Three suspects are facing multiple charges after a series of thefts led to a car chase on I-66.
The chase — involving a black BMW sport utility vehicle — happened during Thursday’s evening rush hour and ended in the eastbound lanes of I-66 near the exit to N. Ohio Street, in Arlington. It followed at least two separate thefts in Fairfax County, including at a Bath and Body Works store in Fair Oaks and a Kohl’s in Burke.
A radio show that got its start at Arlington Independent Media has received recognition at the national level.
“Choose to be Curious,” run by former AIM president and producer Lynn Borton, won the Alliance for Community Media Foundation‘s Hometown Media Award for best audio programming by an independent producer. The award will be formally presented in June at a conference in San Jose, Calif.
Falls Church police are investigating hidden cameras found in the bathrooms of Northside Social.
Police say someone placed cameras in two first floor restrooms, facing the toilets, at the popular Clarendon cafe’s Falls Church outpost, which opened in 2018 at 205 Park Avenue.
Election Season Safety Planning — “The specifics for public consumption are – not surprisingly – left a little hazy, but Arlington public-safety officials say they are taking steps to ensure election season is not interrupted for one reason or another… Among law-enforcement leaders in the Washington region, ‘this is a consistent topic,’ Police Chief Andy Penn told County Board members.” [Gazette Leader]
More Road Safety Installations — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Crews have completed installing centerline hardening devices at five locations around Arlington,” including Ballston, “to slow vehicles making left turns near crosswalks. Another Vision Zero safety project pilot.” [Twitter]
A pedestrian was seriously injured in a hit-and-run collision in Arlington’s Maywood neighborhood tonight.
The incident happened around 7 p.m. Thursday on the 3300 block of 22nd Street N., a narrow street with houses, a small park and a sidewalk on one side.
The first of three towers in a major office-to-residential conversion project has opened in Skyline.
Three Collective, a trio of older, 16-story buildings converted to apartments on the 5000 block of Leesburg Pike, will ultimately lease 675 units with one-, two- and three bedroom configurations. Resident amenities include a large indoor dog park, a bowling alley, a VR gaming lounge and arcade, “social kitchens” and an indoor/outdoor amphitheater, a press release says.
A Fairfax man was jailed after he allegedly rammed a police cruiser.
The incident happened early Monday morning on the western end of Columbia Pike in Arlington. Police say an officer spotted a car with stolen tags in a parking lot, leading to an unsuccessful attempt to flee by the 25-year-old suspect.
Melwood Project Clears Hurdle — “Arlington County Board members late on May 21 kept the ball rolling on the possible eventual redevelopment of the 2-acre Melwood parcel near Crystal City, but expressed hope the property owner and surrounding community could find more common ground than has been the case to date.” [Gazette Leader]
‘Surreal’ Restaurant Review — “The first NoVA restaurant for the group profits from a young, moneyed neighborhood [in Crystal City] ready to splurge on breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner. And the prices at Surreal reflect that. Diners will find that a hot dog retails for $22 and dinner entrées start at $34. Are those prices worth it? Sometimes.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Artist Studios Moving — “Arlington County Board members on May 18 approved a contract worth about $1.73 million to renovate a portion of a building on South Four Mile Run Drive to accommodate the relocation of print-making, ceramics and textile studios from other venues across the county.” [Gazette Leader]
Sex Offender Found Guilty, Again — “On Wednesday, a federal jury convicted a 38-year-old Honduran man, who had previously been incarcerated at the Arlington County Adult Detention Center, with illegally returning to the United States. On Feb. 7, 2020 Sergio Alberto-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual battery of a 10-year-old family member in the Circuit Court of Arlington County, according to court documents.” [Patch]
Car Crimes in Crystal City — “Between approximately 1:38 p.m. and 2:27 p.m., the male suspect entered the parking garage and tampered with two vehicles and a motorcycle. Security personnel verbally confronted the suspect and he subsequently left the area. During the course of the investigation, an additional vehicle was determined to be tampered with in a garage in the 3400 block of Potomac Avenue and personal items stolen. A vehicle… was reported stolen from a parking garage in the 1700 block of Crystal Drive.” [ACPD]
It’s Thursday — Expect showers and thunderstorms, intensifying after 5pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 84. A west wind of 3 to 6 mph accompanies a 60% chance of precipitation and potential for a quarter to half-inch of new rainfall. For Thursday night, showers and storms are likely before 11pm, with lows around 66 and a southeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable. Precipitation chances increase to 70%. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar
Looser parking restrictions for businesses have arrived in Arlington.
The Arlington County Board unanimously voted on Tuesday to reduce parking minimums for many commercial establishments, while also removing some red tape around off-site parking and shared parking lots.
Arlington’s parks have maintained their ranking as some of the best in the country for the seventh year in a row.
Arlington ranks fifth in the national “ParkScore” rankings released today — the same spot that it held last year, but behind its No. 3 ranking in 2022. The county’s parks have ranked among the top 5 in the nation since 2018.
Southwest Wants DCA-to-Vegas Flight — “Southwest Airlines will officially apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation for nonstop flights from Reagan National Airport to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, seeking one of five new round-trip flights from Reagan National authorized through the recent passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act.” [WTOP]
Art at Rosslyn Metro Station — “Metro in partnership with the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) will celebrate the creations of eight local artists as part of a new pop-up art exhibit at the Rosslyn Station, Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The new Rosslyn initiative, Art Elevated, aims to infuse the Metro experience in Rosslyn with creativity and inspiration, turning a functional construction site into a canvas for local artistic expression.” [WMATA]
Vehicle Thefts Decline Slightly — “Vehicle thefts across Arlington declined to an average of less than one per day in March, according to new police data. A total of 25 vehicle thefts were recorded for the month, Arlington police said. That’s a decline from 33 in March 2023 and from 30 in March 2022.” [Gazette Leader]
Pike Pedestrian Safety Project — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Crews have begun installing centerline hardening devices on Columbia Pike to slow vehicles making left turns near crosswalks. Another Vision Zero safety project pilot, this one involving five locations across Arlington.” [Twitter]
Foxtrot May Return — “Foxtrot may bounce back into business and reopen marketplaces in the DMV. The upscale café/convenience store was uber-popular, and regulars have mourned Foxtrot’s loss after 10 D.C.-area locations abruptly shuttered last month. Foxtrot founder Mike LaVitola is reportedly involved in a new ownership group working to revive some of the bougie bodegas, according to TheRealDeal.” [Axios]
‘Coffee With a Cop’ This Morning — From Arlington County police: “Enjoy tomorrow’s beautiful sunny weather by starting your morning with ACPD! Join us at Rocky Run Park (1109 N. Barton St.) from 8-9:30 AM for our first Coffee with a Cop event of the year! We can’t wait to share some great coffee & conversation with members of our community!” [Twitter]
Fire at Shirlington Apartment Building — From the Arlington County Fire Department on Tuesday morning: “Units are on the scene of a structure fire in the 4400 BLK of 31st St. South. Avoid the area and seek an alternate route.” [Twitter]
Beyer Weights in on ScoJo AI Spat — “Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) is doubling down on a push for new transparency standards after a controversy surrounding OpenAI and actress Scarlett Johansson.” [ALXnow, Press Release]
More Hardware for DJO Softball — “The Knights concluded their 2024 campaign by winning a 12th straight Division I private school state championship (28th overall) to finish 23-0 overall and extend their overall three-season victory string to 54. Plus, the team has now won 36 straight state-tourney contests.” [Gazette Leader]
Record Bikeshare Ridership — “Increasing spring temperatures have brought a surge in Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) trips across the region. The bikesharing network recorded 490,265 rides in April, an increase of 26.0% from April 2023. April’s CaBi ridership is the second busiest month on record, missing the milestone set in October 2023 by less than 1,000 rides.” [Greater Greater Washington]
It’s Wednesday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching around 88 degrees, accompanied by a south wind blowing at 5 to 7 mph. As we move into Wednesday night, there will be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 pm. The sky will become partly cloudy, with lows around 69 degrees and a south wind at 3 to 6 mph. There is a 20% chance of precipitation during the evening. [NWS]
Team has won 12 straight Virginia titles and 28 in program history
It’s normal that many teams set goals for an upcoming season.
