Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 14291 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — May 31, 2023.

1. ‘Nation’s only fast casual chicken salad restaurant’ to open Arlington location
2. Florida man tries to bring handgun into DCA as banner year for confiscations continues
3. Morning Notes
4. Metro stations to close for Orange Line rail replacement work

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

• 7:00 pm: Summer Entertaining – Paint Your Own Pottery Art Night at Art House 7

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny through mid morning, then becoming mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. Northeast wind around 7 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. East wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
– Wayne Gretzky

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

ARLnow has been providing independent, in-depth coverage of Arlington since 2010.

We are committed to keeping readers informed about the issues that matter most to the community, including those that help to keep local officials and organizations accountable. Sunlight really is the best disinfectant.

Among the ARLnow stories that have had a real impact on the community, we were the first to report extensively on the problems at the Serrano Apartments, which — as recounted in a commission report — led the county to take action.

We also reported on the deaths of seven inmates over seven years at the Arlington County jail, which led to an outcry, calls for reform, and changes in protocols.

Our reporting helped to bring public attention to the series of deaths, according to a candidate for Arlington County Sheriff, in an interview with Patch.

We want to do more reporting like this but need your help.

The cyclical nature of the advertising business, and its susceptibility to economic downturns, means that we need to be cautious when it comes to adding more reporting positions.

But the steady support of ARLnow Press Club members helps us to weather the vicissitudes of the ad market. With more members, we can add to our reporting resources and cover even more important local stories.

Join the Press Club today, help keep our community informed, and you’ll also get the following exclusive benefits.

• A weekday morning email that brings you news summaries and a look at the news of the day before it’s published
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A sincere thank you for your support, Arlington, including to our 250+ existing Press Club members.

Sincerely,

The ARLnow Team

The “nation’s only fast casual chicken salad restaurant” is coming to Arlington.

Atlanta-based Chicken Salad Chick is set to open a location in Arlington next spring, a spokesperson tells ARLnow. So far there’s no word on exactly where in the county it would be opening.

“At this moment we don’t have an exact location available to announce,” the spokesperson wrote. “However, a new Chicken Salad Chick is coming to Arling[ton] in spring 2024.”

And that isn’t the only Chicken Salad Chick set to debut locally in the coming years. The chain is bringing eight restaurants in total over the next half-decade to both Arlington and Fairfax Counties, according to a press release.

Then, the plan is to open even more locations further north in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

The chicken salad franchise’s menu consists of a dozen different flavors of chicken salad that be scooped or made into a sandwich, plus a variety of soups and pimento cheese dips.

Chicken Salad Chick first began in 2008 in Auburn, Alabama after founder Stacy Brown was warned by the local health department to stop selling chicken salad out of her house. She opened her first restaurant shortly after. In the 15 years since the company has significantly expanded to include more than 200 restaurants across 17 states.

The closest current location of Chicken Salad Chick is in Glen Allen, Virginia, just north of Richmond.

The franchisees behind the new D.C. area restaurants have local and family ties.

“Behind the development agreement is Devon Chamberlin, her father, Patrick Cavanaugh, and her father-in-law, Barry Chamberlin. All have close ties to the community, born and raised across Arlington and Fairfax Counties,” said the press release. “Patrick and Barry’s relationship dates back well over 20 years when they met through mutual friends. Over the years, their families have spent a lot of time together. Barry’s son, Milton, and Devon began dating a few years ago, which has culminated in their recent wedding on November 5, 2022.”

Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 19674 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — May 30, 2023.

1. BREAKING: W-L senior and standout soccer player killed in Fairfax County double homicide
2. Morning Notes
3. Peter Chang set to open new restaurant in Crystal City
4. JUST IN: Police union endorses challenger for Commonwealth’s Attorney

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

• 12:00 pm: Columbia Pike Lunch Club Series
• 6:00 pm: Outdoor Yoga with Mind the Mat
• 6:00 pm: Community Yoga

☀️ Wednesday’s forecast

Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Northeast wind around 6 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. East wind 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
– Charles R. Swindoll

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Famed chef Peter Chang’s newest restaurant NiHao remains “on track” to open late this year or early next in Crystal City.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the 2022 James Beard Award finalist was planning on opening a second Arlington restaurant along Crystal Drive, right alongside Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and close to Amazon’s soon-to-open HQ2.

That remains the case with the restaurant hoping for a debut in the coming months, co-owner and Peter’s daughter Lydia Chang told ARLnow.

“We’re still on track to open NiHao Crystal City. Our team is working on obtaining the building permit. Will share more about the concept when we’re ready,” she wrote in an email.

The initial plan was for NiHao to be a bit different from the chef’s other local Arlington location, in the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center. It would focus on a modern approach to Szechuan cuisine while providing an “introduction” to authentic Chinese food, Chang told DCist in February, much like the Baltimore location with the same name.

However, Chang’s recent comments to ARLnow also make it seem like the concept could be tweaked by the time it opens late this year or early next.

Peter Chang first began to amass an American following in the late 2000s. For much of his career up to that point, he was one of the most well-known chefs in China. In 2001, he moved to the United States with his family to work as the head chef for the Chinese ambassador. Two years later, he secretly fled the embassy with his wife (a pastry chef as well) and his young daughter.

He took jobs cooking at modest-looking Northern Virginia restaurants in an effort to keep a low profile, but soon his fame and delicious cooking made him a mysterious sensation. Chang eventually opened his first restaurant in Charlottesville, and it quickly became a hit. He opened others, including his first local location in 2015 in the busy strip mall on N. Harrison Street in Arlington.

Peter Chang Arlington remains popular today, along with the other acclaimed restaurants he’s opened over the last decade.

NiHao Arlington will be restaurant 15 when it starts serving in the months ahead. And there are more restaurant openings ahead. Plans are already in the works for other Chang eateries in McLean and Herndon.

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 8149 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — May 26, 2023.

1. UPDATED: Man with rifle stolen from police car arrested at Pentagon City mall
2. Police: Man with guns arrested after trying to evade fare at Metro station
3. Morning Notes

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

1. Arlington ranks as 10th priciest rental market in U.S. (8033 views)
2. Demolition comes for the Americana Hotel in Crystal City (6609 views)
3. NEW: Driver charged with DUI manslaughter after woman struck and killed (6329 views)
4. ACPD: Twenty-five vehicles damaged during recent theft sprees (5944 views)
5. Redevelopment plans for Columbia Pike strip mall stall after grocery tenant pulls out (5601 views)
6. Police: Armed, drunk men arrested in Clarendon and Ballston over weekend (4562 views)
7. Goodwill and AHC propose new affordable housing, new store and child care (4321 views)
8. Arlington resident to compete on Jeopardy! this week (4298 views)
9. UPDATED: Man with rifle stolen from police car arrested at Pentagon City mall (4385 views)
10. Rolling Thunder will rumble back into Arlington this weekend (3611 views)
11. Arlington man arrested after attacking employees at hospital (3062 views)
12. Joe’s had its place, but A Modo Mio is the way forward (2781 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

• 2:00 pm: Artist Talk: Adam Henry
• 👉 7:30 pm: Marvelous European Masters – National Chamber Ensemble
• 7:30 pm: Marvelous European Masters – National Chamber Ensemble

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

• 6:00 pm: Watch the Garage Racing National Championships with the National Landing BID!

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. At night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”
– Helen Keller

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋

It’s Memorial Day weekend in Arlington.

The flags are in at Arlington National Cemetery, ‘Rolling to Remember’ participants are rolling up to local hotels, and the 35% of locals who say they’re traveling for the weekend have been keeping National Airport busy.

ARLnow staff photographer Jay Westcott has been out and about over the past day or so, documenting some of the scenes around the county. Providing an assist is Army photographer Elizabeth Fraser, whose photos of the “Flags In” event were published online by Arlington National Cemetery.

This was the 75th annual Flags In at the cemetery. More, below, from the U.S. Dept. of Defense.

An honored tradition.

Soldiers assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” and other service members placed American flags at headstones at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., in advance of Memorial Day.

This was the 75th anniversary of “Flags In,” during which service members adorn gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery to honor the nation’s fallen heroes.

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 9228 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — May 25, 2023.

1. Arlington ranks as 10th priciest rental market in U.S.
2. Morning Notes
3. Arlington man arrested after attacking employees at hospital
4. Turkeys are trotting triumphantly around town thanks to return of wildlife habitat, says local biologist

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

• 9:00 am: Tune Up at the Parklets
• 5:00 pm: Free Sierra Nevada Beer Tasting at The Brew Shop

☀️ Friday’s forecast

Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
– Helen Keller

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

This past week saw 47 homes sold in Arlington.

The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $199,900 while the most expensive was $2,527,343.

Over the past month, meanwhile, a total of 88 single-family homes were sold. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive homes sold over the past month.

Most expensive homes sold

1. 3401 N Peary Street — $3,250,000 (6 Beds | Baths | 7,084 SQ FT)
2. 5608 33rd Street N — $2,800,000 (7 Beds | 7.5 Baths | 7,470 SQ FT)
3. 1629 N Stafford Street — $2,527,343 (6 Beds | 6 Baths | 5,000 SQ FT)
4. 5040 36th Street N — $2,525,000 (5 Beds | 5.5 Baths | 7,429 SQ FT)
5. 2527 N Vermont Street — $2,475,000 (5 Beds | 4.5 Baths | 4,936 SQ FT)

Least expensive homes sold

1. 3133 S Glebe Road — $550,000 (2 Beds | 2 Baths | 1,026 SQ FT)
2. 3126 17th Street S — $650,000 (1 Bed | 1 Bath | 690 SQ FT)
3. 5887 2nd Street S — $658,500 (3 Beds | 1 Bath | 1,226 SQ FT)

After essentially going extinct regionally in the early 1990s, wild turkeys are gobbling up the local limelight again.

Due to habitat loss and excessive hunting, turkeys were extirpated, or made regionally extinct, in Virginia by the early 1900s, explains local biologist Merri Collins.

In the mid-1990s, scientists began importing one species, Eastern Wild Turkeys, from other parts of the U.S. to restart the population in the D.C. area. After three decades, the population has returned, not just in Virginia, but across several eastern states and regions — notably in Boston and Staten Island — leading some wildlife experts to call this “one of the largest conservation success stories in American history.”

“Now there are enough turkeys that they are starting to move into urban and suburban areas with suitable woodland and meadow habitats,” says Collins, a Penrose resident earning her doctorate degree at the University of Maryland Urban Nature Lab.

Based on social media posts, Arlingtonians seem to be seeing more turkey around. One was spotted in Penrose within the last week, while others were seen north of Ballston — near the renovated wetland area — to the East Falls Church area in the last two months. A few years back, a turkey was rescued from a Rosslyn construction site.

“Seeing animals around again that were once absent from the landscape means we are doing something right,” she said. “Our green spaces, like parks, are plentiful enough and have healthy enough habitat to support more wildlife diversity.”

Collins uses trail cameras to study turkeys and says anyone who uses these cameras can see large flocks as well as baby turkeys, called poults, and observe their “pretty cool” behaviors.

Not everyone is pleased, however.

“Wild turkeys are a scourge,” wrote one Arlingtonian on Nextdoor. “Do not feed or encourage them. Call the county and see if we can stop them proliferating.”

Other commenters jokingly saw these thoroughly urbanized birds as a potential dinner.

Novelty or nuisance, today, the turkey population in Virginia today numbers 180,000, according to a fact sheet from the Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources, which regulates bi-annual hunting seasons for the bird.

“Turkeys in cities sometimes get a bad rep, but also can provide people with some serious laughs,” Collins said, suggesting people to Google “turkeys in cities for some light-hearted reading.”

One turkey, for instance, got a reputation by allegedly attacking a few trail users in Prince George’s County, Maryland. There are other stories of the birds attacking people in Michigan, creating havoc in New Hampshire and, no joke, knocking on doors for food in New York.

To avoid confrontations like that, Collins says, give turkeys the space to “be turkeys.”

“Like with all wildlife, do not chase, approach, or try to touch turkeys,” she said. “If you want to take photos, great! Do it from a distance.”

They do provide some benefits to people, too, because they eat pesky insects and spread the seeds of native plants.

While she has a soft spot for turkeys, Collins notes that D.C. and its surrounding suburbs are home to other interesting animals, including red foxes, coyotes, mink, river otters, owls, hawks, several species of turtles and lizards.

“You may not see them, as many species tend to move around at night, but they are here,” she said.

“You can make your own property friendly to wildlife by planting native plants,” Collins added. “There are a ton of online resources to help people do this and have wildlife friendly yards in cities.”

Vernon Miles contributed a pun to this report

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 8436 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — May 24, 2023.

1. Arlington drops in ‘ParkScore’ rankings
2. Morning Notes
3. Rolling Thunder will rumble back into Arlington this weekend

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

• 6:30 pm: University of Tsukuba Information Session
• 8:00 pm: Arlington Live Band Karaoke Contest at B Live

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
– Socrates

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.