At a work session yesterday, the board instructed County Manager Barbara Donnellan to hold the tax rate steady at 95.8 cents per $100 in the final budget.
“They’re sticking with their initial guidance of no real estate rate increase,” county spokeswoman Mary Curtius confirmed this morning.
Police say 18-year-old Joseph DiFilippo struck a woman and her dog with his pickup truck while they were walking northbound on N. Quincy Street. The woman, 29 28, remains in critical condition. The dog, a golden retriever, died at the scene.
DiFilippo has charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain proper control of a vehicle, driving without a license and violation of a learner’s permit. Police say the charges may be amended if the victim’s condition worsens. DiFilippo remained on the scene after the accident and cooperated with investigators, police say.
Wilmoth was the president of Signature Masters, the firm that was contracted to collect signatures for last year’s unsuccessful attempt to change Arlington’s form of government. The petition drive was sponsored largely by Arlington’s police and fire unions.
Two of Wilmoth’s signature collectors, Cheryl Simmons and William Cockerham, pleaded guilty to election fraud charges in February. State law specifies that petition signatures must be witnessed by someone who is at least eligible to register to vote. As convicted felons, neither Simmons nor Cockerham were eligible.
(Updated at 10:10 p.m.) Police are investigating a body found in front of Randolph Towers (4001 9th Street N.) in Ballston.
A man died after jumping or falling from the building, according to police. The death is being investigated as a possible suicide.
Update at 4:15 p.m. — The gas leak has been stopped and all lanes of westbound Route 50 are now open.
Earlier: The westbound lanes of Route 50 have been shut down near Fairfax Drive in Courthouse due to a gas line rupture.
Injuries were initially said to be serious, but we’re now told the victim is expected to be okay.
Arlington Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal would not confirm whether or not the driver stayed on scene after the accident, nor whether an arrest was pending.
Update at 3:05 a.m. — A video posted on AllDMVHipHop.com (NSFW) shows a group of nearly a dozen people fighting inside the hotel.
A huge brawl broke out at a local hip hop award show in Crystal City Saturday night, sending several people to the hospital.
Update at 2:30 p.m. — The ‘all clear’ has been given. Streets and sidewalks are being reopened.
Police have shut down sidewalks in the area of Wilson Boulevard and North Quincy Street in Ballston due to a bomb threat at Everest College (801 N Quincy St).
Update at 3:15 p.m. — All lanes of I-395 in D.C. have been reopened.
Update at 12:00 p.m. — D.C. is telling Arlington that the accident was fatal (this has NOT been confirmed). Police are blocking I-395 on the D.C. side of the 14th Street Bridge to allow for an extended investigation. Traffic is being diverted onto 14th Street in D.C.
High winds have blown off part of the roof of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles building at 4150 South Four Mile Run Drive.
Firefighters report that a large section of the building’s metal roof blew off. The building has been evacuated. No injuries are reported.
Whipple has represented Virginia’s 31st Senate district since 1996. Before being elected to the state Senate, Whipple served on the Arlington School Board, the Arlington County Board and the Metro Transit Board.
News of Whipple’s retirement seemingly came as a surprise to some.
Simmon’s guilty plea comes one week after another person hired to obtain petition signatures, William Cockerham, pleaded guilty to a similar voter fraud charge.
State law specifies that petition signatures must be witnessed by someone who is at least eligible to register to vote. As convicted felons, neither Simmons nor Cockerham were eligible.
