Don’t look now but carjackings have become relatively rare in Arlington over the past few months.
There were four carjackings in Arlington during the first half of 2024, according to Arlington County police. That’s a third of the 2023 total during the same time period.
Five new long-haul flights are coming to Reagan National Airport. It’s now up to the U.S. Department of Transportation to decide which ones.
Eight airlines met Monday’s deadline to apply for the daily roundtrip flights, which will be exempt from the airport’s general 1,250-mile service perimeter. That follows the May passage of an FAA reauthorization bill that allowed the five new flights, to the strenuous objection of local elected officials concerned about delays and safety.
A busy Arlington supermarket would be sold to facilitate the planned merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, the companies publicly disclosed.
The Harris Teeter in the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center at 2425 N. Harrison Street would be divested to C&S Wholesale Grocers under current plans. The store would not close but might be rebranded.
Local Restaurants on ‘Hottest’ List — “A new restaurant by David Guas, the celebrity chef behind Arlington’s Bayou Bakery, was included among the Eater DC’s hottest new restaurants list for July, according to food-focused news outlet. Located at 6641 Old Dominion Drive in McLean, Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen spotlights small farmers and fishermen.” Arlington restaurants on the Eater list are the recently opened Láylí in Clarendon and NiHao in Crystal City. [Patch, Eater DC]
FCPD Makes ABC Store Theft Arrests — “An Arlington County police spokeswoman, meanwhile, was asked whether there was evidence of a link between the Fairfax suspects and any of the more than 150 ABC store thefts there so far this year. ‘The investigation into thefts at Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores in Arlington County are ongoing and detectives continue to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to determine if any Arlington cases are linked regionally,’ ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told our sister site ARLnow.” [FFXnow]
IHOP Fight Caught on Camera — From Dave Statter: “In this heat? Two men had a 100 degree, knock-down, drag-out fight outside the IHOP in Ballston a short time ago. The fight included a headbutt and ended with one of the men getting sprayed and taken down by the first arriving @ArlingtonVaPD officer.” [Twitter]
In this heat? Two men had a 100 degree, knock-down, drag-out fight outside the IHOP in Ballston a short time ago. The fight included a headbutt and ended with one of the men getting sprayed and taken down by the first arriving @ArlingtonVaPD officer. Video via @SafetyVid.… pic.twitter.com/kqoVNUGl8z
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) July 9, 2024
South Block Expanding to Springfield — “For Arlington-based South Block, it is part of a much larger expansion that will take it outside of the D.C. area. Private equity firm Savory Fund, which invests in locally-based food concepts, invested in South Block earlier this year, fueling its expansion on the East Coast to as many as 50 locations within the next five years.” [WTOP]
Dems to Start Local Canvassing — “Likely with the hope there will be more clarity as to their national standard-bearer by then, Arlington Democrats on July 13 will launch canvassing for the Nov. 5 election. ‘We’ll gather to mobilize our community and spread the word about our progressive vision for a brighter future,’ party leaders said in looking for volunteers. ‘Together, we’ll knock on doors, engage with voters and build momentum for positive change.'” [Gazette Leader]
Flyover Planned Tonight — From AlertDC: “The US Military will be conducting a flyover in the area of the National Mall on Wednesday July 10, 2024, at 7:45PM.
It’s Wednesday — Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 5pm. Otherwise, expect a mostly sunny day and a high near 95, and a heat index reaching up to 105. South winds at 8-14 mph, gusting up to 21 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. Wednesday night, storms are possible, mainly before 2am, while partly cloudy skies bring a low of 77. South winds will be 8-11 mph, turning west after midnight, with a 50% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon
As the much-anticipated Missing Middle trial began this week, the Arlington NAACP is arguing that the case has wide-ranging implications for racial equity.
In a 55-page amicus brief filed in advance of opening statements on Monday, the local NAACP chapter argued that single-family zoning has racist origins and that undoing Missing Middle would be a step backward for racial progress.
An eight-story apartment building could be replacing an aging Clarendon office building, where a new restaurant just opened.
A development application for 3033 Wilson Blvd, filed last week by Carr Properties, calls for 312 units of housing ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments. The building across from the Clarendon Metro station would have a parking garage with 344 spaces, plus almost 7,000 square feet of retail space.
Arlington County police are looking for three suspects who went behind the counter of a local 7-Eleven and stole cash and merchandise.
The strong-arm robbery happened this past Saturday night, around 8:30 p.m., on the 1500 block of S. Fern Street in Pentagon City.
Clement on Spain’s Tax Exemption — “Should an elected official who does not pay property taxes, either as a homeowner or indirectly through rent payments to a landlord, have a say in discussing and setting tax rates in Arlington? That’s the question posed by County Board candidate Audrey Clement, who in an e-mail to supporters pointed out that the Democratic nominee for County Board uses a state law giving disabled veterans the ability to apply for property-tax exemptions.” [Gazette Leader]
School Board Elects New Chair — “The Arlington School Board held its annual organizational meeting for the 2024-25 school year and elected Mary Kadera as Chair and Bethany Zecher Sutton as Vice Chair. The terms for the new Chair and Vice Chair begin immediately and will continue until June 30, 2025.” [Arlington Public Schools]
Huske’s Olympic Confidence Grows — “Yorktown High School grad Torri Huske will represent the United States once again, and is a favorite to win gold in the 100 fly according to Swimming World Magazine. Huske qualified for her spot in two events at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials: the 100 fly and the 100 free. She says her experience representing the USA in Tokyo in 2020–and subsequent competitions on the international stage–will only strengthen her game this time around.” [Arlington Magazine]
ACPD Training Today — The Arlington SWAT team and other first responders will be holding a training exercise in the Old Glebe neighborhood this afternoon and evening. Such exercises are regularly held in neighborhoods, at vacant homes set for demolition, and involve realistic-seeming actions and gear, but no live ammunition.
It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny and hot day with a high near 97 and heat index values up to 106, along with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. South wind will be at 5 to 7 mph. For Tuesday night, there’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, with partly cloudy conditions and a low of 79. The south wind will be 6 to 8 mph and precipitation odds remain at 20%. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman
A vehicle wheel repair business was heavily damaged by a fire over the weekend.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Green Valley neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. Friday after several people called 911 to report a building on fire.
Greater housing density and more public open space are included in a new development proposal for a Pentagon City shopping area.
Proposed changes to the Pentagon Centre Development Site Plan (PDSP), slated for consideration at a Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, call for an additional 1,195 residential units and 333,300 more square feet of office space. A new “pocket park,” expanded recreation areas and an interim public space are also included in possible revisions to the redevelopment plan last modified in 2015.
Arlington’s Congressional delegation made headlines over the weekend amid the ongoing intra-party debate over President Joe Biden’s reelection prospects and mental fitness.
First came the news on Friday that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) was organizing “a group of Democratic senators to ask President Biden to exit the presidential race,” as reported by the Washington Post. Last night, however, Axios reported that a planned meeting of senators today was called off.
Arlington’s Water Vulnerability — “[Last] week’s extensive boil water advisory for all of D.C. and most of Arlington, Virginia, demonstrated a major vulnerability in the national capital region’s drinking water supply. ‘They’re 100% dependent on one source,’ said Michael Nardolilli, executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. And there’s only a one-day backup supply if something goes wrong.” [WTOP]
Standoff After Pistol Whipping — “The male suspect and male victim were involved in a verbal dispute inside a residential building during which the suspect allegedly produced what was believed to be a firearm and struck the victim with it. The victim was treated on scene by medics for non-life threatening injuries. The suspect remained inside the residential building and initially refused officers’ commands to exit the building. He subsequently exited and was taken into custody.” [ACPD]
Paper: Parents Project Power at APS — “Anyone who has been around Arlington schools for any length of time already knows how this is going to play out. The pushback on any serious effort to restrict phone use is going to come not from the students – they’ll be fine with it – but from the ‘helicopter’ parents who lurk over not just their children, but teachers and school staff, demanding their own way.” [Gazette Leader]
Clement Sees No RCV Benefit — “The most seasoned candidate on the Arlington County Board general-election ballot isn’t any more impressed with ranked-choice voting (RCV) today than she was before June’s Democratic primary. ‘Whatever else RCV might do, it doesn’t encourage more civility, and it doesn’t encourage participation in elections,’ Audrey Clement said in a post-primary e-mail to supporters.” [Gazette Leader]
YHS Grad in Baseball Draft — “Now it’s an anxious waiting game for Nate Knowles. The Yorktown High School graduate has done all he can to be well prepared and set up for this month’s upcoming Major League Baseball draft, which begins July 14. The hard-throwing right-handed pitcher is projected to be chosen anywhere from the third round or lower.” [Gazette Leader]
Some N. Va. Office Optimism — “While office vacancy remains high and has even ticked up a bit in Northern Virginia, a recent market report highlights numerous cases illustrating that the prevalent narrative of tenants downsizing their real estate footprints shouldn’t be applied in blanket fashion. Fully three-quarters of transactions larger than 10,000 square feet signed during the second quarter had a ‘positive or neutral impact’ on absorption, according to a July 1 analysis from CBRE.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Monday — Expect isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with mostly sunny and hot conditions and a high near 97, feeling like 105 due to the heat index. A calm wind will shift to southeast at around 6mph in the afternoon, and there’s a 20% chance of precipitation. Monday night will be partly cloudy with a low of around 78, accompanied by a south wind at 3 to 6mph. [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.
