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.
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?
Raindrops and wet pavement along Four Mile Run in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
County Legal Notice Snafu — “All Arlington property owners will receive new tax bills in the mail in coming days, after County Board members on June 6 re-adopt the county’s new scheme to recoup its stormwater costs. The measure had been adopted in December, but county officials apparently only recently realized it had not been advertised in a way that met Virginia law.” [Gazette Leader]
Firm Behind Dead Bear Dump IDed — “The Virginia Department of Transportation has named the contractor responsible for throwing a bear carcass that ended up near an Arlington, Virginia, trail off an overpass. VDOT confirmed to WTOP that Webber, which has an office in Fairfax County, was the contractor involved and the company has a five-year, $23.5 million contract with the department.” [WTOP]
Ballston Target Robbery — “The male suspect allegedly entered the store, concealed merchandise and attempted to leave the business during which he was confronted by loss prevention personnel. The suspect then shoved them, exited the store and fled the scene on foot. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect on a bus in the area of the 900 block of N. Stuart Street and took him into custody.” [ACPD]
Va. Ditching Cali Car Regs — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday that the state will no longer follow car emissions standards set by California, despite his party’s failure to repeal or roll back a 2021 Democratic law that tied Virginia to those regulations.” [Virginia Mercury / FFXnow]
Get Well Soon, Lowell — From Matthew Hurtt: “Thoughts and prayers are with [Lowell Feld] of @bluevirginia. Wishing for a speedy and full recovery.” [Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with a likelihood between 11am and 5pm, and a high temperature near 84°F. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, and higher amounts possible during thunderstorms. For Thursday night, the chance of showers and thunderstorms decreases to 30%, mainly before 8pm, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 65°F. [NWS]
Showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with a likelihood between 11am and 5pm, and a high temperature near 84°F. Southwest winds will blow at around 9 mph. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, and higher amounts possible during thunderstorms. For Thursday night, the chance of showers and thunderstorms decreases to 30%, mainly before 8pm, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 65°F, accompanied by a 6 mph west wind. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
People walking on a sidewalk in Ballston (file photo)
Arlington has ranked at the top of a list of the best places for new college grads to start their careers.
A new study by the website CoworkingCafe put Arlington at the No. 1 spot for “mid-sized cities,” just ahead of neighboring Alexandria at No. 2 and tech hub Bellevue, Washington at No. 3.
Old Pentagon Row sign removed at Westpost in Pentagon City (courtesy anonymous)
RiverHouse Plan Scaled Down — “The Bethesda-based developer now wants to add about 1,500 new residential units to the 36-acre assemblage at 1111 Army Navy Drive and 1400 and 1600 South Joyce St., according to a revised phased development site plan application filed May 24 with Arlington County’s planning department. That’s about a quarter fewer than the nearly 2,000 new units proposed in that application’s previous iteration, filed in 2023.” [Washington Business Journal]
Another Weekend Robbery in Ballston — “When the suspect was confronted outside of the business by an employee, he threatened the employe. Shortly after, the suspect re-entered the store, concealed additional items and attempted to exit the store without payment. The employee confronted the suspect again and he shoved her. Another employee then recovered the items from the suspect before he fled the scene on foot.” [ACPD]
Police Hosting Pride Event — “The Arlington County Police Department… [is] proud to announce the 4th annual Pride with the Police event at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This informal opportunity gives community members the chance to discuss public safety concerns, ask questions and get to know the police and other County personnel who serve them while enjoying light refreshments and lawn games.” [ACPD]
Upcoming Lane Closures on I-395 — “The northbound I-395 general purpose lanes will have lane closures at the Shirlington interchange Friday night, June 7 (backup date: Saturday night, June 8) to implement a traffic shift, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.” [VDOT]
Nail Salon Planning Fall Opening — “Andréa Vieira, the D.C.-based Latina salontrepreneur, is planning to open her fifth nailsaloon location in Arlington in early autumn. The woman-of-color owned company specializes in providing non-toxic nail care to its clientele.” [Patch]
Local Barbershop Expands to Maryland — “Bearded Goat Barber is coming soon to 720 Center Point Way in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood… Its first location in Ballston opened in 2019.” [MoCoShow]
It’s Wednesday — Expect showers and thunderstorms, increasing in likelihood after 2pm with a high near 83°F and a southeast wind of 5-8 mph. Precipitation has an 80% chance; new rainfall may vary from a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts in thunderstorms. Wednesday night also has an 80% chance of precipitation, with showers and thunderstorms before 5am, and a low around 71°F. [NWS]
Expect showers and thunderstorms, increasing in likelihood after 2pm with a high near 83°F and a southeast wind of 5-8 mph. Precipitation has an 80% chance; new rainfall may vary from a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts in thunderstorms. Wednesday night also has an 80% chance of precipitation, with showers and thunderstorms before 5am, followed by a slight chance of showers, low around 71°F, and a south wind around 7 mph; rainfall amounts similar to the daytime are expected. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
ARLnow is thinking about bringing back The Arlies, but under a different name and with a new way to vote.
We paused the Arlington Community Awards program two-and-a-half years ago to re-think how best to differentiate it from other localawards. Another consideration: how to encourage more people to vote while discouraging repeat voting.
Now, as we near the latter half of 2024, we think we might have the answer to both. The current plan is to:
Rebrand The Arlies as the ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards
Vote on one category each week, throughout the year, using the same voting system as Morning Poll posts like this one (the Arlies used a survey system, in which one had to click a link and then vote by typing in an answer)
Have up to 10 choices for each category, selected via automatic qualification (highest rated on Yelp, etc.) and reader nomination (with annual promotion/relegation depending on nominations/votes received the prior year)
Utilize our voting system’s ability to disqualify instances of repeat voting from the same computer
Announce the official winners for the previous week in each weekly voting post
The other local awards are great, but voting for and then announcing the winners all at once is perhaps not ideal. We believe that voting for one category at a time, while showing the unofficial results in real time, could be more fun and not as overwhelming — while encouraging voting from a broader swath of Arlington residents.
Development Plan on County Border — “The new 250-unit residential-over-retail building and parking garage would be constructed on much of what is now surface parking lot serving a 220-unit mid-rise at 6200 Wilson Blvd., known as the Cavalier Club, per a rezoning application filed May 31 with Fairfax County’s planning department.” [Washington Business Journal]
Local Who Found Dead Bear Talks — “‘The day is beautiful, you’re just taking a walk and then, all of a sudden, you encounter something … So yeah, you jump quickly from one state of mind to another,’ she said. ‘I had this uneasy feeling that something was wrong and I wondered, ‘How did this animal, this creature, end up in a bag?”” [WTOP]
Pedestrian Struck Monday Afternoon — “Police and medics on scene of a pedestrian struck at the intersection of 10th Street and N. Barton Street, south of Courthouse. The pedestrian was seen lying on sidewalk but eventually got up and walked slowly to an ambulance. The apparent striking driver stayed on scene.” [Twitter]
Coffee Shop Unionization Effort — “A group of Compass Coffee workers announced plans Friday to unionize more than a third of its stores, pressing the D.C.-based chain to end its no-tipping policy and improve benefits and working conditions…. The campaign — which involves four cafes in downtown D.C. and one each in Georgetown, Spring Valley and Rosslyn, Va. — is one of several playing out at independent and regional coffee shops across the country.” [Washington Post]
Rogue County Commission Crackdown — “‘Unless explicitly prescribed by the group’s charter or other governing ordinance, members [of advisory bodies] are prohibited from communicating or coordinating with other federal, state or local agencies or governing bodies on behalf of the advisory group or the county [government] without explicit approval from the County Board,’ the draft statement notes.” [Gazette Leader]
New Food Security Grants — “The Arlington County Department of Human Services has announced a grant funding opportunity to boost food security in Arlington. Funding will be available to area 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and public schools and universities with projects that support aspects of the Food Security Strategic Plan.” [Arlington County]
Marymount Rolling Out AI Degree — “Designed to equip students with foundational skills necessary to excel in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, Marymount University’s new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence (AI) degree fills a critical need for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce.” [Press Release]
ACPD Focuses on Officer Wellness — “ACPD’s wellness initiative goes beyond work/life balance, promoting a holistic approach to physical, mental, and emotional health. Patrol officers enjoy the equivalent of a 37.5-hour work week with 4 and 5 consecutive days off to provide better work-life balance. ACPD also provides a range of accessible, evidence-based programs to accommodate staff needs.” [WJLA]
Arlington Tech Company Expands — “Two Six Technologies held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday (May 29) to celebrate the opening of its new office at 13865 Sunrise Valley Drive… just east of Dulles International Airport. Headquartered in Arlington, the company’s Herndon location currently consists of more than 27,000 square feet of offices, labs and ‘specialized equipment.'” [ALXnow]
It’s Tuesday — Some isolated showers and thunderstorms starting after 2pm. Otherwise mostly sunny skies and a high near 86. Precipitation chances are 20%. Tuesday night, isolated storms will clear up before 8pm, with a slight possibility of showers resuming after 2am. It will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 67 and a southeast wind of 5 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation remains 20%. [NWS]
Expect isolated showers and thunderstorms starting after 2pm, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 86. A light southeast wind of 5 to 7 mph will develop in the morning. Precipitation chances are 20%. Tuesday night, isolated storms will clear up before 8pm, with a slight possibility of showers resuming after 2am. It will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 67 and a southeast wind of 5 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation remains 20%. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington released a statement (below) Monday evening saying the bear was struck by a driver on I-66 in Prince William County, then transported to Arlington and illegally dumped.
