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Morning Notes

Published April 1, 2022 at 7:30AM

Looking up while underneath cherry blossoms on Wilson Blvd in Virginia Square as storm clouds move in (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Little League Opening Day This Weekend — “For the first time since 2019, Arlington Little League will host its Opening Day on Sun, April 3 from 1-5:30 p.m. at Barcroft Park.” [Press Release]

Arlington Libraries Highlight Banned Books — “The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom recently issued a statement opposing widespread efforts to censor books in U.S. schools and libraries. Unfortunately, Virginia has been subject to these censorship efforts, and in light of this, Arlington Public Library is taking a stand to build awareness of these challenged books.” [Arlington Public Library]

BREAKING: Tornado Warning for parts of Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published March 31, 2022 at 8:25PM | Updated March 31, 2022 at 9:22PM

Radar of Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warning

Update at 9:20 p.m. — There are Metro delays after a tornado might have touched down in the Tysons area.

Silver Line Delay: Trains are single tracking btwn McLean & Tysons Corner due to a track obstruction at Tysons Corner. Expect delays in both directions.

Wastewater may help Arlington predict the next local Covid surge

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 31, 2022 at 3:30PM

The Water Pollution Control Plant in South Arlington (via DES/Flickr)

For the last two months, Arlington County has been getting your sewage tested to measure community Covid infection levels.

The Department of Environmental Services is sending weekly samples to Biobot, a Massachusetts-based health tech startup that got its start monitoring wastewater for opioids but pivoted to COVID-19 testing during the pandemic. The company now tests wastewater samples for municipalities nationwide.

Arlington’s hottest areas lack tree canopy to soak up the sun, study finds

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 31, 2022 at 2:30PM

The hot sun beats down on a local sign (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The most scorching parts of Arlington are along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor and Reagan National Airport, according to a new study.

On a hot day last July, volunteers and Marymount University research students and staff recorded temperatures at morning, afternoon and evening throughout the county as part of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges’ Heat Watch Campaign. Residents across the Commonwealth also contributed to the statewide data collection effort.

JUST IN: Power out in part of Clarendon as Severe Thunderstorm Watch, Wind Advisory issued

By ARLnow.com

Published March 31, 2022 at 1:50PM | Updated March 31, 2022 at 2:08PM

Power outage in Clarendon (map via Dominion)

(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) More than 800 Dominion customers are without power in parts of Clarendon, Lyon Village and Cherrydale.

The outage was reported around 1:30 p.m. Police are on scene along Wilson Blvd in Clarendon, helping to direct traffic that backed up as a result of stop lights going dark.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 31, 2022 at 7:30AM

Rainy day at Amazon's under-construction HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Local Chef Now in Poland — “Bayou Bakery’s David Guas started the day the way he starts many days — before dawn with a table full of biscuit dough. This Friday morning, though, the New Orleans-native stood in a kitchen in Poland — far from his Arlington, Virginia, cafe… working with José Andrés’s organization World Central Kitchen (WCK). Guas is spending two weeks volunteering in Poland with WCK, cooking and packaging food for the tens of thousands streaming in from Ukraine.” [Eater]

Cars Collide Multiple Times on Bridge — From Dave Statter: “Caught on camera… this was a pretty wild #crash on the 14th Street Bridge (I-395N) at 2:15 this morning. Looked like bumper cars… You’ll see one car slowing down almost to a stop in VA b4 the bridge waiting for the 2nd car. Was this a #DragRace that went bad or #RoadRage or a little of both?” [Twitter]

Nature center supporters call for additional operating hours

By Matt Blitz

Published March 30, 2022 at 2:40PM

Gulf Branch Nature Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Supporters of Gulf Branch Nature Center are pushing to expand the hours of Arlington nature centers, as the 2023 county budget proposes to keep hours at pandemic levels.

In a letter to the community last week, Friends of Gulf Branch Nature Center president Duke Banks took issue with the County Manager’s proposed budget, which would keep the county’s two nature centers open only three days a week. That’s in contrast with the centers’ six day a week schedule prior to the pandemic.

ACPD scales back some services amid reduction in staffing

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 30, 2022 at 9:40AM

Police responding to a telephone threat against The Children's School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 9:55 a.m.) Arlington County police say they will reduce some services as the department faces staffing challenges.

ACPD is grappling with the impacts of attrition from the department, retirements and officers leaving the force for other jobs, including private-sector security jobs at Amazon’s second headquarters.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 30, 2022 at 7:30AM

Lunchtime in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Public Safety Watchdog Profiled — “Like a lot of people, Dave Statter got a bit bored when the pandemic hit and he was pretty much confined to his home. But unlike most of us, Statter lives high atop a Crystal City building overlooking I-395. Why binge Netflix when just outside the window is real-life drama, pathos, tragedy and comedy, all captured by the five video cameras Statter has trained on the traffic below?” [Washington Post]

Aquatics Center Struggling to Hire — “It’s been open for almost three-quarters of a year, but Arlington’s Long Bridge Park aquatics center is not immune for finding personnel that are plaguing the rest of the county government… The aquatics facility, which opened last summer after a lengthy and difficult birthing process, is still in need of a general manager and aquatics-program manager, and the 16 lifeguards on staff would require an infusion of eight to 10 more to bring it to a full complement.” [Sun Gazette]

Historic preservation survey targeting equity and inclusion nets mostly white, older respondents

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 29, 2022 at 3:55PM

Demolition of Rouse estate in Dominion Hills (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A recent survey of Arlingtonians found a majority say the county needs to be more aggressive about preserving historic buildings, monuments and resources from demolition.

Engagement in the survey, administered in 2021, was three times higher than engagement in a similar survey distributed two years ago, before the loss last year of two historic homes — the Febrey-Lothrop House and the Victorian Fellows-McGrath House — to make room for new housing.

ACPD: Man who skipped out on bill nearly struck security guard with vehicle

By ARLnow.com

Published March 29, 2022 at 3:00PM | Updated March 31, 2022 at 3:57PM

File photo

Another incident drew a police response to a rowdy block of 23rd Street in Crystal City on Sunday night.

Police say a couple skipped out on their bill at an establishment on the 300 block of 23rd Street S. just before 11:30 p.m. A security guard who tried to write down the license plate of the suspects’ vehicle was then nearly run over, and another parked car was damaged, as they made their getaway, according to a crime report today.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 29, 2022 at 7:30AM

Cherry blossoms in Pentagon City in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Changes Coming to ‘Crossing Clarendon’ — “Our central greenspace, The Loop, will be expanding to offer more spaces to walk, shop, relax and explore The Crossing Clarendon. This renovation includes natural planting and landscaping, a modern play structure for the kids, upgrades to the water feature, increased pedestrian zones, and updated seating for our visitors. Construction is slated until late 2022.” [Instagram]

HQ2 Is Attracting Companies, Investors — “The National Landing area, which encompasses Crystal City, Pentagon City and part of Potomac Yard in Arlington, has an $8B development pipeline, $2.5B of which is from Amazon, National Landing BID President Tracy Sayegh Gabriel said… Neighborhood leaders, developers and brokers said that HQ2 is drawing new global investors and commercial tenants to seek opportunities in the area.” [Bisnow]