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Morning Notes

Published September 15, 2020 at 6:00AM | Updated September 15, 2020 at 9:20AM

Western Smoke Causing Hazy Skies — “The local National Weather Service office pointed out today in its technical discussion that the smoke is caught in the jet stream and moving overhead around 20,000 to 25,000 feet high. Smoke from the historic fires out West now covers much of the country, and it is expected to continue to be an issue in the days ahead.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Board Approves Road Project — “Arlington County Board members on Sept. 12 approved a contract worth up to $805,000 for improvements to the intersection of 18th Street North with North Glebe Road and North Wakefield Street, aimed at providing a better walking and biking experience for children and others headed to Glebe Elementary School.” [InsideNova. Arlington County]

News

Board Approves Gun Ban in County Buildings and Parks

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2020 at 3:55PM

The Arlington County Board over the weekend voted to ban guns in county buildings, parks and at some special events.

The new ordinance was made possible by the Virginia General Assembly, which recently approved legislation allowing localities to adopt certain prohibitions on firearms.

News

County Board Expresses Support for Changing County Logo

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2020 at 2:30PM | Updated September 14, 2020 at 2:56PM

Arlington County Board member Takis Karantonis holds up his business card, with the county logo, at the Sept. 12 Board meeting (via Arlington NAACP)

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) A month and a half ago, the Arlington branch of the NAACP publicly called for the county’s logo to be changed. Over the weekend, members of the County Board voiced support for that change.

Arlington’s logo, along with its flag, depicts Arlington House, the county’s namesake that sits atop a hill in Arlington National Cemetery. The house was built by enslaved persons in the early 1800s on the orders of George Washington Parke Custis, George Washington’s adopted son.

News

County Board OKs New $14 Million, Amazon-Funded Park in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2020 at 11:40AM | Updated September 14, 2020 at 12:02PM

Metropolitan Park Central Green rendering (via Arlington County)

The Arlington County Board has given its unanimous stamp of approval to plans for a revamped public park in the shadow of Amazon’s HQ2.

The Board approved a master plan and design guidelines for Pentagon City’s Metropolitan Park, which as currently configured is perhaps best known for being a large patch of grass where dogs from neighboring apartment buildings relieve themselves.

News

Coronavirus Update: About 100 New Cases in Arlington Per Week

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2020 at 10:40AM

(Updated at 10:50 a.m.) The coronavirus does not appear to be going away anytime soon in Arlington, but for the time being it’s not getting significantly worse, either.

Around 12 to 16 people are testing positive for COVID-19 in Arlington each day, according to the latest data from the Virginia Dept. of Health. The seven-day rolling average of new cases has bumped around that range since the first week of the month and currently stands at 14.4.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Would You Welcome an Expanded Amazon Presence in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2020 at 9:50AM | Updated September 14, 2020 at 10:12AM

Arlington was the big winner of the biggest economic development prize of them all: Amazon’s HQ2.

But Amazon’s second headquarters is nowadays feeling like a very distant second, behind the tech giant’s growing presence in the Seattle area.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2020 at 6:00AM

Garvey Stands By Streetcar Stance — “It cost her the goodwill of many in the county’s Democratic ranks, and four years ago nearly cost her her job, but Libby Garvey says she has no regrets. Garvey, now seeking a third full term on the Arlington County Board, used the Sept. 8 Arlington County Civic Federation candidate forum to remind voters of her full-throttle opposition to the Columbia Pike streetcar system – the biggest political controversy of recent years.” [InsideNova]

Local Man Facing Child Porn Charges — “An Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigation by state and local agencies has resulted in the arrest of an Arlington man. Detectives arrested Luis Hernandez Orozco, 25, and charged him with two counts of Possession of Child Pornography. He is being held in the Arlington County Detention Facility.” [Arlington County]

Opinion

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2020 at 6:00PM

Today’s 9/11 anniversary was a somber conclusion to an active week, news-wise.

It’s hard to believe, but next year will be the 20th anniversary of that fateful day. We’ll have more coverage then, but in the meantime the recollections of a local journalist and an Arlington firefighter are worth a read.

Schools

Preliminary APS Enrollment Numbers Down from Last Year

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2020 at 11:30AM | Updated September 11, 2020 at 11:55AM

(Updated at 11:55 a.m.) After years of school enrollment growth, Arlington Public Schools had fewer students enrolled this week than as of Sept. 30, 2019.

Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán revealed the numbers at last night’s School Board meeting. The first-day enrollment on Tuesday was 27,109 students, 911 fewer than last year’s official September 30 count of 28,020, he said.

News

Falls Church Police Investigating Homicide at Eden Center Nightclub

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2020 at 9:50AM

A man was shot and killed outside a nightclub in the Eden Center just after midnight this morning.

Falls Church police say the shooting happened outside Diva Lounge, which is located at 6763 Wilson Blvd, in the rear of the shopping center near Planet Fitness.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2020 at 7:30AM

Flag displayed at the Pentagon in remembrance of 9/11 (file photo)

County Board to Consider Bridge Pact — “The Arlington and Alexandria governments are planning to formalize their long-shared responsibilities for maintenance of five bridges that span Four Mile Run between the two communities. The new agreement sets out the share of funding for future short-term and long-term rehabilitation of the five bridges – at West Glebe Road, Arlington Ridge Road, Shirlington Road, Route 1 and Potomac Avenue – as well as maintenance costs.” [InsideNova]

Meal Donation to Hospital — Per a spokeswoman: “At 12:45 p.m., roughly 1,500 meals from local restaurants will be delivered to Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington as part of a 9/11 Day and World Central Kitchen initiative to support first responders and frontline healthcare workers on the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The local restaurants participating in the delivery to Virginia Hospital Center are Arepa Zone, La Ceiba and Bistro Bis.”

News

County Planning $1.5 Million Sewage Main Rehab Project

By ARLnow.com

Published September 10, 2020 at 2:30PM | Updated September 10, 2020 at 4:34PM

Arlington County is planning to rehabilitate a nearly half-mile long sewage main along Military Road in North Arlington.

The Gulf Run Sanitary Force Main helps transport sewage uphill in some of the far northern reaches of the county. According to a county staff report, the main was built more than 55 years ago and is due for a rehabilitation.