Author: Angela Woolsey

Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.

Around Town

STEM school launches in Vienna with camps teaching kids how to code

By Angela Woolsey
The STEM school iCode opened a Vienna campus earlier in December (courtesy iCode)

A Texas-based technology education company has branched out into Vienna.

The school iCode launched its first Virginia franchise in the town earlier this month and is now hosting camps on game building, robotics and other tech skills for students out on break for the winter.

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News

Part of Hunter Mill Road bridge over Colvin Run set to open tomorrow

By Angela Woolsey
A rendering of the planned Hunter Mill Road bridge over Colvin Run with an inset photo of the existing bridge (via VDOT)

A portion of the new Hunter Mill Road bridge over Colvin Run near Vienna is expected to open for traffic this week.

Vehicles will shift onto one lane of the new bridge between Crowell Road (Route 675) and Cobble Mill Road starting around 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday), the Virginia Department of Transportation announced yesterday.

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Around Town

Coffee shop from fashion brand Ralph Lauren opens at Tysons Galleria

By Angela Woolsey
Ralph Lauren has opened the shop Ralph's Coffee next to its store in Tysons Galleria (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Holiday shoppers have flocked over the past week to a new coffee shop in Tysons Galleria from an unexpected source.

Ralph Lauren, the fashion company known for its polo shirts, opened Ralph’s Coffee on Dec. 19, just in time to take advantage of the final Christmas shopping rush.

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Around Town

Annual New Year’s Day photo contest returns to Fairfax County trails

By Angela Woolsey
People walk on a trail at Scott's Run Nature Preserve on a warm fall day (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County’s trails are ready for their close-up.

With 2023 right around the corner, the Fairfax County Park Authority and Fairfax County Park Foundation are once again inviting community members to take a hike and submit their best snapshots for potential prizes.

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Countywide

FCPD tells officers to watch out for ‘swatting,’ as Virginia considers bill making it a crime

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax County police cruiser with lights on (via FCPD/Facebook)

The Fairfax County Police Department has revised how its officers respond to “swatting” after seeing a noticeable uptick in such incidents in recent years.

“Swatting” is a form of harassment involving false 911 calls that are intended to draw a heavy law enforcement response, such as a SWAT team, putting the target in a potentially life-threatening situation.

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News

Route 7 Bus Rapid Transit study now fully funded, thanks to Congress

By Angela Woolsey
The Route 7 bus rapid transit service from Tysons to Alexandria (via NVTC/Twitter)

(Updated at 4:25 p.m. on 1/3/2023) An ongoing study of the possibility of having bus rapid transit (BRT) service from Tysons to Alexandria can now proceed confident that the planning will be seen through to completion.

The $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that Congress approved on Friday (Dec. 23), just in time to avert a potential government shutdown, included $2 million to complete all planning and environmental studies needed for the project, known as Envision Route 7.

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News

FCPS still looking at options to relieve Kent Gardens Elementary crowding

By Angela Woolsey
Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean (via Google Maps)

Efforts to alleviate crowding issues at Kent Gardens Elementary School are starting to pick up steam, but Fairfax County Public Schools is still working to identify and pursue specific solutions.

With 1,023 students, the McLean school is at 121% of its building capacity, per a proposed capital improvement program (CIP) for fiscal years 2024-2028. That makes it one of the most crowded schools in FCPS, second only to Wakefield Forest Elementary School and tied with Centreville High School.

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News

Air rifle shots fired at car enthusiasts, police in Bailey’s Crossroads

By Angela Woolsey
Police sirens can be seen outside the DSW Warehouse in Bailey's Crossroads after air rifle shots were fired (via Capital Mischief/Instagram)

A meet-up of car enthusiasts in Bailey’s Crossroads took a harrowing turn last night when air rifle shots were reportedly fired into the crowd.

The Fairfax County Police Department had officers at a shopping center parking lot in the 5500 block of Leesburg Pike, where a “Taco Tuesday” car meet organized by the group Capital Mischief was taking place.

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News

NEW: Residential redevelopment takes aim at Moby Dick and office building in McLean

By Angela Woolsey
McLean Medical Center at 6858 Old Dominion Drive (via Google Maps)

Moby Dick’s time in McLean may be running out.

The kabob house and two nearby office buildings, including one that’s currently home to the McLean Medical Center, are being eyed for redevelopment, continuing a trend of commercial sites turning into housing.

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Around Town

McLean ride-share startup seeks to challenge Uber and Lyft by putting drivers in control

By Angela Woolsey
The McLean-based ride-sharing startup Empower pitches itself as a more driver-friendly alternative to Uber and Lyft (courtesy Empower)

Empower founder and CEO Joshua Sear is the kind of ride-share passenger who likes to talk to his drivers.

It was through those casual conversations that he came up with an idea in 2018 for an app that would offer a viable alternative to the country’s top ride-hailing services — Uber and Lyft — by letting drivers keep all the money they make in exchange for a subscription fee.

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