News

Scam Warning From County Animal Shelter — “SCAM ALERT! We’ve become aware of scammers falsely claiming to represent our shelter, calling pet owners alleging that we have their pets and requesting funds for urgent medical expenses. If you receive any suspicious communications, please hang up and contact us directly.” [Fairfax County Animal Shelter/Twitter]

McLean Rower Has Qualified for Olympics — “Fifteen athletes from Virginia have qualified for the Paris Summer Olympic Games as Team USA continues to take shape. Among those 15 Virginians is 27-year-old Claire Collins of McLean, who is a member of the U.S. Women’s Rowing Team.” [Patch]

Culmore Library Renaming Approved — “The Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees voted on July 10 to rename the Woodrow Wilson Library the Culmore Community Library…Over the past few months, the Library Board received numerous comments from the community urging the board to change the name citing Wilson’s support for racial segregation.” [Annandale Today]

Dulles Ranked Among World’s Best Airports — “Dulles International Airport ranks as the 11th best airport in the world, a ranking by AirHelp finds. AirHelp, a passenger rights tech company that assists passengers with flight disruptions, crunched data for 239 of the world’s busiest airports in 69 countries.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Local Delegate Reflects on General Assembly Session — “Active, highly partisan and ultimately productive are how Del. Rip Sullivan (D-McLean) described this year’s General Assembly session at the McLean Citizens Association’s July 3 board meeting.” His adopted bills included ones that address tree preservation and allergic reaction awareness training. [Gazette Leader]

Park Authority Recognizes Top Volunteers — “At its meeting on July 10, the Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a resolution honoring 23 individuals as outstanding volunteers. These peer-nominated individuals were recognized for their dedication to their community and their invaluable service to the Fairfax County park system.” [FCPA]

Virginia Named No. 1 State for Business — “With the nation’s best education system and policies that give companies room — both literally and figuratively — to grow, Virginia is America’s Top State for Business in 2024. This is the Old Dominion’s sixth time at the top of CNBC’s rankings, and its third win in five years.” [CNBC]

It’s Friday — Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, increasing after 7am with a high near 81. Precipitation likelihood is 90%, with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch. Friday night brings a 70% chance of showers. Temperatures dip to around 73, and another quarter to half an inch of rain is expected. [NWS]

Heat-Related Deaths Reported — “Seven people have died as a result of heat in the Washington region, authorities confirmed Wednesday, as blistering temperatures have forced elected officials to cancel public events, close down athletic fields and encourage residents to stay indoors.” That includes one person in Virginia, though state officials didn’t provide details. [Washington Post]

Domestic Assault in Reston Under Investigation — “Fairfax County Police are investigating an assault that took place early Tuesday morning in Reston.” Officers were called to the 2300 block of Freetown Court for a report of a stabbing, but upon arriving, they found a man with injuries that “weren’t consistent with a stabbing,” police say. No hospital visit was needed. [Patch]

Funding Recommended for Transportation Projects — “The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority will present its ranked recommendations Thursday, for funding nearly $700 million in projects to advance the region’s multimodal transportation network.” Traffic signal improvements on Route 7 by Falls Church came out on top for its congestion relief potential relative to cost. [WTOP]

Middle Eastern Cafe Opens in Barcroft Plaza — “The new MQR Café in Barcroft Plaza serves breakfast, sandwiches, and coffee drinks all day. The café opened on July 6 at 6343-E Columbia Pike. Much of the food features Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavors.” [Annandale Today]

Hybla Valley Mural Design Up for Vote — “Franconia Supervisor Rodney Lusk and the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services invite community input on a mural design for the exterior wall on the east side of Hybla Valley Community Center.” Voting on designs submitted by artists is open until 5 p.m. on July 26. [NCS]

McLean Group Calls for Ambulance Upgrades — “The McLean Citizens Association’s board of directors adopted a resolution July 3 urging Fairfax County officials to purchase power-load cots for the county government’s entire fleet of medical-transport vehicles to reduce injuries to patients and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel.” [Gazette Leader]

County Seeks Input on Disability Services — “The Fairfax Area Commission on Aging (COA) and the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board (FA-DSB) are seeking community input to identify systemic gaps in service and/or barriers Fairfax County residents with disabilities face.” Registration is open for virtual community forums on July 31 and Aug. 2. [FA-DSB]

Permitting Underway for High School Stadium Bathrooms — “Permanent restroom facilities for Mount Vernon, West Potomac, Edison, Hayfield and 11 other public high school athletic stadiums in Fairfax County are expected to be in place by the 2025-2026 school year.” A modular has arrived at Justice High School, but permits for the other sites are still being reviewed. [On the MoVe]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 91 degrees with a westerly wind at about 6 mph. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy with a low near 73, as the northwest wind of around 5 mph becomes calm in the evening. There is a 50% chance of showers during the night. [NWS]