News | ARLnow.com - Part 1011

Morning Notes

Published November 12, 2015 at 9:00AM

County to Invest $55 Million in Ballston Mall — Arlington County is planning its first-ever Tax Increment Financing district to help fund the renovations to Ballston Common Mall. Arlington plans to invest $45 million in the mall with its TIF, which will be repaid over time via increased tax revenue from the property. It also plans to make $10 million in transportation improvements, including improvements to the attached county parking garage and the narrowing of Willson Blvd in front of the mall. [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington May Ask for Jefferson Davis Hwy Renaming — Arlington County is considering asking local state legislators to seek a name change for Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington. Also known as Route 1, the highway is named after the Confederate president thanks to state legislative decree in 1922. A draft of the 2016 Arlington legislative priorities list includes a proposal to rename “the Arlington portion of Jefferson Davis Highway in a way that is respectful to all who live and work along it.” [InsideNova]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 11, 2015 at 9:35AM

Wreath-Laying Ceremony — Among other observances of today’s Veterans Day holiday in Arlington is a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Air Force Memorial. The event will take place at 11 a.m., with a group of World War II and Korean War veterans on hand. [Twitter]

School Board Considers Gun Safety Measures — The Arlington School Board is considering asking the Virginia General Assembly for new legislation that would restrict guns around schools, although no one seriously believes that the Republican-controlled legislature would actually pass such a measure. [InsideNova]

DEVELOPING: Armed Robbery at Lyon Park Gas Station

By ARLnow.com

Published November 10, 2015 at 5:25PM

The robbery occurred just after 5 p.m., at the Blue Ridge Partners gas and service station on the 2700 block of N. Pershing Drive, at the intersection with Washington Blvd.

Initial reports suggest that two men robbed the store, with one man displaying a small chrome pistol. Then men took cash, an iPhone and Newport cigarette cartons, before fleeing on foot to a nearby black SUV with tinted windows and Maryland tags and then driving off.

County Board to Consider Ballston Townhouse Development

By ARLnow.com

Published November 10, 2015 at 10:30AM

The Arlington County Board is scheduled to consider a 12-unit townhouse development in Ballston this weekend.

The Ballston Oak Townhomes development, between 1124 and 1138 N. Stuart, has been in the county’s Site Plan Review process for about a year. Originally slated for as many as 16 townhouses, the latest proposal calls for four separate buildings containing a total of 12 townhouses.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 10, 2015 at 9:00AM | Updated November 10, 2015 at 9:22AM

Marine Corps Birthday — Its the Marine Corps’ 240th birthday today. On Thursday, the Corps’ birthday will be celebrated by hundreds of Marines participating in a group run from the Pentagon to the Marine Corps War Memorial, prompting rolling closures on Route 110 between 10 and 11 a.m. [AL.com]

Owner Not Worried About Vacant Rosslyn Office Tower — Monday Properties, the owner of the 1812 N. Moore Street office tower in Rosslyn (and an ARLnow.com advertiser), says they’re not worried that the two-year-old building is still vacant. Monday CEO Anthony Westreich says the company and lender Goldman Sachs are “confident” about the future of Rosslyn and patient as they search for a large anchor tenant. [Bisnow]

County Board to Consider Raising Taxi Fares

By Jennifer Currier

Published November 9, 2015 at 11:15AM

The Arlington County Board is considering amendments to the County Code’s section on taxicabs that would raise taxi fares and surcharges.

The proposed amendments include raising the initial charge on all taxi trips from $2.75 to $3 and raising the mileage and waiting charge from $0.35 to $0.36 for every one-sixth of a mile or 56 seconds.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 9, 2015 at 9:20AM | Updated November 9, 2015 at 9:43AM

Wakefield Wins, Ends Undefeated in Conference — The Wakefield Warriors football team defeated the Lee Lancers 50-18 on Friday to finish the regular season 8-2 and undefeated in the Capitol Conference. Wakefield will play in the first round of the 5A North Region playoffs on Friday. [InsideNova]

W-L Makes Playoffs with Win Against Yorktown — The Washington-Lee Generals secured a playoff spot and a 5-5 season with a win against cross-county rival Yorktown on Friday. It wrapped up Yorktown’s first losing season since 1995. [Washington Post]

Serial Robber Strikes Columbia Pike Capital One Bank

By ARLnow.com

Published November 7, 2015 at 1:00AM

Arlington County Police and the FBI are seeking a serial bank robber who robbed a bank on Columbia Pike Friday afternoon.

The suspect, dubbed the Forever Loyal Bandit by the FBI, passed a note to a teller at the Capital One Bank at 3532 Columbia Pike around 4 p.m. He received an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene.

Coming to Courthouse Farmers Market This Weekend: An Invasive Species

By ARLnow.com

Published November 6, 2015 at 2:55PM

If so, then the Arlington Farmers Market in Courthouse has just the fleshy bottom-feeder for you, starting tomorrow.

The weekly farmers market, which runs on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot at the intersection of N. Courthouse Road and 14th Street N., is adding blue catfish to its offerings.

Officials React to Selection of New Metro Chief

By ARLnow.com

Published November 6, 2015 at 1:30PM

Following a lengthy search process, the WMATA Board of Directors is expected to make Wiedefeld’s appointment official on Nov. 19.

With Metro in turmoil due to ongoing rail service reliability problems and financial challenges, state officials and lawmakers welcomed the appointment of an experienced executive to Metro’s top post.

Crime Report: Hotel Parking Lot Streaker Arrested

By ARLnow.com

Published November 6, 2015 at 11:25AM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:13PM

The incident happened around 3 a.m. Thursday morning, at either the Best Western or the Comfort Inn on the 2400 block of S. Glebe Road.

Unsurprisingly, the man was under the influence of drugs at the time, according to police. From an ACPD crime report:

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 6, 2015 at 10:10AM | Updated November 6, 2015 at 11:11AM

Task Force Recommends TJ Site — Ten months after the Arlington County Board nixed a proposed new elementary school next to Thomas Jefferson Middle School, a working group appointed by the Board has concluded that the site is, in fact, the best one for a new school. The group also recommended that the School Board starts planning for a second new South Arlington elementary school, most likely in the Pentagon City area. [InsideNova]

Election Day Bar Crawl Was a Bust — Organizers of an election day bar crawl in Clarendon say they have learned “that people are not up for celebrating democracy on a Tuesday night of a work week.” Despite giving out 65-70 bracelets for the crawl, which was to encourage younger people to vote, one of the participating bars — Whitlow’s — didn’t see a single customer wearing the bracelets. [Washington Post]