Window washers in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash on Camera — From Dave Statter: “Making the left turn from the center lane of an interstate highway is rarely a good move. Here’s some video evidence to support that thought. The usual spot of I-395N at Exit 10C. About 1:45 p.m.” [Twitter]
More Local Fall Events — “Fill up your fall with fun activities. Fancy some new artwork? There’s an event for that. Want to down some beers and oysters? There are outings for that, too. From farm days to bookish nights, October will keep you busy.” [Arlington Magazine]
Raising Cane’s in Seven Corners — “Fairfax County’s first location of a popular chicken tender chain is set to open its doors later this week. Raising Cane’s will hold its grand opening at 6363 Seven Corners Center on Thursday (Oct. 3), replacing the former Dogfish Head Alehouse that closed two years ago in the neighborhood’s eponymous shopping center.” [FFXnow]
Push for Emergency Declaration — “Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) alongside Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) wrote a letter to President Biden formally requesting the approval of Virginia’s request for an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia.” [Press Release]
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month — “September is prostate cancer awareness month, and more men are being diagnosed with advanced cases of the disease, a new report shows. Prostate cancer is deeply personal for News4’s Tony Perkins, who has been open about being diagnosed in 2022. He shared on News4 Today on Monday that after a follow-up biopsy, his doctor told him that his cancer progressed.” [NBC 4]
It’s Tuesday — Expect cloudy conditions with a high near 68 and a 70% chance of showers, accompanied by a northeast wind averaging 8 mph. There may be new precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch. Overnight, there is a slight chance of showers before 2 am. The night will otherwise be cloudy, with a low around 61. The chance of precipitation stands at 20%. [NWS]
A man inserts a ballot into a voting machine at Walter Reed Community Center on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
On Election Day, Arlington officials plan to have several layers of security in place to ensure all ballots are correct and accounted for.
With early voting now underway, Director of Elections Gretchen Reinemeyer posted a video (below) last week outlining the steps the county takes to arrive at an accurate count of all votes.
ACFD personnel wade into floodwaters during a rescue mission in rural Virginia (via ACFD/X)
Arlington fire personnel plunged into a high-stakes rescue mission on Friday as Hurricane Helene swept through parts of Southwest Virginia.
The Arlington County Fire Department’s water rescue team arrived in the town of Damascus, about two and a half hours from hard-hit Asheville, N.C., to find a person trapped inside their home and surrounded with “fast moving, debris laden water.”
A TV news crew and a “vote” sign at Courthouse Plaza (courtesy George Brazier)
Weekend Fire in Ballston — A generator atop an office building at 4350 Fairfax Drive caught fire Saturday morning, prompting a large fire department response. The blaze was quickly extinguished. A power outage was also reported around the scene in Ballston that morning. [Twitter]
Coffey Reacts to EHO Verdict — From Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffey: “I’m incredibly disappointed by today’s ruling & firmly believe we must appeal it. I am proud to be a pro-housing elected official, the only renter on the Arlington County Board, & represent those who wonder whether they have a future in our community after living here for years.” [Twitter]
Library Celebrates Banned Books — “Banned Books Week, an annual, national observance established in 1982 in response to frequent attempts to have books banned, highlights the value of free and open access to information and runs through September 28. The Arlington Public Library is celebrating its own version: Freedom to Read Week.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Talking to the Cheese Lady — “So, in the middle of 2023, my husband Jeff and I said, let’s do something new. There’s more competition. There’s a Harris Teeter there [which includes a Murray’s Cheese counter]. Now, there may have been a time where you could support two Cheesetiques within two miles of each other. We don’t think that’s the case anymore, so let’s do a new concept. And moving in an Italian direction felt very comfortable because it was a world in which we already lived so much.” [Washington Business Journal]
F.C. Art Festival Extended — “‘Due to the serious nature of Hurricane Helene,’ Falls Church Arts’ ‘Scenes in the City’ Plein Air Festival – one of the City of Falls Church’s prized annual art shows – has been moved up to Oct. 12, from its earlier date of Sept. 28, giving outdoor artists in the prize-competition ‘additional time to paint,’ and, hopefully, better weather to complete their submissions.” [Falls Church Independent]
It’s Monday — Expect showers with a high near 70 and a northeast wind at 10 mph, with a 90% chance of precipitation and possible new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. Monday night will see continued showers, a low around 62, northeast wind at 10 mph, 80% chance of precipitation, and potential new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. Industrious makes coworking simple. With fully stocked amenities and multiple Metro-accessible locations in Arlington, you can focus on your work without the hassle of office management.
A food scraps bin in Rosslyn (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
A three-month-old pilot program to divert food scraps from Arlington’s waste stream is paying dividends, the county government said Sept. 23.
More than 11,000 pounds of food waste has been collected since the launch of the Solid Waste Bureau’s pilot program in early July, officials said. Over 1,000 pounds of food scraps and food-soiled paper are being composted in a typical week.
Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) Director Chad Dotson announced today that for the 11th straight year, Virginia has achieved one of the lowest recidivism rates for re-incarceration in the nation.
Data from the VADOC shows that the Commonwealth’s 19% three-year re-incarceration rate for State Responsible (SR) inmates among the FY2019 cohort is tied for the second-lowest in the United States with Minnesota.
Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Is a county-government task force the way to advance the ball down the field on proposed changes to the governance structure that has been in place in Arlington for nearly a century?
That’s a request being made by the Arlington County Civic Federation. Whether county officials take the group up on its proposal remains to be seen.
Plaintiff Marcia Nordgren issues a statement after a circuit court judge originally overturned Missing Middle zoning changes (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
A circuit court judge has overturned Arlington’s Missing Middle zoning changes.
Judge David Schell ruled against the county on four counts this morning (Friday), finding that the county failed to adequately consider localized impacts, failed to follow proper procedure and violated state tree canopy requirements when adopting the amendments.
New stop sign at N. Vermont Street and N. Carlin Springs Road
A study on the traffic and safety needs of Carlin Springs Road has been pushed back by over a year.
Following an open house earlier this week about safety concerns on the southern portion of Carlin Springs, county spokesperson Claudia Pors confirmed that the planned Carlin Springs Road Corridor Study will take place in Fiscal Year 2027, which starts on July 1, 2026.
Rainy day in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
More on Green Pig Plans — “Lewis acquired both restaurants within the past year, having paid $900,000 for the Green Pig in January, and $600,000 for Buena Vida in February, with the intent of making more modest improvements to boost their profitability. When the bistro’s landlord moved to triple rent from $32 per square foot to $60 per square foot, the solution was clear.” [WBJ]
County Board Race Fundraising — “As of Aug. 31, Spain’s political action committee received a total of $167,132 in donations, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks campaign finance in the state. By comparison, Independent candidate Audrey Clement reported receiving $13,066, Forward Party candidate Madison F. Granger raised $7,082 and Republican Juan Carlos Fierro brought in $1,241.” [Patch]
More Equity Grants — “Arlington County, in collaboration with the United Way of the National Capital Area, has continued funding for an equity-based grant program, “RACE to Rebuilding Trust & Community.” The program is designed to support local organizations’ efforts to address critical community needs.” [Arlington County]
Technology Awards for County — “Arlington was named the No. 1 County Overall in the nation by the Center for Digital Government for its 2024 Government Experience Award. Arlington also won the 2024 Commonwealth Technology Award from the Virginia IT Agency in the Innovative Use of Technology category for its Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) Document Search project launched earlier this year.” [Arlington County]
Speed Camera Update — “Speeding near some Arlington County public schools could cost drivers $100. Fines started Wednesday after the Arlington County Police Department installed 10 cameras in selected school zones last month… as of Sept. 23, the latest date available, warnings went out to just over 1,820 drivers.” [DC News Now]
Free Narcan in Arlington — “Thursday is ‘Save a Life Day’, a national campaign that started in West Virginia in 2020… ‘This year we are aiming to dispense over 101,000 boxes of Narcan across the country, as a whole,’ said Emily Siqveland, the Opioid Programs Manager for Arlington County. She told WUSA9 that this year, Arlington County is participating in the campaign for the first time.” [WUSA 9]
More on Green Energy Home — “Four decades ago, energy technology expert Scott Sklar decided to install solar-powered sump pumps in his Arlington, Virginia, home to keep his basement from flooding. Since then, he’s added solar panels and a wind turbine, turning his home into a clean, green, energy machine.” [WTOP]
More on GazetteLeader Acquisition — “We who toil in local newsgathering, and the business operation that supports it, have been on a wild ride over the past two decades. For our part, we can say without reservation or hesitation that the O’Rourke group is high-class and was a pleasure to work under. Departing the local market wasn’t an easy choice for them, but these things happen, and we wish our O’Rourke Media Group colleagues across the company (and country) the very best.” [GazetteLeader]
Trump Rally in Arlington — From the Arlington GOP: “Join WMAL’s Vince Coglianese and Arlington Republicans… Friday, September 27th… as we #TailgateTheVote for President Trump and our GOP candidates outside the Courthouse Early Voting site at 8am. Free coffee and donuts! Bring your yard signs, flags, and campaign swag!” [Twitter]
Nearby: Trump Car Rally — “Some local Donald Trump supporters will rev up their engines this Sunday (Sept. 29) as a display of enthusiasm for the Republican presidential nominee. Organized by activists from the D.C. area’s Vietnamese community… After meeting up, attendees will ultimately drive east to the Eden Center in Falls Church.” [FFXnow]
It’s Friday — Expect showers throughout the day, with patchy fog before 7am and possible thunderstorms after 5pm. The temperature will reach a high of 76°F, accompanied by east winds of 6-11 mph and gusts up to 23 mph. Tonight, showers and potential thunderstorms continue until 2am, while temperatures drop to around 70°F. Winds remain at 6-13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]
Police looking for evidence where shots were fired along S. Wakefield Street in October 2022 (file photo)
A man who led police on a wild, high-speed chase involving gunfire and damage to numerous vehicles has been sentenced to two years of active incarceration.
Ricardo Singleton, 29, was sentenced in Arlington County Circuit Court to a maximum of 15 years in prison last week. However, 13 of the years will be suspended unless Singleton violates the terms of his probation during a five-year period, according to court records.
