News

Families of Oakton Crash Victims Still Grieving — “Yan, his wife, and other family members joined supporters Friday afternoon at the corner of Blake Lane and Five Oaks Road in Fairfax to mark the second anniversary of the deaths of Lee Yan Hanjia and her friend, Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco.” [Patch]

Former Nats Star Leaves McLean House — Retired Washington Nationals pitcher and one-time World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg reflected on his baseball career and its challenging end “over calamari and salmon at a white-tableclothed Tysons Corner seafood restaurant.” Strasburg recently moved out of his McLean home to return to San Diego, California. [Washington Post]

Residents Plan Legal Action to Keep Pickleball Courts — “Residents of the Broyhill Crest community in Annandale who’ve been fighting to retain the pickleball courts at Kendale Woods Park have lost their battle to retain them — at least for the time being. The Park Authority announced it will begin removing pickleball from the park this coming week…The fight isn’t over, however. The pickleball players plan to file a legal injunction to stop the work.” [Annandale Today]

McLean Wins State Baseball Championship — “In the Virginia Class 6 championship game at Deep Run High, McLean rolled to a 15-5 victory over South Lakes to capture the first state championship in program history. The Highlanders (19-10) were rarely threatened Saturday, but the road to this stage wasn’t straight.” [Washington Post]

McLean Groups Supports Workforce Housing Changes — “McLean Citizens Association board members approved a letter June 5 in support of a proposed Fairfax County comprehensive-plan amendment for policies and programs related to for-sale workforce-dwelling units (WDUs).” The county is considering changing the targeted income levels and “expanding the policy’s availability to new parts of the county.” [Gazette Leader]

Memorial Garden Added to Fort Hunt Farm — “A private dedication ceremony was held June 7 for the newly installed Clara B. Plein Memorial Garden at River Farm, the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) headquarters along the Potomac River. Donated by AHS Board Chair Scott Plein in memory of his grandmother, the garden…is an example of sustainable landscaping with around 68% native plants and 32% native cultivars.” [On the MoVe]

Free Little Art Galleries Pop Up in Reston — “There is a small wooden hutch located just off the Turquoise Trail in Reston. Inside is a magical scene, a miniature art gallery replete with small resin characters and scads of ever-changing art. Wanderers are free to take a piece of art, leave a piece of art, or do both. This is the Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) in the Woods, one of four FLAGs in Reston.” [Fairfax County Times]

It’s Monday — Expect increasing clouds and a high near 78 accompanied by a northwest wind at 6 to 9 mph. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 59 and a northwest wind at about 7 mph. [NWS]

Traffic Shift to New I-495 Bridge Coming — “If you plan on traveling through the Tysons area in Northern Virginia this weekend, be prepared for a major traffic shift on the Capital Beltway. It starts Friday night when crews shift traffic onto a new Interstate 495 North bridge over the eastbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) ramp.” [WTOP]

Clean-up of Fort Belvoir Fuel Spill Continues — “Two months after the jet fuel spill near Fort Belvoir’s Davison Army Airfield, the garrison is continuing to address the environmental impacts. According to Fort Belvoir’s Public Affairs Office (PAO), the seven to 10 inches of contaminated topsoil at the spill site has yet to be removed.” [On the MoVe]

D.C. Area Sees Exodus for Rural Communities — “Residents moving from D.C. and its surrounding suburbs are relocating further away than they have in the past, part of a national trend of remote workers leaving metropolitan cities for small rural communities,” according to a new analysis by University of Virginia researchers. [WTOP]

Speed Cameras Lead to 36K Citations — “Since all of the speed cameras went live in eight school zones in Fairfax County last year, 36,234 citations have been mailed. New data obtained by WUSA9 from the Fairfax Co. Police Department showed a wide range in the number of fines, but one camera stood out the most.” [WUSA9]

Students Unveil New Art for Lake Thoreau — “A new piece of public art will soon find its home on Reston’s Lake Thoreau. This towering, angular tree sculpture is called Arboris, and it’s the work of the South Lakes High School STEAM Team, which designed and built the concept from scratch.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Dulles Airport Hits 2M Silver Line Riders — “Since the grand opening in November 2022, the Dulles Airport Metro station has served over two million passengers! We were proud to cut the ribbon alongside @wmata, @MWAAHQ and other regional partners, celebrating our investment in Silver Line Phase II and better connectivity for our community.” [Northern Virginia Transportation Authority/Twitter]

Free Composting Bins at Farmers Markets — “Don’t miss out on our free countertop compost bin giveaway June 12-16! During this time, farmers market customers who dispose of food scraps at any of our 10 Farmers Markets may receive a free compost bin. Supplies are limited and open to shoppers who have not received a bin in previous years.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 and west winds between 5 to 10 mph. For Friday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 60 and west winds at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]