veteran | ARLnow.com

Arlington Company Donates Time to Build Home for Injured Veteran

Published August 9, 2016 at 6:00AM

Homes for Our Troops (HFOT), a national non-profit organization dedicated to serving the nation’s most severely injured veterans, had selected local home builder, Arlington Construction Management as its Building Partner to coordinate the construction of a specially adapted home for Sergeant Marcus Dandrea in Haymarket, Virginia.

While serving his country in Afghanistan, Sergeant Marcus Dandrea sustained severe injuries including amputations of both legs above the knee. Sergeant Marcus Dandrea now lives in his new home in Haymarket, Virginia with his children. The specially adapted home will help this hero regain some of the freedom and independence he lost due to his injuries. The home will be provided mortgage-free, allowing him to focus on his recovery and rebuilding his life.

News

Local World War II Vet to Benefit from New Immigration Program

By Jackie Friedman

Published June 10, 2016 at 1:00PM

Rudy Panaglima delivers his speech

Arlington resident and 86-year-old World War II veteran Rudy Panaglima delivered a heartfelt speech on Capitol Hill Thursday morning, thanking lawmakers for a new immigration that allow Filipino veterans to be reunited with their families.

Panaglima was just 13 years old when he joined a Philippine guerrilla unit that secretly worked with the United States during World War II. Eventually, he became a member of the United States Army in the Philippines.

News

Arlington Reaches ‘Functional Zero’ for Veteran Homelessness in 2015

By Jennifer Currier

Published January 15, 2016 at 1:00PM

Officials report Arlington County has “achieved functional zero” one year after pledging to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.

“This is a tremendous milestone for our community,” County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in a statement. “Committing to end veteran homelessness in 2015 and chronic homelessness in 2016 was a lot to bite off. But if any community could do it, we were confident it would be us. We had the will, the resources and the people to make it happen.”

Around Town

Injured Veteran Cycling From San Diego to Arlington

By Mariah Joyce

Published July 29, 2015 at 9:30AM

On June 1, Gaal set off from San Diego on his “Ride Across America,” an almost 4,000 mile trek which he will complete entirely on a hand-cycle.

Gaal embarked on the journey to raise money and awareness for the Semper Fi Fund, the charity that helped him recover after he was severely injured in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2011. Following the explosion, Gaal was comatose for two months and lost both legs and part of his hip.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 19, 2015 at 9:15AM

Janitors to Rally with Candidates in Ballston — About 150 part-time janitors will rally in Ballston this afternoon for a new union contract. The rally is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in front of the National Science Foundation at 4201 Wilson Blvd. Democratic County Board candidates Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey are expected to attend the rally to lend their support, according to a press release from the 32BJ SEIU union.

Arlington Man Killed in D.C. Pedestrian Crash — An Arlington man, 31-year-old George Mina, has died several days after being struck by a car on Wisconsin Avenue NW in D.C. Mina, a pediatric phlebotomist, was struck by the driver of a Jaguar while crossing Wisconsin at Veazy Street NW on June 10. A rally for pedestrian safety was held in the area last night, with advocates calling for D.C. to implement pedestrian safety measures currently in use in Arlington. [NBC Washington]

Events

Poker Run and Concert in Arlington This Weekend to Benefit Veterans in Need

By Tim Regan

Published May 22, 2015 at 1:45PM

The Hope for our Veterans benefit starts 7 a.m. at the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. There, a group of veterans will do 22 pushups to signify the fact that, statistically, 22 veterans commit suicide each day.

The poker run portion of the charity event starts at 10 a.m. at the Iwo Jima memorial. During the poker run, teams drive or ride to five locations across Northern Virginia to draw one poker card.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 22, 2013 at 8:45AM

Arlington House Rededicated — Arlington House, the family home of Robert E. Lee and an iconic symbol of Arlington County, has been rededicated by the National Park Service following a six year restoration effort. The ceremony was held on Saturday, on the 152nd anniversary of Lee’s decision to lead the rebellion in the Civil War. [Sun Gazette]

County’s Bond Ratings Reaffirmed — Arlington County has had its top Aaa/AAA debt ratings reaffirmed by rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. The ratings will allow Arlington to borrow money at a lower interest rate. “The Aaa rating reflects the county’s strong long-term credit characteristics including a sizeable and affluent tax base, stable and carefully-managed financial operations with sound reserves, and moderate debt position with manageable future borrowing needs,” Moody’s wrote of Arlington. [Arlington County]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 13, 2012 at 9:05AM

Veterans Day Ceremony in Clarendon — Local VFW and American Legion posts jointly organized a Veterans Day ceremony at the Clarendon War Memorial on Sunday. At the annual remembrance ceremony a wreath was laid for Lance Cpl. Niall Coti-Sears, who was killed in Afghanistan this year. [MyFoxDC]

Reeves Farmhouse May Be Sold — The Arlington County Board is expected to decide whether to sell the historic Reeves farmhouse, at auction, for residential use. The county had been looking for ways to save the farmhouse for public use, but rejected a proposal to use it as a learning center, apparently due to the proposal not adequately providing for the high cost of needed repairs and renovations to the house. [WAMU]

Around Town

Arlington Closures, Ceremonies for Veterans Day

By ARLnow.com

Published November 8, 2012 at 10:55AM | Updated November 8, 2012 at 11:47AM

All Arlington County courts, libraries, public schools, and administrative offices will be closed on Monday, Nov. 12.

The county’s three indoor swimming pools will be open under holiday hours. Metro and ART will be operating under a holiday schedule. Trash and leaf collection will proceed as normal.

Around Town

Veteran Working to Launch Brewery in Arlington

By Katie Pyzyk

Published October 24, 2012 at 10:50AM

Paul Hurley is working to make CasaNova Brewing & Sound, LLC a reality, along with business partner Mike DiBella, who has worked with other start-ups such as Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church. Initially, the plan is to brew four signature beers — an IPA, a black IPA, a hefeweizen and a chocolate stout.

“Every endeavor we make will be our sincerest effort to represent the NoVa community through quality, innovation and art,” Hurley said. “CasaNoVa will source the freshest ingredients from local farmers and suppliers while supporting local businesses whenever possible.”

News

ACPD Helps Wounded Veterans Get Segways

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 16, 2012 at 6:10PM | Updated August 29, 2013 at 1:02PM

The charity Segs4Vets arranged to give the vehicles to the wounded warriors, many of whom are amputees. Some of the Segways are specially outfitted to accommodate individual disabilities, such as having a built-in seat for when the user becomes too tired to stand.

Jerry Kerr started the organization in September 2005. He had broken his neck in 1998 and was paralyzed from the neck down. Although he has some movement now, he was told he would never be able to walk again. That prompted him to devote time to investigating what technologies were available to allow him to become more mobile.

News

Obama Unveils Jobs Plan During Arlington Visit

By Katie Pyzyk

Published February 3, 2012 at 2:35PM

Around 11:30 a.m. the President arrived at the fire station via motorcade and took the stage to announce his new $1 billion initiative, which he highlighted during the State of the Union address last month. The program particularly targets veterans who have served since 9/11 — a group whose unemployment rate is currently hovering around 13 percent.

“Our veterans are some of the most highly trained, highly educated, highly skilled workers that we’ve got,” said the President. “These are Americans that every business should be competing to attract.”