A new restorative justice program is focusing on the needs of people who have suffered domestic and sexual violence in Arlington.
The pilot initiative, launched by the nonprofits Restorative Arlington and Doorways through a $1.5 million federal grant, offers more pathways to justice for survivors of intimate partner violence, stalking and dating violence.
Battery-powered bikes are helping to propel Capital Bikeshare to record passenger totals in Arlington and across the D.C. area.
In August, ridership on e-bikes for the first time exceeded that of traditional (pedal-only) bicycles in the county and across Capital Bikeshare’s service area, members of the county’s Bicycle Advisory Committee were told Oct. 7.
It’s not a new phenomenon, but there have been more reports of stolen political signs in Arlington amid a brighter spotlight on such thefts.
The latest incidents happened in the county’s northern reaches and involve signs for both of the major party presidential candidates.
New AARP ‘Livability’ Rankings — “Based on the AARP Livability Index criteria, the top 10 communities in Virginia are: Falls Church – with a score of 68, ranks #6 on the national list of most livable small cities with populations of 5,000 to 24,999… Arlington County – with a score of 67, ranks #1 on the national list of most livable large communities with populations of 100,000 to 499,999.” [Press Release]
Lawsuit For Another Jail Death — “The family of a man who died after being in the custody of a jail in Arlington County has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit. Paul Thompson, 41, was arrested on Jan. 13, 2022 for trespassing. The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office said Thompson was held at the Arlington County Detention Facility to await his court hearing. According to the Sheriff’s Office, on Feb. 1, 2022, Thompson was found unresponsive in his cell, in the medical unit at the facility.” [DC News Now]
Moped Rider Struck on Highway — From Dave Statter: “This is why a moped shouldn’t be on an interstate highway or making a left turn trying to get to a missed exit. This was I-395S at Exit 8C to Crystal City around p.m. The injuries were serious but not reported to be life threatening.” [Twitter]
Creating Nightlife in Crystal City — “Let’s face it: Crystal City just doesn’t have the same vibe as Mount Vernon Triangle. The team behind hip D.C. restaurant Bar Chinois wants to help change that with a second location inside the Reva, part of a larger multifamily development at 1900 Crystal Drive from JBG Smith Properties. ‘JBG brought us in in particular to try to create a nightlife in that area,’ said Bar Chinois partner Mark Minicucci, who helms the restaurant with co-partners Dean Mosones and Margaux Donati. ‘Hopefully, we can do that.'” [WBJ]
County Apartment Rents Down Slightly — The median rent for an Arlington apartment in September was $2,476 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,992 for a two-bedroom unit, down 0.5% from a month before but still fifth highest among 100 large urban areas in a monthly ranking. [Apartment List]
Arlington Has Priciest Per-Square-Foot Costs –With an average of $521, Arlington had the most expensive home prices, on a per-square-foot basis, across the Washington region in September, according to data from Bright MLS. Arlington’s rate was up from $472 a year before and narrowly edged out the District of Columbia ($520) for supremacy. –Scott McCaffrey
Some Renters Delaying Homeownership — “Brenan, who recently moved into a studio apartment in Arlington, spends $2,155 a month on rent. When it comes to homeownership, ‘that aspiration is kind of at odds with my desire to stay in the DC/Arlington area,’ Brenan says. For that reason, buying a house is off the table until she’s ready for the ‘burbs.” [Axios]
Bishop Pushes Back on Casino Proposal — “Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, recently urged Catholics to treat gambling with caution, reminding the faithful that the Church opposes any gambling that puts a person’s financial stability at risk. The impetus for Burbidge’s remarks, made on the Arlington Diocese’s ‘Walk Humbly’ podcast, is an effort by some lawmakers to allow residents of Northern Virginia to vote to create a new casino in Fairfax County near Washington, D.C.” [Catholic News Agency]
It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly cloudy day with temperatures reaching around 56 degrees, accompanied by a west wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. As nighttime approaches, the skies will become partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 42 degrees. [NWS]
Is Reagan National Airport a danger to the local community and to the traveling public?
And if so, what should be done about it?
“Nobody’s doing it to make money.”
Few would quibble with that assertion about service on the Falls Church City Council, made Oct. 7 by Vice Mayor Debora Schantz-Hiscott.
Cue Willie Nelson, as Arlington Democrats will be on the road again for the final weekends of campaign season.
The Arlington County Democratic Committee is dispatching volunteers to both North Carolina and Pennsylvania, two battleground states that remain tossups in the presidential race.
Arlington’s two main political parties are putting the finishing touches on their greet-the-voters strategies.
Democrats plan to staff all 54 county precincts from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and have had volunteers at early-voting locations since balloting began on Sept. 20.
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Virginia election officials Friday that accuses the state of striking names from voter rolls in violation of federal election law.
Work Starts on Crystal House Expansion — “The expansion of Crystal House, the Arlington multifamily project in the shadow of Amazon’s HQ2, is finally beginning. True Ground Housing Partners, known as Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing until a name change in September, has started utility work at Crystal House with plans to start vertical construction on the first new building there in 2025.” [WBJ]
Public Defender Stepping Down — From Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: “@BradleyRHaywood announced he will step down as Arlington’s Chief Public Defender. It is no exaggeration to say that insofar as Arlington’s (and all of Virginia’s) criminal legal system has moved toward justice and fairness, it’s in great part because of his work.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Chief Asked About Election Unrest — Perhaps not impossible, but unlikely. That was Arlington Police Chief Andy Penn’s view of the the likelihood, if one group or another is displeased with the outcome of the presidential election and starts to make trouble, that Virginia’s governor will move to take control of the response away from local elected leadership and public-safety personnel. The matter came up at the Oct. 8 meeting of the Arlington County Civic Federation. During the meeting, Penn and several other county leaders fielded questions of security issues related to the Nov. 5 election. –Scott McCaffrey
Police Chase in Crystal City — From Dave Statter: “A crash and bail out early this morning at S. 20th and S. Eads in Arlington. @ArlingtonVaPD were seconds behind an SUV that appeared to run the light on Eads and was hit. As an officer pulled up at least three people from the SUV ran off. Police gave chase and were able to catch some if not all of them.” [Twitter]
Chase Near Pentagon — Also from Statter: “A driver chased by @VSPPIO kept going the wrong way on roads around the Pentagon early today. A trooper apparently tried to stop the car for bad tags along Route 1 in Crystal City just after 1:30 a.m. The car began to escape on S. Eads Street northbound from 15th. At Army Navy Drive it went the wrong way underneath I-395 and made a U-turn before entering the Pentagon.” [Twitter]
Layoffs at Arlington-Based Boeing — “Boeing plans to lay off about 10% of its workers in the coming months, about 17,000 people, as it continues to lose money and tries to deal with a strike that is crippling production of the company’s best-selling airline planes. New CEO Kelly Ortberg told staff in a memo Friday that the job cuts will include executives, managers and employees.” [Associated Press]
Overflowing Trash in Pentagon City — “Every. Single. Sunday. These barrels at 12th + S. Hayes are overflowing. This isn’t about separating trash from recycling anymore. Who do we need to talk w/ to have an additional barrel or two placed here?” [Twitter]
It’s Monday — Partly sunny today, with a high near 65. West wind of 13-17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Tonight it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 45 and a northwest wind of 5-10 mph. [NWS]
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Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon
An Arlington man is dead and another young man has been charged in the crash that claimed his life.
Police and medics responded around 2 a.m. to a crash along the 2200 block of N. Harrison Street, in the Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood south of Langston Blvd. A car being driven northbound by an 18-year-old Arlington resident struck several parked vehicles and overturned, according to Arlington County police.
Arlington County police are investigating gunfire along Columbia Pike.
The shooting happened Friday night, shortly before midnight. Initial reports suggest that several shots were fired during a fight among a large group of teens near the intersection of S. Taylor Street and the Pike, a block or two west of the Harris Teeter store.
