Katie Pyzyk | ARLnow

Annual Seat Belt Enforcement Effort Underway

Published May 21, 2013 at 1:55PM | Updated May 21, 2013 at 2:17PM

The Arlington County Police Department says motorists should always wear seat belts, and those who refuse to will be targeted. ACPD is joining other local and state law enforcement officers, as well as those across the country, who are focusing on seat belt laws during this time period.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ Safety Office, preliminary statistics show that last year 305 of Virginia’s 774 fatalities were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics from 2011 indicate 272 Virginians lived through accidents due to wearing a seat belt.

Around Town

Sweet Leaf Cafe Opens in Courthouse

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 12:20PM

The new Sweet Leaf Cafe in Courthouse quietly opened its doors this past weekend and handed out free food to customers who stopped in. Now, the restaurant is officially open for business.

Sweet Leaf Cafe moved in at 2200 Wilson Blvd, formerly occupied by Hikaru Sushi. It is the third location, with others in McLean and Vienna. Owner Arita Matini said she’s been wanting to expand into Arlington for a while.

News

Indecent Exposure Near Taylor Elementary

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 10:00AM

Taylor Elementary School (file photo via Arlington Public Schools)

A mother saw the man sitting in a van near the school’s bus stop on N. 31st Street around 8:20 yesterday morning. When she noticed that he was naked from the waist down, she called police.

The person is described as a white male with dark hair, in his mid to late 40s. At the time of the incident he was in a white Chevrolet Astro van that had ladders on the roof.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 9:00AM | Updated May 21, 2013 at 9:42AM

Pierce Queen Apartments Too Costly for Tax Credits? — The Virginia Housing Development Authority has flagged the Pierce Queen Apartments project in Ft. Myer Heights as being too expensive for Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The units must remain at $350,000 each to receive credit, but the Pierce Queen units come in at $402,000. The project developers asked for a little more than $2 million in tax credits. VHDA is still examining the request and will make its final decision on June 5. [Arlington Mercury]

DOD Renews Lease in Crystal City — The Department of Defense decided to renew its lease at 2530 Crystal Drive in Crystal City. The agency was expected to stay in the more than 550,000 square foot space due to money being tight within the federal government. [GlobeSt]

Events

Pet Psychic to Visit for “Honoring Animals Weekend”

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 14, 2013 at 4:30PM

This Friday, May 17, through Sunday, May 19, the chapel is holding its annual Honoring Animals Weekend. From pet portraits to a behavior class to a blessing of the animals service, a variety of activities will be offered. Perhaps one of the largest draws, however, will be pet psychic Diane Roadcap.

Roadcap has been featured in a variety of publications, such as the Washington Post, because she says she can communicate with animals. She has also been lauded for her assistance to shelter animals.

Traffic

Traffic Alert: Accident Closes Portion of Glebe Road

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 14, 2013 at 2:38PM | Updated May 14, 2013 at 3:29PM

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) All lanes of Glebe Road have reopened at Route 50 following a three vehicle accident that shut down traffic for about half an hour.

Police say all lanes of southbound Glebe Road were shut down and only one lane of northbound is getting by.

News

Korean Embassy Offers County Free Land Use

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 14, 2013 at 1:40PM

The two parcels of vacant land run along Clarendon Blvd, between N. Adams Street and N. Barton Street. The ROK Arlington Embassy Annex building lies adjacent to the land, but faces Wilson Blvd. The land parcels up for grabs currently house nothing but fenced asphalt and gravel lots.

The embassy reports that the space is only used a few times each year during large meetings. It decided to offer the land to the county as a goodwill gesture.

News

Arlington Cemetery on ‘Endangered Sites’ List

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 14, 2013 at 11:05AM | Updated November 22, 2016 at 3:03PM

(Updated at 12:00 p.m.) Non-profit organization Preservation Virginia has named Arlington National Cemetery to its list of the state’s most endangered sites.

Each year the group chooses historical sites it believes have become threatened due to neglect, insufficient funding, inappropriate development or public policies and procedures. The cemetery made the list due to the Millennium Project, an expansion project requiring the removal of trees on 12 wooded acres, and the removal of portions of the red sandstone Seneca Wall, which was constructed during the late 1800s.

News

Weekend Closures at Two Orange Line Metro Stations

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 14, 2013 at 9:45AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:48PM

The closures begin at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, May 17, and run through closing on Sunday, May 19. Trains are expected to operate at normal weekend intervals even though service will be split into two segments — between Vienna and East Falls Church and between Clarendon and New Carrollton.

Free shuttle buses will replace trains between East Falls Church and Clarendon. Customers using shuttle bus service should add up to 25 minutes to their travel time.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 14, 2013 at 9:00AM | Updated May 14, 2013 at 9:34AM

Heavy Seas Alehouse to Open in Rosslyn — Baltimore brewer Heavy Seas plans to open a restaurant at the newly renovated 1501 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. So far, the existing Baltimore location is the only other Heavy Seas Alehouse besides the one planned for Rosslyn. The restaurant is expected to open by the end of this year. [Washington Business Journal]

Army Ten-Miler Registration to Begin — Registration for the Army Ten-Miler opens at midnight on Wednesday, May 15. This year, 35,000 spots will be available for the October 20 race, instead of 30,000. General admission entries sold out within nine hours last year. [Army Ten-Miler]

Events

Hockey Fundraiser for Injured Police Officer

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 26, 2013 at 11:25AM | Updated April 26, 2013 at 11:46AM

Officer Long Dinh was critically injured in a February chase that ended with the suspect crashing head-on into his police cruiser at a high speed. The suspect died and Dinh was just released today from his nearly two month hospital stay.

Dinh has undergone multiple surgeries to repair his two broken legs, and continues physical therapy for the injuries. He is also dealing with short term memory issues stemming from the head trauma he sustained during the incident.

Around Town

Potomac CrossFit to Reopen

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 26, 2013 at 9:55AM | Updated April 26, 2013 at 11:50AM

Last year, Potomac CrossFit at 1039 N. Highland Street in Clarendon closed, along with nearby businesses, to make way for a new development that’s currently under construction. Tomorrow, the gym will hold a grand reopening celebration at its new home at 1320 N. Courthouse Road.

With more than 8,000 square feet, the Courthouse location offers more than double the space of the previous site. Employees at the new location also boast of shower facilities, new equipment and a revamped class schedule.