Author: FFXnow.com

Arrest Made in Reston Shooting — A suspect in yesterday’s fatal shooting at Gold’s Gym in Reston has been arrested and is now in custody, Fairfax County police announced last night. Charges are expected today. [FCPD/Twitter]

Army Horses Not Going to Live at Mason Neck — The U.S. Army has decided not to stable “the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment’s famed Caisson horses at Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area.” After Mason Neck residents raised concerns, a search for a long-term home for the ceremonial animals continues. [On the MoVe]

Temporary Baking Shop Coming to Fairfax Corner — “King Arthur Baking Company, which started out as a flour company in 1790, is opening a pop-up restaurant next month in Fairfax Corner. The bakery chain’s new location is set to operate for a limited time as a pop-up shop next door the REI outlet at 11948 Grand Commons Drive.” [Patch]

Tysons Coffee Shop Eyes Loudoun Expansion — “The Burn has learned that Shotted will be taking a spot in the food court at the Dulles Town Center mall. It will be going into a vacant spot…previously occupied by a cupcake business.” The coffee shop can be found at Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center, where it recently moved from a kiosk to a storefront. [The Burn]

McLean Defense Startup Lands Big Investment — “Defcon AI, a McLean startup that aims to simplify logistics operations in complicated and dynamic military environments, has raised $44 million in funding led by prominent San Francisco investment firm Bessemer Venture Partners. It brings the company’s total outside funding to $47 million following the startup’s 2022 spinout from Tysons investment and incubation firm Red Cell Partners LLC.” [Washington Business Journal]

Annandale Mural Design Revealed — “The community got a sneak peek at the mural design for the ACCA Child Development Center building at the Art Appreciation Festival Aug. 17 at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space in Annandale. The mural should be mostly completed in time for the Taste of Annandale, which will be held at the civic space on Sept. 21.” [Annandale Today]

Winter-Themed Playground Open in Franconia — “Parents who are looking for ways to beat the heat can now take their kids to a new winter-themed indoor playground in Franconia. Hyper Kidz Alexandria opened [on Aug. 1] in the Festival at Manchester Lakes shopping center.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Lake Accotink Park Celebration Coming Up — “Join the Fairfax County Park Authority and Friends of Lake Accotink Park for a free day of family fun at Lake Accotink Park on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Celebrate summer with free amusements, boat rentals, hikes, mini golf, face painting, history activities and more!” [FCPA]

It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny conditions with a high near 76 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. For Wednesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 57 degrees and a gentle north wind at 3 to 5 mph. [NWS]

Fairfax County Students Start New School Year — “Samia was among the nearly 200,000 students who headed back to school Monday as Alexandria City and Fairfax County Public Schools opened for the new year.” Changes in FCPS include additional early-release Mondays and a cell phone storage pilot set to launch after Labor Day. [Washington Post]

Man Arrested for Church Burglaries — “A 56-year-old Sterling man was arrested and charged in connection with burglaries at seven Fairfax County churches since April, according to police.” The man was identified as a suspect following an overnight break-in at an Annandale church on Aug. 5, and police later connected him to incidents in Burke, Fairfax Station, Chantilly and Oakton. [Patch]

Korean Bar Now Open in Annandale — “Annandale has a relatively new late-night gathering place — an izakaya — with craft cocktails and a small-plate menu featuring traditional and fusion Korean food. JMT Kitchen & Bar is located at 4316 Markham Street in the building that also houses A&J Restaurant.” [Annandale Today]

Area Families Grapple with Costs of Youth Sports — “As the price to participate in high-level youth competitions continues to skyrocket, public school athletics are considered an affordable alternative. However, there are some hidden costs families should be prepared for as their child tries out for the school team.” [WTOP]

Shwarma Truck Relocates to Oakton Restaurant — “Fans of Yalla Pita, the popular food truck that used to operate out of a Shell gas station in Vienna, will soon get the chance to dig into the eatery’s shawarma and falafel again. After closing in May, Yalla Pita is set to reopen this Saturday, August 17, in a permanent new space in Oakton.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Reston School Celebrates New Mural — “It was a joy to celebrate Lake Anne Elementary School’s new mural with students, parents and teachers. It’s a statement of Reston’s shared values and diversity. Thanks to Public Art Reston, Lake Anne Elementary and mural artist Shawn James of Mural Masters Inc. for making it possible!” [Supervisor Walter Alcorn/Facebook]

Herndon to Host First Pickleball Tournament — “Our first-ever pickleball tournament is happening on Sept. 21 at Bready Park! Beginner & intermediate divisions. Register your team now and enjoy a day of friendly competition! Spots are limited — don’t miss out!” [Town of Herndon/Twitter]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunshine and a high of approximately 77°F, accompanied by a northwest wind at 10 mph and gusts reaching up to 18 mph. Tuesday night will bring mostly clear skies and a low of about 56°F, with north winds at 7 mph. [NWS]

Capital Beltway Passes 60th Anniversary — This Saturday (Aug. 17) marked 60 years since the final stretch of the Capital Beltway opened to traffic on Aug. 17, 1964. “The Beltway has been widened several times, become a well-known political reference, been supplemented with high occupancy toll lanes and become synonymous with congested commutes in and around the nation’s capital.” [WTOP]

Kingstowne Fire Response Disrupted — “Firefighters who put out a two-alarm fire inside a Fairfax County residence were evacuated around noon on Friday after officials said they lost access to water at one point.” Smoke was seen issuing from the front of the townhome when firefighters responded to the Kingstowne area that morning. [WJLA]

Virginia Delayed Corporate Tax Refunds — “Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration failed to provide timely tax refunds worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Virginia corporations two years in a row, an error made public…after Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears inquired about an odd footnote in a financial presentation to the House and Senate money committees.” [Washington Post]

Police Cite Thousands During Traffic Safety Campaign — “The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) has successfully wrapped up the fourth wave of our ‘Road Shark’ traffic safety campaign. Working with the Virginia State Police, our officers issued over 7,000 citations and warnings between August 5 and August 11, targeting reckless driving and other dangerous behaviors in traffic-heavy areas.” [FCPD]

Research Nonprofit Plans Fair Lakes Office — “Riverside Research will relocate its regionally-based business operations to Fairfax County in September 2024, as part of its strategy to centralize Northern Virginia operations and accommodate growth. This move will merge its current facility in Arlington with its Centreville office.” [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]

GMU Students Move in This Week — “Parking and traffic closures will occur on the Fairfax Campus from Wednesday, Aug. 21, to Sunday, Aug. 25, to facilitate the move-in of nearly 6,000 residential students…Traffic impacts will occur around campus, particularly near Braddock Road, Roanoke River Road, Lots J and K, and Rappahannock Deck.” [GMU]

Korean Community’s History in Annandale — “How did Annandale come to be known as ‘Koreatown’? Community activist, business owner, and longtime Annandale resident Steve Lee offered an explanation at a recent discussion session at George Mason Regional Library.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 until after 2 pm, when there’s a 70% chance of precipitation until 8pm. Night will bring mostly cloudy skies and a low around 63 with a 60% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

How Mars Sealed Deal for Pringles Maker — Interviews detail how McLean-based Mars Inc. “decided to place its biggest ever bet on expansion — the $36 billion acquisition of snack and cereal maker Kellanova…The deal is the culmination of a flurry of Mars’ dealmaking over the last three decades, totaling at least 185 transactions collectively worth $81 billion.” [Reuters]

GMU Board Member Scrutinized for Project 2025 Role — “Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) recently called for the ouster of a member of the George Mason University Board of Visitors over what he called ‘alarming’ and ‘extreme’ views. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) refused, citing the appointee’s extensive set of academic credentials.” [Washington Post]

Dulles Airport Ticks Up in Passenger Rankings — “Two local airports moved up from 2022 to 2023 in the national passenger-total rankings, while another fell, according to new federal data…Reagan Washington National Airport fell from 23rd to 24th while Washington Dulles International Airport rose from 26th to 28th in the rankings.” [Gazette Leader]

Nearby: Arlington to Add Speed Cameras — Following Fairfax’s lead, Arlington County will soon install speed cameras in school zones “next month, more than two years after officials approved their installation. The 10 cameras will begin operating on Sept. 25, with the owners of speeding vehicles receiving a $100 fine per infraction.” [ARLnow]

Grants Awarded to Local Arts Groups — ArtsFairfax, the county’s nonprofit arts agency, will award $591,900 to 58 community arts organizations under its fiscal year 2025 Operating Support Grants program. “While ArtsFairfax saw a 20% increase in total requested funds, the available funding for this grant category remained flat from FY24 to FY25.” [ArtsFairfax]

County Library Celebrates Summer Reading — “Come one, come all, to our annual FREE event to kick-off Fairfax County Public Library’s summer reading program! Our 2nd Annual Children’s Summer Reading Celebration is designed to encourage young readers to continue their enthusiasm for reading straight into summer vacation.” [Eventbrite]

Timing of VRE Saturday Service to D.C. Unclear — A Virginia Railway Express spokesperson says implementation of passenger rail service on Saturdays into D.C. “is being held up by contract negotiations with CSX, which owns the tracks on the Fredericksburg line, and Norfolk Southern Railroad which owns the tracks on the Manassas line.” [FXBG Advance/Inside NoVA]

It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching up to 90°F. At night, there’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2am-5am, changing to possible showers after 5am. It’ll be mostly cloudy with temperatures around 71°F. [NWS]

Driver Charged in Fatal Clifton Crash — Fairfax County police have charged a 21-year-old man from Woodbridge with failure to maintain proper control in connection to a July 15 crash that killed a passenger in his car. Police say the man was driving west on Old Yates Ford Road in a 2003 Honda Accord when he veered over the yellow line and collided with a Volkswagen SUV. [FCPD]

Man Convicted for 2022 Fatal Shooting — “Jordan Cochran was found guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding. He was 20 at the time of the shooting. Kebbren Leigh-Gaye, who was just 18 years old, died after the shooting on Jan. 8, 2022, on Richmond Highway (Route 1) at Dart Drive, in the Hybla Valley area.” [NBC4]

Judge Orders Release of Defense Department Engineer — “A Defense Department engineer accused of mishandling highly classified records should be released from jail to home confinement pending trial, a federal magistrate judge ruled Tuesday…[Gokhan] Gun during the hearing agreed to put up a nearly $500,000 home in Fairfax as bond collateral.” [Washington Post]

Vienna Figure Skater Reflects on Journey — “Now a student at George Mason University, [Ilia] Malinin still lives with his family in Vienna and trains under his parents, former Olympic skaters Roman Skorniakov and Tatiana Malinina, at SkateQuest in Reston…We recently caught up with Malinin during his off-season to talk about his accomplishments and what to expect next.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Road Closure in Centreville Postponed — A planned closure of Stringfellow Road (Route 645) between Route 29 and Centreville Farms Road has been postponed due to weather. Originally set for Saturday, Aug. 17, the paving work is “part of the Route 29 Widening Project, which is making improvements…between Union Mill Road and Buckleys Gate Drive.” [VDOT]

Georgetown Pike Bridge Closure Rescheduled — “RESCHEDULED: All lanes of Georgetown Pk Bridge over I-495 in #McLean will shift to new northern portion of bridge 8/23-8/26. Motorists are urged to stay away from the area, as lanes will be reduced, and Beltway ramps closed all weekend for work.” [VDOT/Twitter]

New School Board Student Rep Shares Priorities — “Earlier this year, Megan Sawant — a rising senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology — was elected by the countywide Superintendent’s Advisory Council (SAC) to serve a one-year term as student representative to the Fairfax County School Board.” Her goals include ensuring “two-way communication” between students and the board. [Gazette Leader]

Vienna Community Center to Close for Cleaning — “All events and activities at the Vienna Community Center will be paused starting one week from today, next Monday, Aug. 19 through Sept. 2, for an annual deep clean and facility maintenance. The lobby, including the front desk and restrooms, will remain open on a modified schedule.” [Town of Vienna/Facebook]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny conditions and a high near 88, accompanied by a mild north wind at about 5 mph. The evening will transition to partly cloudy skies with a low temperature around 68 and a gentle south breeze. [NWS]