Around Town

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) The Post Office at S. Eads Street and 18th Street in Aurora Highlands will soon be moving to a new location.

The office will be moving into the ground floor of the Millennium at Metropolitan Park apartment building (above), across from the Costco on S. Fern Street in Pentagon City. The move was originally scheduled for late April, but we’re now told it will likely take place in May.


Around Town

Over the winter, crews narrowed the portion of Joyce Street from 15th Street to 16th Street. A sidewalk was added to the side of the road facing Virginia Highlands Park, and the width of the street was reduced from 40 feet to about 35 feet.

The changes were intended as traffic calming measures. Narrower streets, the county says, encourage drivers to slow down.


Traffic

VDOT is planning to widen the ramp from the HOV lanes of I-395 to Eads Street in Pentagon City.

The project would add an extra turn lane to the ramp, which often gets backed up during the morning rush hour. The ramp serves commuters heading to both Pentagon City and to the Pentagon itself. The left turn necessary to head to the Pentagon parking lots is a bit tricky, leading to some of the backups.


News

A-SPAN Holds Holiday Gala — The Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network held its 5th annual Help the Homeless Holiday Gala last night at Artisphere in Rosslyn. Party-goers were treated to food from Lebanese Taverna, Santa Fe Cafe and Sushi Rock, music from BMT and a performance by BalletNova. An auction held to benefit A-SPAN proved that deep down, there is something people care about more than politics in Washington. Tickets to a Capitals / Tampa Bay Lightning game fetched a higher price than a private lunch for four with Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va).

VSP Busy During Snowstorm — Virginia State Police responded to a total of 555 calls for service during yesterday’s snowstorm. Of those calls, 109 were for crashes and 135 were for disabled vehicles.


News

Airport Body Scanner Company Is Based in Crystal City — One of the companies behind the controversial “naked” body scan machines in U.S. airports is located right here in Arlington. Recently, writer Annie Lowrey visited the company’s Crystal City offices to see how they were handling the controversy. More from Slate.

AT&T Rolls Out Pentagon City Store — AT&T’s new wireless store in the Pentagon City mall opened its doors yesterday, just in time for the holiday shopping rush. The store features “a state-of-the-art, hands-on design to engage customers and provide a ‘try before buy’ service experience,” according to a press release.


News

Changes could be coming to Army Navy Drive that will make the intersection-laden and car-clogged stretch of road a lot friendlier to bicyclists.

This weekend, the county board is expected to accept $210,000 in federal grant money to help plan a bike route on the busy Pentagon City thoroughfare. The funds will also help plan a bike route on South Joyce Street that will connect Army Navy Drive, Columbia Pike and an existing pedestrian path.


News

This crash near Pentagon City mall, at the intersection of Hayes and 15th Streets, is just one of numerous accidents around Arlington County today.

While most of the accidents were minor, they serve as a reminder of how much more careful drivers should be on rainy days, especially when you add fallen leaves into the equation.


News

A 19-year-old who was driving without a license allegedly tried to flee after being pulled over by police, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report. The teen eventually crashed into a guardrail on I-395.

ATTEMPT MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST 11/02/10, 1900 block of S. Pollard Street. On November 1, an officer pulled over a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle drove away abruptly and almost struck the officer. The vehicle then crashed into a guardrail. William D. Jones, 19, of Alexandria was charged with Attempt Malicious Wounding, Disregarding a Police Order, Driving While Suspended, and Hit and Run. He was held without bond.


News

Police say Manassas resident Gene C. McKinney, 59, had picked up commuters from a slug line and was driving north toward Washington when the commuters demanded to be let out of the car because, they claimed, McKinney was driving fast and erratically.

After McKinney let them out on the 1100 block of South Eads Street, one man took out a camera and tried to snap a photo of McKinney’s license plate. That’s when McKinney hit the gas and struck the man with his car, according to police. He was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding.


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