Students help Holy Spirit Catholic Church pastor Rev. John O'Donohue sort winter coat donations (photo by Patty Tang/Holy Spirit Catholic Church)
As the heat of summer starts to fade, some Fairfax County churches are refocusing their charitable efforts on the community’s needs for the coming winter.
With support from the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, four churches in the county launched a winter coat drive earlier this month with the goal of collecting 10,000 coats for refugees, people experiencing homelessness and other community members in need.
An I-95 exit out of the Springfield Mixing Bowl (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Man Found Shot Near Herndon Park — “Police are investigating a shooting that occurred Sunday evening in the vicinity of Hutchinson Park.” Officers found a 21-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the lower body in the 13000 block of Parcher Avenue. A preliminary investigation indicated that he was shot during a fight that “broke out near where the man was found.” [Patch]
Construction to Start on Mount Vernon Apartments — Developer Elm Street Communities anticipates starting site work on its new residential building between Richmond Highway and Buckman Road within the next couple of weeks. The 280-unit Elms Mount Vernon apartments are “the first phase of the broader Mount Vernon Gateway project.” [On the MoVe]
Herndon Police See Tire-Slashing Spree — “Herndon PD has received calls for multiple tires slashed in town over the past week and half. A total of 15 vehicles have been identified at the following locations: 9/14/2024: 3rd Street/Stanton Park Court, 9/14/2024: 1100-blk Casper Court [and] 9/19: 12900-blk Alton Square.” [Herndon PD/Instagram]
Fairfax Block Party Raises Funds to Fight Cancer — A Fairfax neighborhood raised over $87,000 for the Pancreatic Action Network with a block party that drew over 400 people. The tradition began last summer to help a resident’s relative Kyle, who died this past June from pancreatic cancer. Organizers decided “to continue their tradition in honor of Kyle’s memory by raising funds for others going through their own cancer journeys.” [WUSA9]
GMU to Accept Students Without Applications — “Some Northern Virginia seniors will be admitted to George Mason University without having to fill out an application, as part of a pilot program that aims to address the falling number of underrepresented students applying to college. The initiative, which is part of the university’s Direct Admissions Program, includes a partnership with several D.C.-area school divisions.” [WTOP]
County to Extend Lease for WellnessServices — At its meeting today (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to authorize an Oct. 22 public hearing on a lease extension for Inova Health Care Services. Inova has leased the top floor of the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health in Merrifield since 2015 for community wellness services. [Gazette Leader]
Reston Eye Doctor Wins Lottery Money — “A Reston optometrist was blown away after winning $195,543 on the Virginia Lottery’s VIP game recently…[Dr. Michael] Khalil, who works at the Khalil Eye Care in the North Point Village Center in Reston, has no immediate plans for his winnings.” [Patch]
It’s Tuesday — Scattered showers and cloudy skies are expected with a high near 70 and an east wind of 6 to 9 mph; the chance of precipitation is 40%. Tuesday night will have a 50% chance of scattered showers and potential thunderstorms after 2 am with a low around 65. [NWS]
Lake Accotink (courtesy Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services)
Fairfax County is seeking public feedback on the future of Springfield’s Lake Accotink, which remains yet to be determined.
The county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services opened a survey today (Monday), allowing residents to weigh in on how to navigate the current challenges impacting the lake.
VHC Health and Intuitive Health are looking to redevelop Graham Center in West Falls Church with a combined emergency room and urgent care facility (via Fairfax County)
A joint emergency room and urgent care center that Virginia Hospital Center (VHC) says will be the first facility of its kind in Virginia took a step closer to becoming a reality last week.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval on Wednesday, Sept. 18 of VHC Health’s proposal to redevelop Graham Center (7234 Arlington Blvd) in West Falls Church with a new medical facility — a project that county staff agreed will “significantly improve pedestrian safety” compared to the existing, aging shopping center.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department at the Mars headquarters in McLean after a transformer explosion (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A Dominion Energy worker was injured by an electrical transformer explosion that occurred this morning (Monday) outside the Mars headquarters building in McLean.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were first dispatched to 6885 Elm Street around 10 a.m. Additional responders were sent to the scene minutes later after a firefighter reported concern about the building catching fire, according to scanner traffic.
Edward Shelton in the 1980s and in a 2024 mug shot (courtesy FCPD)
A Fredericksburg man was arrested and charged last week in connection with sexual assaults that allegedly occurred over 40 years ago at a horse farm in Great Falls.
Edward Shelton, 81, turned himself in to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday, Sept. 19, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Fairfax County police vehicle with lights (file photo)
Fairfax County police are investigating three different fatal pedestrian crashes that occurred over the past week.
Last Thursday (Sept. 19) around 9:38 p.m., Oscar Daniel Martinez Granados, 24, of Woodbridge was hit by a driver in the 8100 block of Old Keene Mill Road near Irving Middle School in Springfield, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
An arts and crafts exhibit set up for the Taste of Thai Festival at Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Early Voting Brings Out Crowds in Fairfax County — “Lines were long at early voting locations, including at the Fairfax County Government Center where hundreds stretched from the front door to the parking lot.” Fairfax County general registrar and director of elections Eric Spicer called the turnout for the first day of early voting in the Nov. 5 general election “record-breaking territory.” [WTOP]
Missing Campaign Signs UnderInvestigation — “When Mayor Catherine Read and a member of the City of Fairfax Democratic Committee arrived at City Hall around 7:35 a.m. on Friday, they discovered that someone had removed campaign signs they’d placed outside the polls on Thursday.” The missing Harris-Walz signs, which appeared to have been replaced with Trump signs, were reported to police. [Patch]
Guns Stolen from Newington Store — Fairfax County police are searching for four people who allegedly stole 14 guns from Dominion Defense on Fullerton Road around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 18). The theft of over 50 guns from the same store in May led to prison sentences for two men who pleaded guilty to the crime. [WUSA9]
Kids Design New Fairfax City Voting Stickers — “Since 2020, the City of Fairfax has given voters and future voters custom stickers at the polls. These stickers are designed by city students. The city has selected new stickers for the Nov. 5 General Election, and the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts and the City of Fairfax Electoral Board honored the two young artists who created them at a special reception on Sept. 17.” [City of Fairfax]
Floor and Wall Store Opens in Bailey’s Crossroads — “A huge store that sells almost nothing except flooring and wall materials had a grand opening on Sept. 19 in Bailey’s Crossroads. Floor & Decor took over two large commercial spaces formerly occupied by A.C. Moore and Bed Bath & Beyond at the Crossroads Center on Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]
Mental Health Crisis Center Helps Address Trauma — “When [Wellness Circle Crisis Stabilization Unit Program Manager Amy] Miller and her staff began to track trends in the behaviors and needs of the individuals they were serving, the demand for a specialized program that addressed trauma was at the top of the priority list…The Trauma Resilience Program launched at Wellness Circle earlier this year.” [Fairfax-Falls Church CSB]
South Lakes Kicker Breaks Barrier — “Lila Jaster is the first girl to ever score a point in a football game for South Lakes, whose program dates back to the mid-1970s.” The junior varsity kicker first made a point-after kick against Falls Church High School last year, and she had a repeat on Friday (Sept. 20) when South Lakes High School enlisted her to make the kick with a 28-point lead. [Patch]
It’s Monday — Expect drizzle in the area starting around 11am, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 72. The drizzle will continue into Monday night, mainly between 11pm and 2am, while it remains cloudy and the temperature lowers to approximately 62 . [NWS]
Northbound Hunter Mill Road at Lynnhaven Place in Oakton (via Google Maps)
A woman was killed in a crash that occurred outside Oakton Shopping Center Saturday morning (Sept. 21).
Choon Kook, 80, from Vienna was hit by the driver of a Ford F-150 while walking at the intersection of Hunter Mill Road and Lynnhaven Place. She was transported to a hospital with injuries considered life-threatening, the Fairfax County Police Department reported in a tweet at 10:32 a.m.