News | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published March 9, 2020 at 7:30AM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:22AM

Rent Rising in Arlington — “The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,840 and for a two-bedroom apartment was $2,130 in Arlington, based on the latest data from Apartment List. The growth rate of 3.7 percent from 12 months before compares to a national increase of 1.7 percent during the same period.” [InsideNova]

Rolling Thunder Rides Again — “The massive Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally staged in Washington each Memorial Day weekend had its final ride last year, but the roar of engines isn’t going away… The 2020 version of the ride has new organizers, a new sponsor and a new name, but participants and spectators might not notice the changes.” [Washington Post]

Controlled Burn Leads to Hazy Afternoon in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published March 8, 2020 at 3:35PM

Hazy sky over North Arlington during controlled burn in 2020 (staff photo)

If it looks, feels and smells like California during wildfire season outside — there’s a good explanation for why.

Amid sunny, warming weather, the air in Arlington has turned hazy with a distinct campfire smell. The smoke is coming from a controlled burn near Marine Corps Base Quantico, blown by prevailing winds over Arlington, D.C. and Fairfax County, among other D.C. area locales.

JUST IN: APS Preparing for ‘Possibility of School Closures in the Future’

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2020 at 3:55PM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:23AM

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) With the first confirmed coronavirus cases in the D.C. area, preparations for a possible local outbreak are stepping up.

Arlington Public Schools said in an email to parents today that it was “preparing for the possibility of school closures in the future, if necessary,” while monitoring student health and continuing to disinfect surfaces in schools. The full email is below.

Lee Community Center to Close at End of the Year

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2020 at 10:40AM | Updated March 6, 2020 at 11:59AM

(Updated at noon) Arlington’s Lee Community and Senior Center, at 5722 Lee Highway, is set to close after the end of the year.

The center — the portion of the building operated by the Dept. of Parks and Recreation — was flagged for review in last year’s budget process.

State Repeals Cussing Law, But Ordinance Remains on the Books in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2020 at 9:30AM

Virginia Capitol in Richmond (staff photo)

On Thursday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced that he had signed HB 1071 into law, repealing a law on the books since 1792 that prohibits profane swearing in public.

The repeal will take effect July 1, after which it will no longer be a misdemeanor to curse up a storm while out and about in the Commonwealth. Well, except in Arlington.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2020 at 7:30AM | Updated March 11, 2020 at 11:12PM

Another Celeb Backs Ballston-Based Hungry — “Arlington catering platform Hungry Marketplace has raised $20 million from actor Kevin Hart, former Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb and others to fuel a 23-city expansion as the company’s revenues grow into the tens of millions of dollars.” [Forbes, Washington Business Journal]

Public Meeting for Athletic Field Feedback — “Help Arlington County ensure its athletic fields are utilized effectively and efficiently… Whether you play on an organized team or enjoy one of our many fields for casual recreation, share your thoughts and help us determine community needs.” [Arlington County]

Driver Charged With DUI After N. Barton Street Incident

By ARLnow.com

Published March 5, 2020 at 3:00PM | Updated March 5, 2020 at 4:26PM

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) The driver of a landscaping truck, accused of ramming at least three vehicles, a bus stop and a house in Lyon Park earlier this week, is now facing criminal charges.

Arlington County Police say 33-year-old Jose Gomez of Gaithersburg, Maryland was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence and Driving with Open Container of Alcohol after Monday’s incident on N. Barton Street.

Arlington County Officials Hold Coronavirus Q&A

By Vernon Miles

Published March 5, 2020 at 11:20AM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:23AM

There are confirmed cases of coronavirus on the East Coast, so Arlington County assembled some local experts to talk about what the county is doing to prepare for a potential outbreak while clearing up some misconceptions about the disease.

A number of county officials fielded questions sent via social media during Wednesday night’s online panel discussion. Dr. Reuben Varghese, the Arlington County Director of Public Health, answered the lion’s share of the questions as he told locals what to do, and what not to do, to prevent the spread of the disease.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 5, 2020 at 7:30AM

Elite Yorktown Swimmer Has Bright Future — “So far during her three-year high-school swimming career, Victoria Huske has never lost an individual race. Included in Huske’s victories for the Yorktown Patriots’ standout are six individual state championships in various strokes and she has been a member of five winning relays with one close second.” [InsideNova]

Fairlington Bus Stop Getting a Roof — “Arlington County anticipates beginning work on enhancement of the bus stop at the corner of S. Buchanan Street and 30th Street S., which include installation of a weather shelter, the week of March 9th.” [Twitter]

County Board Member Launches GoFundMe for Unpaid Refs

By ARLnow.com

Published March 4, 2020 at 3:55PM

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Despite nearly a year’s worth of effort, it looks like a group of youth basketball referees left unpaid by a county contractor are not going to get paid via any kind of governmental intervention.

Instead, an Arlington County Board member is seeking to crowdfund their payments.

Biden Wins Arlington, but County Split Across Second Choices

By Vernon Miles

Published March 4, 2020 at 1:30PM

Joe Biden had a commanding lead in nearly every Arlington precinct in yesterday’s Super Tuesday race, but Arlington’s second-choice was not as universal.

Across Arlington, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg all found small enclaves of support.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 4, 2020 at 7:30AM

Biden Wins Virginia — “Virginia voters have overwhelmingly given former Vice President Joe Biden a sizable win over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Tuesday’s primary election. According to unofficial state election returns, Biden has been called the winner of the state with 53.3 percent of what was a record primary turnout, and will capture the largest share of its 99 delegates.” [Patch, Washington Post]

Bernie Underperforms 2016 — In the two-way race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in 2016, Sanders captured 33% of the vote in Arlington. Yesterday, he received 19% of the vote, a close third to Elizabeth Warren at 20%.