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DEVELOPING: Police Investigating ‘Suspicious Death’ in Ballston Apartment Building

Published January 18, 2020 at 10:45AM | Updated January 18, 2020 at 11:45AM

File photo

Arlington County Police are investigating what the department characterized as a suspicious death.

Officers and medics were dispatched to an apartment at the AVA Ballston Square building (850 N. Randolph Street) around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Initial reports suggested that a young man was in cardiac arrest, with blood coming from his upper extremities, and that several other people were inside the apartment at the time.

Opinion

ARLnow Holiday Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Published January 17, 2020 at 6:00PM

A three day weekend is here, meaning extra rest and relaxation for many, and no need to feed the parking meter on Monday.

Some snow and freezing precipitation may make for hazardous travel on Saturday — even though Arlington is outside the current Winter Weather Advisory — so be careful if you’re on the roads. The main event in Arlington on Sunday, other than the NFL playoffs on TV, will be the scheduled Martin Luther King Jr. tribute at Wakefield High School.

Traffic

Prius Takes a Dip at Carpool Construction Site

By ARLnow.com

Published January 17, 2020 at 2:15PM

Police responded to an unusual accident in Ballston Friday afternoon.

A Toyota Prius appears to have been driven into a construction zone at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Quincy Street and partially fallen into excavated portion of roadway — possibly an uncovered utility vault — in a scene that looks somewhat like Arlington’s version of the infamous Pittsburgh sinkhole bus.

Around Town

For Sale: Sichuan Wok Building Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published January 17, 2020 at 11:00AM

Sichuan Wok building offered for sale in January 2020

It’s dwarfed by an adjacent apartment building and it’s unclear when it was first built, but if you’ve ever wanted to own a commercial building in the middle of Ballston outright, now’s your chance.

The vacant Sichuan Wok building at 901 N. Quincy Street went on the market in the fall for an asking price of $3.2 million.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 17, 2020 at 7:55AM

Home Prices Up in 2019 — “Data from Bright MLS, a multiple listing service that analyzes real estate data in the Mid-Atlantic region… revealed the average home sale price in Alexandria City, Arlington and Fairfax counties, collectively, rose by 4%, from $590,582 in 2018 to $614,236 in 2019.” [WUSA 9]

Endorsements for Choun — Chanda Choun, who is running in the Democratic Arlington County Board primary against incumbent Libby Garvey, has received the endorsement of a pair of current and former elected officials: former County Board member Jay Fisette and, most recently, current Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy. [Twitter, Chanda Choun]

Schools

APS Adding Two Electric School Buses to Fleet, Thanks to Dominion

By ARLnow.com

Published January 16, 2020 at 4:30PM

Electric school bus (photo via Thomas Built Buses/YouTube)

This fall, a pair of electric school buses will replace two older diesel buses in the Arlington Public Schools fleet, the first trickle of an expected wave that could convert the fleet to 100 percent electric by 2030.

Dominion Energy is helping to supply the two buses, and 48 others, to 16 Virginia localities, including Arlington. Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Prince William County are among the jurisdictions receiving new buses from Dominion.

Opinion

What’s Next: Infrastructure Based Growth

By ARLnow.com

Published January 16, 2020 at 2:30PM

There is somewhat of a false dichotomy in our community right now about growth. Are you pro-growth or not?

Plainly, an economy does not succeed without growth. It is my belief, too, that for long-run economic success and stability, growth must be built on sustainable infrastructure.

News

New Townhomes Coming to Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

Published January 16, 2020 at 1:30PM | Updated October 17, 2022 at 11:27AM

Trenton Square at Ballston rendering (image courtesy Resmark Companies)

(Updated at 1:40 p.m.) Construction on a row of new townhomes is expected to start this spring in the Buckingham neighborhood.

Los Angeles-based Resmark Companies and Tysons-based Madison Homes is developing “an upscale enclave of 19 single-family townhomes” at 19 N. Trenton Street, a half block from Route 50.

News

Countdown to Construction: Equipment Being Staged at Amazon HQ2 Site

By ARLnow.com

Published January 16, 2020 at 11:00AM

Construction equipment at the Pentagon City Amazon HQ2 site prior to demolition (photo courtesy anonymous)

Demolition on the Amazon HQ2 site in Pentagon City is expected to begin soon.

The 2.1 million square foot office-and-retail development along S. Eads Street, the first phase of Amazon’s permanent second headquarters in Arlington, was approved by the County Board in December.

Schools

APS Discontinuing Elementary Summer Enrichment Programs

By ARLnow.com

Published January 16, 2020 at 10:15AM

Citing staffing challenges and future budget cuts, Arlington Public Schools is discontinuing its summer enrichment programs for elementary students this year.

While axing the summer programs — which offered advanced classes on computer programing, math and world geography — APS said it will continue providing make-up classes and resources for students who are falling behind. Outdoor Lab sessions will continue as well.

Opinion

Morning Poll: Which ACPD Dress Uniform Do You Like Best?

By ARLnow.com

Published January 16, 2020 at 9:05AM

The Arlington County Police Department is considering changing up the look of its dress uniform.

The “Class A” uniform — which differs from the standard navy patrol uniform worn by most officers in the field (the patrol uniform is green for K9 handlers) — is due for a change because its heather blue color is “increasingly difficult to obtain” from distributors, ACPD said.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 16, 2020 at 7:30AM

Tow Truck Chase Ends in Arlington — “A suspect involved in a domestic dispute in Prince George’s County lead officers on a chase through D.C. and into Arlington, Virginia, Tuesday night… police believed the suspect was armed and had kidnapped a young child, but the child was safe in Maryland.” [NBC 4, Twitter]

New D.C. United Player Dines at El Pollo Rico — “Great to see legendary #ArlingtonVA business, El Pollo Rico in @dcunited’s video introducing their new #10, Peruvian Edison Flores.” [Twitter]