Arlington is collecting feedback on proposed renovations at Douglas Park, a month after the County Board approved a 0.31-acre expansion of the recreation area.
Renovation plans at the five-acre park — in the neighborhood of the same name — call for replacing a wooden pedestrian bridge, a picnic shelter and site furnishings including picnic tables, park benches and waste bins. The project also aims to upgrade walking paths, improve stormwater management and remove invasive plants.
August has been a busy month for police responding to vehicle thefts at rental car lots in the Crystal City area.
Another such incident — at least the third this month and the fourth this summer — was reported over the weekend. It happened at the same Avis and Budget lot on the 2600 block of Richmond Highway as an armed carjacking on Aug. 1.
New plans for a 276-unit apartment building are the latest and largest of three Langston Blvd proposals to enter the pipeline in recent months.
A site plan application filed last week would replace the longstanding Walgreens at 3130 Langston Blvd with a 12-story tower containing some 353,000 square feet of retail and residential space. This follows two other proposals along the corridor, including a 94-unit building at 1501 Langston Blvd.
DOJ Ends APS Scrutiny — “Five years after the U.S. Department of Justice cited Arlington Public Schools for purported violations of federal law when it came to educating English-language learners, the matter is now over. Superintendent Francisco Durán at the Aug. 15 School Board meeting said federal officials had closed the book on the matter.” [Gazette Leader]
Crash Sends Car onto Sidewalk — From Alan Henney yesterday evening: “Traffic Collision… At the intersection of N Lynn St. and Langston Blvd. only the left hand lane on Langston Blvd. is open.” [Twitter]
FCPD Awards Arlington Officer — “@FairfaxCountyPD recently presented Corporal Naessens with a Community Service Appreciation Certificate… On July 14, he was off-duty driving through Seven Corners when he observed two FCPD officers struggling with a non-compliant suspect. He exited his vehicle, identified himself as an off-duty officer and assisted in controlling the suspect.” [Twitter]
Chaplains Meet in Arlington — “The U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps marked a significant milestone as it celebrated its 75th anniversary during its annual summit held in Arlington Aug. 6 – 8. The summit brought together Chaplain Corps leaders and religious support teams from across the globe to reflect on the corps’ history and a way ahead for the future.” [U.S. Air Force]
Pet Death Investigation Update — “The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria has concluded its investigation of PetSmart at Potomac Yard and found that while the facility has problems, there is insufficient evidence to charge the pet care facility or its staff with any crime. The AWLA reported that a necropsy of Clark, one of the dogs that died… likely contracted his illness before his stay at PetSmart.” [ALXnow]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of approximately 77°F, accompanied by a northwest wind at 10 mph and gusts reaching up to 18 mph. Tuesday night will bring mostly clear skies and a low of about 56°F, with north winds at 7 mph. [NWS]
All-Stars eliminated by champions in quarterfinals
The busy and long summer playoff baseball season ended for the Arlington Babe Ruth Storm Black 10-under All-Stars with a 4-2 record at the World Series in Crown Point, Ind.
With four months to go in the Arlington 2050 Initiative, conversations about the county’s long-term future are still underway.
While the goals of residents for the next several decades differ substantially, county spokesperson Kristen Clark told ARLnow that one clear trend has emerged across engagement efforts: “Folks want to be together.”
A man allegedly armed with a concealed firearm was arrested early Sunday morning in Clarendon.
The incident started around 2 a.m. when a witness stopped an officer near Bar Bao and reported seeing a man with a gun running through the area.
Arlington County police officers working the final night of the county fair called for backup after reportedly coming under attack during an arrest.
The incident happened Sunday night just before 9 p.m., an hour before the fair’s closing time, on the upper soccer field of the Thomas Jefferson Community Center grounds.
Construction on a new nine-story office building in Virginia Square is now complete, concluding the decade-plus process of redeveloping the site near Arlington Central Library.
Thirteen years after Arlington Funeral Home closed in 2011 with the expectation of an office building taking its place at 3901 N. Fairfax Drive, developer and construction company Skanska announced last week that those plans have finally come to fruition.
Naked Man Tased in Ashton Heights — From Dave Statter: “A shirtless man walked over a car in the middle of N. Pershing near N. Fillmore in Arlington this afternoon. The man shed the rest of his clothes after walking out of view of the camera. @ArlingtonVaPD caught up with him near N. Kenmore and used a TASER to take him into custody. EMS took him to the hospital.” [Twitter]
MU and VHC Nursing Partnership — “Marymount University’s Malek School of Nursing Professions and VHC Health, a national leader in the professional practice of nursing, have agreed to a transformative partnership aiming to advance nursing education, research and practice while significantly impacting the nursing workforce and patient care in Northern Virginia and beyond. The agreement is supported by a pledge of $318,000 from the Caruthers family for scholarship funding to the VHC Health Foundation.” [Marymount University]
Fair’s Zero Waste Goal — “Arlington’s Fair has been going on since the summer of 1977, but this year, they’re aiming for zero waste. The fair is usually full of vendors selling food packed in plastic and Styrofoam, but that will no longer be allowed… Composting will be available throughout the fair, vendor grease will be processed to create biofuel, and livestock manure will be collected and distributed to use as fertilizer in neighborhood gardens.” [WUSA 9]
Another YHS Grad Was at Olympics — “As U.S. Olympian Torri Huske of Arlington was swimming her way to five medals — three gold and two silver — during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, a fellow Yorktown High School graduate was photographing her races. Maddie Meyer, a photographer with global visual media company Getty Images, is a member of Yorktown’s Class of 2010.” [Patch]
It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 and northwest winds at 6-9 mph, but showers and possibly thunderstorms are likely after 2pm, with a 70% chance of precipitation. Less than a tenth of an inch of rainfall is anticipated, except for higher amounts during thunderstorms. Showers and thunderstorms may continue until 8pm, followed by mostly cloudy skies and a low around 63 accompanied by a 10 mph northwest wind. The chance of precipitation lowers to 60%, with similar rainfall amounts as earlier in the day. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Finn Watson leads Generals with a 2-under 34 score
Their first competition of the season was a championship performance for the Washington-Liberty Generals.
The Arlington County Board has announced plans to dismiss all current members of the Human Rights Commission.
Following months of mounting tension, the County Board plans to revise the commission’s charter and clarify members’ duties. Commissioners who wish to stay would have to reapply for the role “with an explicit understanding of the HRC’s clarified duties and responsibilities,” Board Chair Libby Garvey said in an email yesterday (Thursday).
