A fire blazed through multiple units of an apartment complex in Idylwood this morning (Wednesday), prompting a heavy response by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
Units were called to the Falls Church Gardens Condominiums in the 2700 block of Hollywood Road around 9:15 a.m. for what turned into a two-alarm apartment fire.
Construction work is underway on a new athletics and activity facility for George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.
Contractor Hoar Construction announced last Thursday (June 20) that it has broken ground on a 25,000-square-foot Activities Community Wellness Building, which will give GMU’s acclaimed Green Machine pep band its first dedicated home, among other functions.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is looking to fund upgrades for its aging public safety facilities and transportation network through bond referenda that may appear on the November ballot.
The supervisors unanimously endorsed a plan yesterday (Tuesday) to seek voter approval for a $306 million investment that would modernize Metro facilities, refurbish old fire stations and build a new police training center.
A woman was killed and a man got injured in a crash just south of Route 29 in Centreville on Monday (June 24), police say.
Officers responded to the intersection of Braddock and Pickwick roads around 9:50 p.m. after getting a call that two pedestrians had been hit by a driver, the Fairfax County Police Department reported in a press release published last night (Tuesday).
Uptick in ER Visits During Heat Wave — “Heat-related visits to emergency rooms in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region were up during the current heat wave that brought sweltering temperatures to Northern Virginia last week, according to federal health data.” [Patch]
Metro Converting Buses to Vinyl Seats — “Nearly 40 buses have had their cloth seats replaced with modern, easier-to-clean and maintain vinyl, similar to the material used on Metrorail trains. Customers have long asked for more sanitary material that doesn’t absorb spills, stains, and odors.” Metro hopes to finish the seat replacements on all 1,500-plus buses in 2025. [WMATA]
Transit Enthusiast Evaluates Walkability of Tysons — “Walking in Tysons feels like horror without end. Or like central Paris. One of those two. It’s hard to say and it depends on where you are and who you ask. Here’s a look at the state of walkability in Tysons after 34 years of attempted reform, and a couple of suggestions.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Vietnamese Restaurant Closes Hybla Valley Location — “Lotus Pho & Grill, a Vietnamese restaurant that opened in September 2022, is no longer in business at its Hybla Valley location, though its original site at Shoppes of Lorton Valley on Ox Road remains open.” In the same shopping center, Sun Sew Vac will close for good this Saturday (June 29). [On the MoVe]
Local Woman Opens Skin Care Studio in Fairfax City — “Fairfax City business leaders, elected officials, and family members joined Stephanie Dallojacono celebrate the grand opening Friday of Smiley Skin Beauty, a skin care and spray tan studio…Located upstairs at 10373-B Democracy Lane, Smiley Skin offers Glo2Facials and air brush tanning by appointment only.” [Patch]
Excavation Underway on Tysons Housing Project — “At The Exchange, crews…for Bethesda, Maryland-based Clark Construction currently are at work on excavation, which the contractor expects to finish by the end of August, a company spokesperson told Construction Dive. On the broader timeline, the project is eyeing a summer 2027 completion.” [Smart Cities Dive]
Meet Library Poetry Contest Winners — “We are celebrating the winners of the library’s Poetic Musings 2024 Contest! Meet the winners and listen as they share their poems.” The celebration will take place at 7-8:15 p.m. today (Thursday) in the meeting room at Burke Centre Library. [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Wednesday — Showers and thunderstorms are expected after 2 pm, with a high of 98 and a heat index of 101. There’s a 50% chance of precipitation. At night, the chance of precipitation increases to 70% with thunderstorms likely before 11 pm and a low temperature around 72. [NWS]
The owner and founder of The Fermented Pig, a beloved mainstay at local farmers’ markets, has died.
Josh Plante died unexpectedly on Wednesday, June 12, the artisanal meat supplier announced a day later on social media. Most of The Fermented Pig’s operations, including the recently opened Merrifield retail store, have closed “until further notice.”
Fairfax County hardly needs fire to keep warm this summer, but Herndon hopes to bring people together over a symbolic flame nonetheless.
An 8-foot-tall metal sculpture dubbed the “Herndon Torch” will travel through the town this July and August to mark the Summer Olympics and forge community connections.
The Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees is considering changing Woodrow Wilson Library’s name to Culmore Community Library following “significant community input.”
Library Board of Trustees Chair Brian Engler said many community members in the Mason District, where the library is located, have testified during public comment periods in recent months that they want the name changed.
Researchers found that some complex toll roads in Northern Virginia are “less understandable” for people who drive high occupancy vehicles and that inconsistent toll signage in Virginia may also cause driver confusion. The findings come after a months-long study into easing vehicle traffic congestion, specifically on popular Interstates 81 and 95, and possible ways to stop rising toll costs.
Cost concerns
Kingstowne residents are reeling after a fire blazed through 10 townhomes yesterday (Monday).
No injuries were reported in the two-alarm fire, which drew firefighters to the 6900 block of Banchory Court in the Terrington neighborhood around 12:40 p.m., the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.
