A Maryland man has been sentenced to 45 years behind bars after pushing a woman out of a moving vehicle near Ballston, causing severe injuries.
Willie James Clements Jr., 61, was sentenced to 35 years for aggravated malicious wounding, as well as the maximum 10 years for hit-and-run, in Arlington County Circuit Court last week.
Statements on Biden News — From Rep. Don Beyer: “President Joe Biden is a great American. Today he made a hard decision few others could have made, showed his character, and put his country first. I am proud of my support for Joe Biden, and proud of his patriotism.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Scam Warning from Police — “SCAM ALERT: ACPD is warning the community about a common and reoccurring nationwide scam circulating in Arlington. Several community members have reported receiving calls from an individual claiming to be an Arlington police officer wanting to discuss an urgent legal matter.” [Twitter]
Daughter Breaks Mom’s Record — “Like her mother before her, Abigail Hartman is following, and doing better in some cases, in those footsteps. So far, the summertime swimmer for the Overlee Flying Fish and Washington Golf & Country Club Lightning has broken team and pool records in the girls 8-under age divisions for the Arlington squads, some marks that her mother previously held at one of the pools and at the same age group.” [Gazette Leader]
Crash Caught on Camera — From Dave Statter: “A two vehicle crash on Old Dominion at Williamsburg in North Arlington at 8:40 this morning.” [Twitter]
Crystal City Cafe on TV — “Good Morning Washington woke up with some Brij coffee on Thursday! Owner and founder Skyler Kelley joined Roxanne and Brian to show off her small business. She pointed out their unique medium blend and their custom pastries full of flavor.” [WJLA]
Road Improvement Project on Agenda — “Arlington County Board members on July 22 are slated to approve a $2.07 million project to improve a roadway in the Ashton Heights neighborhood. The project, recommended by the Neighborhood Complete Streets Commission, would add three blocks of missing sidewalk and curb-and-gutter on North Oakland Street from Pershing Drive to 6th Road North.” [Gazette Leader]
Kudos for N. Va. Wineries — “While most Virginia wineries are in the state’s southern part, near Charlottesville, there is a growing number of producers in the state’s northern half. Some may be less focused on quality than others, but I found engaged and talented winemakers making good wines.” [Wall Street Journal]
It’s Monday — Expect showers and thunderstorms mainly before 5pm, with otherwise mostly cloudy skies and a high near 83°F. Southeast winds will be between 3-8 mph, with a 70% chance of precipitation and potential rainfall amounts between 0.75-1 inch. For Monday night, showers and thunderstorms are also expected, with a low temperature around 72°F. The chance of precipitation is 60%, and rainfall amounts between 0.5-0.75 inches are possible. [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.
A new trail connecting Columbia Pike to the Arlington Cemetery Metro station could come later than anticipated due to unexpected environmental assessment requirements.
A request to have Arlington County assume control over a portion of the Arlington Memorial Trail project — previously known as the Arlington National Cemetery Wall Trail — is scheduled for consideration at an Arlington County Board meeting on Monday.
Proposed expansions at VHC Health are returning to the Arlington County Board after community concerns led officials to postpone making a decision last month.
A requested site plan amendment would allow for the expansion of several units in the hospital, including the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and Cardiac Cathlab. In a presentation last month, VHC Health particularly highlighted the benefits of increased ER capacity as well as improvements to behavioral health care.
Temporary storage of county buses at a Virginia Square parking lot could continue for another year.
A use permit for 1425 N. Quincy Street, currently used as a storage site for 29 ART buses, was previously renewed in January and scheduled for a six-month review. Now, a county report recommends renewing the permit until July 31, 2025 — at which point work on the permanent ART Operations and Maintenance Facility in Green Valley should be complete.
Mob Assault at Yorktown HS — “5200 block of Yorktown Boulevard. At approximately 12:33 p.m. on July 17, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined that four juvenile male suspects assaulted the male victim following a verbal dispute. The victim was transported to an area hospital for minor injuries and released. Petitions are pending for Assault by Mob for the four juvenile suspects.” [ACPD]
Breakfast Pop-up in Rosslyn — “Rosslyn workers and residents will have a new breakfast pit stop starting next week with the opening of EggSnob, a pop-up inside celebrity chef Kevin Tien’s Hot Lola’s at 1501 Wilson Blvd. The breakfast sandwich pop-up will be a change for chef Dario Arana-Rojas, the chef and owner of Saoco Cuban Eats in Chevy Chase, Maryland.” [WTOP]
Local GOP Wants Musk Bucks — “The chairman of the Arlington County Republican Committee would like a word with Elon Musk… ‘We’d like to talk to you,’ Hurtt posted on social media from Milwaukee, where he was attending the Republican National Convention. His ask? Moolah for local Republican efforts. ‘$10,000 could go a lot further in Arlington than $45 million elsewhere,’ he wrote.” [Gazette Leader]
Airport Union Declares Victory — “Thousands of airport workers at @Dulles_Airport & @Reagan_Airport have won paid sick leave, thanks to @32BJSEIU members’ years-long fight for justice! TY to everyone who stood with the workers. Together, we’ll keep fighting for paid leave for all working families!” [Twitter]
Arlington Co. Touts AI Tech — “Axios HQ — the team that ‘makes internal comms work’ with software, training, and strategic consulting — has developed a groundbreaking AI-powered assistant to enhance its software. It is built for communicators by communicators.” [Business Wire]
Near Park Near Crystal City — “The North Potomac Yard extension of Potomac Yard Park is almost ready to be opened to the public. The park is a 4.5-acre extension of the currently constructed Potomac Yard Park with a mix of active, passive and social uses, but the big selling point is connecting the Potomac Yard Trail to Four Mile Run.” [ALXnow]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 88°F during the day. Winds from the north at 5-9 mph will become a light easterly breeze in the afternoon. As for Friday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low temperature around 72°F and a gentle south wind of 3-6 mph. [NWS]
A gas leak prompted the complete closure of a section of Columbia Pike during Thursday’s evening rush hour.
Fire department units were dispatched to the scene around 4:45 p.m, leading to Pike being shut down between S. Courthouse Road and S. Scott Street.
Red light enforcement cameras are scheduled to begin operating at four Arlington intersections starting Sept. 1.
Installation of the cameras has already begun, the county said in a press release, and they will operate at the following intersections:
The Arlington County Board is considering a proposal for a childcare center on the third floor of the newly constructed Saint Timothy and Saint Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church (STSA) in Green Valley.
However, the proposal, introduced by the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) in April, has raised concerns among nearby residents worried that the childcare center’s size and rooftop playground will create traffic and noise issues.
County staff have proposed a compromise for a Columbia Pike property that officials originally considered acquiring via eminent domain and demolishing.
An agreement with the conservator for the property at 1802 Columbia Pike is scheduled to go before the Arlington County Board on Monday.
Thieves have been increasingly targeting the Ballston area Target store, making it a frequent destination for police dispatches lately.
Arlington crime reports for July so far contain some 20 theft offenses for the 700 block of N. Glebe Road, where the store is located. The police department identifies crimes by block number and generally does not identify which specific businesses were the victim of crimes.
Empathy Sign Creator Talks — “‘If we can’t show empathy within the Beltway, it’s hard to have hope,’ says a local man who started hanging hand painted signs that read ‘Empathy’ throughout the D.C. area three years, not as a political act, but a way of giving back. Living with a rare form of cancer, hanging the signs is this former teacher’s way of saying thank you to the medical professionals and community that help keep him alive.” [Instagram]
Yorktown Baseball Standouts Drafted — “Right-handed pitcher Nate Knowles was chosen in the fourth round (124th pick overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays. Then catcher Jacob Friend was selected in round six (179th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds. The Division I college players had standout junior seasons in 2024, Knowles for the College of William & Mary and Friend at Davidson College.” [Gazette Leader]
Uncertainty About Compass Union Vote — “Compass Coffee and workers at seven locations in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, comprising five potential bargaining units, will face a period of extended uncertainty following a union election Tuesday. The union, Compass Coffee United, led at all bargaining units, with 22 votes cast in favor of the union and none cast against it. About 101 voters were challenged and their ballots were impounded by the NLRB without being opened and counted.” [Restaurant Dive]
Fresh Market Opening Nearby — “A national grocery chain originally inspired by open food markets in Europe is plotting an expansion in the D.C. area. The Fresh Market has landed deals to open stores at Reston Station and West Falls, the mixed-use development currently under construction on Falls Church City’s former high school campus, the Washington Business Journal first reported.” [FFXnow]
It’s Thursday — Isolated showers and possible thunderstorms after 5pm, partly sunny skies, and a high near 89 with north winds at 8 mph. Precipitation chance at 20%. Thursday night, scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, followed by isolated showers until 11pm, partly cloudy skies, and a low around 69 with north winds at 7 mph. Precipitation chance at 30%. [NWS]
