Countywide

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]