Ethan Rothstein | ARLnow

Six Injured After Police Chase on I-66

Published August 2, 2014 at 7:25PM | Updated August 3, 2014 at 12:45PM

Photo via @FreeCuba1

(Updated at 12:40 p.m. on 8/3/14) Six people were hospitalized after a police chase turned into a multiple-vehicle collision on I-66 Saturday afternoon.

Around 3:15 p.m., Virginia State Police say they pulled over a Dodge Charger for a routine traffic stop on eastbound I-66 in Fairfax County when it was spotted driving on the shoulder. The Charger stopped for a state trooper in Fairfax County, near exit 57 for Route 50. The responding trooper discovered the driver, 25-year-old Ericka S. Oliver, had an arrest warrant from another local jurisdiction and took her into custody. According to a VSP press release, the male passenger, 33-year-old Anthony G. McCrae of Washington, D.C., then grabbed the wheel of the car and sped off, which led to a high-speed pursuit.

News

Arlington Looking for New Deputy County Manager

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 1, 2014 at 3:45PM

Arlington posted the open position on its jobs page this morning. According to county spokeswoman Mary Curtius, the position has been open for six months after interim deputy manager Jay Farr returned to his original post as deputy chief of the systems management division with the Arlington County Police Department.

Farr had replaced former Deputy County Manager Marsha Allgeier, who stepped down about a year ago into a part-time position as assistant county manager of special products, Curtius said.

Schools

Library Offering ‘STEM Kits’ For Children

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 1, 2014 at 1:00PM

Early last month, Arlington Public Library rolled out seven STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) kits — one for each branch — to encourage children to get hands-on experience with science in conjunction with its science-themed “Fizz, Boom, Read” summer reading program.

“The kids can come in, they can play with the kits, they can read books that correspond with the themes,” Anne Womack, the library’s youth collections librarian, said. “We saw other libraries doing this, and STEM is really important, so we thought we should do it, too. The kits are something to make kids see that science can be fun and hands on.”

Feature

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 1, 2014 at 12:00PM

The real estate market is dwindling from its spring and early summer boom, but there are still plenty of houses open for prospective buyers this weekend.

See our real estate section for a full listing of open houses. Here are a few highlights:

Events

Clarendon’s IOTA Starts ‘LGBT and Straight Friends Social’

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 1, 2014 at 10:30AM | Updated August 1, 2014 at 11:12AM

Starting next week on Aug. 5, patrons 21 and over, gay or straight, are encouraged to come to the cafe for a night of unity. There’s no cover charge — IOTA frequently requires tickets purchased at the door for its Tuesday night shows — and IOTA says it will stay open until 1:00 a.m. or later.

“We’re making a commitment to the LGBT community by making our Tuesdays a weekly social for LGBTs and their straight friends at IOTA,” co-owner Stephen Negrey said in a press release. “Why not? This will be great fun and maybe even productive.”

Around Town

ABC Store Could Return Near Colonial Village

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 31, 2014 at 3:30PM

A Virginia ABC store may be coming to the Courthouse area.

The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is negotiating a lease for a liquor store in the new 1919 Clarendon Blvd building, an ABC official confirmed. That’s a block away from the Colonial Village Shopping Center, where another ABC store closed last year.

News

Survey: Housing Costs to Push Out 25-34 Year Olds

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 31, 2014 at 10:15AM

According to the survey, which polled 1,744 Arlington residents, 60 percent of 25-34 year olds responded “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to the question: “In the next five years or so, how likely is it you will have to move out of Arlington because you would not have the kind of housing you want at the price you can afford?”

Thirty-four percent of respondents said it was “very likely” they would move away.

Around Town

Southern Restaurant Coming to Courthouse?

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 30, 2014 at 1:15PM | Updated August 5, 2014 at 11:51AM

Tupelo Honey Cafe, a North Carolina-based restaurant chain, is looking to move into the new apartment building at 2001 Clarendon Blvd in the Courthouse area.

Representatives from the restaurant and the building’s retail office have confirmed the two sides are finalizing negotiations, but aren’t prepared to announce a deal. The restaurant has locations in North Carolina and Tennessee, but an Arlington location would be its first in Virginia.

Around Town

Amsterdam Falafelshop Plans September Opening

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 29, 2014 at 3:15PM

Amsterdam Falafelshop, the local falafel and “Dutch fries” chain, is planning to open its Clarendon location by the end of September.

Amsterdam Falafelshop announced in April it would be moving into the former BGR: The Burger Joint space next to Hard Times Café at 3024 Wilson Blvd. Franchise owner David Rosenstein — who also owns a dozen D.C. area Popeye’s franchises — planned a mid-summer opening, but as is the case with many restaurant build-outs, it has taken longer than expected.

Around Town

New Benches to Be Installed Near Ballston Metro Station

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 29, 2014 at 12:45PM

Image courtesy Stephen Gilbert

The Ballston property manager that replaced planters to prevent people from sitting says benches will soon be installed in their place.

Stephen Gilbert, the vice president of marketing for Gates Hudson, the property manager of the building adjacent to the Ballston Metro station, said the company plans to install 15 benches near the station and next to the new planters by mid-August.

News

County Survey: Residents Approve of Affordable Housing Policies

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 29, 2014 at 11:30AM

According to a survey, cited during last week’s County Board meeting, 65 percent of 1,744 respondents believe it’s “very important” to help senior citizens age in place. Meanwhile, 60 percent believe affordable housing options for the county’s workforce are “very important,” and 58 percent believe it’s important for “moderate and low-income families with children in public schools” to have affordable housing options.

When “very important” answers were combined with “somewhat important,” those figures jump to 92 percent, 88 percent and 90 percent, respectively.

News

PenPlace Open Space Approved Over More Resident Discontent

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 28, 2014 at 4:30PM | Updated July 28, 2014 at 5:08PM

The Arlington County Board has approved a concept for two acres of open place on the planned PenPlace development in Pentagon City.

The plan calls for three open spaces: two small parks along planned 10th and 12th Street S. connections between S. Fern and Eads Streets and a “Central Green” in the middle of the large development. The Central Green is designed to allow for events like outdoor movies and concerts, according to the space’s designer, and will include a cafe in the northeast corner.