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Morning Notes

Published July 5, 2011 at 8:19AM

Storm Damage Caused by ‘Macroburst’ — The National Weather Service says the extensive damaged caused by Sunday night’s storm was caused by a “macroburst” — a larger version of a microburst. The macroburst brought winds of 60-70 miles per hour to some North Arlington neighborhoods, causing trees and power poles to snap in half. [MyFoxDC]

RV Catches Fire on GW Parkway — Traffic was brought to a standstill on the GW Parkway Monday morning when an RV burst into flames. Dark, billowing smoke from the fire could be seen across the river in D.C. The driver got out safely, but the RV was a total loss. [NBC Washington]

News

Ballston Crash Victim Was Immigration Court Interpreter

By ARLnow.com

Published June 30, 2011 at 1:30PM

The woman who died in a crash inside a Ballston parking garage Thursday morning worked as an interpreter for the Justice Department’s Arlington Immigration Court.

In a letter to colleagues, Chief Judge Brian O’Leary said Adele Lapinell, 74, will be remembered for her “patience and understanding.”

News

Undocumented Students Receive ‘Dream’ Scholarships

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 10, 2011 at 10:33AM | Updated June 10, 2011 at 10:54AM

In a ceremony at the Arlington Public Schools Education Center on N. Quincy Street, Hareth Andrade and Antonella Rodriguez-Cossio from Washington-Lee High School, Henry Mejia from Yorktown High School and Jose Vasquez from Arlington Mill High School Continuation Program received Dream Scholarships to help fund their college educations.

Although countless high school students enjoy grants and awards around this time of year, the Dream Scholarship is reserved for undocumented students — children born abroad who are not U.S. citizens or legal residents.

News

Pro-Immigrant Demonstrators March Through Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Published May 27, 2011 at 9:46AM | Updated May 27, 2011 at 11:51AM

More than 100 demonstrators marched through the busy streets of Virginia Square, Clarendon and Courthouse last night in support of immigrant rights and against deportations.

The protesters, assisted by a police escort, marched from George Mason University’s Arlington campus to the Arlington County jail. Holding signs and chanting slogans in English and Spanish, the protesters made their message loud and clear for scores of bewildered bystanders and outdoor diners in Clarendon.

News

Immigration Advocates to March Through Clarendon Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Published May 26, 2011 at 2:08PM

Protesters will march from George Mason University Founder’s Hall, at 3351 N. Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square, to the Arlington County jail, at 1435 N. Courthouse Road in Courthouse, where they will hold a rally against the federal ‘Secure Communities’ immigration enforcement program.

The march is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. Organizers expect the rally outside the jail to start at 7:15 p.m.

News

Tejada: No Chance of In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

By ARLnow.com

Published May 9, 2011 at 11:27AM

Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada would like to see the children of illegal immigrants in Virginia offered in-state tuition at public universities — but he’s not kidding himself.

News

New Crew at the Ballston Chipotle?

By ARLnow.com

Published April 28, 2011 at 10:06AM

This month alone, the restaurant chain has held ‘open house’ hiring events in Ballston, Rosslyn, Falls Church, Seven Corners, Reston, Sterling, Herndon and Ashburn.

Why the sudden hiring push?

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 13, 2011 at 8:36AM

Tejada, Moran Get ‘Snippy’ Over Immigration — At a work session Monday afternoon, County Board member Walter Tejada and Rep. Jim Moran got in a verbal ‘tussle’ when Tejada suggested that Democrats have not done much recently to advance the cause of immigration rights on a federal level. [Sun Gazette]

Westover Farmers Market Delayed — Organizers had hoped to launch a farmers market in Westover this spring, but it looks like red tape will delay their goal by a year. Farmers market boosters have secured verbal approval to use school property for the market, but the county zoning office says it will not grant a use permit until the county ordinance related to farmers markets is changed. [Falls Church News-Press]

News

ICE Makes 11 Arrests in Arlington As Part of N. Va. Sweep

By ARLnow.com

Published March 23, 2011 at 1:21PM

Of those arrested, 130 were described as aliens with criminal records who were previously convicted of crimes including rape, assault, burglary and narcotics possession. ICE also arrested eight fugitives and three individuals accused of re-entering the United States after a previous deportaiton.

Of the 11 individuals arrested in Arlington, one was a man described as a 39-year-old Ecuadorian national and legal permanent resident of the United States.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 17, 2011 at 8:56AM | Updated February 17, 2011 at 1:48PM

Illegal Immigrant Bills Killed in State Senate — Most of the bills that immigrant advocates spoke out against at a rally last week have suffered a quiet death in a state Senate subcommittee. The bills would have prevented illegal immigrants from attending public universities in Virginia and would have required citizenship checks for anyone arrested by police. [Washington Examiner]

Cyclist Gets Doored on Clarendon Boulevard — It’s a non-uncommon tale of woe from the cycling world. A bicyclist was riding in the bike lane on Clarendon Blvd when a parked motorist suddenly opened his door. A collision ensues. Police and medics are called. The next day, however, the injured bicyclist wasn’t able to get the driver’s insurance information from police. While this raises police procedure questions, there is also the larger question: Is there a way for drivers and bicyclists to share the road without injuring or cursing at each other? [TBD, Patch]

News

Immigrant Advocates Rally in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published February 9, 2011 at 6:00PM

Speaking in front of TV cameras and about 15 audience members at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Route 50, immigrant advocates said the bills represent the kind of “divisive, partisan politics” that Virginia’s immigrant community has “always feared.”

“Now more than ever we cannot be silent, we have to act,” said Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez, an Arlington County School Board member and a board member of Northern Virginia Community College. “We have to defeat all these anti-immigrant bills.”

News

Immigration Bill “Directly Targeted” at Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published January 31, 2011 at 11:06AM | Updated January 31, 2011 at 4:13PM

Del. Dave Albo has introduced a bill, HB 1421, that would prevent Virginia localities from restricting “the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.” Any locality that does not comply with the order would risk losing state funding.

Ablo admitted that the bill is “directly targeted at Arlington,” according to a quote attributed to Arlington Del. Patrick Hope (D) by the Blue Virginia blog. Last year Arlington attempted, unsuccessfully, to opt-out of the federal Secure Communities immigration program.