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.

Countywide

FCPS employees now barred from disclosing information to ICE

By Angela Woolsey
A member of the immigrant advocacy organization CASA urges the Fairfax County School Board to adopt its proposed Trust Policy (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools now has a new layer of protection for undocumented students and their families.

The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously last night (Thursday) to prohibit employees from requesting, accessing, or disclosing information about a person’s citizenship or immigration status unless required by law or court order, or they get permission from the individual or a guardian.

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Around Town

Toby’s Ice Cream is open in Vienna, but only on weekends for now

By Angela Woolsey
Toby's Ice Cream found viral success in summer 2021 with limited-time cicada sundaes (courtesy Toby's Ice Cream/Facebook)

(Updated on 5/4/2022) Hold your cicada sundaes, Vienna. Despite the rumors that have been flying around town, Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream has not opened its new shop yet — at least not officially.

As reported yesterday (Thursday) by Patch, the Arlington-based ice cream eatery hopes to officially open its location in the Cedar Park Shopping Center (280 Cedar Lane SE) this May, with no exact date determined yet.

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Countywide

Child abuse reports increase with return of in-person school, Fairfax County says

By Angela Woolsey
The Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Reports of child abuse and neglect in Fairfax County have fluctuated wildly during the COVID-19 pandemic — based primarily on whether students are attending school in person or remotely.

Prior to the pandemic, Fairfax County Child Protective Services conducted 2,216 family assessments and investigations in fiscal year 2019, which ran from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, according to the county’s Department of Family Services.

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News

Vienna poised to vote on new rules for outdoor dining

By Angela Woolsey
The Cedar Park Shopping Center's patio is set up for outdoor dining (file photo)

An end is in sight for Vienna’s months-long debate over the future of outdoor dining in the town.

The Vienna Town Council intends to vote on May 11 on a new draft zoning ordinance that will permanently ease the permitting process for restaurants seeking to provide outdoor dining — with some limits in place to ward off conflicts over noise, parking, and other potential issues.

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News

UPDATED: Equipment failure causes power outages at Tysons malls

By Angela Woolsey
Tysons Corner Center plaza entrance (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Updated at 8:10 p.m. — The power outage in Tysons has been isolated to Tysons Corner Center, with Dominion Energy identifying a failed piece of equipment as the cause.

“Repairs are underway,” Dominion spokesperson Peggy Fox said at 7:44 p.m. “We’re hoping to have power back on within the hour.”

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Countywide

JUST IN: Teen charged in fatal crash on Georgetown Pike was speeding, police say

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax County police badge (via FCPD/Facebook)

A teenager faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter after a woman died in a three-vehicle crash on Georgetown Pike in McLean last month.

While alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash, detectives have determined that the 16-year-old, male driver was going more than 80 mph in a section of the roadway with a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit, the Fairfax County Police Department reported today (Wednesday).

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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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