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No West Nile Found in Arlington So Far

Published July 27, 2011 at 3:45PM

No cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in humans this year or last year, according to the Arlington County Department of Human Services. Fairfax, Alexandria and the District all identified West Nile in mosquito samples in recent days. However, Arlington County no longer does sampling because it confirmed long ago that mosquitoes with West Nile are present throughout the region.

Arlington County discontinued mosquito spraying several years ago, but encourages residents to be proactive about avoiding contact with mosquitoes. A “Mosquito Information Center” website has been set up with tips for staying mosquito bite free.

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Residents Fight County on Construction Project

By Katie Pyzyk

Published July 26, 2011 at 12:22PM

The county has been planning to redesign parts of Arlington Ridge Road from 23rd Street to South Meade Street. Some of the improvements include work on curbs, gutters, sidewalks and bike lanes. The county cites pedestrian safety as the reason for the revamping.

Some neighbors launched a campaign called “Save Our Streets” to oppose the approximately $200,000 project. Group members say they’re upset because of wasteful spending, the county isn’t listening to them and there’s a lack of transparency.

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Arlington Plugs Budget Gap

By ARLnow.com

Published July 11, 2011 at 10:57AM

The board voted to use its existing, two-year-old Budget Stabilization Fund to make up the gap, caused by a $442,077 reduction in federal community block grants. The grants are used to fund local human services and education projects, to support affordable housing and homeless prevention initiatives, to improve neighborhood safety and to enhance economic opportunities for residents.

In a press release, the county cautioned that additional federal funding cuts are likely next year.

Around Town

Fourth of July Closures

By ARLnow.com

Published July 1, 2011 at 4:17PM

The long holiday weekend has begun, and that means many county services are stopped or altered. Here’s a list of changes:

The police department has also provided a list of road closures for activities on July 4. In addition, police are reminding event attendees that:

News

Top Zoning Official Leaving County Gov’t

By ARLnow.com

Published June 28, 2011 at 5:06PM | Updated June 29, 2011 at 2:14PM

In a statement, released after ARLnow.com first reported the resignation, Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development Director Robert Brosnan called Artman “a dedicated and talented public servant.”

“She brought a high level of professionalism and a strong sense of fairness to her work,” Brosnan said. “She arrived in Arlington at a time when the Zoning Office was beginning a transformation into a higher performing organization and she has helped shape the office and the work of the staff in a very positive way. We thank her for her service to Arlington County, and wish her the very best as she embarks on this new challenge.”

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Striking ART Bus Drivers Fired, County Reacts

By ARLnow.com

Published June 23, 2011 at 9:25AM

In a statement, Forsythe said the drivers were fired for violating a clause in their contract that prevented them from striking unless the company violated terms of an arbitration.

“We knew that this could happen, but we were surprised by the number of terminations,” Arlington County Transit Bureau Chief Stephen Del Giudice told ARLnow.com. “It’s a regrettable situation all the way around… It’s regrettable that drivers took the job action, and its regrettable that Forsythe felt the need to terminate the employees.”

Around Town

Slow Progress on Courthouse Plaza Brick Work

By ARLnow.com

Published June 10, 2011 at 1:04PM

We’re told by a source that the project will most likely not be completed this month, the anticipated completion date that TBD.com reported in February. No official word yet on how much longer the project might take. Multiple calls seeking information from the owner of Courthouse Plaza, Vornado Charles E. Smith, have gone unreturned over the past week.

Courthouse Plaza is the home of restaurants, small shops, a movie theater, a hotel, county government’s main office building and a Courthouse Metro entrance. The project has resulted in a gauntlet of fences around the plaza, and the displacement of some outdoor seating, but access to businesses and Metro has been maintained.

Weather

Following Storms, Power Outage Hits Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

Published June 10, 2011 at 2:37AM | Updated June 10, 2011 at 2:57AM

As of 2:30 a.m., 1,734 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington. The outage was said to be centered in the Courthouse and Clarendon area, along Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards.

In addition to restaurants and commercial offices, the outage also hit county government buildings in Courthouse. Some of the county’s internal computer networks were said to have been knocked offline by the outage. Firefighters responded to the county jail after the emergency generator reportedly failed to start, leaving the facility in the dark.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 8, 2011 at 8:27AM

High Temperatures, High Humidity — With temperatures expected to soar to just below 100 degrees today, the National Weather Service has placed the region under a Heat Advisory. “Drink plenty of fluids… stay in an air conditioned room… stay out of the sun… [and] take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside,” NWS cautions. The area is also under a ‘Code Orange’ air quality alert, meaning that air pollution concentrations “may become unhealthy for sensitive groups.” [Weather Channel]

Rosslyn Concert Moved Indoors — Due to the excessive heat, the lunchtime concert that normally takes place in Rosslyn’s Central Space plaza has been moved to the Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd) ballroom. Local group The Joe Rathbone Trio will perform in air conditioned comfort from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 27, 2011 at 6:00AM

Where Are the GOP Candidates? — So far, Arlington Republicans have not been able to find a single candidate willing to run in any of this year’s six county government races. The last time a Republican was elected to the County Board was the late 1990s. [Sun Gazette]

Police Looking for Missing D.C. Man — Police are hoping for the public’s help in finding a missing D.C. man. Matthew Hill, 26, was reported missing on Tuesday. His last debit card transaction was recorded at noon on Tuesday at an Exxon gas station in Arlington. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to call D.C. police. [WUSA]

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