News | ARLnow.com

Preparations continue for planned traffic signal near Lubber Run Community Center

Published March 7, 2024 at 11:30AM

Interim improvements to N. Park and N. George Mason Drive as of March 2024 (staff photo by Savannah Taffe)

Arlington County aims to begin construction on a new traffic light at a crash-prone intersection near Barrett Elementary School this summer.

The county expects to complete the installation of the 4-way traffic signal — at N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive, in front of the Lubber Run Community Center — by the end of 2024. The intersection in the Arlington Forest neighborhood will also get curb extensions on all corners, increased street lighting and marked crosswalks, according to the county.

JBG Smith looks to pay $5.8M in cash in lieu of building Crystal City library

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 7, 2024 at 10:30AM

1901 S. Bell Street, where a library branch was meant to be located (via Google Maps)

JBG Smith may be bowing out of a deal with the county to build a public library in Crystal City within one of its existing office buildings.

Instead of building the facility, JBG Smith now proposes paying a total of $5.8 million across seven years of annual payments, per a minor site plan amendment filed late last month.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 7, 2024 at 7:30AM

Courthouse Plaza in the rain (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Suit Against Detective Dismissed — “Ortiz’s grand jury presentation involved ‘unleashing a torrent of false and misleading testimony’ about Johnson, his lawyers argued, which led to Johnson being indicted on a charge of murder-for-hire. When the case went to trial in 2022, a jury acquitted Johnson in less than an hour. A year later, after the case was featured nationally on both NBC’s ‘Dateline’ and ABC’s ’20/20,’ Johnson sued Ortiz for alleged malicious prosecution.” [Washington Post]

Arlington’s Priciest Neighborhoods — “Spring real estate season is upon us, and open houses are in full swing. Which Arlington neighborhoods are commanding top dollar? The following rankings, based on 2023 home sales, were drawn from Arlington Magazine’s most recent expanded real estate guide listing average sales prices and other real estate metrics.” [Arlington Magazine]

County looks to curb crashes caused by fast left turns with new pilot program

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 6, 2024 at 3:55PM | Updated March 6, 2024 at 5:13PM

Renderings of hardened center lines (courtesy Arlington County)

This spring, drivers may notice the county testing out a new road treatment to reduce speeding through left turns.

In the next month or two, the county will start installing small raised bumps called hardened centerlines along the yellow centerline at five local intersections. That’s according to Christine Baker, who coordinates Arlington’s Vision Zero efforts, which aim to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

ACPD investigating mail theft and vehicle theft at same apartment building

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2024 at 1:55PM

File photo

Four masked men allegedly broke into an Arlington apartment building early Tuesday morning and stole mail from the mailroom.

The theft happened at the Camden Potomac Yard apartments, on the 3500 block of S. Ball Street, near the Alexandria border.

New Harris Teeter in Ballston set to open next month with a Starbucks inside

By James Jarvis

Published March 6, 2024 at 11:45AM

New Harris Teeter on N. Glebe Road in the Ballston area (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The old Harris Teeter in Ballston is set to close next month but shoppers won’t need to wait long to use the new location across the street.

Harris Teeter has posted signs around its old and new location announcing that its 600 N. Glebe Road location will close on Tuesday, April 2 at 2 p.m., with the new store at 624 N. Glebe Road opening at 9 a.m. the next day.

Biden and Haley get most primary votes in Arlington amid low voter turnout

By James Jarvis

Published March 6, 2024 at 10:45AM

Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

President Joe Biden and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley won the majority of votes in Arlington in yesterday’s Virginia presidential primary.

However, the low voter turnout in both primaries might serve as a warning sign for both Biden and the now clear Republican frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, of a lack of voter enthusiasm.

Police investigating serious assault at Yorktown High School

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2024 at 9:45AM

Police outside Yorktown High School in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A boy attacked another boy at Yorktown High School last week, seriously injuring him, according to police.

The alleged incident happened last Wednesday morning, though it was not reported to police until Monday afternoon. It’s unclear whether it took place inside or outside the school.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2024 at 7:30AM

Rosslyn at twilight on a cloudy day (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Panel to Promote Historic Trench — “From the outside looking in, the 2.3-acre parcel in a residential area along North Old Glebe Road in Arlington looks like a slightly overgrown vacant lot. But it has a key historic provenance – so much so that the county government’s body charged with preserving history thinks staff should take further steps to let the public know.” [Gazette Leader]

Flyover Scheduled Today — From AlertDC: “The US Military will be conducting a Flyover in the NCR at the Arlington National Cemetery, on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at 11:34 AM.”

UPDATED: Police investigating possible murder-suicide in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Published March 5, 2024 at 5:25PM | Updated March 7, 2024 at 3:25PM

Police on scene of homicide investigation in Pentagon City (photo courtesy anonymous)

(Updated on 3/7/24) Arlington police are investigating what might be the county’s first homicide of 2024.

Police were dispatched to the apartment building above the Whole Foods store on the 500 block of 12th Street S. in Pentagon City around 4:15 p.m. for a report of gunshots fired in a 15th floor apartment.

Congressman Don Beyer aims to further improve suicide prevention with AI

By Savannah Taffe

Published March 5, 2024 at 3:30PM

Rep. Don Beyer (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Congressman Don Beyer plans to apply his growing AI knowledge to help improve the nation’s work on suicide prevention.

The congressman said that he is trying to figure out a way to use artificial intelligence to improve suicide hotlines. After enrolling part-time at George Mason University to pursue a master’s in AI, to learn how to regulate its use, he said he realized that AI could be beneficial in other areas.

ACFD’s youth firefighting camp on the chopping block this budget

By Dan Egitto

Published March 5, 2024 at 10:30AM

Campers participate in a bucket brigade in Camp Heat 2018 (file photo)

An Arlington summer camp teaching teenagers firefighting skills could go up in smoke this year.

Camp Heat, which annually enrolls around 25 teens, is on the chopping block in the county’s budget draft. Cutting the free five-day camp to save $47,000 is part of a plan to maintain the Arlington County Fire Dept.’s current $76 million budget in Fiscal Year 2025.