News

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]

Idylwood Apartment Residents Struggle With Lack of AC — “Amid a severe summer heat wave, residents of the eaves Fairfax Towers apartments in Falls Church, Virginia, report enduring indoor temperatures as high as 93 degrees for more than two weeks…Residents say management provided temporary air-conditioning units, but they have not been effective.” [NBC4]

New Graves Found at Bull Run Park — “A few hundred yards from the popular Atlantis Waterpark at Bull Run Regional Park, in Centreville, Virginia, researchers identified nine graves Monday, using ground penetrating radar in a recently discovered cemetery of African Americans who were likely freed or enslaved.” [WTOP]

Fairfax City Police Investigate Bullet Hole — A resident reported hearing two gunshots at 9:49 p.m. on Monday (July 8), and police later found a bullet hole at the back of their home on Cardinal Road. Other residents later told detectives they had also heard shots but thought the sounds were fireworks. Fairfax City police officers have increased patrols in the area amid an active investigation. [Fairfax City Police/Twitter]

Arlington Chef Opens Restaurant in McLean — “Chef David Guas, a 24-year culinary vet by way of New Orleans, finally has a full-service restaurant to call his own. Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen quietly opened for dinner service last month in the downtown McLean space that formerly housed Assaggi Osteria & Pizzeria.” [Eater DC]

Springfield Man Found Guilty for Liquor Thefts — “A Springfield man was found guilty of stealing thousands of dollars of liquor from ABC stores in [Alexandria City], and is scheduled to appear again for other suspected incidents in Arlington and Fairfax Counties.” A Sept. 11 court hearing in Fairfax County involves charges of larceny, shoplifting, assaulting a law enforcement officer and more. [ALXnow]

Ramen and Taco Restaurants Heading for Richmond Highway Corridor — Yido Ramen and Sushi in Tysons is expanding to the Belle View Shopping Center, where it’s expected to open in January or February 2025. In Groveton, a tenant list for the South Alex apartments shows Big Papi’s Tacos coming to “the end unit directly across from the Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care clinic.” [On the MoVe]

Manager Chosen for Reston Marriott — “Crescent Hotels & Resorts has entered into a management agreement with an affiliate of Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHCI) (“Comstock”) covering the JW Marriott at Reston Station.” The 28-story high-rise will include a 12-floor, 243-room hotel expected to open in mid-2025 and 94 condominiums that recently opened for sale. [Crescent Hotels and Resorts]

It’s Wednesday — Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 5pm, with mostly sunny conditions and a high near 95, and a heat index reaching up to 105. Wednesday night, storms may occur mainly before 2am, while partly cloudy skies bring a low of 77. The chance of precipitation rises from 30% to 50%. [NWS]

Annandale Man Arrested for Carjacking — “Fairfax County Police detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau are seeking additional witnesses and victims following the apprehension of an Annandale man who committed a carjacking and multiple attempted carjackings within a 90-minute period.” The charges include assault after two victims were reportedly injured. [Annandale Today]

Thousands of Migrant Kids Resettled in Virginia — “Children who arrive to the U.S. without parents entered a sponsor’s care in 14 Virginia localities from Oct. 2023 to April 2024, including Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William and Fairfax Counties in Northern Virginia.” Since October 2014, 33,812 unaccompanied children have been released to a sponsor in Virginia, the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) says. [Virginia Mercury]

June Results of Crime Prevention Effort — The Fairfax County Police Department says its 2024 Summer Crime Prevention Initiative has resulted in over 60 felony charges and more than 150 misdemeanor charges so far. “Over 330 suspected fentanyl pills were taken off the streets, one stolen vehicle was recovered, and one stolen gun was seized from a convicted felon.” [FCPD]

Brush Fire Put Out at Huntley Meadows — “A fire broke out during the evening of July 6 at Huntley Meadows Park in Hybla Valley, burning around three acres of wooded area before it was extinguished, according to a spokesperson for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD).” The cause remains under investigation. [On the MoVe]

Metro Expands Use of Automatic Doors — The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission gave Metro the go-ahead yesterday (Monday) “to fully operate in Auto Door mode,” a function tested on the Red Line in December. All train doors will now automatically open within three to five seconds of stopping at a station platform, saving up to 10 seconds per stop. [WMATA]

Hearing on Fort Hunt Road Pedestrian Improvements — “The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a virtual design public hearing Wednesday, July 10 on planned improvements at the intersection of Fort Hunt Road (Route 629) and Rollins Drive/Westgrove Boulevard to improve pedestrian and driver safety and operations.” Feedback will be accepted through Aug. 7. [VDOT]

Free Water Sports Clinic Coming to Lorton — “The 14th Annual So Kids SOAR Adaptive Water Sports Clinic is scheduled to take place Saturday, July 13, at Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton. Children will have access to adaptive equipment and instructors. A total of about 120 families are coming this year, up from 57 families in 2023.” [WTOP]

Throwback to Fairfax County Bookmobile — “County supervisors approved funding for the first library in 1939, but that $250 wasn’t enough. The federal Works Progress Administration stepped in with funding and loaned Fairfax a bookmobile. The dark blue, converted 1-ton 1939 Chevrolet Suburban panel truck filled with books started Fairfax County on its road to reading on July 30, 1940.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny and hot day with a high near 97 and heat index values up to 106, along with a 20% chance of rain after 2pm. At night, there’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, with partly cloudy conditions and a low of 79. [NWS]