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Morning Notes

Published February 3, 2022 at 7:30AM

Rain and fog looking into Georgetown from Freedom Park in Rosslyn (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

New Covid Testing Location — “Arlington County is opening an additional no-cost COVID-19 testing kiosk at Sequoia Plaza. The kiosk is in partnership with Curative, which operates four additional sites in the County. The kiosk is located at 2100 Washington Blvd, on the service road behind the Stambaugh Human Services Center building (Sequoia 1). Beginning on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, the kiosk will operate Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.” [Arlington County]

Va. Changing Covid Tracing Efforts — “Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced it is changing from attempting to investigate every case of COVID-19 and trace all contacts to focusing on follow-up of outbreaks and cases in high risk settings. This response is more effective when a virus spreads very easily and quickly and many infected people do not have symptoms.” [Virginia Dept. of Health]

News

A community Facebook group helps Afghan refugees start a new life in America

By Matt Blitz

Published January 31, 2022 at 10:35AM | Updated February 1, 2022 at 4:10PM

Mir waiting to get inside the airport in Kabul to evacuate (photo courtesy of Ryan Elizabeth Alvis)

When the Taliban took over his native Afghanistan in August, Mir knew that he and his family needed to get out.

He was confident they would be a target because he was a contractor assisting the United Kingdom, United States, and NATO with communications and information technology.

News

County honors 78 ‘Covid heroes’ for service to the community

By Matt Blitz

Published January 26, 2022 at 11:30AM | Updated January 26, 2022 at 12:31PM

Arlington's "Covid heroes" (screenshot via Youtube/Arlington County)

Seventy-eight local individuals, businesses and organizations were recognized as “Covid Heroes” at yesterday’s County Board meeting.

More than six dozen locals were honored for having “demonstrated exceptional service throughout the pandemic” in three categories: community resilience, outstanding community service and individual service.

News

Guaranteed income pilot program moves forward without any county funding

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 20, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated January 20, 2022 at 4:39PM

Cash (via Pepi Stojanovski/Unsplash)

A local pilot program to give up to 200 qualifying low-income residents $500 a month for two years, no strings attached, will move forward without any public funding.

For a few months last fall, Arlington County was poised to spend either federal or county money on “Arlington’s Guarantee,” a guaranteed income pilot program launched by nonprofit Arlington Community Foundation.

News

“Pajama Mama” and the book bus are helping young Arlingtonians read

By Matt Blitz

Published January 11, 2022 at 3:30PM

Jennifer Sauter-Price with R.E.A.D's book bus (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

Kids dance around tables full of books outside of Arlington Science Focus Elementary School on an overcast December afternoon. There are stories in Spanish, books about Black history, and novels about being the next president, all waiting to be picked up and read.

And parked a few feet away from the book fair is a bright blue “book bus” with a dragon painted on the side.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 7, 2022 at 7:30AM

Snowy bridge in Rock Spring Park (Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann)

New Leadership for Local Dems — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee went with the more centrist option on Jan. 5, electing Steve Baker to a two-year term as party chair. Baker defeated Matt Royer in the balloting, held at the party’s biennial reorganization meeting. Baker promised to use his leadership post as ‘a collaboration and a partnership’ and ‘keep Arlington Democrats a big-tent party.'” [Sun Gazette]

W&OD Bridge Work Has Started — From BikeArlington: “Work on the @WODTrail bridge [near the caboose] was delayed but has begun today. Please follow detour signs onto the Four Mile Run Trail.” [Twitter]

News

NEW: Aurora Highlands property could become affordable housing for people with disabilities

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 22, 2021 at 3:30PM | Updated December 22, 2021 at 5:39PM

Melwood's property at 750 23rd Street S. in Aurora Highlands (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) A local nonprofit intends to redevelop and add affordable housing for people with disabilities to its property near Crystal City.

Melwood, which connects people with disabilities with public- and private-sector jobs and opportunities, currently runs a workforce development site from the building at 750 23rd Street S., in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 9, 2021 at 7:30AM

Blue Jay in the fall (Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman)

Route 1 Project Now Mostly Funded — “Virginia is making a huge financial commitment to the transformation of U.S. Route 1 as it runs through Crystal City, fulfilling a key promise officials made to Amazon.com Inc. to lure the tech giant to Arlington. The Commonwealth Transportation Board, a panel that manages state transportation funding and policy, voted unanimously Wednesday to allocate $134.4 million to fund the highway’s overhaul through 2028. The project, designed to bring at least some portion of the newly renamed Richmond Highway down to grade and make it more friendly to pedestrians, has a total estimated price tag of roughly $180 million.” [Washington Business Journal]

FAA Says Proposed HQ2 ‘Helix’ Is Okay — “The Federal Aviation Administration has no issue with the height of Amazon.com Inc.’s proposed Helix, the towering conical structure that will be a major part of HQ2’s PenPlace phase, closing the book on questions raised by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.” [Washington Business Journal]

News

Arlington housing nonprofit AHC to step back from property management

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 7, 2021 at 10:30AM | Updated December 7, 2021 at 11:37AM

AHC Inc. Interim CEO Susan Cunningham during a recent County Board meeting (via Arlington County)

(Updated 10:35 a.m.) Nonprofit affordable housing developer AHC Inc. announced today (Tuesday) that it will begin ceding management of all its properties to third-party companies in the new year.

The move comes less than a year after AHC transferred day-to-day management of the Serrano Apartments (5535 Columbia Pike) to an independent company, which Arlington County required in response to complaints of rodents and shoddy maintenance.

Events

Arlington Knights of Columbus hosting Santa and Marines at annual Toys for Tots drive

By Matt Blitz

Published November 30, 2021 at 1:00PM | Updated November 30, 2021 at 1:53PM

Toys collected last year during the Arlington Knights of Columbus drive (Photo courtesy Myles McMorrow)

After receiving thousands of toys last year, the Arlington Knights of Columbus on Little Falls Road will be hold its second annual Toys for Tots drive this weekend.

The drive will be held on both Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 4 and 5), from noon to 7 p.m., outside of the Knights of Columbus Arlington Council 2473 at 5115 Little Falls Road, in the Rock Spring neighborhood.

Around Town

How to support local nonprofits and neighbors this holiday season

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 19, 2021 at 12:30PM | Updated November 20, 2021 at 8:17AM

Volunteers distributing food are separated by plexiglass from those picking up food (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

‘Tis the season for charity, as year-end giving campaigns and holiday donation drives ramp up.

This year, with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, two dozen local nonprofits have listed what they need to serve their clients this holiday season.