
Police are conducting a death investigation in Pentagon City after a body was found.
According to initial dispatches around 11:30 a.m., an employee of a business found the deceased person in a somewhat hidden spot along 12th Street S. near S. Fern Street. The circumstances around the person’s death are unclear.
Expect a sunny day with a high reaching near 82 degrees and a west wind blowing at 6 to 9 mph. As the night progresses, it will become partly cloudy with a low temperature around 65 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind at 3 to 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West
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. 👋
Water main break on S. Walter Reed Drive (photo courtesy Matthew Young)
A busy road is closed, multiple schools have closed, and a boil water advisory is in effect after a large water main break.
The break happened in a 16-inch water main early Friday morning — before 6 a.m. — near the intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and S. Randolph Street, sending a large amount of water down the hill to S. Four Mile Run Drive.
Towering clouds yesterday, as seen from Arlington (courtesy Gale Harris)
House Explosion Update Today — “Arlington County, along with federal law enforcement partners, will provide an update on the investigative findings into the December 4, 2023 home explosion on N. Burlington Street. The press conference will be streamed live on Arlington County Government’s YouTube channel.” [Arlington County]
APS Budget Discussion — From former School Board member Barbara Kanninen: “Flashy headline from our friends at the Gazette Leader — APS on road to a $1B budget! Increasing by 26% over next 10 years! Another way of putting it: APS budget anticipated to increase by exactly the Fed’s estimated 10-year inflation rate.” [Twitter, Gazette Leader]
Local Happy Hours — “Sometimes there’s nothing like capping the end of a long workday—or just a day—with a cold drink and a warm bite to eat. Whether you’re on the hunt for $4 brisket dumplings or wallet-friendly cocktails on the patio, here are some great places to visit for boozy bargains and late afternoon snack specials.” [Arlington Magazine]
Hot Car Reminder — From the Animal Welfare League of Arlington: “Summer has arrived here in Arlington, so we need to remind our community about the dangers of leaving pets in cars. DO NOT leave your pets in the car when the temperature is over 65 degrees outside. If you see a pet in a car on a hot day, please call AWLA at (703) 931-9241.” [Twitter]
Cybersecurity Clinic at GMU Law — ” The National Security Institute’s Cyber and Tech Center (CTC) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School and Howard University School of Business (HUSB) have been selected to receive $1 million in support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish the NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic.” [Press Release]
Gun Buyback This Weekend — “Local residents will be able to receive upwards of $250 in gift cards as part of a gun buyback this weekend. The drive-thru event, held at Arlington Assembly of God church at 4501 N. Pershing Drive in Buckingham, will run from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday, June 8.” [ARLnow]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 and west winds between 5 to 10 mph. For Friday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 60 and west winds at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]
Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 and west winds between 5 to 10 mph. For Friday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 60 and west winds at 6 to 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
Suspected hit-and-run vehicle, taken from a resident's security camera in the Maywood neighborhood (courtesy anonymous)
A food delivery driver has been arrested and charged with a pair of felonies after a serious hit-and-run pedestrian crash last month.
Police say 33-year-old Ronnell Blakeney was arrested Wednesday and is now in jail, facing charges of Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Felony Hit and Run. They say that Blakeney struck the victim with his car during a dispute over Blakeney allegedly driving too fast in the neighborhood.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch map for 6/6/24 (via NWS)
Arlington County and most of the D.C. area is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.
Arlington is at a lower risk of severe storms than points to the south and east, according to the National Weather Service, but is nonetheless included in the watch, along with D.C. and neighboring Virginia counties.
A woman receiving a call while wearing a face mask at Long Bridge Park in May 2020 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Phone-based scams are common — but just how common?
That’s what we’re wondering in today’s morning poll, following an article we published last week, which detailed a local woman’s experience getting targeted by a sophisticated phone scammer.
It started with a phone call. Somebody claiming to be her daughter alleged she was being held by the police after striking a pregnant woman. She herself had a broken nose, according to the caller whose caller ID claimed to be from Woodbridge.
“This person on the phone had the exact mannerisms that my daughter has,” the mother said. “She said my name the same way that she usually does. She apologized profusely like she normally would.”
The caller claimed that bail was set at $180,000, before passing the phone to a supposed police officer. Soon after, the mother received a call from a Texas phone number, from somebody claiming to be an attorney.
That’s when the red flags started getting raised.
The article is among the most-read on ARLnow over the past week, pointing perhaps to worries that a similar attempted scam could happen to almost anyone.
To find out how common it actually is, today we’re asking readers: have you ever been targeted by a phone scam?
