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

Capital One Center will offer preview of mini golf, food trucks next month

By Angela Woolsey
Work continues on the Perch Putt mini golf course and food trucks (courtesy Capital One Center)

Perch Putt is on its way.

The public will get its first look at the 18-hole mini golf course and food trucks being set up at Capital One Center’s The Perch skypark (1805 Capital One Drive) in Tysons on May 21 and 22 as part of a weekend-long “Perchfest Spring Edition” celebration.

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Countywide

Here’s the new plan to redevelop the Commons of McLean apartments

By Angela Woolsey
Developer LCOR has proposed a more mixed-use neighborhood, McLean Crossing, to replace the Commons of McLean (via Fairfax County)

The Commons of McLean’s days are numbered.

As anticipated, developer LCOR has filed a new plan with Fairfax County for the Tysons East apartment complex that provides fewer housing units in favor of more commercial space, including potential senior living, office and hotel facilities.

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Countywide

Masks still encouraged on Fairfax Connector amid rising Covid cases in community

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax Connector buses in Reston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Fairfax Connector has not formally rescinded its requirement that all passengers wear face masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

However, a court ruling that struck down federal mandates last week means that the public bus service can no longer enforce its policy, which relied on a now-halted directive from the Transportation Security Administration.

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Around Town

‘Dirty soda’ shop coming to Vienna in May, bringing sweet refreshments

By Angela Woolsey
Vienna's new Coco's Sodas + Sweets will serve soft drinks flavored with syrup, fruit, and other add-ins (courtesy Coco's Sodas + Sweets)

During a recent sojourn to Utah, Ben and Heather Cichelli concocted a drink that changed their lives.

Now, the couple is bringing that drink — a blend of Diet Coke, coconut syrup, and fresh lime dubbed The Coco — and many others to the Town of Vienna, where they will open a new soda shop, Coco’s Sodas + Sweets.

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News

A $650K tennis court renovation at Lewinsville Park could include permanent pickleball courts

By Angela Woolsey
The Lewinsville Park tennis courts are in need of repair (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking $650,000 to renovate the aging tennis courts at Lewinsville Park in McLean.

The proposed project will restore the surfacing and fencing at all six existing courts at the park, and one of the courts will be converted into four dedicated pickleball courts.

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Countywide

Victim in Herndon shooting recovers, as police investigation continues

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax County police car (file photo)

A shooting in Herndon earlier this month remains under investigation, the Fairfax County Police Department says.

Several community members reported hearing gunshots around 5:31 a.m. on April 16, drawing police to the 2100 block of Astoria Circle, just outside the Town of Herndon’s limits. Upon arriving, officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds.

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Countywide

Robot helpers planned for upcoming senior living high-rise in Tysons

By Angela Woolsey
Mather Director of Culinary Operations Thad Parton with a food-running robot that the senior living facility operator is testing in Arizona (courtesy Mather)

When The Mather Tysons opens in 2024, the senior living facility might employ some workers of the artificial intelligence variety.

Rest assured, these robots won’t be capable of planning a HAL 9000-style takeover. Instead, they will perform simple, repetitive tasks, such as delivering food to tables and apartments and cleaning hallways.

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Countywide

Covid cases in Fairfax County rise to mid-February levels

By Angela Woolsey
Based on case and testing positivity numbers, Fairfax County is seeing "high" COVID-19 community transmission, as of April 25, 2022 (via CDC)

Officially, Fairfax County’s COVID-19 community level remains low, but when the county last saw this many cases, Fairfax County Public Schools was still fighting to keep masks in place.

The Fairfax Health District, which also includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, is now averaging 270 cases a day for the past week — the highest seven-day average since Feb. 13 (274 cases) — after adding more than 300 cases each on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (April 21-23).

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News

Ceiling exhaust fanned fire in West Falls Church house

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units respond to a basement fire in the 7000 block of Lee Park Court (via FCFRD/M. Clark)

Four people have been displaced after a ceiling exhaust fan started a fire at a house in the West Falls Church area, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported today (Monday).

With the assistance of firefighters from Arlington County, Fairfax County units were dispatched to the 7000 block of Lee Park Court around 1:28 p.m. on Thursday (April 21) for a fire in a one-story, single-family house.

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Countywide

Merrifield Starbucks becomes first in Fairfax County to unionize

By Angela Woolsey
Starbucks at 3046 Gatehouse Plaza in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Starbucks in Merrifield has unionized.

About a month after filing a petition for an election, workers at the cafe at 3046 Gate House Plaza voted 30-2 in support of forming a union on Friday (April 22), becoming the coffee company’s first store in Fairfax County to take that step.

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