News

Gun Store Owner Blames Bloomberg — James Gates, the Marine Corps veteran who tried to open a gun store in Cherrydale, said that the cancellation of its lease after a neighborhood outcry was the fault of the former mayor of New York City. “When news of our planned location in Arlington became public, there were some local critics; however they enjoyed outsized influence when anti-civil rights campaigns backed by billionaire Michael Bloomberg picked up their cause,” Gates said in a statement. [Washington Times]

Bee Swarm at Arlington Home — Hundreds, maybe thousands of honey bees have taken up residence in the chimney of an Arlington home. The homeowner called ABC 7 On Your Side after beekeepers wouldn’t help her out, because the chimney was too high, and after learning that it’s against the law to kill the bees with pesticides. “It seems as a homeowner the bees have more of a right to live in my home than I do,” said Alex Casiano. “While I understand honey bees are important to our environment, honey bees don’t pay my rent.” [WJLA]


News

Fire Victim Identified — The victim of Thursday’s fatal house fire on S. Randolph Street has been identified. Family and friends said 73-year-old Dennis Lee was a retired contractor, a longtime Dallas Cowboys fan and a member of the local American Legion post. He died from smoke inhalation. In the wake of his death, firefighters plan to canvass Lee’s neighborhood to test and distribute smoke detectors. [NBC Washington – Warning: Auto-play video]

Preserving H-B’s Walls — The walls of the H-B Woodlawn secondary program are covered with more than 2,000 inscriptions from past graduating classes. School officials are considering ways to digitally preserve the painted walls when the program moves to Rosslyn in five years. [Falls Church News-Press]


Sponsored

Get a jumpstart on your New Year’s resolutions at Sand & Steel™ Fitness, a state-of-the-art training facility that opened last week at 109 S. Alfred Street in Alexandria.

A fresh take on the conventional gym model, Sand and Steel™ offers redefined personalized training, nutrition guidance, and unique group classes unparalleled in the industry.


Sponsored

Connect113, Alexandria’s original co-working space, is celebrating a busy fall full of new tenants, awards, and successful networking events.

Many ask, what is coworking and who uses these spaces? Coworking spaces, like Connect113, are popular with freelancers, contractors, entrepreneurs and startups alike. Co-working, a trend now on the rise, has already proven majorly successful with the number of general co-working spaces jumping 83% since 2013. With freelancers and independent contractors expected to make up 40% of the workforce by 2020, the need for co-working spaces has grown. (CBS News)


News

Alexandria Murder Suspect in Arlington Jail — Charles Severance, who’s charged in the murders of three Alexandria residents, has been transferred to the Arlington County Detention Facility in Courthouse. The transfer is intended “to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest,” since Severance is charged in the murder of the wife of a former Alexandria sheriff. [Washington Post]

Roadside Sunflowers Chopped Down — A patch of sunflowers planted at the intersection of Lee Highway and North Powhatan Street has been cut down by VDOT after someone complained to say the flowers blocked her view while turning. The resident who has been planting the sunflowers for the past seven years mounted a sign in the flowers’ place saying “hope you are happy!” [Falls Church News-Press]


Sponsored

Enjoy a brunch on Saturday, May 31, on the rooftop of 1111 Belle Pre Apartments, a former bottle factory that is now a luxury rental apartment in the heart of Old Town. The meal will be prepared by award-winning chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux of the wine bar and bistro Bastille. The chefs specialize in contemporary French fare using seasonal, locally sourced, and farm-fresh ingredients. Chef Christophe will also be on hand for an exclusive meet-and-greet during the brunch.

If the food doesn’t sound tempting enough, consider the setting. The Belle Pre rooftop lounge is a sprawling outdoor space with lounge chairs, a fire pit and a pool deck. You’ll eat French fare and sip cocktails poolside. Specialty cocktails include a Blood Orange Champagne Cocktail and a White Wine and Rosemary Infused Sangria. Music will be provided by DJ Damon, and there will be gifts for the first 100 brunchers.


Schools

After Arlington Public Schools received word of the shooting, on the 2400 block of Ridge Road in Alexandria, Gunston Middle School, Oakridge Elementary and Abingdon Elementary were placed in a secured state, which generally means exterior doors were locked. That’s different than a “lockdown,” in which all classroom doors are locked.

The shooting happened in a residential Alexandria neighborhood around 11:30 a.m. A 59-year-old woman was killed and another woman was injured. Police are still looking for the suspect, described as an older white male, according to the Washington Post.


News

Renovations for Crystal City Sheraton — The Crystal City Sheraton hotel (1800 Jefferson Davis Highway) will close in mid-April and undergo renovations.. The 218-room hotel will reopen as a Westin. Nearly 100 workers will be laid off during renovations. [Washington Business Journal]

New Signage for WJLA Building Approved — A divided Arlington County Board has approved new rooftop signage for the office building at 1100 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, also known as the WJLA building. The board split its vote 3-2 after residents expressed concern that the new signage would “be detrimental to their neighborhoods” and local monuments. The potential signage is for an unnamed prospective client. [Sun Gazette]


News

Patterson was found not guilty of possession of a use of a firearm in commission of a murder. The jury spent more than a day deliberating over the verdict, which was handed down just after 1:00 p.m. Friday. The jury later recommended that Patterson be sentenced to 6 years in prison, according to a tweet from NBC4’s David Culver. A judge will decide on the sentencing in February.

Patterson, 45, was off-duty in May when he shot and killed Dawkins, an Alexandria resident and driver for PBS NewsHour in Shirlington. Patterson claimed the shooting was in self defense, while prosecutors argued he was shooting in rage after an argument.


News

Favola: Streamline Development Approval — State Senator and former County Board member Barbara Favola (D) is urging Arlington County to streamline its development approval process in order to make it easier for affordable housing projects to be built. At a fundraiser for the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing this week, Favola and others said red tape and community resistance is making it more expensive to build affordable housing in Arlington. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington E-CARE Event This Weekend — Arlington will hold is biannual Environmental Collection and Recycling Event from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. The event allows Arlington residents to safely dispose of household hazardous materials and to recycle items like bikes, small metal items, shoes, clothing, bed frames, etc. [Arlington County]


News

It was announced in June that a company had submitted an unsolicited proposal to transform Alexandria’s Hensley Park into a sports and entertainment facility. The proposed complex included features like an Olympic-sized pool and water play area; basketball, volleyball, baseball and gymnastics centers; ice rinks; indoor tennis and squash courts; a climbing wall; and a driving range.

A pool, water play area, climbing wall and racquetball courts are all also part of Arlington’s plan for the Long Bridge Park facility. (County Board Chair Walter Tejada said in June that he did not expect the Alexandria proposal to impact the county’s plans.)


News

Patterson, 44, is accused of shooting and killing 22-year-old Julian Dawkins, an Alexandria resident. Patterson and his attorneys claim Dawkins attacked him with a knife, and he fired on Dawkins in self-defense. After hearing more than two hours of witness testimony, Alexandria General District Court Judge Becky J. Moore ruled there was probable cause to move forward and sent the case to a grand jury.

Alexandria Police Officer Judy Taylor, a crime scene investigator, testified that Dawkins, who drove a shuttle for PBS NewsHour in Shirlington, had a knife clipped to the outer portion of his jeans pocket, but it was folded up.


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