News | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published May 23, 2019 at 8:10AM | Updated May 23, 2019 at 9:29AM

A puppy meets deer for the first time, in North Arlington's Dover Crystal neighborhood (file photo)

Fire Outside Shirlington Apartment Building — Updated at 9:30 a.m. — “ACFD working to extinguish a dumpster fire near an apartment building at 3000 S. Randolph Street in Shirlington. ‘Smoke conditions’ reported in portions of the building.” [Twitter, Twitter]

The Cost of Renaming Washington-Lee — “It will cost taxpayers about a quarter of a million dollars to change ‘Lee’ to ‘Liberty’ on the name of Arlington’s oldest public high school. School officials have released an estimate of $224,360 for the name change, with about two-thirds of the total for ‘soft costs’ (uniforms, athletic equipment and the like) and the remainder ‘hard costs’ such as signage.” [InsideNova]

County Board Denies Developer’s Request for Longer Construction Hours in Rosslyn

By Airey

Published May 22, 2019 at 3:30PM | Updated May 22, 2019 at 4:46PM

A rendering of the Highlands development in Rosslyn (Image via Penzance)

Last night, the Arlington County Board denied developer Penzance permission to extend construction hours on a luxury condo project in Rosslyn.

The Board unanimously rejected the request to add an extra hour of work in the mornings, allowing crews to start at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends, after dozens of residents testified about numerous problems they have already endured with the existing schedule.

Pentagon Bus and Slug Lane Reconfigurations Completed

By Vernon Miles

Published May 22, 2019 at 1:30PM

After over a year of work, the new bus and slug lanes are finally open at the Pentagon’s south parking lot.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the new configuration opened with bus-only travel lanes, reconfigured commuter lanes and slug lanes — lanes designed for High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) carpooling.

County Board Votes to Move Rosslyn Boathouse Project Forward

By Airey

Published May 22, 2019 at 10:00AM

Diagram of planned boathouse structures (via Arlington County)

The Arlington County Board voted last night to advance long-awaited plans for a new public boathouse in Rosslyn.

Members unanimously voted to allow County Manager Mark Schwartz to sign an agreement with the National Park Service, which will allow the federal agency to end its environmental assessment of the project and kick off the design phase.

Beyer Calls for Trump’s Impeachment

By ARLnow.com

Published May 22, 2019 at 9:00AM

Rep. Don Beyer (file photo)

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) has become the first member of Virginia’s Congressional delegation to call for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Beyer made the announcement Tuesday. It is the first time he has publicly called for an impeachment inquiry.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 22, 2019 at 7:30AM

Hospital Construction Starting Soon — “Around the time most local residents are firing up the grills for mid-summer barbecues, Virginia Hospital Center will be firing up the bulldozers as it moves forward with a long-awaited expansion. Hospital officials aim to have their land-swap agreement with the county government in place by the end of July, and ‘the plan is to begin construction shortly thereafter.'” [InsideNova]

Swastika in S. Arlington Park — “From a local Nextdoor group: someone drew swastikas on a sign board in Troy Park near S. Glebe Road. A parks department spokeswoman says the graffiti has been covered up and no other incidents of this kind have been reported recently.” [Twitter]

UPDATED: Multiple People Stabbed in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published May 21, 2019 at 10:10PM | Updated May 22, 2019 at 2:05PM

Stabbing investigation near Gateway Park in Rosslyn on Tuesday night

Update at 2 p.m. — Police have released additional details about the stabbing and the suspect. Per a press release:

The Arlington County Police Department has arrested and charged a suspect following a malicious wounding investigation at Gateway Park. Wondwossen Kassu, 40, of No Fixed Address was charged with three counts of Malicious Wounding and three counts of Unlawful Wounding in the Commission of a Felony. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

Water Woes Plague Cherrydale

By ARLnow.com

Published May 21, 2019 at 3:55PM | Updated May 21, 2019 at 4:16PM

Water from a burst pipe along Lee Highway in the Cherrydale neighborhood in May 2019

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) A pair of apparently unrelated water issues have been plaguing the Cherrydale neighborhood over the past 24 hours.

Last night, Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) reported “low water pressure along 4000-4200 Lee Highway, which includes several apartment buildings.”

WMATA Wants You to Stop Worrying and Love the Bus

By Vernon Miles

Published May 21, 2019 at 3:00PM

Model buses at the Bus Transformation Project open house

Within the next decade, a new transit group wants to make the bus the go-to transit option in the D.C. area

Earlier this year, the Washington Area Bus Transformation Project — which is backed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority — released a draft strategic plan with a variety of short and long-term goals and strategies for improving the D.C. region’s bus network.

Candidates for Delegate Race Rack Up Endorsements

By Airey

Published May 21, 2019 at 1:45PM

Campaign endorsements are stacking up in the House of Delegates primary race between incumbent Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49th) and challenger Julius D. “JD” Spain, Sr.

Lopez has racked up support from several labor groups. The International Union of Painters & Allied Trades District Council 51 and the Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association both announced their support last week. Food service union UNITE HERE Local 23 DC Chapter, which represents airport concession workers, food service workers and others, also joined the list of local unions supporting Lopez.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 21, 2019 at 7:25AM

Metro Removes 3000-Series from Service — “Metro overnight temporarily removed all 3000-series cars from service after we received a report of a door malfunction for which we need to identify the cause. This voluntary safety action reduces the number of available rail cars by ~15%” [Twitter, Twitter]

Courthouse Hotel May Become Apartments — “The owner of an Arlington hotel is now hoping to flip the building into residential space instead. The Arlington Court Suites Hotel in Courthouse could soon become a 180-unit apartment building dubbed ‘Park Arlington at Courthouse,’ according to plans filed with the county this week.” [Washington Business Journal]

Police: Man Knifed During Unusual Altercation

By ARLnow.com

Published May 20, 2019 at 5:15PM

File photo

A man was cut by a drunk, knife-wielding acquaintance during an physical altercation that spanned two different locations early Sunday morning, according to Arlington County Police.

Police say two men who knew each other got into an argument that turned violent in a Ballston apartment around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The intoxicated suspect then drove the victim to Penrose neighborhood, near the 2nd Street S. entrance to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, where the altercation continued, said ACPD spokeswoman Kirby Clark.