coronavirus | ARLnow.com

Published March 10, 2021 at 11:40AM

School Board candidates Miranda Turner (left) and Mary Kadera (right). Photos via candidate websites.

Two Democratic hopefuls for the Arlington School Board want to see full-time in-person learning and more consistency across Arlington Public Schools.

Miranda Turner, who made a name for herself calling for a quicker return to in-person learning, and Mary Kadera, the vice president of the Arlington County Council of PTAs, are looking to fill the void that will be left when Board Chair Monique O’Grady steps down. They are the only two to have met the March 1 deadline to be considered for an endorsement from Arlington Democrats.

News

One Year Ago: The First Reported Coronavirus Case in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published March 9, 2021 at 10:55AM

It was one year ago today that the first “presumptive” coronavirus case in Arlington was announced by county and state officials.

Though the first Northern Virginia coronavirus patient had started feeling symptoms three weeks prior, on Feb. 16, this first Arlington case was a mental turning point, making the pandemic feel close to home for county residents. Tens of thousands read ARLnow’s article that day, making it the third-most-read story of the year.

News

Average Daily Vaccinations in Arlington Remain Above 1,000

By ARLnow.com

Published March 8, 2021 at 11:15AM

More than 1,000 vaccine doses are being administered per day in Arlington, on average.

The seven-day trailing average of vaccine doses given in Arlington has remained above 1,000 for the past 10 days. As of this morning, it stands at 1,139.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 8, 2021 at 6:00AM

County Offering New Walk-Up COVID Testing — “Arlington County is launching a mobile, no-cost to patients, walk-up testing service in partnership with Quest Diagnostics. The mobile testing command center will open Tuesday, March 9, at 1429 N. Quincy Street, replacing the current drive-through testing site at that location. It will operate at that location for two weeks, Monday-Friday from 9 A.M – 4 P.M. Then it will move to new locations on a two to three-week rotational basis to offer walk-up COVID-19 testing throughout the County.” [Arlington County]

BID: National Landing is ‘Over-Parked’ — “Right now, we’re over-parked. We [were] originally built during a period that prized the automobile, but we were also fortunate enough to grow into a Metro system, and a number of other modes opened up possibilities for growth and development that are truly sustainable. What we’re seeing with new development is a ticking down of parking requirements. So we are focused on being a transit-oriented community, a multimodal community. The future is not cars.” [Smart Cities Dive]

News

Appointments Remain Scarce at Retail Pharmacies Offering Vaccines

By Matt Blitz

Published March 5, 2021 at 9:30AM

A vaccine shot (via Arlington County/YouTube)

For those Arlingtonians still waiting to get their vaccination, the list of options for getting it is growing.

While getting vaccinated through the county remains an option for all currently eligible groups, residents 65 and older have a lengthening list of stores at which they can receive the vaccine.

Schools

APS Data: Grades Fell for Middle, High Schoolers Amid Virtual Learning

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 4, 2021 at 3:55PM | Updated March 5, 2021 at 5:29PM

The Arlington Public Schools Syphax Education Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated 3/3) New data from Arlington Public Schools suggest that more secondary students are failing classes and their average GPA has dropped.

Sixth-grade students appear to be the hardest hit this year: Their average GPA dropped about 6%, and the number of students failing at least one class increased 118%.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 4, 2021 at 7:30AM

The sunset glows as traffic moves down I-66, as seen from N Ohio St. (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Metro 29 Diner Back Open — After temporarily closing in late December due to “COVID-19 concerns,” Metro 29 Diner on Lee Highway reopened earlier this week. [Facebook]

Arlington Rents Going Back Up — “In what might be another sign of a return to a semblance of normalcy, average rents for Arlington apartments increased in February for the first time since the start of the COVID pandemic. The 0.7-percent month-over-month increase also mirrored the national index, which reported its biggest monthly increase since June 2019.” [InsideNova]

Around Town

Arlington’s COVID-19 Time Capsule Project Needs Donations

By Hannah Foley

Published March 3, 2021 at 2:00PM

Photograph of a cake from an Arlington couple to mark the original date of their canceled wedding day. (Photo provided by Center for Local History, Arlington Public Library)

When future Arlingtonians look back at last year, what are some items that will tell the story?

The Center for Local History at the Arlington Public Library is curating a time capsule of 2020. The project is titled, 2020 Unboxed, and will contain objects representing life in Arlington during the momentous year.

News

Arlington County Hosting Mass Vaccination Clinic on Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Published March 3, 2021 at 9:30AM

Lubber Run Community Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington County will be conducting its first mass vaccination event this weekend.

On Saturday, starting around 9 a.m., about 1,500 people will receive doses of the new one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Lubber Run Community Center (300 N. Park Drive). The recently-built community center is just a few blocks from Ballston.

News

County Employees Bumped Down Priority List, As J&J One-Shot Vaccine Rolls Out

By ARLnow.com

Published March 2, 2021 at 10:45AM

A person receiving a vaccine in Arlington (Image via Arlington County/YouTube)

(Updated at 11 a.m.) Virginia localities are set to start receiving the new Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine next week, thus helping to boost supply in the Commonwealth.

But one group that had been poised to start being vaccinated soon has been bumped further down the priority list: Arlington County employees.

Schools

Facing $42.5 Million Budget Gap, APS Looks to Biden Stimulus Package

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 1, 2021 at 3:50PM | Updated March 2, 2021 at 11:32AM

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) For his first budget as Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools, Francisco Durán said he is proposing a conservative budget “that reflects our most urgent needs.”

The 2022 budget for APS, which he presented to members of the School Board on Thursday, comes to $704.4 million in expenditures and $661.9 million in revenue. APS, which has expected budget gaps in years past, is expecting a $42.5 million shortfall for its next fiscal year.

News

‘Clarendon Popup’ Prepares for New Theme, March Festivities

By Jo DeVoe

Published February 26, 2021 at 11:30AM | Updated February 26, 2021 at 12:17PM

Clarendon Popup Bar, located inside the former Clarendon Ballroom (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) Clarendon Popup Bar, located inside the former Clarendon Ballroom space, is about to shift to its second theme.

The concept bar opened at 3185 Wilson Blvd in time to ring in the New Year with its temporary theme, “Winter Wonderland.” That theme will still be in effect this weekend, but will then be changed over the course of the following week. (An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that it would be closed this weekend.)