News | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published July 31, 2020 at 7:30AM | Updated July 31, 2020 at 8:59AM

Low Water Pressure in Rosslyn — Updated at 9 a.m. — “LOW WATER PRESSURE: Customers in the Rosslyn area may be experiencing low water pressure due to a water main break on Key Blvd b/w N Edgewood St and N Danville St. Crews have been dispatched. Expected completion time: TBD. An update will be provided once we have more information.” [Twitter]

Changes to Crystal City Development — “JBG Smith Properties is shrinking plans for a pair of residential towers at 2000 and 2001 South Bell Street in Crystal City in a bid to get them approved after Arlington County planners raised concerns about its height. The developer filed revised plans for the Amazon-adjacent development earlier in July, lopping off several stories of each proposed tower to appease Arlington officials.” [Washington Business Journal]

Firefighters Battle Duplex Blaze in Penrose

By ARLnow.com

Published July 30, 2020 at 11:30AM

Firefighters battled a house fire in the Penrose neighborhood this morning.

The fire was reported around 11 a.m., on the second floor of a duplex on the 300 block of S. Courthouse Road.

County Clarifies Graffiti Removal Policies

By ARLnow.com

Published July 30, 2020 at 10:45AM | Updated August 1, 2020 at 10:15AM

Arlington County is clarifying how it responds to reports of graffiti, following the controversial removal of a child’s Black Lives Matter chalk art on Juneteenth.

The June 19 incident — which started as a neighbor’s complaint to the county — garnered widespread outrage, prompted an apology, and led County Manager Mark Schwartz to reflect on the policies that led up to it.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 30, 2020 at 7:30AM

I-66 and the Metro tracks near East Falls Church (staff photo)

Trash Collection Delays — “Due to truck breakdowns, some residential trash/recycling routes were not completed yesterday and today. If your trash and/or recycling carts have not been emptied, please leave them at the curb for collection.” [Arlington County]

BLM Event Planned on Saturday — The group Arlington for Justice is holding a March for Black Lives on Saturday from 4-6 p.m. The event will start at the Charles Drew Community Center in Green Valley (3500 23rd Street S.). [Facebook]

It’s Time to Ditch the County Logo, Arlington NAACP Says

By ARLnow.com

Published July 29, 2020 at 3:55PM

Former Arlington County logo on basketball court in Waverly Hills (staff photo)

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County should change its logo and seal, the local branch of the NAACP says.

The civil rights group says the logo’s use of Arlington House — the former home of and a memorial to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee — is “divisive and racist.”

Uptick in New Arlington Coronavirus Cases Casts Spotlight on Young Adults

By ARLnow.com

Published July 29, 2020 at 10:35AM | Updated July 29, 2020 at 11:06AM

(Updated at 11:05 a.m.) The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Arlington is again pointing upward, if only modestly so.

An additional 50 cases have been reported over the past three days in Arlington, bringing the seven-day rolling rate of increase up to 94 cases and the cumulative total to 2,857.

Arlington, Neighborhoods Top Lists of Best Places in U.S.

By ARLnow.com

Published July 29, 2020 at 9:45AM

Arlington is the No. 1 best city to live in the U.S., according to 2020 rankings from Niche.com, and two Arlington neighborhoods are No. 2 and No. 3 on the website’s new list of the Best Places to Live in America.

Arlington, which is technically a county, has topped the Niche “Best Cities to Live” list since 2016.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 29, 2020 at 7:30AM

Va. Coronavirus Cases Skewing Younger — “Gov. Ralph Northam said during a press conference today that local health officials are pointing to a “significant shift” of people in their 20s or younger getting COVID-19.” [Tysons Reporter]

Northam Announces New Restrictions — “Gov. Ralph Northam is rolling back reopening in Hampton Roads as cases there surge but stopped short of doing so statewide. Gov. Northam’s announcement came after a private meeting Tuesday with Dr. Deborah Birx, the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House. Virginia was her last stop on a five-state tour… she came to all of these states with the same message: put additional mitigation measures in place before things get worse.” [WAVY, InsideNova, Commonwealth of Virginia]

New Scooter Company Rolls Into Arlington and Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published July 28, 2020 at 3:35PM | Updated July 28, 2020 at 4:52PM

Helbiz scooters in Alexandria (photo via Helbiz/Facebook)

(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) After a launch delayed by the pandemic, mobility company Helbiz has started putting e-scooters onto Arlington and Alexandria streets.

The company announced yesterday that it would immediately move forward with bringing 100 new scooters to locations in Arlington and 200 to Alexandria. Like other scooter companies, like Lime or Bird, Helbiz scooters are unlocked by scanning a code in a smartphone app, with the cost of each ride determined by distance and parking.

Police: Thieves Prowling for Unlocked and Unattended Vehicles

By ARLnow.com

Published July 28, 2020 at 2:00PM

Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

Arlington police have a public service announcement that’s right up there with “don’t hit the car in front of you” — don’t leave your keys in your car.

Just over two thirds of the 31 vehicle reported stolen in Arlington this month have either been left running unattended (9) or unlocked with keys inside (12), according to ACPD.

2020 Turns Arlington Online Forums into Dumpster Fires

By ARLnow.com

Published July 28, 2020 at 9:30AM | Updated July 28, 2020 at 10:01AM

When it was founded, the Arlington Neighbors Helping Each Other Through COVID-19 Facebook group was an uplifting place where local residents could ask for help, share information, and connect with one another.

Now, as with just about any online forum of a certain size, the events of 2020 have darkened the skies over the formerly sunny space.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 28, 2020 at 6:55AM | Updated July 28, 2020 at 8:17AM

Civ Fed to Study County’s Form of Gov’t — “Herbert Hoover was residing – albeit somewhat tenuously – in the White House the last time Arlington had a major change in its governance structure. Nearly 90 years later, the Arlington County Civic Federation may get the ball rolling on bringing that structure into the 21st century.” [InsideNova]

Biden Signs Defaced, Stolen — “A big sign promoting Joe Biden’s Presidential campaign in Arlington’s Aurora Highlands neighborhood was defaced with pro-President Trump graffiti sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning,” reports Washingtonian. Separately, a recent Nextdoor post shows video of an older man stealing a Biden sign in the Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood. [Washingtonian]