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.
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Parishioners Worship Outside After Fire — “The congregation that would normally pile into the pews of the oldest church in Arlington, Virginia, instead filled the green area across from the building on Sunday after a fire did enough damage to shut it down. Flames tore through part of Mount Olivet United Methodist early Friday, leaving members without a physical place to worship. But leaders say the fire did not destroy the real church – that’s wherever the people gather.” [NBC 4]
WaPo on Missing Middle — “It’s an idea that would do away with single-family zoning, which remains central to the American idea of suburbia. And it’s being considered by more communities around the country as their housing stock has failed to keep up with all the people trying to live there. Officials in Gainesville, Fla., hope the city might lower rents in their increasingly costly college town. Spokane, Wash., city planners think they could accommodate the influx of transplants who moved in during the pandemic.” [Washington Post]
(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) A man said to be armed and firing gunshots in the Green Valley neighborhood has been hospitalized after what police are calling an “officer-involved shooting.”
Officers swarmed the neighborhood after a dispatch, shortly after 7:35 p.m., for a man sitting in front of a house and firing gunshots on the 2100 block of S. Shirlington Road. It’s unclear what he was shooting at prior to police arriving on scene.
It was a mostly pleasant fall weather week, save for yesterday’s soaking rain, and this weekend — particularly Saturday — is also looking pretty nice.
There’s plenty to do this weekend, so be sure to check out our event calendar when making your plans.
Happy Friday, Arlington!
We have a new round of open houses to explore this weekend, whether you’re looking to buy or rent.
There has been even more drama in the Gold’s Gym parking lot near Ballston.
The parking lot has gained notoriety after featuring prominently into the Virginia Attorney General’s largely unsuccessful lawsuit against Advanced Towing last year and, more recently, being the scene of an alleged assault that led to the resignation of a D.C. deputy mayor this week.
There was a fire early this morning at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church, the oldest church site in continuous use in Arlington.
The fire broke out at the church, located at 1500 N. Glebe Road near Ballston, before 3 a.m. and prompted a two-alarm response. Flames could be seen coming from the roof of the building, according to scanner traffic.
Bus Stop Crowding Concerns — “Dozens of parents in Arlington County, Virginia, are worried their children’s bus stop is an accident waiting to happen. Nearly 100 elementary-age students converge on a single bus stop each day along Columbia Pike, many guided by parents who are worried about their young kids near the busy road.” [NBC 4]
New Boosters Available for Kids — From Arlington County: “Updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters are now available for 5-11 year-olds — find a location near you at http://vaccines.gov. Check back next week for availability at the Arlington County Public Health clinic.” [Twitter]
A 36-story, 331-room “state of the art” Hilton hotel is coming to Rosslyn.
The hospitality giant this morning announced the signing of an agreement to operate the high-rise hotel on the former Holiday Inn site. With rooms overlooking D.C. and the Potomac River, the hotel will also feature a rooftop event space and 28,000 square feet of meeting space.
Arlington’s Covid test positivity rate dipped below 10% earlier this month, for the first time since April.
That’s according to the latest data from the Virginia Dept. of Health, which is currently reporting a seven-day moving average of about 30 cases per day in the county, down from 200 daily cases in late May.
New Amazon Skills Center — “Amazon’s cloud computing arm will open a training facility in Arlington’s Crystal City neighborhood this month, the company said, part of its effort to engage with area residents and expand the local tech workforce as it builds a new headquarters nearby.” [Washington Post, Amazon, WJLA]
Deputy Mayor Out After Alleged Assault — “Chris Geldart is out as D.C.’s deputy mayor for public safety and justice after a personal trainer alleged in a criminal complaint that the city official assaulted him and questions emerged over whether he was violating the requirement that cabinet members reside within city limits.” [Washington Post]
(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) At least a couple of large buildings in Ballston are without power after reports of a possible transformer explosion.
Firefighters were initially dispatched to the area shortly before 1 p.m. after a caller reported a loud explosion-like sound and some smoke believed to be coming from a power transformer.
