This weekend, the Arlington County Board approved $1.6 million to buy its next property for flood mitigation.
The property is located at 4434 19th Street N. in the Waverly Hills neighborhood, where the county has already purchased three homes this past year.
Arlington County is looking to make safety upgrades to an intersection between Rosslyn and Courthouse that has seen four pedestrian-involved crashes in four years.
The intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Rhodes Street has long been seen as dicey, according to complaints from cyclists and commuters and previous ARLnow coverage. Resident complaints, plus a review of crash data, have prompted the county to make changes now.
A nearly 60-year-old bridge over N. Glebe Road is slated for replacement.
The circa-1964 Old Glebe Road bridge, which spans the north-south artery just before the steep hill down to Chain Bridge, would be too costly to repair, VDOT says. The state transportation agency is instead planning a $15 million project to replace it.
Helicopter Search Last Night — “ACPD is investigating a domestic dispute in the 4300 block of 12th Rd. S. The male suspect fled the scene and aerial search by a police helicopter yielded negative results. Police remain in the area investigating.” [Twitter]
New Wakefield Baseball Coach — “For some time, Adam Balutis has been considered a Mr. Baseball of sorts in Arlington because of his variety of involvements in the sport… Balutis recently was named the new head varsity coach at Wakefield High School. He has been an assistant coach in different capacities the past 20 years at Arlington rival Washington-Liberty High School.” [Gazette Leader]
Bronze plaques dubbed “stumbling stones” will honor the lives of three people once enslaved in what is likely Arlington’s oldest house, the Ball-Sellers House.
The three commemorative markers are the first of their kind and will be the subject of a dedication event later this month. The event will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Ball-Sellers House (5620 3rd Street S.), which is now a free museum.
Demolition of the old Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley is expected to start this month, after some delays.
“This project was delayed after the discovery of unforeseen structural conditions with the adjoining building,” Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services Public Engagement Specialist Alyson Jordan Tomaszewski told ARLnow.
The big winner from Wednesday’s $1.73 billion Powerball drawing might be in California, but there was a decidedly smaller-scale winner in Arlington.
Someone bought a $50,000 winning ticket at the 7-Eleven store at 2815 S. Wakefield Street, just down the hill from the Fairlington neighborhood, according to the Virginia Lottery.
Time for a Tax Hike? — “Arlington’s County Board chairman says 2024 may end up being a year where homeowners could expect to face a taxation double-whammy: higher home assessments coupled with an increased tax rate. ‘It’s time,’ Christian Dorsey said of a rise in the existing real-estate tax rate of $1.03 per $100 assessed valuation.” [Gazette Leader]
Dems Statement on Middle East — “Arlington Democrats stand in solidarity with all our Jewish community members and all those affected by Hamas’s reprehensible attack on Israeli civilians. We echo President Biden’s words: ‘There is no place for hate in America. Not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody.’ We are committed to fighting hatred in all its forms and to creating a safe and welcoming community for Arlingtonians of all faiths.” [Twitter]
An Amazon delivery driver is facing charges after allegedly beating up a man in the Penrose neighborhood.
The incident happened Wednesday afternoon in a private townhouse development across the street from Penrose Square.
A dozen historical preservation projects across Arlington, from historically accurate home renovations to community-based projects and research, have received county funding through a new program.
The county doled out roughly $256,000 to 12 of the 19 applicants for the inaugural round of the Arlington County Historic Preservation Fund.
Update on 10/13/23 — Arlington County police have released the following crime report about the incident. The suspect remains at large.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-10120097, 1800 block of N. Lynn Street. At approximately 10:56 a.m. on October 12, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect and male victim were involved in a verbal dispute, during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a knife, resulting in a laceration. Responding officers located the victim in the 1000 block of 19th Street N. and immediately began rendering emergency medical assistance. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The suspect fled the scene following the assault and a canvass of the area for the suspect yielded negative results. The suspect is described as a white male with a slim build, approximately 25-35 years old, 5’9”-6’0” tall with black facial hair and wearing all black clothing. The investigation is ongoing.
A 22-year-old Centreville woman is facing charges after allegedly leading police on a chase around the Pentagon reservation.
The wild incident happened early in the morning of Sunday, Oct. 1 and ended in a crash. It all was captured on video by local public safety watcher Dave Statter.
