William Polly, of Penrose, has been named World Sport Stacking Champion for the second year in a row. That’s according to The Wauneta Breeze, a local newspaper in the Nebraska town where Polly’s grandparents live.
Not only did Polly capture the coveted Individual All-Around honors at the tournament — with a combined time of 9.34 seconds in the 3-3-3, 3-6-3 and cycle sequences — but he’s also getting another TV appearance out of it.
Last time we checked in with William Polly, the 10-year-old Penrose resident had just set a new sport stacking world record and was showing off his skills on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
With temperatures climbing into the mid-to-upper 60s today and tomorrow, Arlingtonians are getting outside for some rare fun in the February sun.
We snapped these photos in Ballston, Clarendon and Pentagon City around lunchtime today.
A YouTube video of an amazing half-court buzzer beater in a key game between Washington-Lee and Wakefield is making the rounds today among local hoops fans.
County Expects Fewer Housing Dollars from Feds — Federal spending cuts and a reduction in poverty in Arlington have combined to result in a relatively steep drop in federal housing dollars for Arlington County. The county expects to receive $1.16 million in federal housing dollars in fiscal year 2013 — a nearly $400,000 drop compared to the prior year. [Sun Gazette]
‘Tebow Bill’ Advances in General Assembly — A bill that would allow home-schooled students in Virginia to play for public school sports teams has cleared a key legislative hurdle, reports the Associated Press. The bill’s nickname — the Tebow Bill — references NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who was home schooled but permitted to play on a public high school football team. [My Fox DC]
Defensemen Mike Green and Karl Alzner joined assistant coach Jim Johnson and mascot SlapShot at the school for “Capitals Hockey School.” The players answered questions from students in the school’s gymnasium before conducting a floor hockey clinic for 175 third through sixth graders.
“Alzner and Green instructed the students on basic hockey skills such as stick-handling, passing and shooting,” the Capitals noted in a press release. “The students were then called on to try out the skills in front of their peers.”
“She Got Game,” as the exhibit is being called, will hold its opening reception tomorrow night (Jan. 13) from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. It will feature “painted murals, larger-than-life-sized photos, videos, and installations depict[ing] women in professional tennis, bodybuilding, cheerleading, and even competitive eating.”
Among the male, female and transgendered artists whose works will be displayed are Holly Bass, Tara Mateik, Kristina Bilonick, Dewey Nicks, Sarada Conaway, Cory Oberndorfer, Jenny Drumgoole, Martin Schoeller, Nancy Floyd, Moira Lovell.
Russian tennis star Maria Kirilenko has been photographed working out with the George Washington University tennis team, presumably at the indoor Sport & Health Club courts in Crystal City. She has also been spotted at Capitals practices, presumably at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, according to the Gazette.
Ovechkin, who lives in a $1.6 million home in Arlington’s Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood, recently confirmed the relationship by Tweeting out a photo of the happy couple (left). Before that Tweet, however, the Gazette could only speculate as to why Kirilenko seemed to be spending so much time in our fair county.
Problems at PBS NewsHour — The PBS NewsHour is facing serious challenges. The hour-long news program, which is produced at the WETA facilities in Shirlington, has been shedding staff and viewers. A number of top news and business personnel have left recently, while viewership is down 11 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, a top sponsor is pulling out at the end of the year, leaving a $2 million hole in the NewsHour’s budget. [New York Times]
Elementary School Goes Solar — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Glebe Elementary School yesterday to mark the installation of a 1.1 kilowatt solar panel system. The solar panels will not only generate enough clean energy to power one classroom, but will also serve as an educational tool. Students, parents and teachers will be able to monitor the system’s electricity output using any web-enabled device or smartphone. [Arlington Public Schools]
Kapinos, 27, played for the Steelers last year after starting punter Daniel Sepulveda was injured. He finished the season with a loss in the Super Bowl. Kapinos was released from the team during the preseason to make room for Sepulveda on the roster. But Sepulveda re-injured his right leg during practice last week, and Kapinos was brought back to replace him.
Kapinos punted three times last night for an average of 33.3 yards per kick and a long of 41 yards. Kapinos’ last kick pinned the Ravens back at their own 8 yard line with only 2:34 left in the game. The Ravens, however, were able to drive down the field and score a game-winning touchdown with seconds to go on the clock.
We’re continuing to follow the Yorktown High School varsity football team’s undefeated season.
The Patriots are now 8-0, having defeated the Falls Church Jaguars 55-6 on Friday night. The blowout is just the latest triumph for the team, which is hoping to close out a perfect regular season after going on the road at Mount Vernon (Oct. 28) and hosting the cross-town rival Washington-Lee Generals (Nov. 4).
In his four years in the NFL, Kapinos has punted for four different teams. An All-American at Penn State, Kapinos was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted rookie in 2007 and has been an NFL nomad ever since. He played for the Green Bay Packers from 2008-2010, with the Indianapolis Colts for one game in 2010, and for the Pittsburgh Steelers from December 2010 through this summer, when he was released after the preseason. Now, Kapinos is cooling his heels in Arlington while waiting for an injury or poor play to put another punter out of commission.
Though Kapinos maintains a home base in Arlington, while he’s signed he will move into an apartment in whatever city he’s playing for. It’s an experience not unlike Kapinos’ childhood. Born an Army brat in West Point, N.Y., Kapinos moved from city to city before his family settled down in Springfield, Va. By the time Kapinos became an All-Met punter for West Springfield High School, he had already attended 8 or 9 different schools.
