Centre Ridge Elementary School students install a learning garden (courtesy Cox Enterprises)
Going forward, Centre Ridge Elementary School will incorporate vegetables into the classroom as well as the cafeteria, thanks to a newly installed garden.
A “learning garden” from the nonprofit Captain Planet Foundation was unveiled at the Centreville school yesterday (Thursday). Built by a group of sixth-grade students and donated by Cox Enterprises, the conglomerate that owns the broadband company Cox Communications, the vegetable and herb garden will serve as an educational tool, while also providing access to produce.
The office building at 1902 Campus Commons Drive in Reston (via Google Maps)
A pair of buildings in Reston’s Campus Commons office park may soon get a facelift, including a less common upgrade for office spaces: pickleball.
TF Cornerstone, the property owner of 1900 and 1902 Campus Commons Drive, has asked Fairfax County to determine whether proposed amenity upgrades conform to the conditions of the existing development.
Construction cranes working on the Exchange at Spring Hill housing development stand behind a Porsche dealership in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Dulles Greenway Toll Hike Rejected — Drivers who use the Dulles Greenway will not have to pay higher tolls to use the privately owned 14-mile road” after Virginia’s State Corporation Commission rejected proposed increases. “The commission issued a final order Wednesday, denying the request, saying it would ‘materially discourage’ the public’s use of the Greenway.” [WTOP]
Lt. Gov. Announces GubernatorialCandidacy — “Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia’s long history, has officially set her sights on the state’s top political office.” She is the first Republican to join the 2025 race for governor, while Rep. Abigail Spanberger is currently the only person seeking the Democratic nomination. [NBC4]
Community Center Library Dedicated to Police Shooting Victim — “On Wednesday, Bijan Ghaisar’s family and friends dedicated a library to his memory on what would have been his 32nd birthday. The quiet, reflective space of books and art has been established inside the Iranian American Community Center in Tysons.” [WTOP]
Lawsuit Filed Over Reston Station Development — Tokyo-based Daito Trust Construction filed a federal lawsuit on Aug. 30 alleging that Reston Station developer Comstock “breached its contract by wrongly reducing Daito’s ownership share” in the BLVD apartments at 1908 Reston Metro Plaza. Seeking $10 million in damages, the complaint centers on whether Comstock met a condition that would’ve required Daito to contribute $40 million to the project. [Washington Business Journal]
Arrests Made for Reported Tysons Larceny — Detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department’s Tysons Urban Team arrested three people on Sept. 1 for a larceny reported in the 8300 block of Leesburg Pike around 3:30 p.m. Police say the trio had over $1,700 in stolen merchandise in their possession and an additional $20,000 worth in their vehicle and hotel room. [FCPD]
Mason District Gets Its Own Restaurant Week — “Mason District’s first-ever Restaurant Week starts Sunday, Sept. 8, and runs through Sept. 15. Nine restaurants are participating, and a few more might be added. Some restaurants will offer limited set meals and others will have discounts and special deals.” [Annandale Today]
Fire Department Finishes Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser — “#FCFRD is thrilled to announce another successful Fill the Boot campaign for MDA, which raised an amazing $174,855.51! We thank our community, donors, volunteers, and partners for their support!” [FCFRD/Twitter]
It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high near 81, accompanied by a 6 mph east wind. Friday night will see mostly cloudy conditions and a low around 66, with a southeast wind of the same speed. [NWS]
An overhead sign on I-64 sign in Henrico County was downed by the raised bed of a tractor trailer (courtesy Virginia State Police)
A truck driver from Lorton has been charged with reckless driving in the wake of a crash that has blocked I-64 in Henrico County all day.
According to the Virginia State Police, the driver was going west in a tractor trailer on I-64 when the truck’s raised bed struck an overhead traffic sign around 9:36 a.m.
Reston Association's Lake Thoreau Pool house (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A significant portion of Reston Association’s future capital planning will depend on the future of its pools, according to a recently released reserve study.
A report by DMA Reserves estimates that it’ll cost RA nearly $94 million to replace its pools and splash pads in the coming decades — a whopping 49% of the roughly $191 million in anticipated facility replacement costs facing the organization.
An absentee ballot drop box (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Commissioner of Elections Susan Beals on Wednesday expressed concerns with the operational performance of the U.S. Postal Service ahead of the 2024 presidential election in Virginia, warning that mail-in ballots may not be processed in time to be counted.
“Election officials depend on the U.S. mail service to deliver ballots to voters and to return ballots to election officials,” Beals told members of the Virginia House of Delegates Privileges and Elections Committee at a meeting in Richmond. “What I am hoping to change is the expectation of voters, that if I put my ballot in the mail five days before election day that it is going to get there. You need to plan further out than that.”
A private school that provides special education for students in first through 12th grade is looking to expand in Annandale (7010 Braddock Road).
The school is part of Phillips Programs, a nonprofit that provides education, family support services and advocacy for students with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs.
The new Express Route 789 between Tysons and Bethesda will begin operating on Sept. 16, providing weekday, rush-hour service to five stops using the Capital Beltway (I-495) and American Legion Bridge.
The building — which is nearing the end of its life — underwent critical renovations throughout the summer, including ADA improvements for the main public restrooms, upgrades for all lighting fixtures, replacement of carpet in key areas, updates to public meeting rooms, and general paint, cleaning and blind repairs.
Crows flock to a radio tower in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
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]
