A D.C. man is facing felony charges following a police chase that ended in Arlington yesterday, all because of an expired inspection sticker.
Police say 27-year-old Kenneth Kelley, Jr. was driving a 1995 Chevy Tahoe in Dale City yesterday around 1:00 p.m., when a Virginia state trooper noticed the expired inspection sticker. The trooper tried to make a traffic stop, but Kelley refused to pull over and sped away, according to a Virginia State Police press release.
(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) In 2010, Jay Fisette was the lone County Board member to vote against the county’s snow removal ordinance.
In 2015, he is the lone County Board member with a snowy sidewalk in front of his house.
Civ Fed Considering Retail Plan Opposition — The Arlington County Civic Federation is considering opposing the county’s update of its retail action plan. “What problem are we trying to solve here?” asked the writer of a resolution that calls for the county to scrap the effort. [InsideNova]
WaPo Supports County Outreach Initiative — The Washington Post editorial board has penned an editorial in support of the new community outreach effort that Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes announced at the Board’s New Years Day meeting. [Washington Post]
The incident happened this past Friday, just after 7:00 p.m. Police say a group of five boys ages 11 to 13 entered the 7-Eleven and stole Slurpees.
When the cashier confronted the suspects, one allegedly brandished a knife and made threats, before fleeing the scene on foot.
A police chase that started in Prince William County ended in Arlington’s Arna Valley neighborhood this afternoon.
Virginia State Police reportedly began pursuing a green Chevrolet SUV in Prince William , following it up I-95 and I-395. The SUV took the Glebe Road exit off I-395 around 1:00 p.m., speeding toward the residential neighborhood of Arna Valley, near Shirlington.
Update at 3:45 p.m. — The gas line has been shut off and the incident has been cleared. Northbound Crystal Drive remains shut down between Potomac Ave and 27 Street S. as repairs on the gas line continue.
Emergency crews are shutting down the 2600 block of Crystal Drive to repair a gas leak.
Murphy Apologizes for Snowy School Opening — Arlington Public Schools superintendent Patrick Murphy has personally apologized for the unpopular decision to open schools on time yesterday, in the midst of a snow storm. Murphy said APS, like other local school systems that also opened on time, had to make a decision early in the morning, when the forecast still called for less snow. “Once that decision is made, we are kind of locked in,” said Murphy. [InsideNova]
Salt Truck Slides Down Hill — The refreeze may have claimed a salt truck last night. A reader spotted a salt truck being pulled out of a ditch on N. Roosevelt Street. [Twitter]
Commuters hoping to avoid icy roads were met with huge crowds and delays on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines this morning.
A disabled train outside Stadium-Armory at around 8:00 a.m. was when the problems began, resulting in single-tracking on all three lines. According to several commuters on Twitter, a Blue Line train passed Arlington Cemetery and turned around. Some trains were offloaded, forcing passengers back out into frigid weather at outside platforms.
(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) This morning’s commute is officially a traffic nightmare for anyone still out on the roads.
The map above shows just how bad traffic is around the region as two and a half inches of slick, powdery snow have fallen. Numerous accidents have been reported around the county as students make their way to school and commuters make their way to work.
A bomb threat was phoned into the Pentagon City mall on Christmas Eve, according to the latest Arlington County weekly crime report.
The bomb threat was called in around 1:00 p.m., just before a “black lives matter” protest at the mall. It’s unclear if the threat was in any way connected to or in response to the protest.
An electric bicycle shop in the Clarendon area was damaged by a fire Sunday night.
The fire department was called just before 8:00 p.m. for a fire at the Hybrid Pedals shop at 925 N. Jackson Street. The shop sells bikes outfitted with electric motors, also called “eBikes.”
County to Hold Affordable Housing Forum — The Arlington County Human Rights Commission is holding a public forum on affordable housing on Thursday. The forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street). Between 2000 and 2013, the average rent in Arlington increased by 91 percent while the average home sale price rose 140 percent. [Arlington County]
Beware of Contract Vote Requirements — In the interest of government accountability, County Board member John Vihstadt has proposed requiring a Board vote on all county contracts over $1 million. Beware of such a requirement, says a letter to the editor writer. Reformers in the District want to take away the power to vote on large contracts from the D.C. Council, citing recent scandals and the potential for abuse. [Washington Post]
