News | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published April 6, 2020 at 7:30AM | Updated April 6, 2020 at 9:34AM

Governor Urges Va. Residents to Wear Masks — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday urged all residents to wear a cloth mask if they must leave their home… In light of the state’s prohibition of wearing masks law, Northam said Friday that “no law enforcement will be bothering anybody because they have a covering on their face.” [Patch]

One-Day Donation Drive Results — Arlington County collected 3,484 food items, 269 boxes of N95 masks, 323 boxes of surgical masks and 740 homemade masks during a one-day donation drive on Friday. [Arlington County, NBC 4]

Arlington Improvising to Address Coronavirus-Driven Needs While Stopping the Spread

By Vernon Miles

Published April 3, 2020 at 3:50PM

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey provides an update on the county's COVID-19 efforts outside Arlington Central Library (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

On Friday, Arlington Central Library was transformed into a storage space for donated goods, serving as a symbol for the county’s efforts to improvise solutions in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The idea of today’s one-day donation drive was to “to collect unused, unopened containers of essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cleaning supplies, and certain food to assist essential employees, nonprofits and community organizations with coronavirus (COVID-19) response operations.”

County Commission Meetings ‘Cancelled Until Further Notice’

By ARLnow.com

Published April 3, 2020 at 3:00PM

Arlington prides itself on citizen participation in government, but public engagement is taking a backseat to practical necessity during the coronavirus crisis.

On Wednesday, members of Arlington’s galaxy of advisory commissions and boards were told that their meetings have been put on hold for the foreseeable future.

Arlington Expected to Get Second-Smallest Share of Stimulus Checks

By ARLnow.com

Published April 3, 2020 at 12:30PM

Money (by Sharon McCutcheon/Unsplash)

Arlington County is an affluent place. So affluent, in fact, that according to one analysis we are expected to get the second-lowest percentage of coronavirus stimulus checks in the U.S.

The study by the financial website SmartAsset ranked the 200 largest U.S. cities by the predicted percentage of residents who will receive the means-tested checks from Uncle Sam.

Condo Resident Calls Cops on Doctor Testing Patients in Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

Published April 3, 2020 at 11:00AM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:10AM

(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) During the coronavirus outbreak, healthcare workers are being hailed as heroes.

But one Arlington doctor had the police called to her office this week by a resident who was outraged that she was conducting in-car COVID-19 tests in the building’s parking lot.

Coronavirus Cases Now Above 2,000 in Virginia

By ARLnow.com

Published April 3, 2020 at 9:45AM

Four weeks after the first COVID-19 case was reported in Virginia, the Commonwealth has passed the 2,000 mark.

On Friday morning the Virginia Dept. of Health reported 2,012 cases, 312 hospitalizations, 46 deaths and 19,005 tests administered. Fifteen of the deaths were in Northern Virginia.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 3, 2020 at 7:30AM | Updated April 3, 2020 at 9:20AM

Police Searching for Groping Suspect — “N. Glebe Road at 24th Road N. At approximately 7:45 p.m. on April 1, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 7:30 p.m., the female victim was walking in the area when the unknown suspect approached her from behind and grabbed her buttocks. The victim turned around and yelled at the suspect, who fled on foot prior to police arrival.” [Arlington County]

Beyer Concerned About Small Biz Loan Program — “U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) this evening held an urgent conference call with representatives of over a dozen Virginia lending institutions to discuss questions and concerns about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan program.” [Press Release]

As COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise, Aspects of Local Response and Planning Remain Opaque

By ARLnow.com

Published April 2, 2020 at 3:45PM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:21AM

There are now 128 known coronavirus cases in Arlington, the second-highest total among Virginia localities.

Only neighboring Fairfax County, with 328 cases, has more. That’s according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data, which today (Thursday) reported 1,706 cases statewide, along with 246 hospitalizations and 41 deaths.

BREAKING: Dog Dies After Apartment Fire in Penrose

By ARLnow.com

Published April 2, 2020 at 10:45AM

Apartment fire in Penrose (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Firefighters battled an apartment fire in the Penrose neighborhood Thursday morning.

The fire in a second floor unit of a three-story, garden-style apartment building on the 2000 block of 4th Street S. was first reported around 9:45 a.m. Firefighters from nearby Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall encountered heavy smoke upon arriving on scene, but were able to quickly extinguish the flames.

Progress on New Cafe, Bowling Alley in Crystal City Amid Coronavirus Turmoil

By ARLnow.com

Published April 2, 2020 at 9:45AM | Updated April 2, 2020 at 10:23AM

The Freshman in Crystal City, prior to opening, in March 2020 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 10:20 a.m.) Signs are up for a pair of new businesses in Crystal City, even as the coronavirus outbreak has left others closed and fighting for survival.

Bowlero — a bowling alley, arcade and restaurant — was hoping to roll into an empty retail space at 320 23rd Street S. in June. It’s not clear whether the opening will be further delayed amid ongoing social distancing measures; Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s new stay-at-home order is tentatively set to expire on June 10.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 2, 2020 at 7:30AM

More Coronavirus-Related Dispatches — ARLnow is starting to hear the Arlington County Fire Department responding to more suspected COVID-19 cases. Medics were just dispatched to assist a 44-year-old woman with severe trouble breathing and other symptoms consistent with the disease.

May Could Be Worse Than April — “It could still be weeks before the worst of the coronavirus crisis hits Virginia. State officials are preparing for a surge in the number of people who test positive between late April and late May, Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday that analysis of the latest models shows. Northam told residents he was planning for the worst and hoping for the best.” [NBC 4]

Arlington Community Foundation Distributes $300,000 to Local Charities

By Vernon Miles

Published April 1, 2020 at 5:00PM

Crates of food donations for distribution in Arlington (file photo)

The Arlington Community Foundation has provided more than $300,000 in emergency support this week, as the coronavirus crisis deepens.

The distribution of funds comes after the nonprofit refocused its Prompt Response Fund to support other local nonprofit organizations that can provide emergency food supplies to those in need, healthcare for the uninsured or underinsured, and support for hourly workers who have been laid off or furloughed.