Wheels to Africa, a group founded by Arlington teen Winston Duncan five years ago, will be collecting bikes Saturday to send to people in need in Africa.
Duncan, now 16, held his first collection drive in 2005 when he was just 11. It was a success far beyond his expectations, and soon local and national media outlets were profiling him and simple yet powerful idea of improving the mobility of needy Africans by sending them old bikes.
Arlington is One of Country’s Richest Counties — Well, here’s one way Arlington is a “green” county — its residents are loaded with cash. So says Newsweek, which ranks Arlington the #5 richest county in the nation. Seven of the top ten richest counties are in the DC area. More from DCist.
Charges Pending Against Driver in Davies Wreck — The young woman who was driving the car that crashed last October on the George Washington Parkway, killing one woman and severely injuring U.S. soccer star Charlie Davies, is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Investigators believe Maria Espinoza of Clarksville was intoxicated when her SUV careened across a grassy area near Memorial Bridge and struck a guardrail, nearly splitting it in half, according to the Washington Post.
Happy Veteran’s Day — A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 11:00 a.m. Most Arlington County government offices are closed today.
W-L High Teacher Heading to South Pole — An 11th-grade physics teacher at Washington-Lee is heading to the South Pole next month. Katey Shirey, 29, was invited to participate in a multi-million dollar Antarctic research project called Ice Cube. She’s only the fifth high school teacher to participate in the project. More from the Washington Post.
Arlington Woman Hits Lotto — An Arlington woman who won $1 million playing the Mega Millions game is expected to pick up her prize today. So far, the new millionaire’s identity is unknown. More from WTOP.
Arlington Schools to Get iPads — Arlington school officials are using a state grant to buy about 70 iPads. Meant to increase participation in a state “Beyond Textbooks” program, the grant will provide iPads to a fourth-grade social studies class at Drew Elementary and two world history classes at Washington-Lee High School. More from the Washington Examiner.
The nine-time gold medalist will meet W-L students and tell them about the volunteer program, which encourages students to build one-on-one friendships with intellectually and developmentally-disabled individuals.
Lewis’ appearance will take place in W-L’s auxiliary gym at 1:00 p.m.
Q: What’s round, inflated and costing an insurance company $150,000?
A: The soccer ball that hit a sprinkler in a Washington-Lee High School hallway and ruined the brand new gym.
From 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, the Friends and the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club will be holding a marathon session of planetarium shows, to be followed by a chance to look at real stars through NOVAC’s telescopes.
The stargazing will take place outside the planetarium (1426 North Quincy Street). The County will shut off the lights at the nearby Washington-Lee High School track so the dark sky will be visible.
Uze, who was competing as Miss Greater Richmond (local residency is not required to compete in regional pageants), will receive $17,000 in scholarship money and free rent for a year. She will compete for the Miss America crown next year.
Caressa Cameron, the 2009 Miss Arlington winner who went on to win Miss Virginia and then Miss America, was on hand for the pageant, which was held in Roanoke.
An unspecified threat at Washington-Lee High School has prompted officials to cancel all after-school activities at the high school, including adult education classes. The W-L aquatic center has also been closed.
Administrators learned of the threat this afternoon, school officials said in an email. Police investigated and determined that there was no imminent danger to students and staff.
