Virginia flags will fly at half-staff tomorrow (Saturday) in honor of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, the ROTC instructor killed in a shooting at Old Dominion University on Thursday that the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger ordered flags on all state and local buildings lowered from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, citing Shah’s “decades of devoted and selfless service to his community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States of America.”
Two men — including one with an apparent military connection — have been arrested in connection with a series of Pride flags stolen from an Arlington couple, police announced Friday evening.
Twenty-year-old Matthew Henshaw was arrested and charged with three counts of bias-motivated unlawful entry and three counts of petit larceny for incidents occurring on Sept. 16 and Sept. 30 and Jan. 27. ACPD said he resides at Fort Myer, suggesting he has military ties. Henshaw was released on a secured bond.
Constantin remembers growing up in Ukraine and his mother taking him to the streets to protest against the Soviet Union’s occupation of his homeland.
Those memories were at the forefront while Constantin, now an Arlington resident who works in blockchain technology, embarked on a mission.
A man walked up to an American flag outside of a home in the Arlington Heights neighborhood early Friday morning and lit it on fire.
‘Flags In’ at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery — “At 2:00pm EST, @USArmyOldGuard will enter @ArlingtonNatl and continue our tradition of placing an American flag at every gravesite throughout our Nation’s most hallowed grounds. Stay tuned for updates as we honor those that have served and sacrificed for our freedom.” [Twitter]
Former Sen. John Warner Dies — “John W. Warner, the five-term U.S. senator from Virginia who helped plan the nation’s 1976 bicentennial celebrations, played a central role in military affairs and gained respect on both sides of the political aisle for his diligence, consensus-building and independence, died May 24 at his home in Alexandria, Va. He was 94.” [Washington Post, Gov. Ralph Northam]
Woman Arrested for Burning Flag Near W-L High — “A woman was arrested for burning an American flag on an overpass over I-66 in Arlington, police say. Kayla Caniff, 22, was charged with property destruction after police say she burned a flag attached to a chain link fence on the N. Stafford Street overpass, north of the Ballston area, at about 11:55 p.m. Thursday.” [NBC Washington]
County Website Goes Down — The Arlington County website was down for an extended period of time over Labor Day weekend. [Twitter]
Ray’s the Steaks Closing — “Washington will soon lose a carnivorous institution. Ray’s the Steaks, an unfussy Arlington chophouse that’s operated in the neighborhood for 17 years, will close after service on Saturday, June 15, says chef/owner Michael Landrum.” [Washingtonian]
DOJ Announces APS Settlement — “Today the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced a settlement agreement with Arlington Public Schools that will bolster English language services to the district’s approximately 5,000 students who are not proficient in English.” [Dept. of Justice]
Arlington officials are flying rainbow flags and local bars are hosting drag events to kick-off this month’s Pride celebrations.
During the month of June, residents will spot the multi-hued flags hung at county’s government offices in Courthouse, as well as outside the county’s Justice Center, Arlington Central Library, the Department of Human Services office near Penrose, and the Trades Center, among other places.
Thousands of soldiers will participate in a time-honored tradition at Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow: the placement of flags at each headstone and columbarium for Memorial Day.
There are more than 400,000 interred at the cemetery, but soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment — The Old Guard — will place a flag in front of each in about four hours, rain or shine.
There were plenty of flags to be seen around Arlington this past week, in celebration of Independence Day. One household in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, near Columbia Pike, took their patriotism to another level.
The residents of a home on the 800 block of S. Ivy Street draped an enormous, 20’x30′ American flag across the side of their house.
In preparation for the Fourth of July holiday, flags have been placed on homes, vehicles and local businesses throughout Arlington.
And the abundance of flags isn’t the only sign of the Independence Day holiday. There are also the fireworks stands now open along Lee Highway and Columbia Pike.
An American flag that once flew over the U.S. Capitol will replace a missing flag at the American Legion post in Virginia Square.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) gifted the post at 3445 Washington Blvd with the flag after reading that its previous flag was missing and possibly stolen, as first reported by ARLnow.com.
