News | ARLnow.com

AAA Warns Drivers of Credit Card Skimmers at Gas Stations

Published August 22, 2017 at 11:30AM

After a spate of credit card skimming devices being discovered at gas stations across the region this year, including in Arlington, AAA Mid-Atlantic is warning motorists to be extra cautious when paying at the pump.

Several gas stations in Cherrydale as well as a Shell station on S. Four Mile Run Drive appeared to have been hit by the skimmers earlier this year. The skimmers are installed inside pumps and ATMs and copy customers’ card information for fraudulent use by criminals, who use Bluetooth technology to receive the stolen credit card numbers in seconds.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 22, 2017 at 9:30AM

NBC4: County Agency Failed to Report Alleged Sex Abuse — “The I-Team found [Arlington County Child Protective Services] failed to notify state officials to revoke the license of a former Arlington Public Schools teacher whom they investigated for sexually abusing a former third grade student. The teacher was able to work as an assistant principal in the Prince George’s County Public Schools district for years because of the error.” [NBC Washington]

Jury Duty Process Starting Soon — The Arlington Circuit Court is starting its annual juror qualification process with questionnaires set to be mailed to randomly selected Arlington and Falls Church residents in early September. “These questionnaires are used to qualify residents for jury duty which begins January 1, 2018 and ends December 31, 2018,” according to a press release. [Arlington County]

Longtime Arlington Educator Martha Ann Miller Dead At 106

By Chris Teale

Published August 21, 2017 at 3:30PM

Martha Ann Miller (left) died last week at 106

A longtime Arlington educator and resident, who helped secure the county’s ability to elect its School Board and self-published her memoirs at the age of 101, died last week.

Martha Ann Miller died at the Sunrise at Bluemont Park senior living facility on Wednesday, August 16. She was 106.

Police: Back-to-Back Flashing Incidents Near Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

Published August 21, 2017 at 1:15PM

File photo

The first incident happened around 11:15 p.m. on the 1900 block of Wilson Blvd, when a man exposed himself to a woman in a car. The second happened several blocks away, at 11:40 p.m., when a man exposed himself to a woman while she was walking into a residence.

The suspect description is similar for both incidents. More from an ACPD crime report:

President Trump to Visit Fort Myer Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Published August 21, 2017 at 9:30AM

“President Donald J. Trump will address our Nation’s troops and the American people tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. (EDT) from Fort Myer in Arlington, VA, to provide an update on the path forward for America’s engagement in Afghanistan and South Asia,” the White House said in a press release Sunday afternoon.

As a result, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall will be closed to non-essential activities starting at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 21, 2017 at 8:00AM | Updated August 21, 2017 at 10:17AM

Last-Minute Eclipse Glasses in Crystal City — PBS, which is based in Crystal City, will be giving out the remainder of its supply of eclipse glasses at the Crystal City Water Park this morning at 9 a.m. (Update: They’re all gone.) [Twitter]

W-L Grad Studying Eclipse — Arlington native Adriana Mitchell, a 19-year-old University of Arizona student and Washington-Lee High School graduate, will be studying this afternoon’s eclipse as part of “an unprecedented effort to help solve some of the mysteries surrounding our home star.” [University of Arizona]

New Residential Parking Requests on Ice For Staff Program Review

By Chris Teale

Published August 18, 2017 at 1:45PM | Updated August 18, 2017 at 2:25PM

Requests to add new residential permit parking zones or change current zones will be on hold for around two years so county staff can study the program’s effectiveness.

The moratorium, approved 3-2 by a divided Arlington County Board, freezes 16 active petition requests and prevents residents from filing more until after staff’s review.

Local Candidates United With County Board in Call to Rename Jefferson Davis, Lee Highways

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2017 at 10:30AM

Then-County Board candidate Erik Gutshall

Arlington County Board candidate Erik Gutshall and incumbent House of Delegates candidates Mark Levine, Patrick Hope, Richard “Rip” Sullivan and Alfonso Lopez praised the County Board’s stand. In a statement, an excerpt of which is below, all five applauded what they described as “a powerful statement from the Arlington County Board rejecting racism and bigotry.”

The county will need to first obtain the legal authority to rename both stretches of state highway within its borders, an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled General Assembly. But the incumbents pledged to try to do so, so the county can choose “who in our history we want to honor and celebrate.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2017 at 9:30AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 10:55AM

Metro Delays Due to Disabled Train — A 7000-series Metro train reportedly lost power between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom, just before 9 a.m., leading to delays on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines. [Twitter, Twitter]

Confederate Monument at Arlington Nat’l — On the western edge of Arlington National Cemetery there is a monument to Confederate war dead. Writes the Post: “A soaring testament to Southern pride, placed in Arlington nearly 50 years after the Civil War ended, the monument features a frieze depicting Rebels shouldering rifles, a black slave following his master and an enslaved woman… cradling a Confederate officer’s infant.” [Washington Post]

Arlington Is Seeking the Authority to Rename Lee Highway and Jefferson Davis Highway

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2017 at 5:25PM

(Updated at 5:35 p.m.) Arlington is thinking about renaming two state highways named after Confederate leaders, but needs authorization from the state legislature to do so, according to a statement released by the Arlington County Board late Thursday afternoon.

In the statement, County Board Chair Jay Fisette says the county is “united against racism and bigotry” in the wake of the events in Charlottesville this past weekend.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2017 at 11:20AM | Updated August 17, 2017 at 11:47AM

Crows over Fairlington at sunset in 2017 (staff photo)

Commonwealth Joe Gets $2.5 Million — Local nitro cold brew coffee purveyor and Pentagon City cafe operator Commonwealth Joe has landed a $2.5 million round of funding. The Arlington-based firm says it plans to use the investment to expand its cold brew business, which includes distributing kegs of the sweet, smooth chilled coffee to offices. [Washington Business Journal]

Local Holocaust Survivor Reunited — An Arlington man was reunited with a Dutch couple that hid him and his sister, who are both Jewish, from the Nazis in 1945. The reunion took place at the U.S. Holocaust Museum and happened thanks to a high school project undertaken by the couple’s grandson. [NBC Washington]

UPDATED: SWAT Team Responds to 911 Call Reporting Hostage Situation, Finds Nothing

By ARLnow.com

Published August 17, 2017 at 9:20AM | Updated August 17, 2017 at 12:31PM

Police incident in Fort Myer Heights (photo courtesy Arron Dawson)

(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) Numerous Arlington County Police officers, SWAT team members and the county bomb squad were on the scene of an incident in the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights neighborhood Thursday morning.

Police were spread across several blocks, in the area of several apartment buildings and the Quarterdeck restaurant. Several roads were closed in the area.