The former Next Day Blinds will soon be serving caprese and wine.
The vacant storefront at 3865 Wilson Boulevard, across the from Gold’s Gym in the Ballston area, is becoming “Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar,” a 150-seat restaurant with 4,800 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.
A man upset after being confronted about parking illegally in the Courthouse area allegedly drew a weapon, police say.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) near the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Troy Street, a couple of blocks downhill from the Courthouse Metro station.
Metro is telling riders to “plan now” for the months-long shutdown of much of the Yellow Line in two weeks.
Starting on Saturday, September 10, the Yellow Line bridge and tunnels will close for up to eight months to undergo much-needed repair work. At the same time, work will also continue on connecting the new Potomac Yard station to the main rail system as that station prepares for a fall opening.
Move-In Day at Marymount — “This Thursday, about 310 new students will arrive on Move-In Day and be celebrated as new members of the Marymount University family, as an estimated 33 volunteers consisting of Marymount faculty, staff and current students will be on location to assist these first-year Saints.” [Press Release]
Road Projects Improving School Safety — “Roadway and pedestrian safety are a top concern during the back-to-school season, which is why Arlington County has several projects and initiatives that prioritize safer roads and crossings for students, parents, teachers, and school staff. Arlington’s Vision Zero transportation safety program has led to multiple projects in coordination with APS to increase pedestrian safety around schools since being adopted in May 2021.” [Arlington County]
(Updated at 5:55 p.m.) The former Forest Inn space in Westover will be switching from Budweiser and burgers to margaritas and tacos.
The Forest Inn, one of Arlington’s last dive bars, closed in June after more than 40 years in business in the neighborhood. Its general manager told ARLnow that the landlord declined to renew the lease.
A man is facing multiple charges after an unusual incident in the Ballston area this morning.
Around 8:30 a.m. police were dispatched to the AVA Ballston apartment complex at 4650 Washington Blvd for a report of a man who was standing nude near a grill in the building’s courtyard.
After being closed for nearly three years, the planetarium adjacent to Washington-Liberty High School is wishing upon a star that it will reopen later this fall.
It was back in November 2019 when the David M. Brown Planetarium on N. Quincy Street closed to allow for the overhaul of the adjacent Arlington Education Center at Washington-Liberty. It took longer than expected due to the pandemic, but that $38 million project is basically complete.
Last week we reported on a call to police made after an Amazon delivery van was towed. This week, another commercial vehicle tow led to another police response.
Advanced Towing — the Ballston-based trespass tow company with a reputation for being prolific or predatory, depending on your perspective — is at the center of both.
Sheriff Names New Chief Deputy — “Captain Jose Quiroz was named the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Monday, making him the first Latino Chief Deputy to serve in that role.” [Arlington County]
School Days to Still Feature Pledge — “Arlington students headed back to class on Aug. 29 will continue to be encouraged to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and engage in a minute of silence to start the school day, based on a policy affirmation made at the Aug. 18 School Board meeting… the Code of Virginia mandates that school systems conduct both.” [Sun Gazette]
President Joe Biden has nominated Arlington resident Dr. Colleen Shogan to be the Archivist of the United States.
In normal times, the Archivist nomination does not make national news headlines. But now, Shohan is reportedly facing pushing back on Capitol Hill by some Republicans upset with the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home.
Shorter Summer Break for HS Athletes — “So much for long, nearly two-month summer breaks from high-school sports, which for a long time used to be the case. With the preceding spring high-school sports campaigns lasting closer to the end of June these days, then practices for the next fall season starting Aug. 1 this year, the summer break was about a month long. July is becoming about all there is of the summertime anymore.” [Sun Gazette]
SOL Scores Lag Pre-Pandemic Benchmark — “The Virginia Education Department said students are still bearing the scars of prolonged pandemic-related school closures, releasing test scores from last school year that showed them performing behind pre-pandemic levels. While students saw across-the-board gains in the 2021-2022 school year compared to the previous academic year, state education officials said the progress was not enough, and pinned some of the good news on lowered standards — not on better student performance.” [Washington Post]
The new preliminary concept plan for Langston Blvd envisions the corridor’s transformation over several decades into a “Green Main Street.”
The extensive plan — which has been in the works for years — calls for land use changes along the former Lee Highway, with the aim of encouraging re-development over time, though the proposed zoning changes are not quite as drastic as what had been discussed last year.
