Author: ARLnow.com

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.

News

Arlington NAACP Calls for Removal of Police Stationed at Schools

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police officer interacts with kids (photo via ACPD)

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) The Arlington branch of the NAACP says School Resource Officers should be removed by Arlington Public Schools.

SROs are sworn Arlington County Police officers who are stationed in schools. In addition to providing added security, an SRO “mentors, educators and coaches” for students, the police department says.

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Yard Waste Collection Is Still Suspended, But Homeowners Will Be Getting a Credit

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s yard waste collection service has been suspended since May, and there’s still no word as to when it might resume.

There is a bit of a silver lining, though: those who receive curbside collection — mostly single-family homeowners — will be getting an account credit for the lack of service, once it resumes. The county made that announcement today.

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News

New Elevator Coming to Pentagon City Metro Station

By ARLnow.com
Existing Pentagon City Metro elevator (via Google Maps)

Arlington County has taken an initial step towards the construction of a new elevator for the Pentagon City Metro station.

At a recent meeting, the County Board approved a nearly $750,000 contract with a construction consultancy to manage construction of a new elevator near the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. The new elevator will provide an alternative to an existing Metro elevator on the eastern side of the street, which will also receive some upgrades as part of the $5.1 million project.

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News

EXCLUSIVE: Arlington County Considering Further Encrypting Police Communications

By ARLnow.com
A police officer keeps watch during Walk and Bike to School Day 2012 at Oakridge Elementary School (staff photo)

Amid a national protest movement calling for police reform, the Arlington County Police Department launched an effort to consider ways to further restrict public access to law enforcement radio communications.

Unlike D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, which encrypts all but one channel, Arlington’s police channels have been mostly open to public monitoring — by those with scanners or smartphone apps — with the exception of some devoted to sensitive operations. That may be about to change.

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News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Dorsey’s Union Check ‘Lost in the Mail’ — “The $10,000 donation that cost Metro board member Christian Dorsey his position was returned to the agency’s largest union five months ago, but the check was never cashed — because it was lost in the mail, Dorsey and the union said.” [Washington Post]

Opioid Overdoses Rise in Arlington — “Since the start of the year, nine individuals have recovered from opioid overdoses following the deployment of Nasal Naloxone (also known as Narcan) by responding officers. This comes as the number of police investigated incidents involving opioids begins to rise, with fatal incidents now surpassing those reported in 2019.” [Arlington County]

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Many Still Without Power After Wednesday’s Storms

By ARLnow.com

More than 1,000 Dominion customers are still without power following a round of strong storms Wednesday afternoon.

At the peak of the post-storm outages, the company reported more than 10,000 customers in the dark in Arlington County. As of 11:45 a.m. Thursday, that figure was down to 1,070. The outages are scattered throughout the county, with some concentrated in certain neighborhoods.

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News

WETA Expansion Gets Green Light from County Board

By ARLnow.com
Rendering of planned expansion to WETA's building in Shirlington (via Arlington County)

A proposal to expand public television station WETA’s Shirlington headquarters has been approved by the Arlington County Board.

The station is planning to construct a four-story addition between the existing office building, at 3939 Campbell Avenue, and its parking garage. The 17,000 square foot addition would then house the WETA studios that produce the national PBS NewsHour broadcast, allowing the current NewsHour studios to be razed and used to expand Jennie Dean Park.

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Morning Poll: Should Plastic Shopping Bags Be Taxed?

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board appears likely to consider a tax on plastic shopping bags later this year.

At the Board’s Saturday meeting, a volunteer from the group EcoAction Arlington spoke in favor of a five-cent tax on plastic bags, similar to that which has been implemented in D.C. and other cities, during the public comment period.

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