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.
George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution has been renamed.
The school, based at GMU’s campus in Virginia Square, is now the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
After years of anticipation, preliminary plans have been filed for a major redevelopment project in Courthouse.
Apartment developer Greystar has filed a preliminary site plan application for the “Landmark Block,” consisting of the former Cosi, Boston Market and Jerry’s Subs restaurants, and the current Summers Restaurant and Mattress Warehouse.
(Updated at 9:55 a.m.) Coronavirus has arrived in Arlington, with a local resident and a worker in Crystal City testing positive for the disease. And the fourth and fifth case in Virginia were subsequently confirmed in Fairfax and Spotsylvania County.
While this is obviously big news, given the impacts the disease is having on both the economy and the health of those who contract it, let’s for a minute allow for some optimism: the stock market is back up this morning, perhaps the authorities will be able to contain the outbreak before it gets much worse, and just maybe COVID-19 will not prove to be as deadly as originally feared.
This Week’s Crystal City Garage Races Postponed — “Attention garage racers and friends: Tomorrow’s Crystal City races are postponed. We are operating with an abundance of caution after an employee of a tenant in the 201 12th St. S. complex was quarantined because of COVID-19. The complex common areas were cleaned and disinfected, today, but we are holding off before racing again.” [Facebook]
Deep Clean for Rosslyn-Based News Outlet — “Politico has asked several reporters who covered CPAC to self-quarantine over coronavirus concerns. It’s also sanitizing/disinfecting its office.” [Washingtonian, Twitter]
A 28-year-old Fairfax woman has been arrested and charged with a stabbing over the weekend.
The incident happened around 4:20 p.m. Saturday, on the 4300 block of N. Pershing Drive in the Buckingham neighborhood.
A person who tested positive for coronavirus worked in Crystal City, ARLnow has learned.
Property owner JBG Smith emailed tenants Monday afternoon to say that an employee of one of its tenants was confirmed to have the virus, also known as COVID-19. The employee worked at office buildings located at 201 12th Street S. and 1225 S. Clark Street, according to the email.
(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) Arlington County and the Virginia Department of Health have announced the county’s first “presumptive” case of coronavirus.
An individual in their 60s who recently returned from international travel tested positive for the rapidly-spreading disease, the county said.
We already knew from experts that Arlington would likely dodge a bullet, relatively speaking, during the next recession. But it’s good to hear some reinforcement of that on a day that the stock market is down nearly 5%.
At one point today, amid coronavirus fears and plummeting oil prices, the Dow was down more than 2,000 points. Trading was halted for 15 minutes due to the massive drop.
Rent Rising in Arlington — “The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,840 and for a two-bedroom apartment was $2,130 in Arlington, based on the latest data from Apartment List. The growth rate of 3.7 percent from 12 months before compares to a national increase of 1.7 percent during the same period.” [InsideNova]
Rolling Thunder Rides Again — “The massive Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally staged in Washington each Memorial Day weekend had its final ride last year, but the roar of engines isn’t going away… The 2020 version of the ride has new organizers, a new sponsor and a new name, but participants and spectators might not notice the changes.” [Washington Post]
If it looks, feels and smells like California during wildfire season outside — there’s a good explanation for why.
Amid sunny, warming weather, the air in Arlington has turned hazy with a distinct campfire smell. The smoke is coming from a controlled burn near Marine Corps Base Quantico, blown by prevailing winds over Arlington, D.C. and Fairfax County, among other D.C. area locales.
Daylight Saving Time is this weekend, so we’ve moved the clocks forward and published the weekend discussion post a bit later than usual.
The official time change happens early Sunday morning, when clocks will “spring forward” an hour and everyone will lose an hour of sleep. While you’re setting the clocks forward, don’t forget to check and replace your smoke alarm batteries.
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) With the first confirmed coronavirus cases in the D.C. area, preparations for a possible local outbreak are stepping up.
Arlington Public Schools said in an email to parents today that it was “preparing for the possibility of school closures in the future, if necessary,” while monitoring student health and continuing to disinfect surfaces in schools. The full email is below.
