Despite some recent rain, Fairfax County is continuing to see an unusually dry summer, raising the possibility of a drought.
The entire D.C. region, including Fairfax County, has now been placed under a Drought Watch, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announced today (Monday), urging nearly 6 million residents to conserve water as much as possible.
Gaza Protestors Removed Near McLean — “A months-long protest encampment in front of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s house has been removed. The round-the-clock, pro-Palestinian protest started in January of this year along the 400 block of N. Chain Bridge Road in Arlington…Chain Bridge Road…was closed while VDOT carried out the removal operation.” [ARLnow]
Judge Allows Lawsuit Against FCPS Pronoun Policy — “On Thursday, a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge rejected the Fairfax County School Board’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit and allowed the student to proceed with her arguments against FCPS’ pronoun policy.” A claim over the policy allowing students to use bathrooms based on their gender identity was dismissed, though the plaintiff was given 21 days to amend her complaint. [WJLA]
Man Hampered by Loss of Fairfax Connector Bus Stop — “A man with visual impairment in Fairfax is raising concerns about a change to his bus route that eliminated stops near his home. Jeff Vieceli moved to a neighborhood along Stringfellow Road near Fairfax County Parkway 12 years ago. One of the reasons was the proximity to the bus stops across from the house.” [WUSA9]
Trees Hit by Lightning to Be Removed — “Three willow oak trees will be removed. The trees at 4209 University Dr. and 10507 Forest Ave. were struck by lightning and will be removed July 26 and Aug. 2, respectively. The tree at 4373 University Dr. is failing and presents a severe safety hazard. Removal is scheduled for Aug. 2.” [City of Fairfax]
Metallica Visits Springfield Record Company — “Heavy metal band Metallica swung by a record pressing plant a few blocks west of Alexandria earlier this week. The band visited Furnace Record Pressing, a record pressing company that’s been in business, which Metallica gained a majority interest in last year.” [ALXnow]
Inova Springfield Hospital Nears Construction — “The Falls Church-based Inova Health System intends to begin construction in August on a pair of new acute-care hospitals…Those facilities, one at the former Landmark Mall site in Alexandria and another in the Franconia-Springfield area, will together replace the nonprofit’s aging Alexandria hospital at 4320 Seminary Road.” [Washington Business Journal]
Richmond Highway Jeweler Goes Mobile — “Mount Vernon Jewelers, a fixture around the Richmond Highway Corridor for over four decades, is vacating its storefront location Aug. 1 to engage in mobile jewelry sales and service…Park plans to continue serving his existing customer base in the local community with his new business status as a traveling salesman and mobile repairman.” [On the MoVe]
Kid Donates Icee Stand Proceeds to Fire Department — “An 8-year-old boy set up an Icee stand in Alexandria, Virginia to raise money for the Fairfax County Fire Department on Saturday…His stand was a unique way to say thank you to the department for helping him with his broken arm last year.” [NBC4]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny conditions with a high of 92 degrees, followed by a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Monday night will have mostly cloudy skies and a low around 73 degrees. [NWS]
The Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival is ready to jump back into the frying pan — Frying Pan Farm, that is.
With carnival rides, farm animals and various family-friendly activities in tow, the 74th annual 4-H Fair will set up shop at Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 West Ox Road) in the McNair area south of Herndon from Aug. 1-4.
Fairfax County Animal Shelter is trying to drum up some attention for its older furry occupants.
Starting today (Friday), the shelter has waived adoption fees for all dogs and cats 6 years and older as part of a “Vintage Tails” event that will continue through Sunday, July 28.
Local Couple Behind Drug Ring Going to Prison — “A Fairfax County woman and her husband have been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after being convicted of running a massive drug operation. Court documents say they distributed tens of thousands of dangerous fentanyl pills per month in Virginia.” [NBC4]
Gum Springs Cemetery Restoration Planned — “A decaying cemetery in Gum Springs that dates back to the 18th century will be restored and maintained as part of a preservation project between Fairfax County and various stakeholder organizations.” Residents interred at Peake Family Cemetery include friends of George Washington and descendants of Gum Springs founder West Ford. [On the MoVe]
Clifton Road Lane Closures Scheduled — “Weather permitting, lane closures will occur on northbound and southbound Clifton Road/Stringfellow Road (Route 645) between Regal Crest Drive and Autumn Willow Drive Sunday night, July 28; Monday night, July 29 and Tuesday night, July 30 for milling and paving at the Route 29 intersection.” The work is part of the Route 29 widening project. [VDOT]
Georgetown Getting More Visitors Than Tysons, BID Claims — The Georgetown Business Improvement District says the D.C. neighborhood got 12.3 million visitors last year and have been up 5% so far in 2024, “outpacing Tysons Corner.” The organization is studying new designs for its streateries, which have drawn both crowds and complaints. [Axios D.C.]
Tennis Courts Slated for Repair — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will soon begin repairing tennis courts #1 and #2 at Woodley Hills Park and #1 and #2 at Country Club View Park…Contractors are scheduled to mobilize onsite in early August weather permitting, and active construction is anticipated to be completed by mid-September 2024.” [FCPA]
Incoming FCPD Officers Graduate From Academy — “Session 86 is comprised of 32 newly sworn Fairfax County Police Officers. This latest graduating class is a unique and diverse session where eight different languages are spoken by 15 different officers…After graduation, officers will be assigned to one of the Fairfax County Police Department’s eight district stations and enter a 12-week field training period. [FCPD]
Animal Shelter Hosts Seminar on Chicken Care — “Kelly Rutkowski, managing director of Adopt a Bird Network, is hosting a free seminar on chicken behavior Sunday in Lorton, Virginia, in conjunction with the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Topics that will be covered include chicken health, pecking order drama, feeding tips and more.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies today with the temperature reaching a high close to 85 degrees. Overnight, the sky will remain mostly clear, and the temperature drops to around 67 degrees. [NWS]
Get ready for more speed cameras in Fairfax County school zones.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave its support this week for the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) to move ahead with the installation of 50 additional speed cameras in school zones following the success of its speed camera pilot program.
Fairfax County is considering tweaking its zoning ordinance to ensure that last year’s parking requirements overhaul doesn’t lead to a decrease in accessible spaces.
Because developers build accessible parking in proportion to total parking, the number of accessible spots could go down if overall parking is reduced.
On this day 10 years ago, Metrorail arrived in Tysons and Reston, connecting two growing communities in Fairfax County to D.C. by train for the first time.
Decades in the making, the Silver Line’s Phase 1 launch on July 25, 2014 represented the D.C. region’s biggest rail expansion since the Green Line opened in 1991 and set the stage for a connection to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County that came to fruition with Phase 2 on Nov. 15, 2022.
Watch Olympics Opening Ceremony at Library — “Let the games begin! Join us to watch a live steam of the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Games in Paris at the library! Light refreshments will be provided. No registration required. All ages.” The viewing begins at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) in the Centreville Regional Library meeting room. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Part of GW Parkway to Close Temporarily — The George Washington Memorial Parkway’s northbound lanes will temporarily close between Spout Run Parkway and Route 123 “to install drainage systems and conduct other required rehabilitation work.” The closures will last from 8 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday for the weekends of July 26-29 and Aug. 2-5. [ARLnow]
Fairfax City 7-Eleven Robbed at Knifepoint — “City of Fairfax Police arrested a 28-year-old man they say robbed a city convenience store at knifepoint early Monday morning. Officers responded around 12:54 a.m. to the 7-Eleven at 3810 University Drive for the report of a robbery.” [Patch]
Korean Bar Opens in Annandale — “1943 Classic, a Korean fusion bar and restaurant at 7220 Columbia Pike in Annandale, is having a soft opening. The vibe is dark and classy, with a low-hanging chandelier at the entrance. 1943 Classic is a popular nightspot in Korea, where the franchise has dozens of locations.” [Annandale Today]
Vida Fitness to Host Grand Opening in Reston — Vida Fitness will throw a grand opening party for its new Reston Row location from 7-11 p.m. this Saturday (July 27). The dress code calls for cocktail party attire “with black, gold, silver, and white strongly encouraged, and the festivities will include craft cocktails, live music and appetizers. [Vida Fitness]
Update on Dulles Airport Development — “At their July 17 meeting, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board members were briefed by chief capital development officer Roger Natsuhara on the status of a number of key projects at Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports.” [Gazette Leader]
LGBTQ Center Creates Community Hub in Oakton — “The NoVA Prism Center in Oakton has emerged as a hub for LGBTQ community engagement in Northern Virginia. Leon van der Goetz, a transgender man, founded NoVA Prism Center in 2022 after he returned to the U.S. from Japan where he had been an English teacher. The organization has steadily grown since.” [Washington Blade]
Local Evangelical Pastor Embraces Tough Topics — “As lead pastor for megachurch McLean Bible Church, [Rev. Mike] Kelsey draws parallels between biblical context and current events for the thousands of congregants who call him their pastor. Provocative issues — race, social injustice, and politics — are on people’s minds and in his sermons.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Thursday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, increasing in likelihood after 5pm, under cloudy skies with a high near 85. At Thursday night, shower chances dwindle after 11pm, with skies turning from cloudy to partly cloudy and a low of 69. [NWS]
Despite steady growth in employment numbers, office vacancy rates in Fairfax County continue to rise.
Stephen Tarditi, director of market intelligence at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), presented recent data on office vacancies to the Board of Supervisors during an economic advisory committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
