Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Published March 9, 2022 at 9:00AM

Lake Braddock Secondary School (via Google Maps)

An anonymous Instagram account that attacked LGBTQ students at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke has been shut down and the perpetrator identified, Principal Daniel W. Smith said in a message to the school community yesterday (Tuesday).

The now-deleted account surfaced Monday afternoon (March 7) with photos of students identified as members of the LGBTQ community and demeaning captions, screenshots show.

Countywide

Morning Notes

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 9, 2022 at 7:30AM | Updated December 9, 2022 at 1:54PM

Train near Tysons Corner Center food court (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Google to Buy Reston Company for Billions — “Reston, Virginia-based cybersecurity company Mandiant will be acquired by Google for $5.4 billion. Mandiant, founded in 2004, has about 2,300 employees, including more than 600 consultants and more than 300 intelligence analysts responding to thousands of security breaches a year.” [WTOP]

Court Hears School Masking Lawsuit — Attorneys for parents of immunocompromised children and Virginia made arguments on Monday (March 7) for and against letting schools mandate masks in some situations to accomodate students with disabilities. The Fairfax County School Board filed a brief in support of the parents, calling the state’s optional mask law unconstitutional. [Inside NoVA]

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Volunteers complete 4-year project to improve trail at Turkey Run Park

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 8, 2022 at 1:30PM

A trail segment at Turkey Run Park before and after volunteers built a new wooden staircase (courtesy National Park Service)

Hikers at Turkey Run Park now have safer access to trails alongside the Potomac River, thanks to the hard work of more than 100 volunteers.

The National Park Service and the nonprofit Potomac Appalachian Trail Club officially reopened a half-mile section of trail in the McLean park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday (March 5), the NPS announced.

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Morning Notes

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 8, 2022 at 7:30AM

Deer by Vienna's Wildwood Park trail in winter (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Statewide Tornado Drill Today — As part of its annual Severe Weather Awareness Week, Virginia will hold a statewide tornado drill at 9:45 a.m. today (Tuesday). The signal will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System, but there won’t be an actual tornado warning, which would mean that a twister is imminent or already underway. [Herndon Police/Twitter]

“Coastal” Tex-Mex Restaurant Planned for Tysons — “Long Shot Hospitality, which operates seafood-centric Salt Line and New Orleans hotspot Dauphine’s, is gearing up for a new project. Chef Kyle Bailey and partners will open an 11,000-square-foot Tex-Mex restaurant at the new Capital One Center in Tysons, Virginia, next year.” [Washingtonian]

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Furniture stores Crate & Barrel, CB2 to open at Tysons Galleria next week

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 7, 2022 at 2:15PM

Crate and Barrel will be in Tysons Galleria's redeveloped Macy's space (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Anyone in the market for some home decor might want to stop by Tysons Galleria next week.

The furniture company Crate & Barrel and its sister brand CB2 will open adjacent stores in the mall on March 17, a spokesperson confirmed to FFXnow.

Countywide

Fairfax County sees uptick in Covid hospitalizations, but cases stay low

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 7, 2022 at 1:30PM | Updated March 7, 2022 at 3:21PM

Fairfax County COVID-19 hospitalizations in the past 90 days, as of March 7, 2022 (via VDH)

(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) For the first time since November, Fairfax County has added fewer than 100 new COVID-19 cases on two consecutive days.

There were 51 new cases reported today (Monday) in the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. The 45 cases added yesterday represented the fewest daily cases since Nov. 16, when only eight new cases came in, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

News

Tysons technology company expands with $100K investment, new jobs

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 7, 2022 at 10:00AM

The technology company Easy Dynamics is expanding its headquarters at 2000 Corporate Ridge in Tysons (via Google Maps)

For the second time in as many weeks, a Tysons-based company has shared plans to expand its local operations.

The technology services provider Easy Dynamics Corporation will invest $100,000 in its Tysons office at 2000 Corporate Ridge, a move that will create 61 new jobs, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority announced today (Monday).

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Morning Notes

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 7, 2022 at 7:30AM

I-495 South under Route 7 overpass in Pimmit Hills (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Woman Dies in Crash on I-495 — Virginia State Police are investigating a fatal crash on I-495 near the Eisenhower Avenue Connector in the Rose Hill area. The crash occurred at 9:27 p.m. on Saturday (March 5) when a sedan hit a disabled vehicle, causing it to catch fire. The driver of the disabled vehicle died at the scene, while the sedan driver suffered minor injuries and was arrested on multiple charges, including driving under the influence. [Virginia State Police, InsideNova]

Trial for McLean Murder Suspect Begins — “Fairfax County police quickly announced that what unfolded inside the large, yellow home in McLean in 2017 appeared to be a tragic murder-suicide…But after a 16-month investigation, police offered a stunning turnabout: what initially appeared to be a murder-suicide was allegedly a double killing. They claimed the scene had been carefully staged by the real perpetrator.” [The Washington Post]

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JUST IN: FCPS seeks pause in TJ admissions changes, pending appeal

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 4, 2022 at 5:25PM

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (via Google Maps)

Fairfax County Public Schools has asked a federal court to let its current Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology admissions process stay in place while a legal battle over the new system continues.

U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton issued an order last Friday (Feb. 25) invalidating the school system’s overhaul, calling the elimination of a standardized test and other changes intended to increase student diversity at the magnet school discriminatory against Asian Americans.

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Most-read Fairfax County stories of the week: Feb. 28-March 4

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 4, 2022 at 3:45PM

The extension could open in time for Thanksgiving travel.

The weekend is almost here. Before truck convoys potentially disrupt traffic in the D.C. area or you head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.

Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week: