News | ARLnow.com

General Assembly Rejects McAuliffe Towing Bill Amendment

Published April 10, 2017 at 11:15AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:29PM

Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48) during debate on the towing bill amendment

The Virginia House of Delegates last week voted down Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s (D) plan to gut a towing bill that targets Northern Virginia. The bill now goes back to McAuliffe.

McAuliffe’s amendment to HB 1960 would have removed language preventing jurisdictions in Northern Virginia from requiring a “second signature” to authorize a tow from a commercial property. The second signature comes at the moment of the tow; the first signature is the contract that authorizes a company to tow from a particular property.

Cigarette Sparks Ballston House Fire

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 10, 2017 at 10:15AM

House fire on N. Stuart Street on 4/8/17 (Photo via Arlington County Fire Department)

Firefighters spent part of Saturday night extinguishing a house fire on the 1300 block of N. Stuart Street in Ballston.

Arlington County firefighters arrived around 8 p.m. to find flames that originated near the back porch and extended to part of the attic. Crews managed to put out the fire in about 20 minutes.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 10, 2017 at 9:15AM

Washington Business Journal Downsizes HQ — The Washington Business Journal has moved out of its headquarters at 1555 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, where it had been for 20 years. The publication moved just down the street to 1100 Wilson Blvd. The downsize puts WBJ in a location that is about 3,000 square feet smaller than its previous space. [WTOP]

Civic Leaders Honored — The Arlington County Civic Federation honored two residents for their years of community leadership and activism. The organization recognized Jim Pebley and Stefanie Pryor at its anniversary dinner on Friday. [InsideNova]

Lawmakers Raise Concerns About Noise, Traffic at Region’s Airports

By Chris Teale

Published April 7, 2017 at 11:00AM

Yesterday, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) joined other D.C. metro area legislators in writing to members of the House Appropriations Committee to support airplane noise mitigation provisions in the fiscal year Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill.

Beyer is a member of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, and urged the committee to fund health studies on the effects of airplane noise. The legislators cited past studies that have linked excessive exposure to noise with hypertension and learning difficulties.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published April 7, 2017 at 9:15AM

Spring Break Activities — Today is the last day of school for Arlington Public Schools students before spring break. The county’s parks and recreation department has some suggested activities to keep kids of all ages occupied next week. [Arlington County]

Casual Adventure Property’s Familiar New Owners — The owners of long-time Virginia Square outdoor retailer Casual Adventure announced this week that it’s closing, and the property sale reportedly already has taken place. The new owner is 1404 Hancock Street Investment LLC, a company registered to Brian Normile of BCN Enterprises. He’s partnering with Stephen and Mark Fedorchak, who own Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall and Northside Social. [Washington Business Journal]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 6, 2017 at 9:00AM

John Glenn to Be Buried Today — Astronaut, U.S. senator and one-time Arlington resident John Glenn will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery this morning. Glenn died in December at the age of 95. Arlington County Police Department motor units are assisting with rolling road closures for the funeral procession. [Rare]

CivFed Rejects Tax Hike — The Arlington County Civic Federation voted “overwhelmingly” to call on the County Board to reject a proposed property tax rate hike and instead tap into reserve funds to provide needed funding boosts for Metro and Arlington Public Schools. [InsideNova]

DEVELOPING: Police Respond To Possible Barricade Situation on Wilson Blvd

By Chris Teale

Published April 5, 2017 at 3:35PM | Updated April 5, 2017 at 4:31PM

The police department's armored vehicle was on scene, but left around 3:15 p.m.

Updated 4:20 p.m. — Arlington police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said just after 4 p.m. that the suspect had been safely taken into custody.

Earlier: Arlington police responded to the Patrick Henry Apartments on Wilson Blvd Tuesday afternoon, closing roads and bringing in the SWAT team for a possible barricade situation involving a wanted suspect.

Crime Report: Driver Throws Mug in Fit of Road Rage

By ARLnow.com

Published April 5, 2017 at 10:00AM | Updated February 27, 2020 at 4:48PM

The incident happened Sunday evening in the Pentagon City area. A police spokeswoman said the mug “struck the [victim’s] vehicle, causing the misdemeanor damage to personal property.”

More from this week’s ACPD crime report:

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 5, 2017 at 9:00AM

CarPool Now Closed — A line out the door marked CarPool’s last day in business on Monday. The Ballston bar hosted a large crowd of patrons there to watch the Nationals opening day and the NCAA men’s basketball championship, and to say goodbye to the long-time watering hole. [Twitter]

Clement Opposes Tax Rate Hike — Independent Arlington County Board candidate Audrey Clement says she does not support the proposed property tax hike, which Arlington’s county manager says is necessary to fund Metro and Arlington Public Schools. [InsideNova]

County Seeks Input on Crystal City Street Improvements

By Chris Teale

Published April 4, 2017 at 2:15PM

Designs for the project to improve 12th Street S. in Crystal City are coming together, and now the public can take a look themselves.

The “Ask the Project Team” event for the Complete Street project between Clark and Eads streets is scheduled to take place on Wednesday from 3-6 p.m. at The Connection pop-up library at 2100 Crystal Drive. The designs are 30 percent complete, so this event means residents can provide feedback on any major concerns in the plans.

Police: Man Flips Out in Restaurant, Assaults Officers and Bites Medic

By ARLnow.com

Published April 4, 2017 at 10:05AM | Updated April 4, 2017 at 11:31AM

File photo

Police were called to a restaurant on the 4700 block of Lee Highway last night just before 10 p.m. for a “report of a disorderly subject.” The name of the restaurant was not released, but Metro 29 Diner, Thirsty Bernie and Cowboy Cafe are located on or near that block of Lee Highway.

The suspect then became combative and assaulted five police officers and bit the finger of a paramedic while in custody, according to police.

More Than 200 Vehicle Break-Ins So Far This Year in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published April 4, 2017 at 9:15AM | Updated April 4, 2017 at 9:58AM

According to Arlington police, there were 209 “larceny from auto” reports taken from Jan. 1 to April 3. Most of those crimes were likely preventable, requiring only that the owner of the vehicle lock their doors.

“The majority of our thefts from vehicles are from unlocked cars,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Our investigations and witness accounts reveal that in the majority of cases, suspect(s) are seen walking up a street and trying door handles. They enter a vehicle that opens and bypass a vehicle that does not.”