Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

Fairfax City announces new police chief and HR director

Published July 24, 2025 at 1:45PM

Alexandria Assistant Police Chief Raul Pedroso will serve as the new Fairfax City police chief, starting Aug. 11, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The City of Fairfax is starting to fill some key vacant positions, announcing the hiring of a new police chief and a human resources director this week.

As first reported yesterday (Wednesday) by ALXnow, Alexandria Assistant Police Chief Raul Pedroso has been selected to lead the City of Fairfax Police Department after a national search that drew “many qualified candidates,” according to the city.

Around Town

Beach-inspired D.C. restaurant to join Sweetgreen at Chesterbrook in McLean

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 24, 2025 at 11:45AM

Sweetgreen coming to Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Sweetgreen is officially cruising into Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean, and it’s bringing a beach-inspired Mexican restaurant from D.C. along for the ride.

The fast-casual health food chain anticipates opening at 6220 Old Dominion Drive this fall. The 2,571-square-foot restaurant will be joined in the free-standing, former Truist Bank building by Surfside, which is expanding into Virginia for the first time.

News

NOVA Reston office building could be replaced by dozens of homes

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 24, 2025 at 9:15AM

Proposed site plan for housing to replace the office building at 1821 Michael Faraday Drive in Reston (via Urban Ltd/Fairfax County)

Though Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) won’t leave its Reston Technology Center for a couple more years, the office building’s owner is already planning for a very different future.

JB Properties, an affiliate of the Tysons-based company Bognet Construction, has proposed redeveloping the four-story office building at 1821 Michael Faraday Drive with housing, bringing the property in line with the increasingly residential neighborhood surrounding it.

News

Survey seeks input on banners to hoist over downtown McLean streets

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 23, 2025 at 2:45PM

McLean bus shelter (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Should McLean stick with green and gold or change things up as it pursues a downtown revitalization?

That is one of the questions awaiting responses in a new survey on street banners from Fairfax County and the McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC), a volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the McLean Community Business Center (CBC).

News

FCPD: Woman sexually assaulted at Centreville grocery store

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 23, 2025 at 1:15PM

Giant Food at Centrewood Plaza in Centreville (via Google Maps)

A woman was sexually assaulted this past weekend at a Giant Food in Centreville, Fairfax County police say.

Officers responded to the grocery store (14125 St Germain Drive) in Centrewood Plaza around 6:10 p.m. on Sunday (July 20) for a “sex offense case,” according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

News

Reston Town Center North plan heading in right direction, design board says

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 23, 2025 at 10:00AM

Fairfax County and Inova's proposed RTC North conceptual development plan (via LandDesign/Fairfax County)

Reston Association’s Design Review Board recently got a fresh look at the latest plan for developing Reston Town Center North (RTC North), and for the most part, members were encouraged by what they saw.

“I don’t see any reason for a motion of … approval from my sense, because we’re still working,” Design Review Board Chair Michael Wood told the development team after a presentation on July 15. “You guys got some feedback from us. I think you guys have some actionable things that you guys can provide, and you’re in the right direction for sure.”

News

Two-alarm fires break out at Kingstowne townhomes, Springfield gym

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 23, 2025 at 9:20AM | Updated July 23, 2025 at 11:58AM

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responds to a fire at Anytime Fitness in Springfield (via FCFRD/Facebook)

Significant responses were needed this morning (Wednesday) to address two-alarm fires reported almost simultaneously at townhouses in Kingstowne and a shopping center in Springfield.

Firefighters were first dispatched at 4:44 a.m. to the Coventry townhomes in the 5000 block of Dunstable Lane for a fire that consumed all three floors of one building, according to scanner traffic.

News

Police: Motorcyclist dies after crashing on I-495 in Huntington

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 22, 2025 at 1:50PM

A Virginia State Police vehicle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Police are investigating a second fatal crash that occurred on the Capital Beltway (I-495) yesterday afternoon (Monday).

Virginia State Police troopers responded to westbound I-495 near Telegraph Road in Huntington around 5:32 p.m. for a crash involving a motorcyclist who collided with a guardrail.

News

Vienna identifies priorities with first-ever parks and rec master plan

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 22, 2025 at 9:15AM | Updated July 22, 2025 at 10:04AM

A Little League baseball game at Waters Field in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Commitments to maintaining existing facilities and expanding the town’s pedestrian network are just two of the items on the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department’s to-do list for the next decade.

Formally approved by the Vienna Town Council on July 7 with only Councilmember Roy Baldwin opposed, the town’s first-ever parks and recreation master plan — dubbed “Our Plan to Play” — lays out a vision that will help guide future programming and funding decisions, identifying existing gaps and potential improvements.

News

Reston Association seeks feedback on Lake Thoreau dock, playground upgrades

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 22, 2025 at 8:30AM

Private boat dock on Lake Thoreau in fall (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston Association is turning to the community for input on plans to update a couple of its recreational facilities.

The homeowners’ association will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) to gather feedback on the Lake Thoreau observation dock, which is being considered for possible renovations.