News | ARLnow.com - Part 1067

Morning Notes

Published February 18, 2015 at 9:30AM

Police Investigating Apartment Break-In, Fire — A man has been arrested and accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and starting a small fire. The incident happened on the 1200 block of S. Scott Street, just off of Columbia Pike, Monday morning. [Washington Post]

Arlington Trying to Keep TSA — After losing the National Science Foundation and the Fish and Wildlife Service to Alexandria, Arlington County officials are stepping up their efforts to keep the Transportation Service Administration. The TSA currently has offices in Pentagon City, but at least one office owner is trying to lure the agency to Alexandria. [Washington Business Journal]

UPDATED: Man Arrested After 7-Eleven Robbery, Carjacking Attempt

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 17, 2015 at 2:25PM | Updated February 17, 2015 at 4:10PM

The incident happened around 2:15 a.m., in the midst of this morning’s snow storm, at the 7-Eleven store at 2704 Washington Blvd.

Police say Antonius Sallis, 33, held up the store, putting a knife to the throat of a clerk with one hand while holding a handgun in his other hand. Sallis demanded Newport cigarettes and cash, then slashed the clerk’s neck before leaving the store, Arlington County Police said in a press release.

County Gov’t Closed, Most Roads Still Snow-Covered

By ARLnow.com

Published February 17, 2015 at 8:15AM | Updated February 17, 2015 at 9:43AM

Update at 9:40 a.m. — Limited Metrobus service will start being restored at 10:30 a.m. Buses will operate under a severe snow plan.

The snow has stopped falling and some breaks of blue sky can even be seen above, but the impacts of the overnight snowfall are still being felt.

Late-Night Rumble Outside Whitlow’s Broken Up by Police

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 13, 2015 at 4:30PM

File photo

A brawl involving more than a dozen people broke out in the street outside Whitlow’s on Wilson in Clarendon early this morning.

About a dozen squad cars arrived to the 2800 block of Wilson Blvd at about 1:15 a.m. today to more than a dozen people in the street fighting with each other, ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.

Armed Robbers Strike Crystal City McDonald’s

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 13, 2015 at 3:30PM

Photo courtesy Arlington County Policy Department

Two masked men held up the McDonald’s at 2620 Jefferson Davis Highway early this morning and stole cash.

The two men caught on surveillance cameras entered the fast-food joint about 4:40 a.m. and jumped over the front counter, police said. One man pointed a handgun at employees while the other man served as a lookout. The thieves stuffed cash into a backpack and drove off in a dark sedan. No injuries were reported.

Andrew Schneider to Run for County Board

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 13, 2015 at 2:00PM | Updated February 13, 2015 at 2:34PM

Schneider, 40, will vie for one of the two open seats on next year’s Board after members Mary Hynes and Walter Tejada retire. The Democrat will be on the ballot for the party’s primary on June 9.

“I’m excited to talk to Arlingtonians from all corners of the county to hear their ideas, frustrations and potential solutions. I believe in one Arlington, one community,” Schneider said in statement announcing his candidacy. “Our county is at its best when we’re having real dialogue with friends and neighbors about how to move our community forward together.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 13, 2015 at 9:15AM

APS Elementary Schools Get Top Marks — Ten of the top 11 public elementary schools in Virginia, as ranked by Niche.com, are in Arlington. “A high ranking indicates that the school is an exceptional academic institution with a diverse set of high-achieving students and faculty, and the students are very happy with their experiences,” the website said of its 2015 list. [Niche]

‘Blue Moon’ County Board Race — The upcoming Arlington County Board election will be the first in four decades in which two seats are open at the same time. That has led one political watcher to dub the race a “blue-moon” election. [InsideNova]

Crime Report: Peeper Sent to the Slammer

By ARLnow.com

Published February 12, 2015 at 10:15AM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:07PM

Arlington police car (file photo)

The incident happened on the 4000 block of 5th Street N., near Ballston. Police say the man was peering into the bedroom window of a woman’s ground floor apartment.

From the crime report:

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 12, 2015 at 9:20AM

Long-Time Clarendon Shoe Store to Close — Public Shoe Store, at 3137 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon, is expected to close in May. The store, which primarily sells “comfort shoes,” has been in business for 75 years. Its owner, 82, is retiring and is looking for a new tenant for the building, which his family owns. [Washington Business Journal]

Home Sales Continue to Rise — The number of home sales in Arlington in January was up 10 percent and the average sales price up 18 percent compared to one year prior, according to new data. The average sales price for all properties is $621,242. For single family homes, it’s $932,253, a hike of nearly 25 percent compared to 2014. [InsideNova]

Bill to Allow County Board to Hire Auditor Passes House

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 11, 2015 at 5:00PM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:32PM

Del. Patrick Hope is chief patron of HB 2308, which allows counties with the county manager form of government — namely, Arlington — to hire an auditor with the power to “make performance reviews of operations of county agencies or county-funded programs.” The auditor would ensure money is being spent wisely and evaluate the effectiveness of those agencies and programs.

The bill passed the House of Delegates unanimously yesterday.

DEVELOPING: Courthouse Metro Station Closed Due to Electrical Fire

By ARLnow.com

Published February 11, 2015 at 2:30PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 3:22PM

Update at 2:50 p.m. — The Courthouse station will be reopened shortly. A “test train” is being used to see if it’s safe for Metro to start using the affected stretch of track again. Metro and fire department personnel tell ARLnow.com that there were no communication or coordination problems during the incident response.

The Arlington County Fire Department and Metro personnel are on the scene at the Courthouse Metro station due to an electrical issue on the tracks.

Photos: Demolition Begins on ‘The Blue Goose’

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 11, 2015 at 1:15PM | Updated February 11, 2015 at 6:26PM

Debris surrounds the north side of the Blue Goose building

(Updated at 6:25 p.m.) The distinctive “Blue Goose” building on the corner of Fairfax Drive and N. Glebe Road in Ballston is starting to be torn down.

The building, built in the 1960s, will be replaced by a nine-story office building and 15-story residential building. The redevelopment is a partnership between Shooshan Company and Marymount University. Shooshan has a ground lease for the land and is developing the new buildings, while MU owns the land and will occupy six of the nine floors of the new office building, with plans to fill the other three over time.