(Updated at 9:45 a.m. on 3/2/23) The man who tried to force his way into a locked-down middle school last June won’t be charged — but this clemency comes with conditions.
Alexander Sentayhu, who was charged with property destruction after he unsuccessfully tried to breach Thomas Jefferson Middle School, was given a deferred disposition rather than a sentence. That means he has a series of conditions to meet in order to have the charge dismissed.
Arlington County police and medics responded to a near-fatal opioid overdose in the Ballston mall parking garage this afternoon.
The initial dispatch went out shortly before 1:30 p.m. for a possible cardiac arrest with CPR in progress after an overdose, inside the county-owned public parking garage. A group of teens was found near the mall elevators on the 6th floor of the garage.
More County Board Candidates — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee’s field for County Board is expected to grow by at least one at the party’s monthly meeting on March 1. That would bring to six, at a minimum… Previously announced contenders include Tony Weaver, Natalie Roy, J.D. Spain Sr., Jonathan Dromgoole and Maureen Coffey.” [Gazette Leader]
NTSB Docs on Train Derailment — From NBC 4’s Adam Tuss: “NEW: the @NTSB has released the public docket for the 7000 series train derailment from October 2021. This is the incident that prompted the entire 7000 series fleet to be sidelined. We see images of the train ‘jumping’ on the tracks and dust from underneath.” [Twitter, NBC 4]
(Updated at 8 p.m.) Despite protest from some students, faculty and alumni, Marymount University will be removing some majors, mostly in the humanities, from its catalogues.
On Friday, the Board of Trustees voted 20-0 to move forward with the plan, university spokesman Nick Munson said. He asserted that the change was faculty-led and administration-supported and the eliminated majors were “no longer serving Marymount students.”
(Updated on 3/1/23) Arlington County police investigated a gunshot fired in the Westover neighborhood Tuesday morning.
Initial reports suggest that a resident of a garden apartment building on the 5800 block of Washington Blvd heard a gunshot and then found a bullet in their residence.
A 69-year-old Connecticut man is in jail after police say he shot himself and falsely claimed he had been shot during a robbery attempt.
The shooting happened two weeks ago in the parking garage of the Hilton Garden Inn in the Courthouse neighborhood, a block from Arlington County police headquarters.
Covid cases in Arlington reported to health authorities have fallen to the lowest level in a nearly a year and a half.
The Virginia Dept. of Health is currently reporting a seven-day average of about 17 cases per day in Arlington, though VDH notes that it expects an elevated level of cases over the next two weeks “due to a delay in the transfer of case reports from laboratories to VDH.” Nonetheless, that’s the lowest case rate since the summer of 2021.
Dog Euthanized Despite Online Petition — “A dog named Marley was euthanized Sunday after biting a smaller dog that got loose from its owner in Virginia, despite online efforts to save her… The decision to euthanize the dog came on the same day that rally was being held in the area to help Marley, and as an online petition to save her had gained traction.” [Fox 5]
Missing Middle Rally Draws Crowd — “About 200 people gathered in Courthouse Plaza Saturday afternoon to show their support for Arlington County’s Missing Middle Housing plan… Arlington County Board Member Katie Cristol kicked off the rally on the snowy afternoon by telling the crowd that it is ‘a little unconventional’ for a board member to speak at an advocacy event on an issue still under consideration by the board.” [Patch, Falls Church News-Press]
Arlington County police are investigating a carjacking that happened Saturday night near the Courthouse neighborhood.
Police were dispatched to the 2000 block of N. Adams Street, just north of Langston Blvd, around 9:40 p.m.
Jeni’s Ice Cream in Shirlington is giving away free ice cream next week.
While the new shop at 4150 Campbell Ave has already been open for a couple of weeks, there will be a “grand opening” event on Wednesday, March 8.
Arlington County is looking to buy homes within the Spout Run watershed for flood mitigation.
Since last fall, the county has notified some three dozen property owners in the Cherrydale and Waverly Hills civic associations by letter of its interest in buying their properties for stormwater management. The letters targeted areas that were hit hard by recent flooding events, like the floods seen in July 2019.
APS Needs More Subs — “Michael Beer is not a politician, but he knows the politicians’ credo: ‘Never let an available microphone go to waste.’ During a rare lull in the action at the frazzled Feb. 21 Arlington County Civic Federation meeting, Beer used an available microphone to encourage delegates with time available during the day to consider service as an Arlington Public Schools substitute teacher… The school system is desperately short of substitutes, said Beer.” [Gazette Leader]
I-395 Ramp Closure Tonight — “The southbound South Glebe Road (Route 120) ramp to northbound I-395 will be closed, weather permitting, between 9:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27 and 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28 for traffic camera pole replacement work, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Drivers will be detoured via southbound I-395, Shirlington Circle and Quaker Lane back to northbound I-395.” [VDOT]
