News

Drought Watch Resurrected — “The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, has expanded the drought watch advisory to now include 22 counties.” Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, has seen below normal precipitation with “focused dryness” since remnants of Tropical Storm Debby enabled DEQ to lift a drought warning last month. [DEQ]

American Legion Bridge Overhaul Faces Delay — “For the second year in a row, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration is proposing to delay expansion of the heavily congested American Legion Bridge and other infrastructure projects because of a transportation budget shortfall of over a billion dollars, according to a new spending plan released Tuesday.” [Washington Post]

Man Linked to Multiple Deaths Faces Trial — The first of two murder cases charging Anthony Eugene Robinson with the killings of two women in Harrisonburg is set for a five-day trial starting Sept. 23. A judge ruled this week that prosecutors can call witnesses in the deaths of two other women whose remains were found near a Huntington motel in 2021 and another woman in D.C. [WTOP]

Reston Bar to Host Football Post-Game Show — “Reston Town Center’s Crafthouse will be hosting the Washington Commanders’ post-game radio show every Sunday throughout the 2024-25 season. Stating this Sunday, the BIG100-FM post-game show…will be broadcasting live from Crafthouse’s performance stage.” [Patch]

Dog Spa to Launch in Belle View — “A couple of new businesses are slated to open in the next few months at shopping centers around the Mount Vernon area. Sept. 7-8 marks the soft launch of the Pampered Pet Bark Bath” at Belle View Shopping Center, while Club Pilates is expected to open a studio in Mount Vernon Plaza this winter. [On the MoVe]

Volkswagen America Moves into Reston HQ — Volkswagen Group completed its headquarters move to Reston Town Center’s new office tower at 1950 Opportunity Way in October, consolidating operations that “used to spread over three locations…in Herndon and Reston.” Though employees only work in the office three days a week, the company’s leaders say the space has been a success “with better amenities and tech than the old buildings.” [Washington Business Journal]

McLean HS Band Tunes Up for Fundraiser — “Over 200 dedicated McLean High Band (MHS) students and members of the Color Guard will be out in the community on Saturday, Sept. 7, canvassing neighborhoods and performing at local shopping centers while collecting donations during Tag Day,” the band’s largest annual fundraiser. [Gazette Leader]

It’s Thursday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high of around 79 degrees, accompanied by a northeast breeze of about 7 mph. As night falls, the skies will turn mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to approximately 62 degrees. The east wind will persist, blowing at a gentle 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]

Schools Start Cell Phone Storage Pilot — Fairfax County Public Schools officially started requiring students at participating middle and high schools to secure their cell phones during class. At Robinson Secondary School, the policy is already getting positive reactions from teachers, parents and even students. [WAMU]

West Falls Church Homes to Be Removed — “A major stream restoration project in the planning stages is expected to reduce flooding in the Bel Air neighborhood in the Falls Church area of Mason District. The project calls for the demolition of nine homes on Barrett Road that were built on a floodplain” to allow a stormwater retention basin. [Annandale Today]

Advocates Say Help Needed for Reston Hill Residents — The local advocacy group Reston Strong “is calling on the community to contact the Hunter Mill District supervisor’s office on behalf of three elderly residents who have been told by the county they have just one week to vacate the homeless encampment on a hill near the Fairfax County Human Services Center in Reston.” [Patch]

Fries Chain From Canada Coming to D.C. Area — “New York Fries, a fast-food chain serving up NYC-style fries and hot dogs, has set its sights on the D.C. area as part of a larger U.S. expansion…The company hasn’t selected any local spots or franchise partners yet. For locations, it’s looking for space in high-traffic areas including Bethesda, Georgetown and Tysons.” [Washington Business Journal]

Stop Signs Added At Falls Church W&OD Crossings — “After a few months of construction, three intersections of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Falls Church have new all-way stops. These stops are now in place at the intersections of Little Falls Street, N. Oak Street and N. Spring Street.” [ARLnow]

FCPS Leaders Mostly Cheered by Test Scores — “Fairfax County Public Schools students’ standardized-test scores, with a couple of exceptions, continue to exceed those recorded statewide, officials told the School Board Aug. 29.” Officials attributed the mostly positive trends to “professional development…and a concerted effort to have counselors approach students about taking more challenging classes at earlier ages.” [Gazette Leader]

Former Nats Pitcher’s McLean Home Snapped Up — “The nearly 12,000 square-foot McLean house of former Washington Nationals pitcher and World Series champion Stephen Strasburg has found a buyer. The six-bedroom home listed for just south of $10 million back in June…went under contract with contingencies late last week.” [DC Urban Turf]

It’s Wednesday — Expect a partly sunny day with temperatures reaching up to 77°F. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 58°F and a gentle northeast wind ranging from 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]