Morning Notes

Lego Discovery Center Breaks Ground — “It was an honor today to participate in the LEGO Discovery Center groundbreaking at Springfield Town Center This ultimate Lego playground will be the first in the Greater Washington area and is a fun and exciting addition to our community!” [Jeff McKay/Facebook]

FCPD Releases Video From In-Custody Death — “Fairfax County police have released body camera video after a man died in custody last month, and say the man behaved erratically before suffering from a medical emergency. On Nov. 11, Fairfax County police said they received calls about a man running in traffic on Amherst Avenue in Springfield.” [NBC4]

Residents See Plans for Bowman Towne Court Redevelopment — Reston Town Center Apartments residents will be relocated to temporary housing when construction on a new 350-unit affordable housing project begins, county staff said. When work is done, they would be offered one of the new units in the development, which could be colocated with a new Reston Regional Library. [Patch]

Deli Opens in Former Vienna Bakery — “Italian restaurant Pazzo Pomodoro opened a new delicatessen Monday two doors down from its Vienna location called Nozzo Pazzo…The space was formerly home to Cenan’s Bakery, a beloved bakery that closed in 2018 after 26 years in business.” [Patch]

Fairfax County Prosecutors Win Appeal — “The Virginia Court of Appeals ruled this week that hearsay evidence involving children who are otherwise not competent to testify can still be used, as long as it helps tie a case together.” The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office appealed the abuse case after the defense argued that the statements made by the victim, a 13-year-old girl with autism, shouldn’t be considered credible. [WTOP]

Vienna Coffee Shop Expanding to Alexandria — “Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee is coming to 631 King Street at the intersection with S. Washington Street. The site was previously Francesca’s until it closed in 2020. The shop first opened on Vienna’s Maple Avenue in 2021 and specializes in a pastry called lokma.” [ALXnow]

Local Uyghur Restaurants Keep Culture Alive — “Food is one of the most important parts of Uyghur culture, according to Faruk Dilshat, the owner of Mim’s Food in Fairfax…Dilshat grew up in Xinjiang’s city of Ghulja and moved to the D.C. area in 2000 at the age of 13. Some of his distant relatives still live in his home region, but he can barely talk to them for safety reasons.” [DCist]

Annandale Company Helps Seniors Find Assistance — “Naborforce, a company that matches seniors who need a hand with errands or household chores with someone who can help, just became available in Annandale last week. The program is similar to the village concept underway in some communities, such as Lake Barcroft, which recruits volunteers to help their older neighbors — except Naborforce is monetized and operates through an app, like Uber.” [Annandale Today]

Madison Warhawks Reach State Football Finals — “After defeating the Fairfax Lions, 31-21, Dec. 3 in a Virginia High School League Class 6D football semifinal, Madison High School’s football team on Dec. 10 will vie for the state crown as the Warkhawks face the Freedom-Woodbridge Eagles at Old Dominion University.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 49 and low of 38. Sunrise at 7:17 am and sunset at 4:48 pm. [Weather.gov]