Dan Egitto | ARLnow

Arlington fentanyl dealer sentenced to 10 years in prison

Published August 29, 2024 at 9:30AM

File photo

An Arlington fentanyl dealer whose pills reportedly caused a client to fatally overdose was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday (Wednesday).

Shan Mehmood, 21, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

News

Two new red light cameras coming to Rosslyn and Langston Blvd next week

By Dan Egitto

Published August 28, 2024 at 10:30AM

Planned and current locations of Arlington red light cameras (via Arlington County)

Additional red light cameras are going online next week at two Arlington intersections.

Drivers will begin receiving warnings for infractions at the following sites in Rosslyn and along Langston Blvd starting Tuesday, Sept. 3, the county announced in a press release.

News

RNC hosts event in Clarendon to train volunteer voter fraud lookouts

By Dan Egitto

Published August 27, 2024 at 1:30PM | Updated August 27, 2024 at 2:19PM

A training event hosted by the RNC and Team Trump in Clarendon (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A GOP-led training on spotting potential voter fraud in the November election took place in Clarendon last night (Monday).

The event co-hosted by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee was part of a tour of the “Protect the Vote” campaign, which seeks to recruit a total of 100,000 volunteers in battleground states. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley tied this to efforts around the country to add voter ID requirements and strengthen other guardrails against illegal voting.

News

APS kicks off 2024-25 school year with new safety and enrichment initiatives

By James Jarvis and Dan Egitto

Published August 26, 2024 at 3:30PM

Arlington Public Schools buses (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

As the 2024-25 school year starts today, Arlington Public Schools is launching several new initiatives to tackle student safety and enrichment.

Approved changes for this year include a new attendance policy for high school athletic events, a new after-school program pilot, and an extra five-day weekend in November.

News

NEW: Donald Trump makes stops at Arlington National Cemetery and Eden Center

By Katie Taranto and Dan Egitto

Published August 26, 2024 at 1:20PM | Updated August 26, 2024 at 3:04PM

Donald Trump speaks at Truong Tien Restaurant in Falls Church, August 2024 (via C-SPAN)

Former President Donald Trump attended a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery and made a campaign stop in Falls Church earlier today (Monday).

Trump visited the cemetery to mark the three-year anniversary of a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members. He then made an appearance at Truong Tien Restaurant at the Eden Center, alongside Vietnamese-American U.S. Senate candidate Hung Cao (R).

News

Photos: Arlington crowds deliver hero’s welcome to Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske

By Dan Egitto

Published August 26, 2024 at 9:40AM | Updated August 26, 2024 at 1:52PM

Torri Huske arrives at a welcome home ceremony (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Crowds of cheering supporters thronged Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center on Sunday to celebrate the triumphant return of Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske.

“This Olympics was such an amazing experience,” said Huske, who returned home to Arlington from Paris with three gold medals and two silver medals in swimming events. “It was such an honor representing not only my country, but all of you. And I wanted to let you know that as much as this medal, or all of these medals, are mine, a little piece of it also belongs to you guys — because Arlington helped make me the person I am today.”

News

NEW: ACPD releases crime dashboard with arrest and offense data

By Dan Egitto

Published August 23, 2024 at 11:30AM

ACPD's new crime data dashboard (via ACPD)

The Arlington County Police Department has rolled out a new crime dashboard with up-to-date data on offenses and arrests.

The data hub, which went live today (Friday), includes interactive maps of offense locations, which users can sort by neighborhood, offense category, timeframe and police beat. It also delineates crime data by month and includes granular breakdowns of arrests based on offense codes and date.

Schools

Cellphone storage pouch pilot coming to four Arlington schools

By Dan Egitto

Published August 23, 2024 at 10:30AM | Updated August 23, 2024 at 11:44AM

An iPhone (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Four Arlington schools will be distributing cellphone storage pouches to students this year as part of an effort to restrict mobile phone use on campus.

The pilot program will kick off in mid-September at Wakefield High School, H-B Woodlawn (middle school only), Swanson Middle School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School, APS announced in an email to parents Thursday.

News

Renovations planned at Pentagon City Costco

By Dan Egitto

Published August 22, 2024 at 3:30PM

The food court in the Pentagon City Costco (staff photo)

Renovations are in the works at the Costco in Pentagon City, possibly including a multimillion-dollar overhaul of the food court.

At a minimum, a store representative told ARLnow, the wholesale retailer is expanding its bakery. A permit application at 1200 S. Fern Street refers to new bakery equipment, as well as a “revised sushi layout” and possible plans for a new deli, new rotisserie, new coolers for meat and produce and “an expansion to the existing electrical mezzanine.”

Schools

New traffic safety measures coming with APS first day of school next week

By Dan Egitto

Published August 22, 2024 at 10:45AM

Arlington Public Schools buses (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

As students begin returning to Arlington Public Schools this coming Monday, Aug. 26, new initiatives are meant to encourage safer driving around schools this year.

Variable message boards sharing safety messaging and raising awareness about the start of the school year will appear along roads in Arlington in coming days. Ten new speed cameras have also been installed near select schools, operating when school zone lights are flashing at the beginning and end of the school day.

News

New 130-unit assisted living facility proposed on Langston Blvd

By Dan Egitto

Published August 21, 2024 at 3:30PM | Updated August 21, 2024 at 4:02PM

The current one-story commercial building at 4500 Langston Blvd (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

An assisted living facility with up to 130 units could be coming to Langston Blvd.

Kensington Senior Living — which operates senior living facilities in Falls Church, Reston and several other sites around the country — filed an application earlier this year to redevelop 4500 Langston Blvd as a seven-story residential building with 114 parking spaces in a parking garage.

Events

Welcome home ceremony for Arlington Olympian Torri Huske happening this weekend

By Dan Egitto

Published August 21, 2024 at 1:30PM

Arlington's Torri Huske winning gold in the 100 meter butterfly in Paris (via NBC)

A welcome home ceremony for Olympic gold medalist and Arlington native Torri Huske is happening at the Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center on Sunday.

Returning to her hometown after a record-setting performance at the Paris Olympic Games — where she won three gold medals and two silver medals in swimming events — Huske will deliver brief remarks and offer autographs and photos for swim fans under 18.