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On construction-clogged Columbia Pike, it can be pretty annoying when one person holds up a line of traffic thanks to their infernal desire to make a turn. But you eventually realize that it’s not their fault traffic is down to one lane and there’s no turn lane in which to maneuver. So you wait.

Some jerk may blow their horn out of frustration. But it takes a special breed of really big jerk to get out of one’s vehicle, walk up to said turning driver, and show her — you know, just FYI — that you own a handgun.


News

The protesters, many of whom were affiliated with the Laborers International Union of North America and Alexandria-based Tenants and Workers United, were noisy but peaceful. Their hour-long protest was watched closely by a dozen Arlington County police officers.

The demonstrators were protesting two recent actions that they say amounts to a “war and persecution of Virginia’s immigrants.” Last week, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell barred the Department of Motor Vehicles from accepting “employment authorization documents,” commonly used by immigrants, as proof of legal residency. Then this week, the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency revealed a change in policy that will put illegal immigrants charged with DUI on the fast track to deportation.


Around Town

Brooks Visits Pacers — Shoemaker Brooks visited the Pacers Running Store in Clarendon yesterday. The company brought along prizes and a double-decker bus.

Arlington PD Officially Announces Project Lifesaver Program — As we first reported in June, Arlington will be joining the Project Lifesaver program, which provides electronic tracking devices to help locate individuals who tend to wander due to cognitive problems. The department made the official announcement in a press release last night. Families interested in enrolling their loved ones into the service should call 877-434-6384.


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Occasionally, victims fight back and give the bad guys what was coming to ’em. Such was the case early Sunday morning when a man approached two women who were walking home in the Buckingham neighborhood.

Police say the man lifted one woman’s skirt and touched her inappropriately. Then, the woman punched him, and two men chased him off.


News

Early this morning, police responded to the small shopping center at the corner of Columbia Pike and Glebe Road for a report of men throwing rocks through the front windows of several stores. One of the two stores targeted was Mom’s Pizza Restaurant. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

MISSILE INTO AN OCCUPIED DWELLING (SERIES) 09/01/10, 3200 block of Columbia Pike. On September 1 at 1:45 am, two subjects threw rocks into two occupied businesses, and two unoccupied businesses. Guillermo Rodriguez, 29, of Washington D.C., was charged with Drunk in Public. He was held until sober. Harris Rivera, 30, of Washington D.C., was charged with two counts of Throwing a Missile into an Occupied Dwelling and three counts of Destruction of Property. He was held without bond.


Around Town

Less than two weeks ago we warned you about the misleading parking meters in front of 1400 North Uhle Street, which seemed to suggest that you could park there on Saturday mornings. Which you can — until 5:00 a.m., when your car gets towed and you get fined (the result of parking restrictions for the Courthouse farmer’s market).

In any event, it seems that someone was listening. The meters have new stickers on them that indicate that parking is enforced Monday through Friday. The new stickers originally said there’s free parking on Saturday and Sunday, but the “SAT.” is crossed off.


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We’re hearing that police are investigating an attempted sex assault that occurred just before 1:00 last night in the Williamsburg neighborhood of north Arlington.

According to initial reports, a man in his late teens or early 20s dropped his pants and then grabbed the victim, a 17-year-old girl.


Around Town

Today’s complaint of the day isn’t so much a complaint so much as an amusing call to police.

Apparently, a neighbor called police after hearing noises coming from an apartment. The apartment in question belongs to a woman who’s diabetic, and the neighbor thought she might be having some sort of diabetic emergency. The caller said it sounded like the woman was yelling “yes, yes, yes.”


News

This week’s Arlington County Crime Report contains a five creepy incidents that all occurred in north Arlington. Four incidents happened at night, but one happened yesterday in Ballston during the day. In the first incident, at least the suspect had the good sense to apologize.

SEXUAL BATTERY 08/22/10, 700 block of N. Wayne Street. On August 22 at 2:15 am, an unknown man approached a woman from behind and put his hand up her skirt. The victim confronted the suspect and he apologized and left the area. The suspect is described as an African American male in his late 20’s, 5’7″, wearing a black tank top and dark basketball shorts.


Around Town

The reason for the towing may not be a surprise to patrons of Saturday morning’s Courthouse farmers market. But it is a surprise to many people who park in the far southwest corner of the large county parking lot Friday night, not looking for the special farmers market parking notice on either side of the seven otherwise unremarkable metered spaces.

Nothing on the meters indicates that marking is restricted on Saturday. In fact, the meter indicates that parking is enforced from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, when it is in fact reserved for the farmers market from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.


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