Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

UPDATED: Man charged with rape on W&OD Trail in Herndon

Published November 19, 2024 at 2:30PM | Updated November 19, 2024 at 4:05PM

Washington & Old Dominion Trail crossing at Grace Street in Herndon (via Google Maps)

Herndon police have arrested a man in connection with a reported sexual assault that occurred on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail yesterday (Monday).

Denis Humberto Navarette Romero, 31, has been charged with rape and abduction with the intent to defile after allegedly attacking a woman on the trail between Ferndale Avenue and Grace Street last night, the Herndon Police Department announced.

News

Former McLean and Great Falls volunteer fire chief remembered for 52 years of service

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 19, 2024 at 9:45AM

A memorial service for former volunteer fire chief Homer Johns, 93, was held at the Old Firehouse Center in McLean (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

If it’s possible to sum up a life with two words, then testimony from family, friends and former colleagues suggests “service” and “community” should be top contenders for describing the legacy of longtime Fairfax County volunteer fire chief Homer Johns.

Speakers repeatedly circled back to those concepts at a memorial service on Saturday (Nov. 16), as they paid tribute to the over five decades Johns spent with the McLean and Great Falls volunteer fire departments.

News

NEW: Rideshare driver charged with sexually assaulting passenger in Fair Lakes

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 18, 2024 at 5:00PM

Fairfax County police vehicle with blue lights on (file photo)

A Fairfax man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he was driving as a rideshare worker.

Officers were dispatched to the 12000 block of Strong Court in the Fair Ridge neighborhood at 11:47 p.m. on Aug. 10 after receiving a report of a sexual assault, the Fairfax County Police Department says.

News

FCPD: No speeding suspected in crash that killed toddler

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 18, 2024 at 3:45PM | Updated November 18, 2024 at 4:31PM

A memorial emerged on Trans World Avenue after a 3-year-old boy was killed by a truck driver (via WUSA9/YouTube)

Fairfax County police are continuing to investigate a crash that killed a 3-year-old boy in a Chantilly mobile home community this weekend.

Based on a preliminary review, however, Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives don’t believe speed or alcohol were factors in the Saturday (Nov. 16) incident, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release published today (Monday).

News

County to break ground on Tysons wastewater pump station

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 18, 2024 at 2:30PM | Updated November 18, 2024 at 3:10PM

A rendering of the new Tysons West pump station (courtesy Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services)

Construction is about to begin on a new wastewater pump station for Tysons West.

Fairfax County officials will break ground on the 25-million-gallon facility at 8608 Leesburg Pike with a celebratory ceremony at 3:30 p.m. this Wednesday (Nov. 20).

News

Republican challenges Del. Irene Shin for Herndon’s House seat

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 18, 2024 at 1:15PM

Republican 8th House District candidate Max Fisher at the Herndon Metro station (courtesy Friends of Max Fisher)

Next year’s battle for Virginia’s 8th House District will be a rematch.

Herndon resident Max Fisher announced on Friday (Nov. 15) that he will campaign again for the seat currently held by Del. Irene Shin, who previously defeated him in 2023. That year, Democrats won every General Assembly contest on the ballot in Fairfax County, ultimately taking back control of the House of Delegates.

Around Town

Sisters Thai’s flagship restaurant opens in Tysons with new dessert cafe

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 18, 2024 at 9:45AM | Updated November 18, 2024 at 1:58PM

Sisters Thai hosted an invite-only showcase for its new restaurant at Capital One Center in Tysons ahead of its public debut (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Sisters Thai is finally cooking in Tysons, almost three years after its expansion plans were announced.

The local chain known for its cozy, bespoke decor will launch its biggest restaurant yet tonight (Monday) at 7735 Capital One Tower Road in Capital One Center. Service will start at 5-9 p.m., with a limited menu available during the soft opening, founder Tammie Disayawathana says.

Countywide

VDOT testing app that shows real-time parking demand at commuter lots

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 15, 2024 at 2:30PM

The parking lot for the Virginia Railway Express Backlick Road station in Springfield (via Google Maps)

The Virginia Department of Transportation is experimenting with a mobile app that will enable commuters to find available parking spaces in real time at select lots.

The app ParkZen began collecting data at six parking lots, including three in Fairfax County, this month for an initial evaluation period slated to continue until January 2025, VDOT announced on Tuesday (Nov. 12).

News

Tysons group hopes to expand beautification efforts with VDOT’s help

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 15, 2024 at 11:15AM

The Tysons Community Alliance's beautification project for the Route 7 and Route 123 interchange is underway (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) is turning to the Virginia Department of Transportation for support in its effort to spruce up the area’s highway interchanges.

Building on an ongoing pilot project focused on the Route 7 and Route 123 interchange, the booster organization plans to apply for the state’s Comprehensive Roadside Management Program (CRMP), which lets sponsors landscape and maintain in areas within VDOT’s right-of-way.

News

Puppy stolen from pet store in Chantilly, police say

By Angela Woolsey

Published November 15, 2024 at 10:15AM

A 10-week-old maltipoo puppy was taken from the Chantilly pet store XO Pups (via XO Pups/Instagram)

Two men walked into a pet store in Chantilly last month and left with a puppy they didn’t pay for, police say.

The Fairfax County Police Department released photos pulled from security camera footage today (Friday) that show the reported larceny, which occurred on Oct. 16.