Author: Alex Koma

News

Metro Needs Better Reliability, Not Service Increases, to Attract Riders, NoVa Officials Say

By Alex Koma

As Metro’s leaders wrestle anew with the question of how to bring riders back to the troubled transit service, Northern Virginia officials are offering their own suggestions: focus on reliability, and create new fare card plans to entice riders.

In a new report to Gov. Ralph Northam and the General Assembly set to be considered tonight (Thursday), the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission plans to urge Metro to use those strategies to boost ridership, and put WMATA on sounder financial footing in the process.

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Around Town

South Block Plans New Rosslyn Location in Old Cafe Asia Space

By Alex Koma
South Block's location in Rosslyn in the former Cafe Asia space, as of October 2018

South Block will soon bring its array of juices, smoothies and acai bowls to Rosslyn.

The Arlington-based chain is planning its fourth location in the county for the former Cafe Asia space (1550 Wilson Blvd), next to the forthcoming Bash Boxing workout studio, according to founder and CEO Amir Mostafavi.

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News

County Planning Zoning Tweaks to Ease Construction of Community Pools

By Alex Koma

Arlington officials are gearing up to loosen some of the zoning rules governing community swimming pools, in a bid to make it easier for organizations to build or renovate pools across the county.

The Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing on the zoning tweaks this coming Wednesday (Oct. 10), with the County Board considering the changes soon afterward.

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Schools

New Elementary School Boundaries Advancing, Prompting Some Concerns at Drew

By Alex Koma

The ever-contentious process of setting new elementary school boundaries is picking up steam in Arlington, with the school system spending the next few weeks collecting community feedback ahead of a School Board vote before the year is out.

Arlington Public Schools will hold an “open office hours” with planning staff tonight (Oct. 3) to let parents discuss the proposed boundary maps, and will accept online comments on the redrawn boundaries through next Wednesday (Oct. 10).

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News

UPDATE: Firefighters Extinguish Blaze at Ballston IHOP Overnight

By Alex Koma
A fire at the Ballston IHOP (via @ArlingtonVaFD)

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Firefighters extinguished a blaze at the Ballston IHOP restaurant early this morning (Wednesday).

The fire started around 2 a.m. at the eatery, located at 935 N. Stafford Street. No one was hurt as a result of the blaze, which crews were able to put out within half an hour of arriving on scene.

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News

Man Pleads Guilty to Using Dark Web to Download Child Pornography

By Alex Koma
Gavel (Flickr photo by Joe Gratz)

Ammar Atef Alahdali, a 22-year-old Saudi Arabian national living in Arlington, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in federal court yesterday (Tuesday), according to a release from the Department of Justice.

Federal prosecutors say Alahdali used cryptocurrency to register on a dark web site, which could only be accessed via special software masking his IP address, back in April 2017.

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News

Police: Man Picks Up Four Passengers, Assaults One After Attempted Abduction

By Alex Koma

County police say 34-year-old Rick Ramey of Bryans Road, Maryland wasn’t working as a rideshare or taxi driver when he managed to convince four people to get into his car around 3 a.m. Friday night (Sept. 28).

Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage says it’s unclear how Ramey met his passengers, or if he was posing as a rideshare driver, but she said “they appear unknown to each other prior to the incident.”

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News

GMU Declares a ‘No Scooter Zone’ at Its Virginia Square Campus

By Alex Koma
Signs advertise a "no scooter zone" in front of George Mason University's Virginia Square campus (photo courtesy Chaz Papa)

George Mason University has cordoned off a “no scooter zone” in front of its Arlington campus in Virginia Square.

Readers alerted ARLnow to the signs yesterday (Monday), which are located in front of the university’s Founders Hall plaza on Fairfax Drive.

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News

BREAKING: Deadly Poison Reportedly Found in Packages at Pentagon

By Alex Koma
Aerial view of the Pentagon (Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman)

(Updated at 1:50 p.m.) At least two packages in a mail processing center at the Pentagon could contain the deadly poison ricin, according to news reports.

Department of Defense officials have told local and national news outlets that the packages were addressed to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Admiral John Richarson, but never made it inside the Pentagon itself. The mail center is located on the building’s campus, but not inside the Pentagon.

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Around Town

Navy Federal Credit Union Opens New Branch in Williamsburg

By Alex Koma
The grand opening of a new branch of a Navy Federal Credit Union in Williamsburg (courtesy of a Navy Federal spokesperson)

Navy Federal Credit Union has now opened its fourth branch in Arlington.

The bank held a grand opening for the new branch, located at 6402 Williamsburg Blvd, on Monday.

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